mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tribute to Dr. Constance E. Clayton (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-2-27

it has been since January 20 when President was inaugurated that we have been trying to get his Cabinet choices confirmed here in the Senate. Unfortunately, it has been slow-walked to the point now that tonight we are going to be voting on the President's nominee to lead the Commerce Department, Mr. Wilbur Ross. I am grateful to Mr. Ross for wanting to serve the country in this way. I think President has chosen wisely as to the Commerce Secretary. prgtoken One of the things President said Mr. Ross will do is enter into the negotiation process on NAFTA, the North American Free-Trade Agreement. In my part of the world, in Texas, NAFTA is viewed positively; it is not a dirty word. prgtoken Some people have suggested that trade somehow has a negative impact on our economy, but I believe the evidence is to the contrary. As a matter of fact, just between Mexico and the United States--5 million jobs depend on binational trade between Mexico and the United States. I know from time to time we have differences of views with Mexico. I saw that Secretary Kelly and Secretary Tillerson were in Mexico City on Wednesday talking about some of those differences but reassuring our Mexican counterparts of our sincerity and good will in trying to work through those. But the fact is, we share a common border with Mexico. What happens in Mexico has an impact on the economy and public safety in the United States and vice versa. prgtoken So I am actually grateful for the conversation I have had with the Secretary of Commerce nominee, Wilbur Ross and that he is interested in updating NAFTA, the North American Free-Trade Agreement, rather than throwing the baby out with the bath water. I think that is a positive approach and one that I certainly support. prgtoken We have a lot more Cabinet posts that remain vacant in the executive branch because our friends across the aisle have decided that somehow serves their political interests. But it does not serve the public's interests and it does not serve the country's interests to have a brandnew administration without the ability of the President to pick and choose the people he wants to help him govern the country. It creates more problems, and it also prevents us from getting on with the other important business of the Congress and working together with this President to try to move the country forward in so many important ways. prgtoken I am glad we will actually consider Congressman Zinke's nomination for the Department of Interior later this evening, but we are going to have to go through this arduous process, this procedural process of cloture and postcloture time-burning before we can actually vote on this qualified nominee. I have said before that by holding up these qualified nominees, they are not only preventing the executive branch from working for the benefit of the American people, but they are also keeping us from our other job. After we ge
SHILOH NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT AND PARKER'S CROSSROADS BATTLEFIELD DESIGNATION ACT
Tom McClintock (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-2-27

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 88, introduced by Representative Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, expands the boundaries of the Shiloh National Military Park to include 2,126 acres of battlefields in Corinth and designates the Parker's Crossroads Battlefield as an affiliated area of the National Park System. prgtoken The Battle of Shiloh was one of the bloodiest battles in the history of this Nation and a turning point of which it was once said that, after Shiloh, the South never smiled again. The Battle of Parker's Crossroads was fought later that year and, though not as decisive a battle as Shiloh, was worthy of preservation in remembrance of the fallen. prgtoken I would like to add something on a personal note. I would like to speak of Private James H. Ewing, of the Third Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the fifth of 10 children of James and Agnes Ewing of Marshall County, Iowa. The family had begun in Ohio and journeyed to the frontier of Iowa, following Horace Greely's advice to go west and grow with the Nation. In 1861, that Nation was torn apart by secession. James Ewing met President Lincoln's call to defend her and was 24 years old when he was killed on April 6, 1862, at Pittsburg Landing on the first day of the Battle of Shiloh. prgtoken The words of his younger brother, John, written 64 years later, in 1926, expressed both the enduring anguish of that loss with equal parts of enduring pride, saying: ``Brother James gave up his life at the Battle of Shiloh . . . fighting to save our free government.'' That free government survived because of the sacrifices and suffering of these brave young men, and I am honored to speak the name of one of them in this Chamber today. prgtoken Private James H. Ewing is one of 3,584 courageous Americans whose graves our Nation has cared for and honored through the generations that have followed at Shiloh. This bill assures that several more of the battlefields they struggled on will be preserved in a cohesive unit. Our family remains proud of him to this day and grateful to Congresswoman Blackburn for bringing forward this bill to assure that the sacrifices, gallantry, and idealism of those young men who struggled at Bloody Shiloh shall never be forgotten by their larger family, the American people. prgtoken This bill would preserve approximately 2,126 acres of that battlefield associated with the Siege of Corinth, including the Fallen Timbers, Russell House, and Davis Bridge Battlefields. The National Park Service determined that each of these sites provides extensive opportunities for visitor use and interpretation or the potential for archeological research. An identical version of this legislation passed the House of Representatives last Congress. prgtoken I commend Representative Blackburn for her work to preserve these historically significant sites, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this measure. prgtoken I reserve the ba
MOMENT OF SILENCE IN REMEMBRANCE OF KANSAS SHOOTING VICTIMS
Kevin Yoder (Republican, KS) \u2014 2017-2-27

