Lynn C. Woolsey

The Public Record

Quotes by year · 1994–20161,212 total · peak 2005 (140)

★ Featured Quote

May 23, 2016

I believe we have complete agreement with the first principle that you have referred to today, and that is that every able-bodied person should be working or preparing to work.

— Lynn C. Woolsey

Most widely reported

by number of sources

I rise today in support of H. Res. 605, a resolution recognizing the continuing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. In 2002, I authored a resolution expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the Chinese Government's oppression of Falun Gong in the United States and in the People's Republic of China. Sadly, 8 years later, the persecution continues. People are being sent to jail, to work camps and are assaulted for their practice of Falun Gong. China has claimed that the Falun Gong practitioners are 'disturbing social order' and have labeled the practice an evil cult. International media reports have found that over 100 Falun Gong followers have died in the custody of the Chinese Government. All people, even those in China, have the internationally recognized freedoms of association and religion. The Chinese Government must put a stop to this inhumane persecution. I urge my colleagues, stand up for human rights and vote 'yes' on this resolution, H. Res. 605.3 sources2010govinfo.gov
I believe in the freedom to read, and Americans' right to read and purchase books without fear of government monitoring has been wiped out, it has been erased, it has been undone by the passage of the PATRIOT Act. Congress must repeal this unconstitutional provision, and we must do it today with this amendment. The PATRIOT Act forces library users to self-censor their reading choices out of fear. Mr. Chairman, censorship is not what America is about. The existing law would make one believe that by reading a book, the 9/11 terrorists came into existence. The existing law would lead one to believe that books are the enemy. Let us not forget the book burnings in Germany. Books are only the enemy if we do not want our population to be educated.2 sources2004govinfo.gov
here we go again. Instead of making this TANF law better, instead of giving welfare recipients the tools to move from welfare to self-sufficiency, we are once again renewing, for the eighth time renewing it, actually, a bill that continues moving families from welfare further into poverty. Instead, we should be making education or training count as work so that that activity for welfare recipients will help them get ready for better educational opportunities and job training so they can have better opportunities for earning a salary that pays a livable wage. They will not get that unless they have education and training. Instead of again extending an outdated welfare bill, we should be providing quality child care, child care that includes more care for infants, child care that extends to parents who work weekends and evenings. That is what we need. That is what these parents need. That is what they need to help them get their jobs and become self-sufficient. Let us face it, if parents do not have a safe, convenient place to leave their children, they cannot go to work. Believe me, I know, because over 30 years ago I was a single mother with three small children, abandoned by their father; and even though I was working full-time, I needed welfare, aid for dependent children at that time, to keep our lives together, to get my children the health care, the child care they needed.2 sources2004govinfo.gov
the common theme to the war in Iraq has been the Bush Administration's ability and willingness to mislead the American people. First, they misled about weapons of mass destruction. Then, nearly 2 years ago, they falsely declared the end of major combat operations. Now they are openly declaring success of the mission, and President Bush regularly speaks of an increasingly democratic Iraq. This assessment suggests the degree to which the President fails to comprehend the disastrous lack of security that has plagued Iraq over the last 2 years. Personally, I am frightened that our own President has such a failed understanding about the reality of the war that he started. Just as disturbing were recent comments by the Vice President, Dick Cheney. In an interview, he said that the Iraqi insurgency was in its last throes. I am not sure which press reports the Vice President has been reading, but somehow I do not think his optimistic assessment of Iraq's insurgency is grounded in fact. Unfortunately, misleading assessments of the war like these do not magically secure Iraq from the true threats that it faces; and the true threats are an increasingly strengthened Iraqi insurgency, encouraged by the continued U.S. military occupation. On the ground, a violent wave of car bombings and other attacks killed 80 U.S. soldiers and more than 700 Iraqis in the month of May alone. Vice President Cheney calls this the last throes?…2 sources2005govinfo.gov
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. That was April 12. Specifically, he put the number of trained and equipped 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. The President was either totally oblivious to Iraq's true security failures, or he was intentionally misleading the American people into thinking peace has taken hold. His statement was uninformed at best, deceitful at worst. Either way, the President's assessment misleads the American people in knowing the true situation in Iraq. Take, for example, his claim that 150,000 Iraqi soldiers have been trained. Iraq's military leaders reveal the number is closer to 75,000, half of the President's statement; and we are not sure what the quality of training is and how those trained individuals are measured. Also, the actual number of trained security personnel committed to a secure and democratic Iraq is probably less because, as the chief of police in Basra, General Hassan al-Sade stated, at least half of his 14,000-member militia is openly opposed to a secure Iraq, and another quarter are politically neutral but do not follow his military orders.…2 sources2005govinfo.gov
our Constitution states that Members of Congress must be chosen by the people of the United States, and Congress must represent the people of the United States. That means that we as Members of Congress need to listen and need to act when the people speak. Well, the American people have spoken. The last Gallup poll released earlier this week indicates that the American people are ready for our military forces in Iraq to start coming home. Nearly 60 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. should bring home some or all of our troops from Iraq. Just as revealing, the Gallup poll showed that only 36 percent of Americans support maintaining our current troop levels in Iraq. This is the lowest level of support for the war since it began in March of 2003. The American people have stated loud and clear where they stand, and their numbers are increasing. They know that the only way to keep our sons and daughters from being killed in Iraq, and the only way to end the death and destruction that occur there every single day, is to begin the process of bringing our troops home. Clearly, the American people are way ahead of Congress on this issue. Unfortunately, the President of the United States is way behind on the issue of Iraq. We have asked the President to come up with a plan for ending the war. He has not, so we will. Our efforts to come up with a plan began in January when I introduced legislation calling for the President to begin bringing our troops home.…2 sources2005govinfo.gov

