mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2018
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-6-6

my amendment would direct the Secretary of the Army to endeavor to inform all residential property stakeholders of adjoining Army Corps of Engineers' interest in their adjacent property. prgtoken Section 137 of this bill would expand public access to residential real estate data by placing information related to all real property data that the Army Corps holds an interest in online. Not all constituents have easy access to the internet. prgtoken Elderly constituents may not be able to easily search information about Army Corps projects online. Thus, my amendment would expand access to the real estate information by directing the Secretary of the Army, to the maximum extent practicable, to endeavor to provide such information to all adjoining residential stakeholders of real estate with which the Corps holds an interest. prgtoken By informing residential stakeholders, we will ensure they are aware of how Army Corps property interests might influence their property values, the enjoyment of their property, or their way of life. prgtoken , I urge support for my amendment and .
Remembering Bobby Kennedy (Executive Session)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-6-6

I rise to honor the life and legacy of an American treasure, Bobby Kennedy. prgtoken Robert Kennedy lived his life with courage and conviction, never afraid to challenge a divided nation to face its moral failings. Bobby challenged us all to take a step back from the stale, cheap politics of the moment and to do better by each other. His service to this Nation will never be forgotten. prgtoken Today, 50 years after he was brutally assassinated, we pause to acknowledge the brilliance and beauty that rested in his vision of America--a vision that led him to seek the highest office in this land, a vision of love, wisdom, compassion, and justice. Bobby believed we all have a shared responsibility to leave this world just a little bit better off than when we came. ``Few will have the greatness to bend history itself,'' he once said, ``but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.'' prgtoken History may not repeat, but it often rhymes. Conditions are different now, but a lot of the anxiety and tension that swept through this country in 1968, at the height of Bobby's political career, echoes the anxiety of today, especially the economic anxiety felt by millions of Americans who are working harder than ever but feel opportunity slipping away from themselves and their children. prgtoken Too often our political and business leaders refuse to see this. Instead, they hide behind macroeconomic statistics, using them as a shield to dismiss the concerns of the American people as faulty, wrongheaded, or even nonexistent. Robert Kennedy understood that America's national economy is not the same as the economic well-being of its people. In a 1968 speech at the University of Kansas, he spoke eloquently about the differences between them, and here is what he said: [Our] Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities. It counts Whitman's rifle and Speck's knife, and the television programs which glorify violence in order to sell toys to our children. Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to ou
INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT AND BLACK EUROPEANS
Alcee L. Hastings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-6-6

I rise today to highlight a resolution that I have introduced with my good friends, Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York and Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin. Our resolution recognizes the history and current situation of People of African Descent living in Europe and Black Europeans, and encourages the Secretary of State to take a number of steps to ensure their situation is improved following recommendations from the People of African Descent Week (PADWEEK) held by our colleagues in the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium from May 13-17, 2018. prgtoken As European Parliamentarian Cecile Kyenge has noted, ``The People of African Descent Week reaffirms European values by developing strategic and coherent responses to make our society more inclusive in the face of rising racial prejudice and violence across Europe.'' Recommendations from the week included a European Black History Month and Remembrance Day for Victims of Colonialism and Enslavement, a fund for Black European led initiatives to address continuing disparities and discrimination and support empowerment initiatives, European-wide strategies for the inclusion of People of African Descent, and support for transatlantic exchanges on common issues of racial prejudice and discrimination. prgtoken The need for recognition of Black populations in Europe became clear ten years ago when I chaired a U.S. Helsinki Commission hearing entitled, ``The State of (In)visible Black Europe: Race, Rights, and Politics,'' where we learned that the situation in Europe is very similar to the one in the United States. While the presence of Blacks in Europe can be traced to enslavement, colonization, military deployments, voluntary or forced migration, the movement of refugees and asylum seekers, or educational and other professional exchanges, the story of Europeans of African Descent and Black Europeans still remains prgtoken largely untold, rendering many of their past and present contributions to the very fabric of Europe unseen or forgotten, which is unacceptable. prgtoken , on May 14, 2018, Congressman Meeks, Congresswoman Moore, and I had the pleasure of being U.S. Honorary Hosts during PADWEEK. I include in the Record, the statement we made to our friends in the European Parliament. It is my hope that when we gather in the years to come to review the efforts of the United Nations designated International Decade for People of African Descent, we will not only speak of how our efforts resulted in our respective nations publicly recognizing the injustices and long-term impact of slavery and colonialism, but also of how our societies reconciled these issues in a manner that ensured equal opportunity, access, and justice for all People of African Descent. Statement of U.S. Honorary Hosts: Honorable Alcee L. Hastings-- Honorable Gregory Meeks--Honorable Gwen Moore
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2018
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-6-6

