mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE LIFE OF LEW VANDERZYL
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-3-20

I rise today to honor the life of Lew Vanderzyl, a dedicated educator; a veteran; and a devoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who passed away last month. prgtoken Lew's lifetime of service included a deployment with the 40th Infantry Division during the Korean war, followed prgtoken by a half century as a teacher and administrator, and 17 years as a Riverside school board member. prgtoken As school board president, Lew demonstrated his moral courage by insisting that a local high school be named after Martin Luther King, despite a wave of protests and intense opposition. He will be remembered by the Riverside community as someone who cared deeply for his students. prgtoken Lew Vanderzyl, an avid reader, crossword puzzler, and traveler, and a constant source of wisdom and kindness, will be dearly missed by our community. May his memory be a blessing to the friends and family he leaves behind.
PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS HURRICANE RECOVERY EFFORT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-3-20

I would like to say a word about Puerto Rico. Today marks the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Maria's landfall on the island--the 6-month anniversary. We all know that the storm in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands was one of the most powerful and devastating ever to have struck those islands. There was terrible damage to schools, hospitals, water systems, roads, homes, and businesses. prgtoken For months and months, people didn't have electricity or clean water or cell service. Far too many people are still waiting for relief. There are 120,000 people without electricity. Hundreds of thousands continue to lose power on a temporary basis. Calculating the hours of lost electricity service, Puerto Rico has experienced the longest blackout in the history of the United States. prgtoken Tens of thousands are still awaiting permanent shelter, and 10,000 small businesses are closed. prgtoken Puerto Rico struggled with a severe debt and healthcare crisis before Hurricane Maria came to its shores. The damage wrought by the hurricane has set the island even further back, despite the valiant efforts of its people. prgtoken Congress has passed significant relief as part of the bipartisan budget agreement earlier this year. We have to make sure that the aid goes to where it needs to go and that we provide additional aid if it is required. prgtoken To the long-suffering citizens of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the thousands who have relocated to the mainland, we haven't forgotten you. We are here to help you. You are on our minds, and we are going to keep fighting to help you rebuild your homes, your communities, and your beloved islands.
HEALTHCARE SHOULD BE A HUMAN RIGHT FOR ALL
Daniel T. Kildee (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-3-20

this Friday marks the eighth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law. In the richest country in the world, healthcare should be a basic human right, not a privilege for some. prgtoken While the ACA is far from perfect--we know that--it made great progress, ensuring millions and millions of Americans that they could have health insurance, that they could have healthcare when they need it, making it more affordable, making sure that Americans with preexisting conditions were not denied coverage because they were sick or kicked off their coverage because they got sick. prgtoken Unfortunately, though, this House has spent a good deal of the last year or so trying to take back some of those advances that we have made, essentially, putting more families in the position of having that economic uncertainty of not knowing whether or not their premiums will continue to go up or their copays will go up, or prescription drugs will be available but completely unaffordable to them; putting families back in the place where they are, essentially, one illness away from losing everything that they have worked for. prgtoken We should work together because we know there are improvements that we need to make. We should work across the aisle to improve this law and move forward.
S.J. RES. 54--MOTION TO DISCHARGE
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-3-20

