cheaptrix/billsum-US_congress_and_house huggingface dataset:
Condemning and censuring President Barack Obama.

Whereas President Barack Obama continues to operate outside of the rule of law and the authority granted to him by the Constitution of the United States; Whereas President Barack Obama is circumventing the intent of Congress and the bipartisan Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 that was explicitly designed to protect our country and citizens from radical Islamic terrorism, and which he signed into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016; and Whereas the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 passed in the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 316–113: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives does hereby condemn and censure President Barack Obama.

Summary: Condemns and censures President Barack Obama.
Recognizing the 47th anniversary of Black April and the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.

Whereas since 1975, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese have resettled in the United States and built vibrant communities across the United States which contribute to the rich diversity of the Nation; Whereas, on April 30, 1975, the Republic of Vietnam was overthrown by communist forces in an event known as Black April Fall of Saigon Whereas members of the South Vietnamese military fought side by side with the United States Armed Forces in defense of the ideals of democracy and freedom; Whereas Vietnamese Americans have continuously advocated for freedom and democracy in Vietnam, and spoken out against human rights abuses by the Vietnamese Government; and Whereas Vietnam continues to hold one of the worst records on human rights in the region, violating religious freedom, obstructing press freedom, restricting its own citizens’ freedom of speech and assembly, and detaining prisoners of conscience: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes the significance of the 47th anniversary of Black April and the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975; (2) honors the contributions of Vietnamese Americans to the United States over the last 47 years and their tireless commitment to upholding freedom, human rights, and democracy in Vietnam; (3) honors the service of members of the United States Armed Forces and of the South Vietnamese forces who fought in Vietnam, including those who gave their lives; (4) honors the memory of the Vietnamese who lost their lives while attempting to flee Vietnam; and (5) encourages all citizens of the United States to join in remembering Black April and the Fall of Saigon, honoring the contributions of the Vietnamese-American community, and calling for freedom, human rights, and democracy in Vietnam.

Summary: This resolution recognizes the significance of the 47th anniversary of Black April and the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. The resolution honors the contributions of Vietnamese Americans and honors the service of members of the U.S. Armed Forces and the South Vietnamese forces who fought in Vietnam, including those who gave their lives.
Expressing support to designate the week of September 22 through September 28, 2019, Rail Safety Week in the United States, and to support the goals and ideals of Rail Safety Week to reduce rail-related accidents, fatalities, and injuries.

Whereas the first Rail Safety Week was held from September 24 through September 30, 2017, by the national education safety nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, the Department of Transportation, and other organizations; Whereas Rail Safety Week was launched to raise awareness about the need for increased education on how to be safe around highway-rail grade crossings and railroad tracks, and to highlight efforts to further reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities; Whereas the number of public crossings has decreased by 8 percent, while the number of gates has increased by 26 percent since 2005; Whereas, in 2018, 51 percent of all grade crossing collisions and 64 percent of all fatal grade crossing collisions occurred at gated crossings; Whereas while grade crossing injuries are 13 percent higher, grade crossing fatalities are 6 percent higher, and grade crossing collisions are 15 percent higher since 2009; Whereas preliminary Federal statistics show that more than 2,216 highway-grade crossing crashes occurred across the United States in 2018, resulting in 263 persons killed and another 840 injured; Whereas trespassing incidents on railroad property resulted in 541 persons killed and another 481 injured in 2018; Whereas highway-grade crossing crashes are more severe than highway collisions and are more likely to result in death and injury; Whereas many collisions between trains and motor vehicles or pedestrians could have been prevented by increased education, engineering, and enforcement; Whereas Operation Lifesaver, the foremost public information and education program on rail safety, administers a public education program about grade-crossing safety and trespassing prevention; Whereas during Rail Safety Week, from September 22 through 28, and throughout the year, everyone is encouraged to take added caution as motorists or pedestrians approach tracks or trains; Whereas the United States and Canada will observe Rail Safety Week concurrently; and Whereas this important observance should lead to greater safety awareness and a reduction in highway-rail grade crossing crashes and pedestrian and railroad incidents: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the designation of Rail Safety Week; (2) expresses strong support for the goals and ideals of Rail Safety Week and efforts to reduce rail-related accidents, fatalities, and injuries; and (3) encourages the people of the United States to participate in Rail Safety Week events and activities and to educate themselves and others on how to be safe around railroad tracks.

Summary: This resolution expresses support for the designation of Rail Safety Week.
Expressing support for the designation of the last day of February each year as "Rare Disease Day".

