mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE LIFE OF DELEGATE LACEY E. PUTNEY
Bob Goodlatte (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-10-11

I, along with my colleagues, Representatives Robert J. Wittman, H. Morgan Griffith, Dave Brat, Thomas A. Garrett, Jr and Scott Taylor, rise today to honor the life and service of Lacey E. Putney, a dear friend and the longest-serving state legislator in Virginia's history. prgtoken Born on June 27, 1928, Lacey passed away on August 26, 2017, at the age of 89. He was born and raised in Big Island, Virginia, and remained a well-respected member of the community his entire life. After earning his undergraduate degree in 1950 from Washington and Lee University, Lacey enlisted in the United States Air Force where he served for four years. He later graduated from the Washington and Lee University School of Law and went on to practice law for more than 55 years in Bedford. prgtoken Lacey was first elected to represent the 19th District in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1961. During his time in office, he held many important leadership positions, including Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman of the Privileges and Elections Committee, and as acting of the House in 2003. Lacey was a true force in the state legislature, and he knew how to get things done. Anyone who worked with him witnessed that firsthand, and his hard work can be seen throughout western Virginia. He was instrumental in establishing the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute in Roanoke and the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, creating the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, and restoring Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest. He led many successful legislative initiatives during his tenure, including the creation of the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant program, the Virginia Retirement System, and the Virginia community college system. In 2013, Lacey retired from public service after 52 years. It was only fitting that upon his passing Lacey lie in state in the rotunda of the State Capitol. prgtoken Lacey's legacy is one of service, kindness, and action. He was trusted by the people he represented and respected by his colleagues. He exemplified the role of a citizen legislator and set an example for all of us through his passion for serving his fellow Virginians. We are honored to have known Lacey Putney over the years, and the Commonwealth of Virginia is better because of individuals like him. With his passing, Virginia lost one of its greatest treasures. prgtoken We offer our condolences to his beloved wife, Carmela, as well as the entire Putney family. Our prayers are with them as they mourn this loss and celebrate his life. May God give them comfort and peace. While he may be gone from this earth, there is no doubt that his legacy will live on.
ALL CIRCUIT REVIEW ACT
Elijah E. Cummings (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-10-11

I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken I introduced the All Circuit Review Act, , to send a clear message to all Federal employees who blow the whistle on wrongdoing that we here in Congress have their backs. prgtoken This bill would give Federal employees who face retaliation for blowing the whistle a more equitable playing field when they challenge that retaliation in court. Under the bill, whistleblowers could file appeals in the jurisdictions where they work or live, rather than having to file appeals in the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. Whistleblowers who live outside of Washington, D.C should have the same opportunities as those who live in Washington. prgtoken I want to thank Representative Blake Farenthold for cosponsoring this bill with me. Representative Farenthold has been a steadfast supporter of this basic due process right for Federal employees. prgtoken The bill we are considering today makes permanent a pilot provision that was included in the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, which was signed into law in 2012. That pilot provision will expire in November if we do not send this bill to the President before then. prgtoken Without this bill, whistleblowers could appeal a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board only to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Federal circuit has historically been overly restrictive of whistleblower rights. prgtoken According to the Merit Systems Protection Board, 29 cases have been appealed to courts other than the Federal circuit since 2012. The Project On Government Oversight sent a letter to the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on May 2, 2017, in strong support of this bill. Executive Director Danielle Brian wrote as follows: ``The pilot program has been a success. It has not resulted in a flood of whistleblower appeals as opponents of the program asserted it would do, and it allows for potential circuit splits, which encourage sister circuits to review the laws and allows for possible Supreme Court review. It is working exactly as intended and should be made permanent before it expires in November 2017.'' prgtoken The bill was approved by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee without opposition in May. Two years ago, Congress approved an extension of the All Circuit Review Extension Act pilot program in 2014 without a single negative vote. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support the whistleblower bill.
