Jul 22, 2002
I rise today to join in celebrating the contributions of Corrine ``Lindy'' Claiborne Boggs on the Occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Founding of the Congressional Women's Caucus. I was one of only 16 women Members of the House of…
Patsy T. Mink
The Public Record
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July 25, 2002
I rise tonight in very strong support for the Oberstar-Costello-Roemer amendment to maintain the independence of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.…
— Patsy T. Mink
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by number of sources- Today I rise to re-introduce a bill important to all students--H.R. . In the 105th Congress, we passed legislation that allows students to deduct interest paid on student loans. We did this to make it easier for all Americans to bear the enormous costs of higher education, and I supported this effort wholeheartedly. My bill improves this law by removing the current 60 month limitation period for deducting student loan interest. As the law currently stands, if your student loan is older than 5 years from when it came due, you are not eligible for a tax deduction. This limitation needs to be removed. Higher education has become increasingly expensive and is creating a financial burden on graduates well beyond the first five years of graduation. According to the General Accounting Office, the average student loan in 1980 was $518; in 1995, it rose to $2,417, an increase of 367%. Tuition at 4-year public and private colleges and universities has risen nearly three times as much as median household income in the past 15 years. As a result, it is becoming harder for students to graduate from college or graduate school without the help of student loans. Students that graduate with student loans start out a few steps behind those without it. It is harder for them to save for emergencies or to invest money for their future. It is also harder for them to meet day-to-day expenses. This tax deduction will help. All interest accrued on student loans should be deductible.2 sources2001govinfo.gov
- I will vote to override the President's veto of H.R. 8, the Estate Tax bill not because I favor repeal of the estate tax, but to send a message to the Democratic and Republican leadership that both sides must work to strike a compromise and pass a bill to reform the estate tax. Clearly the estate tax has a deleterious effect on successful persons who hope to pass along homes to their children. In my State of Hawaii, property values are highly inflated and properties which would not result in any estate tax on the mainland are subject to estate tax in Hawaii. In 1997, the last year for which statistics are available, 2.5 percent of estates in Hawaii were subject to Federal estate taxes, compared to only 1.9 percent nationwide. When H.R. 8 was originally considered, I first voted for the Democratic substitute which would have raised the exemption to $4 million, lowered the tax rate and taken effect immediately. The Republican bill would not take full effect for ten years and it did nothing to lower rates. That is too long for many people. We need to raise the exemption for estates to $4 million or more, lower the tax rate and make the changes effective immediately. There is plenty of room for compromise between the two positions. Both sides must compromise, the Democrats as well as the Republicans.2 sources2000govinfo.gov
govinfo.gov
Jul 22, 2002
I rise today to ask all of my colleagues to vote for H. Con. Res. 385, which calls upon the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct or support research on certain tests to screen for ovarian cancer and to ensure that Federal…
Jul 17, 2002
June 23rd marked the 30th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 which prohibits sex discrimination in any educational institution that receives federal funds. To commemorate this 30th anniversary, it is important that…
Jun 19, 2002
I have a very personal connection with title IX because while I was wanting to go to medical school in my time and I had written to a dozen or more medical schools to seek entry, each one of them turned me down by saying that they did not…
Jun 19, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gracious gentlewoman from Hawaii for this opportunity to join with her today as we are commemorating the 30th anniversary of the passage of title IX of the education amendments of 1972. This title has been…
Jun 19, 2002
I heard a commentator the other day on a talk show say that next to the civil rights, title IX has probably made the most difference in this country in opening up opportunities, and I certainly have to agree that a small effort, a deep…
Jun 19, 2002
Mr. Speaker, there are many others who wanted to be here, but because of the advance of the time that we had informed the offices that they would be heard, many are not here. But I wanted to say that the most important message that I…
May 16, 2002
Mr. Speaker, there is so much that needs to be said about this issue, but I would like to inform the last speaker that the unfunded mandate in this bill would cost the State of New Jersey about $233 million. That is the financial aspect of…
Apr 30, 2002
I rise in support of H.R. 3801, the Education Science Reform Act of 2002. H.R. 3801 marks a significant step forward in the Congress' effort to improve the research, evaluation, and technical assistance focus of the Department of…
Apr 24, 2002
H.R. 3763, the Corporate Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency Act of 2002, does not go far enough to reform the accounting industry and strengthen corporate disclosure rules, which are critical to restoring investor confidence…
Apr 11, 2002
I think all of us want to do what we can to provide a safety net. Every President that I have worked with talks about the necessity of a social safety net. That is really all that the welfare program is. It is a safety net for families…
Apr 11, 2002
Wonderful. We had the opportunity to hear from Secretary Tommy Thompson the other day. He came and testified about the importance of child care. I want to say that I was very impressed with the passion with which he made his comments about…
Mar 19, 2002
Mr. Speaker, as we ask this House to recognize Women's History Month, I think it is important to know how this whole project began. In 1970 women's history was a very fledgling idea. It was started by the Education Task Force of Sonoma…
Feb 13, 2002
I represent well over 100,000 individuals in my State who are legal residents who have come here to make a life for their families. The Constitution was written by some very, very wonderful people who made no distinction whatsoever in…
Feb 6, 2002
this year we will be working on the reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, known as TANF. It was a rewrite of the welfare law that we had previously enacted called Aid to Dependent Children. One of the major…
Dec 13, 2001
I want to join the comments of the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and commendations to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) and all of the Members on his side for their great efforts in bringing us to this point today. I…
Dec 6, 2001
For weeks Congress had debated various economic stimulus plans. Meanwhile, the economy has continued to dive deeper into a recession. In the third quarter, the economy collapsed at an annual rate of 1.1 percent, its worst showing since…
Nov 27, 2001
I rise to advise this House that I have introduced a bill, H.R. 3113, which seeks to amend and reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF). H.R. 3113 currently has 49 sponsors. I hope that more Members will join…
Nov 15, 2001
on November 13, 2001, I introduced H.R. 3281, the Travel Stimulus Act of 2001. This bill will allow individuals to claim a temporary tax deduction for travel expenses for cost of travel after September 11, 2001, and before September 12…
Nov 1, 2001
America's confidence has been severely weakened by the tragic events of September 11, 2001. People will not fly until they feel safe! Hawaii's hotels and beaches are empty while people wait for Congress to assure us that it is safe to fly…
Oct 10, 2001
I would like to read from portions of the letter that all of us received from the American Association of University Professors urging that we not enact H.R. 1992. In the second page of their letter it says the AAUP recommends, one…
Oct 4, 2001
I rise against the M&M amendment and ask my colleagues to vote against it. I am deeply disturbed by the constant attack on the sugar industry. When they attack the sugar industry, they are really attacking my working people that are out…
Sep 14, 2001
I served in the Congress during the heated debates about Presidential powers during the war in Vietnam. As a consequence of the differing opinions that were so heatedly fought on this floor, the War Powers Act was enacted. It clarified…
Sep 11, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight overwhelmed by indescribable grief and sorrow. A taking of any innocent life is an atrocity. A taking of hundreds is a massacre of monumental proportions. Yesterday, a massacre of unthinkable numbers occurred…
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