Rare Disease Day Whereas rare diseases and disorders are those which affect small patient populations, typically populations smaller than 200,000 individuals in the United States; Whereas more than 7,000 rare diseases affect approximately 30,000,000 people in the United States and their families; Whereas children with rare diseases account for a significant proportion of the population affected by rare diseases; Whereas many rare diseases are serious, life-threatening, and lack an effective treatment; Whereas rare diseases and conditions cross the medical spectrum; Whereas individuals with rare diseases experience challenges that include difficulty in obtaining an accurate diagnosis, limited treatment options, and difficulty finding physicians or treatment centers with expertise in their disease; Whereas although over 840 drugs and biologics have been approved for the treatment of rare diseases by the Food and Drug Administration, millions of people in the United States have rare diseases for which there is no approved treatment; Whereas lack of effective treatments and difficulty in obtaining reimbursement for life-altering and often life-saving treatments remain significant challenges for individuals with rare diseases and their families; Whereas, as a result of the Orphan Drug Act, there have been important advances in research of and treatment for rare diseases; Whereas the Food and Drug Administration has taken great strides in gathering patient perspectives to inform the drug review process as part of its Patient-Focused Drug Development program, an initiative that was reaffirmed under the Food and Drug Administration Reauthorization Act of 2017; Whereas the 115th Congress passed a 10-year extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, ensuring coverage for many children with rare diseases; Whereas both the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health have established special offices to support and facilitate rare disease research and treatments; Whereas the National Organization for Rare Disorders, a nonprofit organization established in 1983 to provide services to, and advocate on behalf of, patients with rare diseases, remains a critical public voice for people with rare diseases; Whereas the National Organization for Rare Disorders sponsors Rare Disease Day Whereas Rare Disease Day Whereas Rare Disease Day Whereas Rare Disease Day That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the designation of Rare Disease Day (2) recognizes the importance of improving awareness and encouraging accurate and early diagnosis of rare diseases and disorders; and (3) supports a national and global commitment to improving access to, and developing new treatments, diagnostics, and cures for, rare diseases and disorders.

Summary: This resolution expresses support for (1) the designation of Rare Disease Day; and (2) a national and global commitment to developing new treatments, diagnostics, and cures for rare diseases and disorders.
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and celebrating Black History Month.

Whereas, since 1976, the United States has celebrated Black History Month each February to seize the opportunity to honor the accomplishments of African Americans in every area of endeavor throughout the history of the United States; Whereas the people of the United States honor the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (referred to in this preamble as the 6888th Whereas the 6888th consisted of 855 Black women, both enlisted and officers, who served honorably in Europe during World War II from February 1945 to February 1946; Whereas First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged the military to provide meaningful positions for Black women to serve in the war overseas; Whereas during World War II there was a significant shortage of postal workers across the European Theater; Whereas the 6888th was a self-sufficient unit consisting mainly of postal clerks, but also cooks, mechanics, and other support positions; Whereas the 6888th trained at Fort Oglethrope, Georgia, and deployed overseas to Birmingham, England, in February 1945; Whereas once the 6888th arrived in Birmingham, they were met with rooms full of mail stacked from floor to ceiling, dating as far back as 2 years; Whereas much of the mail was difficult to sort, often only addressed to first names or nicknames; Whereas the 6888th devised a system to handle the backlog and worked in 3 shifts around-the-clock, sorting millions of pieces of mail; Whereas the project was estimated to take 6 months to complete, but the battalion finished the task in an impressive 3 months in May 1945; Whereas the 6888th went on to Rouen and Paris, France, to address other backlogs of mail as old as 3 years, again with remarkable speed, accuracy, and professionalism; Whereas members of the 6888th were awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal during their service; and Whereas Black History Month provides all individuals in the United States an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of African Americans, including the remarkable service of the 6888th: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) during Black History Month encourages all individuals in the United States to celebrate the history of the United States and the important accomplishments and contributions of African Americans; and (2) appreciates the contributions of and sacrifices made by the soldiers of the Women's Army Corps assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II, who served honorably and are members of the Greatest Generation

Summary: This resolution (1) encourages all individuals in the United States during Black History Month to celebrate U.S. history and the important accomplishments and contributions of African Americans, and (2) expresses appreciation for the contributions of and sacrifices made by the soldiers of the Women's Army Corps assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion during World War II.
Commending Lithuania for refusing to ratify the European Union's Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba.

Whereas Lithuania and the United States have a three-decade-long special relationship built on shared values, prevailing trust, and a fundamental respect for democracy; Whereas the United States-European Union relationship is, as stated by the European Commission, built on values of human dignity, individual rights and democratic principles … Whereas the European Union signed the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with the Government of Cuba in 2016, to consolidate and strengthen links between the parties in the areas of political dialogue, cooperation and trade, on the basis of mutual respect, reciprocity, common interest and respect for their sovereignty Whereas the Communist Government of Cuba has mobilized a regime of censorship, detention, torture, and murder of political opponents, repression of prodemocracy efforts, and unparalleled restrictions on movement and emigration; Whereas the latest wave of repression has targeted the free speech, artistic San Isidro Movement, whose leader, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, is currently isolated and under police control in a hospital in Havana; Whereas cooperative agreements between Western states and the Government of Cuba legitimize corruption, political repression, and a segregating and suppressive economic system while undermining prodemocracy efforts on the ground in Cuba, Venezuela, and elsewhere; and Whereas Lithuania is the only European Union member state which has refused to ratify the PDCA on account of its demerits: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) strongly commends Lithuania for standing with Cuba’s human rights activists by refusing to ratify the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA); (2) calls on other European Union members to follow in the footsteps of Lithuania and annul their ratification of the PDCA in the course of its ongoing provisional implementation; (3) takes pride in the special relationship shared by the United States and Lithuania; and (4) looks forward to strengthening the United States-Lithuania relationship on a diplomatic, military, economic, and humanitarian basis.