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act of 2018. Our district, centered in Eastside and Northside Houston and eastern County, was one of the most highly impacted by Hurricane Harvey. While we have passed emergency supplemental funding the Port of Houston and the Army Corps of Engineers have drastic needs for mitigating the damage done by Harvey. prgtoken The Port of Houston is the second busiest in the U.S. in terms of overall tonnage and the busiest in the U.S. in terms of foreign tonnage. Silt, from the bayous has drastically limited maneuverability and depth. The port had recently completed dredging to 45 feet. Many of the ships can no longer get through the channel due to hurricane damage. The disaster funding has not reached our ports. prgtoken The port currently estimates that first phase of recovery from the storm will cost an estimated $457 million dollars. The ship channel is the lifeblood of Houston. The energy renaissance that we have experienced in this country is also driven by industry that relies on the Port and the ship channel. It's absolutely essential to our district that we adequately fund corps projects that get the port back at their normal capacity. prgtoken Decades ago Congress created the Harbor Maintenance Fund, a tax on goods to keep our ports and harbors in good working order, and every year appropriators do not appropriate the needed funds. It is past time that we start putting all the money collected from port economic activity back into maintaining our ports. prgtoken Army Corps of Engineer projects go hand in hand with the health of our ports as well. Houston is a city of Bayous. When our Bayou's are damaged in a storm like Harvey the silt flows downstream into the ship channel. The turning basis, which was hit hard in the Tax Day Floods of 2016 has seen draft restrictions for over 1,300 days now. prgtoken These Army Corps projects don't just save money though, they create jobs. These improvements in this bill aren't theoretical, they're shovel ready projects the Corps has read to go. prgtoken The Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that it was allocating around $360 million to address high-priority needs for hurricane ravaged regions but unfortunately while many projects have been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, no action has been take to clear these projects. prgtoken I call on Director Mulvaney to take immediate action on these needs so OMB won't stand as a roadblock to protecting my constituents as we enter a new hurricane season. I'd like to thank my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure committee for crafting a Water Resources Development Act that addresses these pressing issues and urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Healthcare (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-6-6

yesterday the majority leader announced that the Senate would remain in session during much of the planned August recess. President tweeted: ``Great. Maybe the will finally get something done other than their acceptance of high crime and high taxes.'' As usual, the President's tweet makes little sense given that s control both Houses of Congress. But I agree with the President on one thing: Canceling the recess is a great opportunity to get something done. In fact, I have a suggestion for what Congress should do. How about this, ? Why don't we get something done on the issue that numerous polls say is the No. 1 priority of Americans--healthcare. prgtoken We --our entire caucus--believe this previously unscheduled session time could be put to good use to finally help Americans secure affordable healthcare that the President and congressional s have thus far failed to deliver. Before being sworn in, President promised to deliver healthcare that was ``far less expensive and far better.'' Those are his words. But since he has taken office, President has completely dropped the ball on healthcare. Instead of shoring up our healthcare system and driving down costs, President and s have sabotaged our healthcare system and driven up costs. prgtoken Yesterday, Maine and Pennsylvania joined a growing list of States that will see higher healthcare rates thanks to the policies of the administration and congressional s. In States such as Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Washington, rate increases are in double digits. One PPO plan in Maryland requested a rate increase of 91 percent. And when you ask these CEOs of companies why their rates are going up, many of them cite administration policies and congressional policies. prgtoken Again, the No. 1 issue affecting Americans is the high cost of healthcare. My colleagues are busy touting tax breaks. If you are very wealthy, you got a big break. If you are a middle-class person, far too often, your increase in your premiums exceeds your tax break. prgtoken Let's do something to put more money--net more money--in the pockets of working class people. Let's spend prgtoken August working on healthcare. Folks were already paying too much for healthcare in the form of premiums, out-of-pocket expenses, and the eye-popping costs of so many prescription drugs. Now all of those costs are going up because ``the unified government'' has done little to bring down the high cost of healthcare, and what it has done has made the situation worse. prgtoken Again, President has dropped the ball on healthcare, and the August recess is a time to recover and do something good. President deliberately sowed uncertainty in the healthcare marketplace as a way to make a political point against Care, and then congressional s
RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING DARLENE QUICHOCHO AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE JANE WHA-YOUNG KIM AWARD FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE
Madeleine Z. Bordallo (Democrat, GU) \u2014 2018-6-6