the man who perpetrated the attack in my district last week was filled with hate. He does not represent anything we believe in as Kansans and as Americans. Last night, our community sent the strong message that love will overcome hate. prgtoken Thousands of concerned citizens in my district came together to support one another and our growing and vibrant Indian community in this time of great tragedy. We showed the world that our diverse political and religious views are what make our community and our country great. prgtoken , in addition to this moment of silence, let us renew our commitment to treating each other with respect and embracing civility in our public discourse.
ORDERS FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2017
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-2-27

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Zinke nomination postcloture; finally, that all time during leader remarks, morning business, recess, and adjournment of the Senate count postcloture on the Zinke nomination.
Ending Global Hunger (Executive Calendar)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2017-2-27

I am here on the floor tonight to speak about our Nation's efforts to end global hunger. It is an undertaking that countless individuals, foundations, and government agencies have devoted a significant amount of time, resources, and effort attempting to solve. prgtoken Those who have dedicated their lives to feeding the hungry deserve our deepest gratitude and respect. They made the decision to improve the lives of others less fortunate than themselves, and they often have done that at their own loss of comfort and their own well-being. There is no nobler a calling than trying to do something for someone else, especially when it costs you something as well. prgtoken Regardless of our faith, our creed, or our religion, almost all of us are taught early in life that it is our duty to help those in need. Americans consistently have taken that moral responsibility to heart. As individuals, we help our neighbors through our churches and other local organizations. We help feed our hometowns. As a country, we lead the world in providing food aid to millions of people who are in need of that assistance. prgtoken In 1983, at a signing of a World Food Day proclamation, President Reagan cited 450 million people in developing countries who were undernourished. Our global population has risen by 3 billion people since that time, and today there are nearly 800 million undernourished people in the world who do not have enough food to lead healthy, normal lives. prgtoken While strides are being made in the fight against food insecurity, it is clear that our commitment cannot waiver, and ending hunger must remain a priority. prgtoken At that same White House ceremony, President Reagan chided the Soviet Union for failing to provide humanitarian relief to those in need. President Reagan offered a direct challenge to the Kremlin to explain why the Soviet Union only provided weapons but not food assistance to the underdeveloped world. prgtoken While the threats in the world today are different than those faced during the Cold War, American food assistance remains a powerful foreign policy tool. American food aid elevates our country's moral standing and leadership in the world, as realized by President Reagan, but our efforts to reduce food insecurity also serve our own national interests by promoting political, economic, and social stability in the world. prgtoken Food-related hardships and hunger--either due to price increases or food shortages--act as a catalyst for protests and armed conflicts. We have witnessed regions of the world that are critical to America's strategic interests descend into chaos due to people not having access to affordable food. prgtoken From 2007 to 2011, spikes in global food prices led to increased food insecurity and unrest in the world. In the Middle East and North Africa, food-related challenges were one of the major drivers of the mass uprising that we call the Arab Spring. prgtoken
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-2-28