I am grateful to join for a few moments the cosponsors of this resolution--Senator Lee and Senator Sanders. prgtoken It is important to pick up on what Senator Lee was just putting down--the notion that this is a limited resolution that speaks to our participation in an unauthorized, illegal partnership with the Saudis to bomb the country of Yemen. It does not affect our partnership with Saudi Arabia and others in the gulf region to continue to confront terror, to continue to confront al-Qaida--a specific carve-out in this legislation that allows for 2001 AUMF authorized activities to go forward. prgtoken It is also important to note that if you care about the priority of taking on al-Qaida and taking on ISIS in the region, then you should support debating our resolution because all of the evidence suggests that the continuation of this civil war inside Yemen is making ISIS and AQAP, which is the arm of al-Qaida that has the clearest intentions of attacking the homeland, both more powerful. The AQAP controls much more territory inside Yemen than it did in the beginning of this civil war. prgtoken If you take the time to meet with Yemeni-Americans, they will tell you that inside Yemen, this bombing campaign is not perceived as a Saudi bombing campaign; it is perceived as a U.S.-Saudi bombing campaign. What we are doing is radicalizing the Yemeni people against the United States. Add to this the new information that suggests that some of our partners in the coalition, although not directly working with al-Qaida, are starting to arm some very unsavory Salafi militias inside Yemen that are filled with the types of people--the types of extremist individuals--who could take the training they have received from the coalitions and the weapons they have received from the coalitions and easily turn against the United States. prgtoken If you care about the mission against terrorism, then you should support debating our resolution. prgtoken Just to recap the reasons we are here today, we need to have a debate on the lack of authorization for military force because it is time for Congress to step up and do our constitutional duty. prgtoken The administration wrote in its letter to us that we do not have the authority as the U.S. Congress to weigh in on military activity that is waged by the administration unless there are two armies firing at each other on the ground in an area of conflict. That is the administration's definition of ``hostilities,'' and admittedly that is a definition that has been used by and s. This is not exclusive to the administration. The problem with that is that it would allow for the United States, through Executive decision only, to wage an air campaign against a country that wipes it out without there being any say from the U.S. Congress. prgtoken Clearly, what is happening in Yemen today meets the definition of ``hostilities.'' We have shown pictures on th
S.J. RES. 54--MOTION TO DISCHARGE--Continued
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-3-20

I join my colleagues on the floor this afternoon to address the mounting concerns we have with the foreign policy of the administration. I want to thank my colleague, Senator Menendez of New Jersey, the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, and comment at the outset on two things that have been widely said that I don't think are true. prgtoken First is that are bottling up the President's vitally needed nominees for senior ambassadorial positions prgtoken or senior Department of State nominations and that we are holding key nominees. prgtoken Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. Earlier today, in a business meeting, our Foreign Relations Committee, which works well on a bipartisan basis, voted out a whole series of Ambassadors, treaties, and Assistant Secretaries of State. prgtoken Second, I heard it said by some pundits that wish President ill, that we are working to do everything we can to hold him back and prevent him from being successful. prgtoken Let me start by saying that I think all of us know that we are strongest when we stand together and work together. All of us have at some point heard the old adage that politics should stop at the water's edge, and nothing would make me happier then to see our foreign policy, our military, and our diplomatic efforts succeed around the world. prgtoken I do not wish our President ill or our State Department a lack of success, but I think it deserves mentioning for the few minutes I am taking on the floor today that President , who promised as a candidate to be unpredictable and nontraditional, has overperformed in that category. His foreign policy has been defined by inconsistency, volatility, unpredictability, and at times, a failure to advance our values. This comes exactly at a time, as my colleague from Connecticut was just reciting, when our allies and partners crave stability and leadership and when the threats to our democratic way of life from Russia and China are on the rise. prgtoken 's ``shock and awe'' style of governing was demonstrated recently by his abrupt firing of the Secretary of State in a tweet and his further humiliation of the Secretary of State in stories that dribbled out about exactly how and when and where he was fired. We should not be conducting foreign policy in the same way that one might host a reality TV show like ``The Apprentice.'' prgtoken In just a year, as I have attended a variety of conferences and meetings around the world, I have been struck by the number of ways in which the President has undermined alliances and friendships that have taken decades to build. Let me briefly review a few of the ways our European and Asian allies have been puzzled or confounded--by our withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership; by imposing a travel plan on citizens from majority Muslim countries; by withdrawing from the Paris climate accord; by imposing tarif
INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO CLARIFY CERTAIN DUE PROCESS RIGHTS OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES SERVING IN SENSITIVE POSITIONS
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2018-3-20

