mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FUND THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-4-6

I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island for convening this Special Order hour and for his incredible leadership on this issue of the importance of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, not only here in Congress, but for what the gentleman does back in Rhode Island to ensure that all Rhode Islanders have the ability to experience and enjoy the beauty of the arts and culture in our great State. prgtoken As the gentleman knows, and I am sure he has referenced, we come from the State of the late Senator Claiborne Pell, the founder of the National Endowment for the Arts. So we feel a special privilege, and it is a great honor to stand and defend this great institution. As has been mentioned, art not only nourishes our soul, but it makes us more human and creates beauty in the world. prgtoken We have had a number of events recently in Rhode Island where we have brought in invited artists and people who enjoy art to speak about what the impact might mean if we defunded the National Endowment for the Arts. There were so many beautiful words that were shared by a young woman who said: Art helped me find my voice. prgtoken And she described kind of what her life had been before she became an artist. prgtoken We know the economic impact of the arts. In my congressional district, prgtoken there are 1,340 arts-related businesses that employ almost 7,000 people. We spend in this country a very modest amount, .004 percent, so four one-thousandths of 1 percent is the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts. So it is a very modest budget. prgtoken Forty percent of the programming for the National Endowment for the Arts supports activities in high-poverty areas. So the contributions it makes are enormous to our economy. For every dollar that is invested in the arts, it yields $51 in economic activity. So there are tremendous economic benefits to this. prgtoken In addition to that, as was referenced by Representative Price from North Carolina, arts, culture, and creativity are essential parts of the job skills for the 21st century. People want to employ people who are entrepreneurial, creative, problem-solving; and arts and music are some of the best vehicles to develop those skills. prgtoken So it is something which is important to the future economy of our country, to the kind of civilization that we will be a part of. It adds to the lives of everyone that we will represent. prgtoken I thank Representative Langevin for giving me an opportunity to reinforce the importance of funding the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. It makes all the difference in the world to the kind of art experiences people have in this country. We invest a very modest amount of money, and it yields so much more that it is hard to imagine America without the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. prgtoken , I thank my fri
HONORING BISHOP JIMMY W. GLENN, SR.
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-4-6

I rise today to honor Bishop Jimmy W. Glenn, Sr. who was recently elevated to Auxiliary Bishop of Texas Northeast Forth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ. prgtoken Bishop Glenn was born in 1954 to Superintendent Emuel Robert Glenn Sr. and Mrs. Dixie Jewel Glenn. Bishop Glenn was raised in the Lake Como community of Fort Worth, where he proudly graduated from Trimble Technical High School in 1973. His legacy of ministry started at the early age of 8 when he began singing in a number of church programs at Wayside Church of God in Christ. He embraced his call to service at a very young age and sang at revival services around Texas with Bishop R.E. Ranger and his father. prgtoken By the time Bishop Glenn turned 21 in 1979, he was licensed to preach. The Church of God in Christ ordained Bishop Glenn as an Elder in 1981, and he served for two years under his father at the St. Paul Church of God in Christ. In 1983, he was named pastor of Gospel Lighthouse Church of God in Christ in Cleburne, Texas. Bishop Glenn served in that parish for 10 years before spending time at several churches in Fort Worth, including Gethsemane Church of God in Christ, the St. Mary Church of God in Christ, and Greater Love Chapel Church of God in Christ. prgtoken Bishop Glenn has served in a number of leadership positions at the state and national level within the Church of God in Christ. He served as Chief Adjutant to the late presiding prelate of Texas Northeast First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop James Neaul Haynes. Bishop Glenn served as a National Adjutant to Bishop Haynes as well during Haynes' tenure as one of the 12 General Board members of the Church of God in Christ. Bishop Glenn served loyally in this capacity with Bishop Haynes for over 30 years until Haynes' death in March of 2015. Currently, he holds the title of Vice President of the National Evangelist Department at the national level. prgtoken The Church of God in Christ will honor Bishop Glenn's lifetime of service and his appointment to the post of Auxiliary Bishop of Texas Northeast Fourth Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction at an inaugural banquet and celebration in Fort Worth, Texas on May 5, 2017. prgtoken I honor Bishop Jimmy W. Glenn, Sr.'s decades of service to the Church of God in Christ.
PROTECTING THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENTS FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-4-6