I rise today to speak about the nomination of Congressman Ryan Zinke to be Secretary of the Interior. prgtoken The Secretary of the Interior is one of the most important jobs in the Federal Government and even more so for people in the West. I know the Presiding Officer would agree with that. prgtoken The Department of the Interior has an incredibly broad portfolio. It is responsible for managing our Nation's public lands, our national parks, our national wildlife refuges, and overseeing mineral and energy development on our public lands and in our Federal waters offshore, making sure that the taxpayers of the United States get a fair deal for the resources that the public--the public--actually owns. The responsibilities of the Department of the Interior also include ensuring that tribal trust responsibilities are met, as well as attending to our insular affairs. The Secretary of the Interior also manages a large part of water resources in Western States--again, which I know the Presiding Officer knows so well because there are so many issues related to drinking water and hydroelectric facilities that affect millions of our citizens. prgtoken So it is a far-reaching and diverse portfolio, and it requires the Secretary prgtoken to take into account not only the demands of the extraction industry-- the oil, gas, coal, and hard rock mining companies--the Secretary, above all, must protect the public's interests. prgtoken I think the public could probably best understand this by knowing what happened in the Gulf of Mexico and the implosion that happened with the Deepwater Horizon well. Here, the Department of the Interior and minerals management resource agencies, in my opinion, should have been doing a better job of protecting the public and protecting that vital resource. prgtoken The conclusion of hearings after this fact found that there were many recommendations to clean up and streamline the minerals management agency so that it was not catering to the interests of the oil and gas industry, but making sure that it adheres to what is the public interest. Now all that has been made famous in a movie, which many of the public I think should go to see. Taking shortcuts when it comes to extraction of mineral resources is not a good idea, and having an Interior Secretary who makes sure we manage these resources well is critical to our Nation. prgtoken Also, the outdoor recreation industry, in and of itself, in my opinion--and I am sure in the opinion of many others here who understand it--has become a juggernaut. I will talk about that in a little bit. It is an economy in and of itself. It is worth preserving. It is worth fighting for. It is a source of tax revenue, income, jobs, and, most importantly, a quality of life that so many Americans hold dear. I have been so touched by the letters I have gotten from veterans, who have said to me on their returning back from Iraq and Afghanistan that having
WELCOMING BRUCE BAILLIE TO THE JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
Derek Kilmer (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-2-28

when you come in to Bremerton, Washington, on the ferry, you see one of my favorite sights. It is Building 460 of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and it says on the side of the building: ``Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Building on a Proud Tradition.'' Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is far and away the largest employer in the region I represent, and these are men and women who take great pride in their work and have done so for over 125 years. prgtoken They are also critical to the success of our Navy's national security mission, but too often in this town, they don't get the respect they deserve. That is why my guest this evening is Bruce Baillie with the Bremerton Building and Metal Trades Council. Bruce is a local leader for our shipyard workers, and I want to make sure that this new administration understands how important this workforce is to our country. prgtoken These are not just talented professionals. They have been amazing partners in putting together an action agenda for shipyard workers that we introduced last week: exempting our shipyard workers from the hiring freeze which is critical to our Nation's security, making sure that retired servicemembers--our veterans--are able to secure jobs in our Defense Department, and halting policies that lower the compensation of defense workers--changes in per diem and overtime policies that affect their take-home pay. prgtoken It is important that we have the backs of these vital workers, and that is why I have invited Bruce Baillie as my guest this evening.
ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-2-28

health care is important to every family in America. The Affordable Care Act increased access to health care for about 20 million Americans. prgtoken Is the Affordable Care Act perfect? prgtoken No bill that has ever been debated on this floor and passed is perfect. prgtoken Let's make our goal not to have anyone who received access to health care to lose it. We need to make it better and to guarantee access to quality health care for all Americans. America can do better.
DONALD TRUMP AND VLADIMIR PUTIN
Robin L. Kelly (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-2-28

last week I hosted a dozen of constituent events in my district. At every turn, families asked the same question: When will Congress investigate the President's involvement with Russia? prgtoken I have received many calls and e-mails about Russia for weeks. The American people are deeply and rightly concerned with this administration's involvement with the Putin regime. We know the President's hand-picked national security adviser was forced to resign over his communications with Russia. We know that if Moscow did indeed influence our free elections, we have a duty to stand up against those threats and not sweep them under the rug. prgtoken We do not support Putin's human rights record, his treatment of journalists, or his invasions of Georgia and Ukraine, where my grandmother was born. prgtoken So why is the people's House protecting Vladimir Putin? Why are we not standing up to President and investigating his dealings with the Putin regime? What are we afraid of? prgtoken To my colleagues on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, what are you afraid we will find out if we investigate? prgtoken , when are we going to get answers for the American people? prgtoken Lastly, I welcome Chicago WVON's Matt McGill and Planned Parenthood's Donna Miller to tonight's joint session.
SEARCHING FOR AND CUTTING REGULATIONS THAT ARE UNNECESSARILY BURDENSOME ACT
Jerry McNerney (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-2-28