NATIONAL CLINICAL CARE COMMISSION ACT
David Loebsack (Democrat, IA) \u2014 2017-10-11

from Illinois (Mr. Rush) for yielding time to me today to speak on this important bill. prgtoken , I am pleased to rise in strong support of S. 920, the National Clinical Care Commission Act. S. 920, as was mentioned already, creates a commission comprised of clinical endocrinologists, other physician specialists, primary care physicians, healthcare professionals, patients, and representatives from the Federal agencies most involved in diabetes care. prgtoken The commission is charged with making recommendations to streamline Federal investments in diabetes, to improve the coordination and clinical care outcomes for people with diabetes, prediabetes, and other insulin-related metabolic and autoimmune diseases. prgtoken Passage of this legislation will help the Nation undertake more and innovative approaches to diabetes and its disease complications, for which the United States spends some $322 billion annually. prgtoken I urge the Secretary also to move expeditiously to set up the commission so it can begin its important work as soon as possible. Clinical training and expertise in diabetes and other insulin-related diseases will be needed to lead the commission, and it is my hope that a clinical endocrinologist will be chosen to serve as the chairperson of the commission. I think that is very important. prgtoken With a clinical endocrinologist as chair and representatives from other medical specialities, healthcare professions, and patient advocacy groups, serving alongside with Federal diabetes experts, the commission created under S. 920 will help to ensure that new innovative medications and devices are prgtoken effectively translated to the clinical setting for the benefit of patients. That clinical translation is so important. prgtoken The work of the commission will help improve the lives of the tens of millions of Americans living with diabetes while simultaneously beginning the process of reducing the staggering impact of diabetes and its disease complications and the dollars that, as has already been mentioned, are associated with that. prgtoken , I want to thank in particular Representative Olson for his persistence, as was already mentioned, and for sponsoring this bill in the House. I was very happy to lead the way as the on this side of the aisle on this bill, and for my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who supported this bill that enabled House passage of the legislation earlier, as was mentioned, and now we are finally going to get it over the finish line I thank Representative Olson in particular for his efforts on this.
MaST COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL NAMED A 2017 BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
Brendan F. Boyle (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise to recognize MaST Community Charter School, an incredible institution in my district that was just named a 2017 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the Department of Education. prgtoken MaST is a groundbreaking educational community that emphasizes collaborative, technology-driven, hands-on learning. They are preparing the next generation of American leaders and visionaries who will change the future in ways we can only imagine. prgtoken Blue Ribbon schools are characterized by the highest level of academic excellence and by their success in closing achievement gaps across student populations. prgtoken These elite institutions are a gold standard of instruction, inclusion, and innovation. MaST Community Charter School was one of only 342 schools across the country to earn this honor this year. prgtoken I want to congratulate the teachers, staff, administrators, parents, and students of the MaST Community Charter School on their remarkable and well-deserved achievement.
HONORING JAHEIR MOORE FOR SERVICE TO HIS COMMUNITY
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise today to honor Jaheir Moore, a seventh grade student from Jersey City, New Jersey, for his service to people in need. prgtoken This young man from my district takes the time nearly every day to crochet hats, scarves, blankets, and other items for people in homeless shelters and newborn babies in intensive care units. Over the past couple of years, he has donated dozens of bags full of his creations to make life a little better for others. prgtoken Jaheir is a straight A student who wants to become a fashion designer. In February, he was a guest on the ``Rachael Ray Show.'' A week later, Jaheir had his first runway show in Jersey City. In April, I presented him with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for his charity work. prgtoken , Jaheir Moore's unselfish acts of kindness for people in need shows that our country's future is a bright one.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION ACT
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2017-10-11

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I thank the lead sponsor of this bill, Representative Andy , for working closely with me on the bill of which I am a cosponsor, and I want to thank my good friend Representative Russell, who is managing on the other side, for also being a cosponsor of this bill. prgtoken My thanks also to Chairman Trey Gowdy, Ranking Member Elijah Cummings, and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for bringing this bill to the floor in time to begin the commemoration, in 2018, of the bicentennial of the birth of Frederick Douglass. prgtoken I am pleased that this bill has not only bipartisan, but bicameral support. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin have introduced the companion bill in the Senate. prgtoken The bill would establish a commission to plan and carry out programs and activities, as well as to recommend to Congress programs and activities that the Federal Government could undertake to honor and celebrate the life of Frederick Douglass during the bicentennial of his birth in 2018. prgtoken Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818 on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He learned basic reading skills from his mistress and continued to teach himself and other slaves to read and write despite the risks he faced, including death. After two attempts, Douglass successfully escaped to New York and went on to become this country's leading abolitionist and antislavery lecturer. prgtoken He served in several administrations, including as close adviser to President Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Marshal of the District of Columbia under President Rutherford B. Hayes, and District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds under President James Garfield. In 1889, President Benjamin appointed Frederick Douglass to be the U.S. Minister to Haiti. He was later appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant to serve as secretary of the commission of Santo Domingo. prgtoken Douglass dedicated his life to achieving justice for all Americans. He lived in the District of Columbia for 23 of his 57 years as a free man, and his home at Cedar Hill is an official National Historic Site in southeast Washington, D.C. Every year, thousands of Americans and others visit Cedar Hill. The Frederick Douglass statue that stands in his honor in the United States Capitol is a gift from the nearly 700,000 residents of the District of Columbia. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and .
