mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
GOD BLESS STEVE SCALISE AND ALL THOSE INJURED IN THE SHOOTING OF JUNE 14, 2017
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-6-15

I want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with our colleague, Steve Scalise, and the others who were injured as a result of the horrific shooting yesterday morning. This makes us realize how vulnerable we all are and, in serving our country, we risk a lot of things from time to time. prgtoken The people who were injured, besides Congressman Scalise, the brave first responders who probably saved many more lives as a result, what can we say, other than thank you to the first responders all over this country who save us day in and day out. prgtoken The other young people, the staffer and lobbyist, everyone who was injured yesterday, my thoughts and prayers are with them as well. prgtoken Steve is a tough guy, and I know he is going to heal quickly, and I know he is going to get better and have a full recovery, so I just wanted to wish him a good Father's Day. Let the small pleasures of life come back to him because he deserves it. prgtoken I want him and his family to know that our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. We are all in the same family together, the congressional family. And it matters not what party you belong to, but the fact is we are all there to serve our constituents and help America. prgtoken So God bless America, God bless Steve Scalise and all the people who were injured. We are not going to stop until they are brought back home and mending and recovered 100 percent.
NEVADA WON'T BACK DOWN
Dina Titus (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2017-6-15

today, Energy and Commerce's Environment Subcommittee advanced a bill that would ram Yucca Mountain down the throats of Nevadans. Among its many faults, the bill usurps the State's water rights. Now, this is unethical, it is certainly intellectually dishonest, and it is probably unconstitutional. prgtoken lawmakers have long touted states' rights as a basic tenet of our democracy. What they must really mean is states' rights apply to their States but not to Nevada. prgtoken They also took great pride in opposing the waters of the U.S. regulations, saying it was Federal overreach and outrageous power grab. Well, so much for principle. Now it is a different story. prgtoken Taking a state's water rights sets a dangerous precedent. If they can do it to Nevada, they can do it to you. If they can take our water, they can take your water. prgtoken In the West, we say that water is worth fighting for. Whiskey is for drinking. Well, we are not giving up this fight.
ASHLEY GARCIA GOMEZ
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-6-15

I rise today to recognize and applaud Ashley Garcia Gomez for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. Ashley Garcia Gomez is a student at Arvada K-8 School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities. The dedication demonstrated by Ashley Garcia Gomez is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives. I extend my deepest congratulations to Ashley Garcia Gomez for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.
HONORING THE 80TH BIRTHDAY OF MR. LAWRENCE REEDUS
Peter J. Visclosky (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2017-6-15

it is my privilege and with great respect that I congratulate Mr. Lawrence Reedus on a momentous milestone, his 80th birthday. Lawrence will be celebrating with family and friends on Friday, June 16, 2017, at the Calumet Township Multi-Purpose Center in Gary, Indiana. Lawrence Wesley Reedus was born on June 5, 1937, in Gary, Indiana, the second oldest of five children. As a young man, he attended Roosevelt High School, where he excelled in his athletic pursuits, lettering in both football and basketball. After graduating in 1956, Lawrence continued his educational pursuits in Indiana at Manchester College. After working various jobs, Mr. Reedus found his calling as a career fireman for the Gary Fire Department, serving the city and its residents for more than twenty years. Known for his leadership and his political interest, Lawrence was determined to obtain a union for his fellow firefighters, so it is no surprise that he would go on to become the first African American president for the Gary Firefighters Association IAFF Local 359. For his unwavering dedication to his colleagues and to the community of Gary, Lawrence Reedus is worthy of the highest praise. Mr. Reedus's greatest source of pride is his amazing family. He has three beloved children and three adoring grandchildren. Lawrence now resides in Memphis, Tennessee, but we are honored by his loyal service to the people of Gary for so many years I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in commending Lawrence Reedus on this special day. His outstanding dedication to his community and fellow firefighters is truly admirable. It is my pleasure to join Lawrence's family and friends in wishing him a very happy 80th birthday.
Individual Health Insurance Marketplace Improvement Act (Executive Session)
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-6-15