Dec 12, 2012

Throughout my career in public life, and even before, nothing has motivated me more than a desire to end wars and violent conflicts. When I was a small girl saying bedtime prayers or making a birthday wish when blowing out the candles, I…

govinfo.gov

Dec 12, 2012

Thank you, George, for doing this. Thank you for honoring those of us that have been here and now are leaving. I arrived feeling very green and feeling very good 20 years ago. I had no idea how little I knew about how to get something done…

govinfo.gov

Dec 4, 2012

This past weekend, we observed World AIDS Day, a time to remember those lost to this horrific disease and to recommit ourselves to prevention, treatment and, ultimately, a cure. For more than 30 years now, HIV/AIDS has exacted a huge toll…

govinfo.gov

Nov 29, 2012

It's the time of year when families reunite and renew their very close connections--connections that are actually, in most instances, the most precious parts of our lives. This Thanksgiving I know all of us were grateful for the company of…

govinfo.gov

Nov 14, 2012

Since the House last convened in late September, about 30 more Americans have given their lives in the war in Afghanistan. The total number of fatalities has now passed 2,000. And as of October 7, we've been at war in Afghanistan for a…

govinfo.gov

Sep 21, 2012

I thank the gentleman for leading this Special Order. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we were debating work requirements under the TANF program. Well, after we've all listed the issues that the Republicans have refused to address in this Congress…

govinfo.gov

Sep 20, 2012

I would like to say that my team came in second to Tennessee. Tennessee was the only team that beat them--but beat them twice. They did a stand-up job. So did our kids in Petaluma. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I took part in a moving…

govinfo.gov

Sep 20, 2012

Well, here we are, Mr. Speaker, 24 hours before the majority closes shop and sends us home for 7 weeks, and what are we debating? Are we talking about creating jobs for families who are struggling to make ends meet and wondering what…

govinfo.gov

Sep 20, 2012

In April of the year 2004, I rose in this Chamber to speak for 5 minutes about my conviction that the war in Iraq was a dangerous, immoral policy, and it was hurting America and our national security. Since then, I've delivered a similar…

govinfo.gov

Sep 11, 2012

A few minutes from now, Members of the House and the Senate will head to the Capitol steps. We're going to the Capitol steps for a moment of remembrance to honor those who were killed in the attacks on September 11, 2001--September 11…

govinfo.gov

Jul 25, 2012

The gentleman from the other side of the aisle is not correct on this. If the President signed the bill, the regulation would be stopped. In closing, Madam Chair, the adoption of my amendment will save the lives of Americans who work in…

govinfo.gov

Jul 25, 2012

I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 8, line 10, insert after the period the following: ``Such term does not include a rule that would…

govinfo.gov

Jul 25, 2012

I demand a recorded vote. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from California will be postponed. Amendment No. 18 Offered by Ms. Waters The Acting CHAIR. It…

govinfo.gov

Jul 25, 2012

More than 2,000 U.S. troops have been killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, that dramatically understates the human cost of this war, a war that is now nearly 11 years old. A recent Time magazine cover story details the…

govinfo.gov

Jul 25, 2012

Each year, 74 electrical workers covered under this rule are killed on the job. Another 444 are severely injured. OSHA is authorized to regulate a hazard when the risk of fatality is more than 1 in a 1,000. The fatality rate for workers…

govinfo.gov

Jul 24, 2012

I feel like you are giving us information that isn't based on politics. It is based on science and on observation.

congress.gov

Jul 24, 2012

We know that the smelt has its place in the ecosystem and that, yes, indeed Southern California needs water.

congress.gov

Jul 24, 2012

Again, Mr. Speaker, nothing in the proposed rule would have applied to children working on their parents' family farm, and I reserve the balance of my time.

govinfo.gov

Jul 24, 2012

I just want to repeat what I said in my opening remarks. Nothing in the proposed rule would have applied to children working on their parents' family farm. The proposed rule maintains the parental exemption. But again, to remind everybody…

govinfo.gov

Jul 24, 2012

Last September, the Department of Labor published a proposed rule on children employed in agriculture. I saw it as an important regulation that would protect young people working in one of the top three most hazardous industries in the…

govinfo.gov

Jul 24, 2012

I understand, Mr. Speaker, that we're ready to close, so I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, Mr. Speaker, once again, at a time when there are so many Americans looking for work and so many middle class families struggling…

govinfo.gov

Jul 19, 2012

I am proud to cosponsor this amendment offered by my friend from California. As she clearly stated, this amendment would cut $19.2 billion of Pentagon spending and bring the overall spending down to $500 billion while at the same time…

govinfo.gov

Jul 18, 2012

A few months ago, the Republican majority passed their budget blueprint which, unbelievably, called for the complete elimination, over 10 years' time, of funding for the Social Services Block Grant. This program is designed to help people…

govinfo.gov

Jul 18, 2012

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Politicians like Lynn C. Woolsey