FITARA ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2017
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-10-11

I thank my friend, Darrell Issa, the cosponsor of this bill and the cosponsor of the original FITARA; and my good friend from Oklahoma (Mr. Russell) for his able management today. prgtoken The Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, or FITARA, was enacted 3 years ago. It represented the first major reform of the laws governing the procurement and management of Federal IT since the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996. prgtoken FITARA is the framework for IT procurement and ensures the Federal Government is making smart and effective investments to modernize its IT, which is badly needed. prgtoken It has seven pillars: prgtoken First, it enhances CIO authorities, responsibilities, and accountability. prgtoken Second, it enhances transparency and improves risk management by requiring detailed information on investments to be published on the IT dashboard. prgtoken Third, we increased the frequency of portfolio reviews from annual to quarterly and included key decisionmakers from the agency and OMB to not only look for ways to increase efficiency, but to eliminate duplication. prgtoken Fourth, we built on the Federal data center consolidation effort to push agencies to realize big savings from this low-hanging fruit. prgtoken Fifth, people. Recognizing that Federal IT success is only as good as the people behind it, FITARA calls for expanding the training and use of IT professionals. prgtoken Sixth, FITARA seeks to maximize new tools like the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative, taking a page from the private sector to reduce duplicative spending on common purchases and off-the-shelf items. prgtoken Finally, FITARA advances a government software purchasing program to allow for purchasing licensing agreements that can be made available for use by all Federal agencies. prgtoken FITARA is a rubric for IT procurement that, hopefully, someday enables initiatives like the Modernizing Government Technology Act to build on our success of improving how the government acquires and modernizes IT. prgtoken When the stakeholders met on Federal IT from government agencies and industry, both Mr. Issa and I constantly were reminded of why previous major IT reform efforts had fallen short of their potential: the lack of robust implementation plan and congressional oversight. prgtoken As Mr. Russell indicated quite clearly, in that latter regard, we have robust oversight, and it will continue. prgtoken One of the things we had in FITARA were some sunset provisions, in the hope and expectation that, by having that, we would encourage cooperation and implementation. That cooperation and implementation is uneven throughout the Federal Government. prgtoken The GAO, or Government Accountability Office, recommended that we have this bill to extend those sunset provisions to buy a little bit more time to get with the program for those Federal agencies. prgtoken So that is what this bill does, but it builds on FITARA, which is the framework for
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF THELMA G. GOLDSTEIN
William R. Keating (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise today in recognition of Thelma G. Goldstein, a resident of Falmouth, Massachusetts, who would have turned 100 years young on October 12th. prgtoken Thelma was born in Manhattan. Her family persevered through the Great Depression supported by her father's ice cream factory. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's government interventions during that period served as an inspiration that led her to discovering a passion for public service. Her other great passion was her family and no matter how busy she got, she always made time for family and she raised four children with her husband, a career military doctor. prgtoken Thelma was a devoted since she cast her first ballot in 1940. Her belief in community engagement followed her through life and led her to becoming the co-chairman of the Falmouth ic Town Committee. prgtoken A local legend in Falmouth, Thelma is remembered for her tireless efforts to improve the ic Party and as a strong advocate for women in politics. In her nineties, she was organizing trips to New Hampshire to campaign for Hillary Clinton and led local efforts to make phone calls, knock on doors, and hold signs. Unfortunately Thelma passed away on June 9, 2016. She had attended a ic Convention just one week earlier. Her commitment to public service continues with the Thelma Goldstein Award for Civic Involvement and with the legacy she left behind in our community. prgtoken , I am proud to honor the life of Thelma G. Goldstein on this occasion of her 100th birthday. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing her many years of dedication to the community.
THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH AND SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2017
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise today to support H.R. 2763, the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Improvements Act of 2017. prgtoken , I thank Chairman Chabot, Ranking Member Velazquez, Chairman Smith, and all other colleagues on both committees for their work to advance this bipartisan piece to the House floor. prgtoken SBIR and STTR are valuable programs that provide competitive research and development grants and contracts to innovative small businesses. Stability and continuity in the SBIR and STTR programs are important goals, which is why I supported the agreement in last year's National Defense Authorization Act to extend the program until fiscal year 2022 at the current allocation level. prgtoken In H.R. 2763, the two authorizing committees have come to agreement on a number of policy improvements and some strengthened oversight for the programs. prgtoken The policy changes in H.R. 2763 advances sensible ways to further leverage small business R&D to help meet Federal mission needs, as well as contribute more broadly to U.S. innovation and economic growth. The bill includes continued support for early-stage funding for entrepreneurial researchers, provides funding for important agency outreach and administrative activities, streamlines reporting requirements, ensures agency outreach for researchers at minority- serving institutions, and authorizes several additional activities to support implementation of the program. prgtoken I am particularly pleased that the bill includes a provision to address current agency shortfalls in fostering the participation of women and minority-owned firms. Fostering diversity in STEM research and innovation is an economic imperative.
RECERTIFY IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise today to speak about the significance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding Iran, more commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear agreement. prgtoken I have always been a vocal advocate for tough sanctions on Iran. While I was a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in 2010, I was a member of the conference committee which drafted the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act. These sanctions, in 2010 and subsequently, did make a difference. prgtoken Unfortunately, Iran continues to support terrorist organizations, and its record on human rights is well known. But we should not withhold certification of the Iran nuclear agreement without credible evidence that Iran is not complying. Let's remember, this agreement has always been about Iran, not obtaining nuclear weapons. prgtoken Doing so would strip the United States of our credibility in future international agreements not just with Iran, but with our allies as well. prgtoken In addition to Iran, we negotiated the Iran nuclear agreement with the United Kingdom, Germany, European Union, China, and Russia, and we must keep our word. In other words, to remain credible, the United States cannot change positions on international agreements from one administration to another without serious justification and without the consent in working with our allies. prgtoken Especially now, as we are facing an increasing threat with North Korea, we must work with our allies and, together, make a safer world through a comprehensive strategy that involves diplomacy, sanctions, and, yes, deterrence, if we must use such force. We have methods for addressing Iran's nonnuclear behavior besides refusing to recertify the agreement, and I will continue to advocate for the use of these tools to take a strong stance against Iran for their support of terrorist state activities and their abuse of human rights. prgtoken But refusing to recertify the Iran nuclear agreement, without clear evidence that Iran has breached the agreement, will deeply damage our relationships with our allies, and it will weaken our credibility worldwide. Commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month
THE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH AND SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2017
Paul Tonko (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-10-11

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken Reauthorizing the SBIR and STTR programs are critical to supporting our Nation's most forward-thinking entrepreneurs and innovators. I am relieved that we are preserving the critical parts of the programs and continuing to improve upon the programs themselves. prgtoken These programs have proven to be one of the most successful Federal programs for technological innovation in United States history, delivering more than 70,000 patents and valuable innovations in agriculture, defense, energy, health sciences, homeland security, space, transportation, and other fields. prgtoken Through Phase I and Phase II SBIR, countless jobs have been created in the capital region of New York. It is through programs such as SBIR that our region has developed the underpinnings of support for a boom in high technology innovation and economic development. prgtoken One of many examples of this is Ecovative Design located within my congressional district in Green Island, New York, which has benefitted from the SBIR program over a number of years. These efforts will allow the company to continue its work on a replacement of engineered wood resins that will be economically competitive and nontoxic. prgtoken The resin system represents cost and energy savings, and is capable of leveraging existing manufacturing equipment in production today. This funding will help them deliver on the promise of this innovative technology. prgtoken Gavin McIntyre, cofounder and chief scientist at Ecovative said: ``We're very excited to bring our new material technology to market and displace toxic formaldehyde-based resins. The SBIR/STTR program was fundamental to how Ecovative got its start and has enabled us to continue to take risks and develop game-changing technology.'' prgtoken While this bill is a positive step forward towards helping more small businesses, we must do more to help other small businesses develop these types of game-changing technologies. prgtoken I recognize the value of research and I will fight to see more funding for all these agencies and, in turn, more funding for the SBIR and STTR programs.