I rise to speak about the ongoing debate in the body concerning the next chapter in healthcare and what we can do about it together and, especially, to address one part of the healthcare market--the individual market. prgtoken As most know--and this has been an item about which we are deep into discussions, the people and the Members of this body--before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Americans with preexisting conditions faced unfair barriers to accessing health insurance coverage, and healthcare costs had risen rapidly. Prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act, my own family, which is probably like the healthiest family in America because the five of us have only had three hospitalizations for three childbirths--all for my wife--we had twice been turned down for insurance coverage for at least one member of our family because of preexisting conditions. prgtoken Since 2010, the rate of uninsured Americans has declined to a historic low. More than 20 million Americans have gained access to health insurance coverage--many for the first time in their lives. In Virginia, over 410,000 Virginians have accessed care on the individual marketplace and another 400,000 would be eligible if Virginia decided to expand Medicaid. prgtoken Many Virginians use the individual market, and they have shared their stories with me on my website. I have on my Senate website ``ACA Stories,'' where I encourage people to share their stories. prgtoken The individual marketplace, as folks know, is if you are buying health insurance, not through an employer, and you are buying individually--you may or may not be qualified for a subsidy--that particular marketplace is really important for people who aren't employed by companies that offer group plans, but it also has its challenges. prgtoken One of my stories was from Lauren Carter, who lives in Lovingston, VA, in Nelson County. She wrote in to say: My 39-year-old son has cerebral palsy and a blood clotting disorder. His ``pre-existing conditions'' started at conception. Three years ago, he lost his full time job with health insurance benefits. The ACA allows him to continue receiving medical care and purchase his life saving medications. He supports himself through multiple part time jobs-- prgtoken This young man with cerebral palsy-- employer based insurance is not an option for him at this time. prgtoken Laura Kreynus from Mechanicsville, VA, near Richmond wrote: My daughter was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in April of 2013. That September, my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. We are farmers, we raise the food for America. As such, we are independently insured. prgtoken They have no large employer to cover them. Prior to finding a plan through the ACA in January 2015, our monthly insurance premiums were to increase to nearly $3,000 a month . . .
NO ROOM FOR HATE AND VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
John Lewis (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-6-15

I rise today with the heaviest of hearts. prgtoken , I want to be crystal clear that there is not any room in our society for hate. There is no room for violence. Whatever we do and wherever we may stand, we must act in a peaceful, orderly, and nonviolent fashion. prgtoken We must understand that we are one people--the American people; we are one family--the American family; and we live in the same house--the American house. prgtoken , we must teach all of our people to respect the dignity and the worth of every human being. We must be the headlights, not the taillights, in loving and cherishing our brothers and sisters. We are brothers and sisters. prgtoken We must understand that our foremothers and our forefathers came to this great Nation in different ships, but we are all in the same boat now. prgtoken As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: We must all learn to live together as brothers and sisters; if not, we will perish as fools. prgtoken Yesterday, was a difficult and dark day. There was so much pain and suffering for so many people--for our fellow Members, for our families, and for our staffs. It shook the Congress and our Nation to its core. I, too, was in shock. My heart and my soul ached for those who were attacked and for those who witnessed the violence. prgtoken Again, , I would like to express my love and my feelings for all of our colleagues, our friends, our staffs, the officers, and their families. prgtoken In each and every moment, my thoughts and prayers have been with all of the victims and their families as they begin the long road to healing and recovery. They must understand that we are with them. prgtoken We are with you. You are not alone. We love you, and we are praying for your safety and recovery.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2372, VETERANS EQUAL TREATMENT ENSURES RELIEF AND ACCESS NOW ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2579, BROADER OPTIONS FOR AMERICANS ACT
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-6-15