Summary: This resolution strongly commends Lithuania for refusing to ratify the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union (EU) and Cuba. It also calls on other EU members to follow Lithuania's footsteps and annul their ratification of the agreement.
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1062) to improve the consideration by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the costs and benefits of its regulations and orders.

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 (H.R. 1062) to improve the consideration by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the costs and benefits of its regulations and orders. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 113–10. That amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be considered as read. All points of order against that amendment in the nature of a substitute are waived. No amendment to that amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution. Each such amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a 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. All points of order against such amendments are waived. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. Any Member may demand a separate vote in the House on any amendment adopted in the Committee of the Whole to the bill or to the amendment in the nature of a substitute made in order as original text. 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. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.

Summary: Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1062) to improve the consideration by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the costs and benefits of its regulations and orders.
Electing Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives and ranking a Member on a certain standing committee of the House of Representatives.

That the following named Members be, and are hereby, elected to the following standing committees of the House of Representatives: Committee on Agriculture: Mr. Bishop of Georgia. Committee on Armed Services: Mrs. McClellan (to rank immediately after Mr. Davis of North Carolina). Committee on Foreign Affairs: Mr. Schneider. Committee on Science, Space, and Technology: Mrs. McClellan (to rank immediately after Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania). That the following named Member be, and is hereby, ranked as follows on the following standing committee of the House of Representatives: Committee on the Budget: Mr. Panetta (to rank immediately after Mr. Doggett). Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk.

Summary: This resolution elects designated Members of the House of Representatives to the Committee on Agriculture; the Committee on Armed Services; the Committee on Foreign Affairs; the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and the Committee on the Budget.
Expressing support for the designation of September as Peace Month and calling on Congress to take action to promote peace.

Whereas the United Nations designated September 21 International Day of Peace Whereas the United Nations General Assembly declared Peace Day as a day devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples Whereas all United Nations member states, organizations, regional and nongovernmental organizations, and individuals are encouraged to celebrate and recognize global peace efforts on Peace Day; Whereas Peace Day represents shared hopes of an end to conflict in all forms; Whereas the United Nations calls for a 24-hour global ceasefire on Peace Day; Whereas this year’s Peace Day theme is The Right to Peace—The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70 Whereas 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a milestone development in contemporary human history promoting peace and well-being worldwide; Whereas violent conflicts could cost upwards of $13.6 trillion per year globally; Whereas conflict prevention measures could save between $5 billion to $70 billion per year on average; Whereas there is almost no interstate war; Whereas the absolute number of war deaths has been declining since 1945; Whereas life-threatening diseases are on the decline globally; Whereas measles deaths globally were 90,000 in 2016, down from 550,000 in 2000; Whereas 2017 only saw 19 cases of polio globally compared to an average of 350,000 per year in the 1980s; Whereas the world is close to eradicating the guinea worm disease; Whereas there were less than 5,000 deaths from natural disasters in 2017; Whereas nearly a billion people have escaped extreme poverty since 1999; Whereas the United Nations met its Millennium Development Goal of halving the extreme poverty rate in 1990 by 2010, five years ahead of schedule; Whereas the global unemployment rate fell from 6.4 percent in 2000 to 5.6 percent in 2017; Whereas the global maternal mortality rate declined by 47 percent between 2000 and 2016; Whereas the global mortality rate for children under 5 fell by 44 percent and the neonatal mortality rate fell by 39 percent in the same time period; Whereas global peace promotion efforts improve the lives of Americans and all peoples; Whereas the United States has a long history of promoting peace and human rights at home and abroad; and Whereas September would be an appropriate month to designate as Peace Month: Now, therefore be it That the House of Representatives— (1) supports the designation of Peace Month (2) calls on Congress to promote peace, both at home and abroad.

Summary: Expresses support for the designation of Peace Month.
Providing amounts for the expenses of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in the One Hundred Eighteenth Congress.

1. Amounts for committee expenses For the expenses of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (hereafter in this resolution referred to as the Committee 2. Session limitations Of the amount specified in section 1— (1) not more than $4,470,816 shall be available for expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on January 3, 2023, and ending immediately before noon on January 3, 2024; and (2) not more than $4,421,809 shall be available for expenses incurred during the period beginning at noon on January 3, 2024, and ending immediately before noon on January 3, 2025. 3. Vouchers Payments under this resolution shall be made on vouchers authorized by the Committee, signed by the Chairman of the Committee, and approved in the manner directed by the Committee on House Administration. 4. Regulations Amounts made available under this resolution shall be expended in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Committee on House Administration.

Summary: This resolution provides amounts for the expenses of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party for the 118th Congress.