I rise today in strong support of the National Endowments of the Arts and the Humanities. The Administration has proposed completely defunding these two essential organizations. prgtoken President 's budget would eliminate the NEA's $148 million budget, the NEH's $148 million budget--accounting for less than .03 percent of total discretionary spending. Yet the impact they make on our communities is enormous. While all fifty states would be negatively impacted by these cuts, rural communities would be hit the hardest. According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, approximately 25 percent of NEA block-grant funds go to rural communities and 54 percent to low-income areas. prgtoken A nation without arts is one without an identity. In the words of one of my heroes, the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, ``The arts are not a frill. The arts are a response to our individuality and our nature, and help to shape our identity. Art has the potential to unify. It can speak in many languages without a translator. The arts do not discriminate. The arts can lift us up.'' And they do. prgtoken Artists have used their mediums to process their experiences--and to share their perspectives with all of us. There is no more valuable gift. We must defend this funding.
SUPPORTING AMERICA'S INNOVATORS ACT OF 2017
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-4-6

I thank the ranking member for her leadership on this bill and in so many other areas. I also thank Chairmen Hensarling and Huizenga; and, of course, my good friend and colleague from the great State of New York, Nydia Velazquez, the champion for small businesses; and Mr. McHenry, who has spent a great deal of his time focusing on job creation and access to capital for small businesses. prgtoken This bill passed in the last Congress under suspension with overwhelming bipartisan support. This bill is intended to make it easier for startup companies to raise money from sophisticated investors by allowing sophisticated angel investors to pool their money into a single venture capital fund, which allows them to leverage their resources and make investments more effectively. prgtoken The bill does this by increasing the number of investors who can invest in venture capital funds that are exempt from SEC oversight. prgtoken Under current law, a fund can be exempt from SEC oversight if it has fewer than 100 investors and its securities are not offered publicly. This is the exemption that the majority of venture capital funds currently rely on. prgtoken Venture capital funds are long-term investors that provide much- needed equity capital to startups and other small companies. The fact that venture capital funds are subject to the same limitation on the number of investors they can have as other private funds, like hedge funds and private equity funds, has limited the growth of venture capital funds. prgtoken Specifically, it has limited the ability of angel investors--all of whom are sophisticated, accredited investors--to coordinate their investments by grouping together into a single venture capital fund in order to invest in a promising startup company. prgtoken This bill will accommodate these types of angel investors who want to coordinate their investments by increasing the number of accredited investors they can have before they are required to register with the SEC--from 100 investors to 250 investors. prgtoken The bill is also narrowly tailored to avoid raising investor protection concerns. It only raises the investor threshold to 250 for venture capital funds that meet the SEC's rigorous five-part definition of a venture capital fund. prgtoken Finally, the bill is limited to funds that have less than $10 million in capital invested. So we are only providing relief to relatively small venture capital funds that do not pose a huge risk to the capital markets. prgtoken This bill is the product of genuine hard work and bipartisan compromise. Again, I thank Mr. McHenry for his leadership, along with Ms. Velazquez, Ranking Member Waters, and Chairman Hensarling for their hard work on this bill. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join me--and I believe the majority in this body--in supporting this important bill to provide easier and better access to capital for small businesses.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE I.C. NORCOM BOYS' BASKETBALL TEAM
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-4-6

I rise with great pride to call attention to a group of young students who have distinguished themselves, their school, their community, and the city of Portsmouth, Virginia. The I.C. Norcom Greyhounds boys' basketball team had a remarkable season and I believe the Greyhounds deserve formal recognition for their accomplishments. prgtoken On March 10, 2017, the I.C. Norcom Greyhounds beat the Northside Vikings of Roanoke, Virginia, to win the Group 3A boys' state basketball championship, becoming the first basketball team, boys or girls, to win four consecutive state championships. The Greyhounds completed their 2017 season with an impressive 22-8 record. prgtoken I.C. Norcom won the championship in dramatic fashion, with a steal in the last six seconds of the game leading to a two point victory of 67 to Northside's 65. I.C. Norcom's boys' basketball team has had a consistent run of excellence in recent years, and has become a dominant force in Virginia high school sports. prgtoken I.C. Norcom was founded in 1913 as the High Street School, the first public high school for black students in Portsmouth. It was later renamed in honor of its first supervising principal, Israel Charles Norcom, a businessman, fraternalist, and leader in the Portsmouth community. Now, more than 100 years after its founding and three locations later, I.C. Norcom High School is still striving to ensure academic excellence for its students. prgtoken In addition to excelling on the basketball court, the Greyhounds are also doing great things in the classroom. I.C. Norcom has been nominated for Steve Harvey's Neighborhood Award and has partnered with community businesses to help tutor students. prgtoken I.C. Norcom students have been participating in the First College program--attending Tidewater Community College this semester and taking up to 14 college credits before they graduate. I.C. Norcom is doing a great job cultivating excellence both on and off the athletic field. prgtoken I would like to extend my enthusiastic congratulations to the I.C. Norcom players, their families, Principal Dr. Laguna Foster, Coach Leon Goolsby and the rest of his coaching staff on this most recent State Championship and on the team's continued excellence. On behalf of the citizens of the Third Congressional District of Virginia, I commend the team for this historic win, this historic run of championships, and wish the program years of continued success.
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MR. LOLIS EDWARD ELIE
Cedric L. Richmond (Democrat, LA) \u2014 2017-4-6