today, as hundreds of thousands of our federal workers face uncertainty in wages and work, I rise along with my House colleagues Robert J. Wittman and Andre Carson to introduce a bill to clarify certain due process rights of federal employees serving in sensitive positions. Our bill would overturn an unprecedented federal court decision, Kaplan v. Conyers and MSPB, which stripped many federal employees of the right to independent review of an agency decision removing then from a job on grounds of ineligibility. The case was brought by two Department of Defense (DOD) employees, Rhonda Conyers, an accounting technician, and Devon Northover, a commissary management specialist, who were permanently demoted and suspended from their jobs after they were found no longer to be eligible to serve in noncritical sensitive positions. In 2014, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, which allowed the appeals court decision to stand. prgtoken Specifically, the decision prevents federal workers who are designated as ``noncritical sensitive'' from appealing to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) if they are removed from their jobs. Noncritical sensitive jobs include those that do not have access to classified information. The decision would affect at least 200,000 DOD employees who are designated as noncritical sensitive. Even more seriously, most federal employees could potentially lose the same right to an independent review of an agency's decision because of a rule by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which went into effect in July 2015, that permits agency heads to designate most jobs in the federal government as noncritical sensitive. prgtoken The Kaplan decision undercuts Title 5, section 7701 of the Civil Service Act, which ensures due process rights for federal workers required by the U.S. Constitution. Stripping employees whose work does not involve classified matters of the right of review of an agency decision that removes them from their jobs opens entirely new avenues for unreviewable, arbitrary action or retaliation by an agency head and, in addition, makes a mockery of whistleblower protections enacted in the 112th Congress. Our bill would stop the use of ``national security'' to repeal a vital component of civil service protection and of due process. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
TRIBUTE TO HAROLD BLATTIE
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2018-3-20

today I wish to honor Harold Blattie, the outgoing executive director of the Montana Association of Counties, for his longtime commitment to public service in the State of Montana. prgtoken Mr. Blattie has dedicated his life to helping preserve our Montana way of life through countless public works projects. prgtoken He has served as the executive director of MACo for over a decade, providing strong leadership for Montana's counties and facilitating cooperation between local, State, and Federal leaders to deliver for the residents of Big Sky Country. prgtoken Throughout his respected career, he has secured critical resources for citizens from Libby to Baker and Dillon to Plentywood. The residents of our great State owe him a debt of gratitude, and I rise today with a small token of our appreciation. prgtoken Mr. Blattie has built his life around building stronger communities. prgtoken He is a role model for all Americans, and Montana is a better place because of his work. prgtoken I rise today to thank him for all he has done for the Treasure State and wish him all the best of luck in whatever comes next.
HONORING THE LIFE OF REVEREND JAMES HAWLEY McKINNON, JR.
G. K. Butterfield (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2018-3-20

I rise today to honor a great North Carolinian, a friend to many, and a man of God, Reverend James Hawley McKinnon, Jr. prgtoken , Jim passed away on Sunday, March 11, at the age of 77. Jim McKinnon preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ in eastern North Carolina for decades. His ministry inspired and motivated so many individuals, both in his home of Wilson, North Carolina, and elsewhere. prgtoken Ordained as a minister of the Presbyterian church on September 22, 1968--shortly after the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Senator Robert F. Kennedy--Jim served congregations throughout North Carolina; first as an associate pastor in Fayetteville, and then as a senior pastor in Morehead City, Charlotte, and Wilson, where he retired after 26 years as senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church. prgtoken Jim McKinnon was a strong, strong pillar in our community and he will be missed. Jim McKinnon is survived by his wife of 51 long years, Louise Cherry McKinnon; and their two sons, also Presbyterian ministers, James, III--we prgtoken call him Trip--and his wife, Angie, from Brunswick, Georgia; and John and his wife, Darci, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. prgtoken His beloved four grandchildren are: John Brandon and Rebecca Louise from Brunswick, Georgia; Aidan Gayle and Ian McKay from Oklahoma City. prgtoken Jim was preceded in death by his grandson, James Hawley McKinnon, IV--Jamie. prgtoken Let it be said, , that Reverend Jim McKinnon made a difference in this world as he helped change lives for so many Americans.
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN ELECTIONS
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-3-20