I rise today to recognize and commend Darlene Quichocho as the recipient of the first Jane Wha-Young Kim Award for Teaching Excellence sponsored by the Jane Wha-Young Kim Foundation. Darlene currently teaches English and Speech and Drama at George Washington High School in Guam. prgtoken The Jane Wha-Young Kim Award for Teaching Excellence was established in 2017 to recognize one full-time middle or high school teacher on Guam who models excellence as a teaching professional. Darlene was chosen for her effective use of instructional practices and materials, her ability to inspire, enable, and assist students to achieve their full potential. She was also recognized for encouraging community engagement and service by students. prgtoken Darlene was chosen unanimously by a selection committee, made up of Jane Wha-Young Kim's family and prominent members of the education community on island. Darlene was chosen from among nine outstanding nominees based on her exemplary teaching record at the George Washington High School, her strong support for various extracurricular activities, and her exceptionally positive impact on her students, colleagues, and community. The award was presented to Darlene on Monday, April 23, 2018 at George Washington High School. prgtoken I join the people of Guam in congratulating Darlene, her family, and school community on this accomplishment. I look forward to her continued success and future contributions to our island.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-6-6

today I am pleased to introduce the Contra Costa Transfer Act, a bill that will assure the health and safety of the residents of Contra Costa County while also providing for the efficient delivery of water from the Bay Delta to the customers of the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD). Senator is joining me in cosponsoring the bill, and I understand that Representatives Mark DeSaulnier, Jerry McNerney and Mike Thompson will be introducing a House companion measure this week as well. prgtoken The CCWD is an urban water agency serving approximately 500,000 people in the eastern part of the San Francisco Bay Area region in Northern California. CCWD operates and maintains the Contra Costa Canal System, a unit of the Central Valley Project (CVP), prgtoken which is owned by the United States and managed by the Bureau of Reclamation in the Department of the Interior. prgtoken The Contra Costa Canal System involves 48 miles of earthen canals with about 30 miles of laterals which deliver water to cities from the canal. Although the canal has been maintained, it poses a safety and flood risk. Notwithstanding significant security fencing, 81 people have tragically been drowned since the canal was placed into service and hundreds of others have been rescued. prgtoken The bill I am introducing today would transfer title to the canal system to CCWD so it can begin the process of replacing this old, earthen canal with a secure buried pipeline. The conversion of the canal to a pipeline will cost CCWD approximately $650 million. prgtoken CCWD has already repaid Reclamation for costs of constructing the project. After title transfer of the canal is completed, CCWD would remain a CVP M&I customer as set forth in the Long-term Renewal Contract between the United States and CCWD providing for Project Water Service and for Facilities Repayment (Contract No. I75r-3401 A-LTR1 May 10, 2005) (CVP Contract). This title transfer bill was anticipated in Article 28.3 of the CVP Contract which allows for transfer of title to the Contra Costa Canal System upon repayment of all outstanding capitalized costs of the facilities and upon authorization of Congress. prgtoken Before title transfer occurs, there will be further environmental review, including compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Historical Preservation Act (NHPA). prgtoken Title Transfer will result in lower costs and reduced administrative burden, provide greater flexibility in management of the asset, and will eliminate flood and other safety concerns. When the canal was originally built, there was no one around it. Now there are many homes and neighborhood along both sides of the structure. If the canal were to fail as has occurred with other earthen canals, homes would be flooded, and millions of dollars of property would be destroyed. prgtoken Title transfer would transfer this health and safety l
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2018
Nydia M. Velázquez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-6-6