my amendment is straightforward. It exempts from the bill any agency rule relating to the physical and cybersecurity of the bulk power system, including any emergency action to protect and restore reliability. The bulk power system is comprised of facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected electrical transmission network to maintain reliability. prgtoken Our Nation's electrical system touches each and every part of our lives, hospitals, schools, transportation, homes, businesses, and our national security. Our electrical system is the central element of our Nation's critical infrastructure because all other components of our infrastructure depend on it. prgtoken The electrical system is composed of 640,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 6 million miles of distribution lines. This network is undergoing a transformation. There are an ever- increasing number of devices that are connected to the grid; technological advancements are allowing for efficiencies and cheaper production of power, whether it is renewable energy or natural gas; and consumers have more choices and more control. With increased digitization, automation and interaction also have enhanced grid flexibility and security. prgtoken While these developments present tremendous opportunities, such as new jobs and reducing carbon emissions, they also pose additional physical and cyber threats to the transmission and distribution systems. Stakeholders across the system are facing numerous new threats and challenges in detecting problems, responding to intrusions, and keeping rates affordable while maintaining reliability. The long-term health of the electricity sector is now, more than ever, a shared responsibility between communities, consumers, industry, and government. prgtoken Despite these challenges, the bulk power system is an example of industry stakeholders and the Federal Government working well together, when needed, and working independently, when needed and succeeding. prgtoken Transmission and distribution providers have taken it upon themselves to establish industry-led standards, best practices, and supply chain management when it comes to grid security. They have worked well with NERC and FERC in developing Critical Infrastructure Protection standards for the bulk power system. prgtoken These Critical Infrastructure Protection standards cover critical cyber asset identification, security management, personnel and training, electronic security, physical security, systems security, incident reporting and response planning, and recovery plans. There are 72 inactive CIP standards, and 11 that are now subject to enforcement. These standards aren't always perfect, but they do represent compromise and collaboration. prgtoken A well-protected and reliable grid makes economic sense. Power outages and disturbances can cost more than $180 billion annually, and data suggests that el
EXECUTIVE CALENDER--Continued
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2017-2-28

I rise in opposition to the nomination of Representative Zinke to become Secretary of the Interior. prgtoken As is always the case, I take this opposing position with some trepidation. Having served as the Governor of my State, I appreciate the importance of deference to a chief executive's decisions to build his or her team, but at the same time, I think we in the Senate have a constitutional obligation to provide our advice and to provide our consent because in the end not all nominees are best for the country we are pledged to protect. prgtoken Some of my western colleagues may wonder what stake a small State like Delaware on the east coast would have in the selection of a Secretary of the Interior. It turns out, there is plenty. prgtoken As the chief land steward of our great Nation, the Secretary of the Interior will be asked to manage our collective interests in the conservation, use, and appropriate management of the abundant land, wildlife, mineral and other resources found on our public lands. For that reason alone, we should expect a firm commitment from such a leader that the American taxpayer will receive full value for private use and profit from the use of our Nation's resources, and we need assurances that the use of those resources will not abuse the quality of life for Americans while enhancing the profits of a very limited few. prgtoken That, I am very sad to say, does not appear to be Mr. Zinke's track record. prgtoken For example, as a Congressman, I am told he opposed the Federal coal leasing moratorium ordered by his predecessor, Secretary Jewell. Some would call this an appropriate reaction to an alleged War on Coal, but let's just take a moment to take a closer look. prgtoken As you know, I live in a small State, Delaware, that is, as it turns out, getting smaller almost every day. With each passing tide and every coastal storm, a part of us--our land--disappears forever. We are fighting a valiant and, some would say, futile war against an encroaching sea. This is not a result of variability in weather patterns or long-term trends in ocean dynamics, this is climate change at work. prgtoken We are not alone in feeling the effects of our Nation's dependence on and robust use of carbon-based fuels--like coal--over the past couple of centuries. prgtoken There are Native Alaskan communities that have to move in their entirety. Think of that. They have to move in their entirety because tides, storms, and waves--assisted by the absence of ice that used to protect them from fierce winter storm surges--are literally eating away at their communities. I am trying to imagine what it would be like as a family to get the news that you have to leave a place that has been your home for generations, the place from which your ancestors derived their sustenance, honored their forbears, and raised their legacies. prgtoken I also can't imagine being a person who represents those people and famil