I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Lolis Edward Elie, a prominent New Orleans, Louisiana civil rights lawyer, who passed away on April 4, 2017 at the age of 89. prgtoken Mr. Elie was born on February 9, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended Gilbert Academy, a Methodist high school. After high school he did a six-month stint as a merchant seaman and wound up in New York City, where he was impressed by the music clubs and the Apollo Theater. To support himself, Mr. Elie did menial work such as shining shoes and delivering stationery. prgtoken When the Korean conflict broke out, Mr. Elie was drafted into the Army and sent to California, where he was trained as a clerk. Afterward, he attended Howard University, and then transferred home to Dillard University, where he helped to organize a sizable student prgtoken chapter of the NAACP. It was suspended in 1956 after the Legislature required civil rights groups to publicly reveal their membership lists, putting members at risk. prgtoken In 1959, Mr. Elie received his law degree from Loyola University Law School, got an office on Dryades Street and opened what became the legendary firm of Collins, Douglas & Elie with Loyola Nils Douglas and Robert Collin. prgtoken In 1960, Mr. Elie and his colleagues represented the New Orleans chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) following a sit-in campaign. The case, centered on CORE chapter President Mr. Rudy Lombard and three others who were arrested for staging a sit-in protest, paved the way for a watershed decision that redefined racial justice in America. They appealed the case all the way to the United States Supreme Court which, in its decision, declared the city's ban on sit- ins unconstitutional. prgtoken Later in his career, Mr. Elie was one of seven supporters of the Freedom Riders who met with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, when Kennedy encouraged them to register black Southerners to vote to increase their political power. He also represented the `Deacons for Defense and Justice' in their negotiations with the Governor's office and Bogalusa City Council defending their right to self-defense. prgtoken Mr. Elie remained active in New Orleans and continued to mentor the next generation of leaders through his training program for new black lawyers. Though he is no longer with us, his influence and example will live on through the many young black men and women who continue to be inspired by his legacy, myself included. prgtoken Mr. Elie's survivors include his son Mr. Lolis Eric Elie, his daughter D. Migel Elizabeth Elie; three grandchildren; and three great- grandchildren. prgtoken , I celebrate the life and legacy of Mr. Lolis Edward Elie, a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
ATTACKS IN SYRIA WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-4-6

I want to express my revulsion at the gas attacks killing innocent Syrian civilians. One of the responses from this Congress should be when we get back, as soon as possible, we pass the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2017. It is sponsored by myself and Chairman Royce. It is named in honor of the courageous former Syrian photographer known as ``Caesar,'' who testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in 2014 about the Assad regime's torture of Syrian civilians. This legislation passed the House in November 2016 by voice vote but didn't pass the other body. prgtoken This bill requires the President to impose new sanctions on anyone who does business with or provides financing to the Government of Syria, including Syrian intelligence and security services, or the Central Bank of Syria. It sanctions anyone that provides aircraft or spare parts for aircraft to Syria's airlines, including financing. It sanctions anyone who does business with transportation or telecom sectors controlled by the Syrian Government or anyone who supports Syria's energy industry. prgtoken , we need to send a strong message to the murderous Assad regime and a strong message to Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah that we will not tolerate attacks on innocent civilians.
APPOINT A SPECIAL COUNSEL TO INVESTIGATE RUSSIAN CONNECTIONS
Nydia M. Velázquez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-4-6

another week in Washington and, yet, more evidence mounts; our election and the White House have been compromised by Russia. prgtoken This week we learned one of the President's informal advisers--a mercenary who founded the company Blackwater--met secretly with a Putin representative and attempted to establish back-channel conversations between the administration and Russia. prgtoken Remember, this comes after we found out the President's son-in-law met with Russian banking officials. It comes after it was reported that the Attorney General likely perjured himself before Congress about his own meeting with Russians. prgtoken Sadly, it comes after there were chemical weapons attacks in Syria. Let us recall that Assad's closest ally in that horrific civil war has been--you guessed it--Russia. prgtoken It is imperative we unearth all of the links between this administration, Russia, and Russia's hacking of our election. The House Intelligence Committee's investigation has become a farce. We need a thorough, independent investigation. Appoint a special counsel now.
HONORING THE SERVICE OF RICH RIMKUNAS
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-4-6