this is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. prgtoken , as we debate today, Puerto Rico continues to reel from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, a once-in-a-generation disaster that fueled a humanitarian crisis. Nearly all 3.3 million residents of Puerto Rico lost power following the hurricane. Drinkable water and adequate food supplies became scarce throughout the island. Many have since endured the longest blackout in U.S. history. prgtoken We all remember when President went to Puerto Rico last September. While he was there, he said that--based on the then-reported 16 deaths--Maria was not ``a real catastrophe. . . .'' prgtoken Every day it becomes increasingly clear how out of touch that statement was, and every day the magnitude of this disaster becomes clearer, as does the incompetence of this administration's response. prgtoken Just last week, the Harvard School of Public Health released a new estimate suggesting the death toll is staggeringly higher than previously thought. The Harvard study is just an estimate. However, if the number most often cited from that report--4,645--proves accurate, then Maria would rank as the second worst natural disaster in U.S. history. No matter what the President said, that is a real catastrophe. prgtoken Now, as Puerto Rico continues struggling as thousands still do not have electricity and as we still do not know the total number of lives lost, we are entering another hurricane season. Yet Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands remain vulnerable should another storm come barreling out of the Atlantic into the Caribbean and make landfall. prgtoken We should remember the 2017 hurricane season was not just devastating for the Caribbean. We cannot forget how the Houston area suffered under Hurricane Harvey. Houston's layout and the city's infrastructure also proved vulnerable to the flooding, causing $125 billion in damage. Yet despite 2017 being one of the worst in history for natural disasters and even though we are entering another hurricane season, our public infrastructure systems remain vulnerable. prgtoken The motion to recommit is very straightforward. It would ask the Secretary of the Army Corps to work to restore and strengthen the resiliency of public infrastructure in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and in the mainland for areas damaged by Maria, Irma, and Harvey. This is common sense. It will mean we are better prepared for the next major hurricane. It could potentially save lives. prgtoken In Puerto Rico, for instance, this would allow needed upgrades to the Guajataca Dam. The 90-year-old dam, located on the northeastern shore of the island and owned by Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, was severely damaged after Maria. While the Corps did good work preventing the collapse of the dam, this was a temporary band-aid. American
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2018
Grace F. Napolitano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-6-6

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I associate the remarks of my ranking member, the chairman of the committee, and the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Graves. I rise in strong support of the bipartisan bill, H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act of 2018. prgtoken I very strongly thank Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio, and Chairman Graves for their work on this legislation. It is encouraging to see that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee continue in a bipartisan fashion on this legislation every 2 years. prgtoken This bill authorizes Army Corps of Engineers' feasibility studies, Chief's Reports, and section 7001 water resource projects across the country for a diverse array of purposes, including flood damage reduction, ecosystem restoration, hurricane and storm damage reduction, water supply--very important to me--and navigation. prgtoken It also includes an important water recycling project for Los Angeles County in California, with the West Basin Municipal Water District's Harbor/South Bay project. This project provides a $35 million increase for an existing, successful authorization to improve microfiltration of wastewater and delivery to residents and businesses. This will create long-term water supply reliability in our drought-prone region. prgtoken I want to thank my good friends, Directors Carol Kwan and Gloria Gray, for their commitment to this cost-effective and innovative water supply option for all their constituents. prgtoken I also am pleased to see the inclusion of several provisions that will continue the work we have done in recent WRDAs to assist communities experiencing drought with additional water supply options. prgtoken These provisions include section 109 that will require the Corps to work with local governments on integrated water resources planning to incorporate in Corps projects locally developed plans for stormwater management, water quality improvements, and--my baby--water recycling. prgtoken Section 107 provides for forecast-informed reservoir operations in water control manuals to ensure that dams are being used effectively to maximize local water supply. prgtoken Section 115 provides a comprehensive report on the operation and maintenance backlog of Corps projects so that prgtoken Congress has a full accounting of the unmet needs of authorized water resource projects. prgtoken We have such a backlog, and there is that fund that goes nowhere, the billions of dollars that should be going to the ports that do not benefit, and we have a tremendous backlog. prgtoken I am concerned that the bill does not include a bipartisan provision supported by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that would fully fund the harbor maintenance trust fund. Congress needs to remedy this inequity in the harbor maintenance trust fund once and for all, so that the taxes paid into the system are benefiting the projects they were