Floor Speech - U.S. House / page 16

Allyson Schwartz
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
In Opposition to Pay China First Act - May 9, 2013
May 9, 2013
I rise in strong opposition to the Republican Pay China First bill, which would jeopardize the full faith and credit of the United States. This legislation dictates which of our nation's bills we will pay and which we will not, and poses a serious, dangerous threat to our economy. The Republicans put foreign creditors ahead of our veterans, active duty military, Medicare recipients, and small businesses. The Republicans' refusal to pay our Nation's bills inflicts another round of unnecessary wounds that weakened our economy in 2011. American families, American workers, […]
Lucille Roybal-Allard
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
Against Drastic Cuts in Republican Homeland Security Spending Bill - June 1, 2011
June 1, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill, which irresponsibly slashes over one billion dollars from programs that protect and support the ability of our police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel to quickly and adequately respond to a disaster or a terrorist attack. The destructive flooding across the Mississippi basin and the devastating tornados in Alabama and Missouri have demonstrated the need for a rapid and effective response to save lives. This is true for other parts our country like my home city of Los Angeles which is […]
Gabrielle Giffords
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Resignation Speech, Speeches
Resignation from U.S. House of Representatives - Jan. 25, 2012
January 25, 2012
Read by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz In 2001, strongly holding the belief that there is no higher calling than serving my country, I went from selling tires and my Tucson family business to being a freshman representative in the Arizona State House. And for ten years I served – in the Arizona legislature, in the United States Congress, and, after marrying Mark, as a proud military spouse. Always I fought for what I thought was right. But never did I question the character of those with whom I disagreed. Never […]
Marsha Blackburn
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
Forty Years of Victims' Legacy of Abortion - Jan. 22, 2013
January 22, 2013
We do stand today and mark the 40th anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade decision, and it really said that not all life is created equal. Since the Supreme Court gave our government's seal of approval, if you will, for on-demand abortion, there have been over 55 million lives lost. Mr. Speaker, I'm not certain that we think about the gravity or the enormity of the issue until we look at it in that collective sense, 55 million lives that have been lost. As a woman, I personally believe […]
Suzanne Bonamici
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
Stop the Rate Hike Act - April 27, 2012
April 27, 2012
Thank you to my colleague for yielding. I'm so happy to be here today with my colleagues in support of preventing a drastic hike on student loan interest rates. Education truly is the key to improving our economy and ensuring a strong America for generations to come, but current barriers to higher education jeopardize those goals for too many. Education needs to be accessible to everyone, not just to those who can pay tuition out of their pocket. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of the Stop the Rate Hike […]
Suzanne Bonamici
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
Women's access to preventive health care services - Aug 1, 2012
August 1, 2012
This is an important day for women across this great country. Starting today, all new health insurance plans will include coverage for important preventive health care for women. Many have looked forward to this date since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and I'm thrilled that it's finally here. Starting today, women across the country will have access to essential preventive health care without copayments or deductibles. Women who were effectively barred from these services because of the cost will now be able to receive annual visits, testing for […]
Suzanne Bonamici
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
Violence Against Women Act (S.47) - May 16, 2012
May 16, 2012
It's truly unfortunate that we're here today talking about the possibility of voting against the Violence Against Women Act. This bill was originally passed and has been consistently reauthorized with strong bipartisan support, but it now faces unnecessary hurdles. There has been a drop in annual rates of domestic violence since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, but we still have work to do. Alarmingly, one in four women and one in seven men have been victims of domestic violence in their lifetime, but the current bill is […]
Suzanne Bonamici
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
Sequestration Transparency Act - Sept 20, 2012
September 20, 2012
During the month of August, I had held several town hall meetings throughout my district in Oregon. In these meetings, I've done a summary of the work that we're doing here in Congress and then opened the floor for questions from and discussions with my constituents. Without fail, in every town hall meeting at least one person would ask about the partisan rancor and the gridlock that's come to characterize Washington. They would ask me: Can you tell us something that's bipartisan that you've done, something where you've worked together, […]
Suzanne Bonamici
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
Middle class tax cuts - Dec 18, 2012
December 18, 2012
Our constituents across this great Nation are looking to Congress for leadership. Here we are, back in Washington this week, still in negotiations to find a compromise to avert this so-called "fiscal cliff." The year end is fast approaching. Before last Friday, almost every conversation I had with my neighbors back in Oregon centered on this question: What will happen after January 1? How much will taxes increase if Congress, as is too often the case, is too paralyzed by gridlock to act? My constituents found common ground in expressing […]
Suzanne Bonamici
categories: Floor Speech - U.S. House, Speeches
Recess before a sequestration deal - Feb 13, 2013
February 13, 2013
Today is February 13, but it feels like Groundhog Day. Here we are, back again, facing the prospect of devastating cuts from sequestration. Families in Oregon don't understand why Members of Congress can't seem to set aside their differences and get things done; and, frankly, neither do I. We don't want to see these devastating cuts go into effect. We don't want to see a government shutdown. We don't want to tell the children that they have to have even more students in their already-crowded classrooms or explain to senior […]