I rise to speak about Russian interference in our elections. prgtoken In the last 18 months, the United States intelligence agencies and our allies abroad have decisively concluded that Russia interfered with our elections. We have sworn testimony from men and women with impeccable records, and s alike. Their testimony overwhelmingly states that Russia interfered in our elections and that Russia has done so as well in other Western democracies for years. prgtoken Russia's goal with election interference is to destabilize Western democracies. Destabilizing our democracy will weaken our ability to defend ourselves against foreign adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran. prgtoken ic institutions and systems are the foundation of how we govern ourselves and defend our borders. When the integrity of democratic institutions is doubted, the power of our democracy is weakened. prgtoken Make no mistake: attacking the integrity of our democratic institutions is an attempt to weaken our Nation and our way of life. We must ensure that neither Russia nor any other foreign power interferes in our election process in the future. prgtoken The House of Representatives seems to have abdicated its official role in investigating Russian interference. It is my hope that the Senate will continue its investigation in a bipartisan manner. Thus, Special Counsel Robert Mueller must be allowed to continue his investigation, following the evidence wherever it leads, and write a comprehensive and complete report without intrusion or obstruction by political power plays. prgtoken This is not a ic or issue. This is an American issue. prgtoken , as Members of Congress, our first responsibility is to protect our Nation. We take an oath of office every 2 years to defend and protect our Nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic. prgtoken I call upon my colleagues, my fellow Americans, to join me in putting partisanship aside, putting our country first, and doing everything we can to prevent foreign interference in our elections in the future. Tariffs and Trade
HONORING CONGRESSWOMAN MARCY KAPTUR
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-3-20

it is with great pleasure that I rise in honor of my very dear friend and sister in arms, Marcy Kaptur, who becomes the longest serving woman in the United States House of Representatives on Sunday. Marcy Kaptur is a woman who has fought for working people her entire career. She has been a bulwark of support for fair trade that grows American jobs--on NAFTA in the 1990s to today, and on the Trans Pacific Partnership. Marcy was the ranking Member on the Agriculture before I became the chair, and on issues as wide ranging as food stamps, housing, and manufacturing, she has proven time and again to be one of the brightest, most substantive colleagues I have ever worked with. Her election paved the way for so many women to run for office. From the Carter Administration to one of the most senior members of the Congress, Marcy, your career has been exemplary of the call of public service. Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman in the Congress, once said: ``You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.'' Marcy does that--she has never spent a day on the sidelines in her life. Congratulations, and here is to many more years fighting together-- for the vulnerable, for families, and for the middle class.
IN HONOR OF WILLIAM STRAHAN'S 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Liz Cheney (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-3-20

I rise today to extend my congratulations to William Strahan on the celebration of his 100th birthday. I join his friends and family in extending my best to him on this occasion and in celebrating his life and contributions to our great state and country. I hope he uses this momentous day to do the same. Again, , I would like to extend my congratulations to William Strahan on his birthday. May his year be filled with happiness and blessings.
CELEBRATING WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-3-20

today I rise in honor of Women's History Month. Every March, we celebrate the trailblazing women who have enriched our history, our society, and our communities. prgtoken This month, it is important to recognize the hardworking women in today's workforce. Today, more than 70 percent of women work outside of the home, and these women account for nearly half of the workforce, while 40 percent of women are their family's top earners. prgtoken Because of tax reform, the women of America's workforce will be able to keep more of their hard-earned cash to spend on their families, rather than sending it to Washington. Additionally, working moms and their families will receive double the child tax credit to ensure they have the means to care for their children. prgtoken , to the naysayers who claimed that tax reform would only benefit rich men, I say that is categorically false. Tax reform already has and will continue to empower the wonderful women in America's workforce to make history worth recognizing.
ALLEVIATING STRESS TEST BURDENS TO HELP INVESTORS ACT
Roger Williams (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-3-20

I would like to take the opportunity to commend my friend and colleague from Maine (Mr. Poliquin) for his leadership on this important issue. H.R. 4566, the Alleviating Stress Test Burdens to Help Investors Act, would help nonbanks not currently under supervision of the Federal Reserve from stress testing requirements. prgtoken In addition to alleviating burdensome requirements, the bill allows the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to issue regulations requiring financial companies with more than $10 billion in consolidated assets to conduct a periodic analysis of their prgtoken financial condition, including their liquidity. prgtoken This legislation would properly tailor Dodd-Frank's stress test requirements in a way that is appropriately focused. This bill retains the SEC's ability to issue stress testing as it believes appropriate. The bill does not limit the Financial Stability Oversight Council's authority to request the SEC to adopt suitable requirements for advisers and funds. prgtoken , once again, I thank the gentleman from Maine for his commitment to this important piece of legislation. I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill on the floor. prgtoken In God We Trust.