I rise today to wish Rich Rimkunas congratulations for his many long years of service to Congress. Rich Rimkunas has had a career filled with outstanding achievement at the Congressional Research Service. After nearly 37 years of service, Rich will be retiring from CRS on Friday, April 28th. prgtoken When Rich joined CRS in 1980, he was an analyst working on a broad array of social policy issues. Initially, he worked on such issues as child nutrition, poverty, social security, social services for the aged, and unemployment insurance. Rich co-created and co-authored a widely circulated CRS report on federal social welfare spending. He was also a co-author and contributor to several chapters in the House Ways and Means Committee print Children in Poverty, which provided a detailed look at the incidence and characteristics of child poverty in the United States. prgtoken Rich ultimately became heavily involved in providing research and analytical support to the Congress on many health policy issues, including analyses of aggregate national health expenditures, the Medicare hospital prospective payment system, the Medicare Advantage program, and Medicare catastrophic drug costs. Additionally, he has worked on numerous issues related to Medicaid. He both directed a team of CRS analysts as well as contributed his own analysis to the Medicaid ``Yellow Book,'' a 1988 House Ways and Means Committee print that provided a comprehensive analysis of the Medicaid program as it existed at the time. Rich also managed the 1993 update of the ``Yellow Book.'' prgtoken Rich's analyses have typically involved quantitative research methodologies, modeling techniques, and the use of complex databases. Rich has excelled at developing approaches for simulating the effects of potential changes to federal benefits and grant allocation formulas. prgtoken In addition to the direct impact his research and analytical work has had on federal policies, Rich has made equally important contributions within CRS in managerial roles. During his tenure at CRS, he has served as Section Research Manager (SRM) of the Methodology Section, the Research Development Section, the Research Development and Income Support Section, and the Health Insurance and Financing Section. During his tenure as an SRM, Rich helped manage CRS work on the 1996 welfare reform law and the 2003 overhaul of Medicare in the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act. Rich helped manage an inter-disciplinary team numbering about 3 dozen CRS analysts that provided legislative support during the passage of the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken Throughout his career, Rich has served as a role model for the highest level of CRS service to Congress, upholding the Service's standards of authoritativeness, objectivity and confidentiality. He is known within CRS for his attention to detail, methodological strength, and creative approaches toward conducting analyses. H
UNDETECTABLE FIREARMS MODERNIZATION
Ruben J. Kihuen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2017-4-6

in 1988, Congress realized the danger posed by guns that can pass through security checkpoints undetected, and passed the Undetectable Firearms Act. prgtoken The act, signed by President Reagan, has since been reauthorized under every single President, both and s alike. prgtoken When this bill originally became law, fully plastic guns were science fiction. But, today, plans for plastic guns are available online and can be produced at home with no technical expertise. Unfortunately, the Undetectable Firearms Act hasn't been updated since 1988, and glaring gaps exist. prgtoken That is why today I am introducing the Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act. This bill will make modest changes to the original act to more fully adhere to the spirit of the law. prgtoken , we need to be working to ensure that terrorists and criminals can't walk through security checkpoints with firearms undetected.
Confirmation of Neil Gorsuch (Executive Session)
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-4-7

I thank the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee for the work he carried out over the past several months as this nomination proceeded. prgtoken Mostly, I want to congratulate Judge Neil Gorsuch on his confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken While people in this Chamber voted yea or nay--some voted yes and some voted no--we all recognize the heavy obligation that now falls on the shoulders of Judge Gorsuch as a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken We will lean on Judge Gorsuch to make sure our Constitution is enforced. The American people will lean on Judge Gorsuch to make sure justice is dispensed impartially, with equality--that justice is indeed blind. prgtoken To Judge Gorsuch and his family, congratulations. prgtoken To the people of this Chamber who worked so hard over the past several weeks and months to assure this moment happened, thank you. prgtoken To the great State of Colorado, it is an honor to have a fourth- generation Coloradan--a man of the West, with grit and determination-- join the Nation's High Court. prgtoken . prgtoken .
APPOINTMENTS AUTHORITY
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-4-7

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate, and that they be printed in the Record.