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes; and I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to both the of the House and the minority leader for their presentations before the full House yesterday in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy, which has wounded our colleague, Steve Scalise, and two Capitol Police officers, and two staffers. prgtoken We were all horrified by what happened, but I thought both the and the minority leader came to the floor and set the right tone, not only for this Congress, but for the Nation. And Ryan, yesterday, I thought, truly was the of the entire House of Representatives because when he said that an attack against one of us is an attack against all of us, I think everyone feels that way. prgtoken I thought it was also important that both Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi reminded us that we are all part of one family. Sometimes we might be a little bit dysfunctional, but the bottom line is we are all part of one family. And like all families, we have our disagreements, we have our points of view, and we fight for what we believe in, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, that is what is right about this country. prgtoken But, clearly, our politics in this country have gotten coarse and, in many cases, ugly, and what happened yesterday is something that I think that all of us are deeply shocked by. And so we pray for our colleague, Steve Scalise, we pray for Matt Mika, Zachary Barth, and the two Capitol Police officers, David Bailey and Crystal Griner. We pray for their speedy recovery. prgtoken I, too, want to echo the sentiments that were stated yesterday by our leadership, both in the and the ic Parties, that we honor our Capitol Hill police officers. I mean, they protect us each and every day. They put their lives on the line for us. And if they weren't there, the situation could have been much, much worse, and so I thank God that they were there. prgtoken As far as the rule goes, the gentleman from Texas knows how I feel about closed rules. I voice my opinion on that often, and I will continue to voice my opinion on that. But I don't think today is the time for me to prolong this debate, and I think we should move on, and that is what I intend to do. prgtoken Just one final thing, , on a personal note. This is the last rule that David Vince will work on here in the Rules Committee. He has been a fixture over the past several years, both in committee meetings and here on the House floor. He has worked on everything from healthcare to national security and on complex legislation impacting the financial industry. prgtoken When David started working here in 2011, he went by his full name, David M. Cooper-Vince. But since he married his wife, Jessica, he now insists we simply call him David Vince, so we are all still adjusting to the change. <|p|
COUNTERING IRAN'S DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES ACT OF 2017
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-6-15

. First, I thank my friend and colleague for his outstanding words on DACA. No one has fought more for the DACA kids than he has, not just in the last year but over the last decade. The fact that so many of them are here is, in good part, due to his great work and effort. Thank you. prgtoken Thoughts and Prayers for the Victims of the Congressional Baseball Practice Shooting prgtoken , we are still all a bit shaken by the horrors of yesterday's shooting. It was a senseless act of violence, made even more chilling by the circumstances at a baseball practice for a bipartisan charity event. I understand that Representative Scalise is still in critical condition following surgery last night. When we hear the word ``critical'' attached to his condition, it sends shivers down our spines. We hope and pray for a quick and full recovery. I know that all of his House colleagues are wishing him well right now, and I want him to know his friends in the Senate do as well. prgtoken The same goes for the other four who were injured in the attack, including two members of our Capitol Police Force. Our thoughts and prayers go with them as well. We remain grateful for their service and bravery and for the service and bravery of all of our Capitol police officers. Their presence at the field yesterday--the presence of those two Capitol police officers at the field yesterday prevented a bad situation from getting worse and undoubtedly saved lives. Had the two brave police officers not acted or if they had not been there, it might well have been a massacre. prgtoken We would all be wise to reflect on the importance of civility in our Nation's politics this morning. We disagree vehemently at times in Congress and folks out in the country do, too, but the level of nastiness, vitriol, and hate that has seeped into our politics must be excised. Let us all strive at all times--whatever our disagreements--to respect those who disagree with us, to seek a greater understanding of them, to walk in their moccasins--as Native Americans have always said. Let us strive always to conduct our politics with civility. prgtoken I was heartened to hear that the congressional baseball game will still be played this evening. Let it be a symbol that hate and violence do not cast too long or too great a shadow, that we can and will come together this evening, and the game will go on. I will be going to the game with the three congressional leaders as a show of solidarity. prgtoken , last evening, the Senate showed it can come together. Last night, we voted, in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion, to strengthen a package of sanctions against Russia. It was the product of diligent weeks of bipartisan negotiations. I saw the Senator from Maryland behind me a few minutes ago. He deserves lots of credit, as do the Senators from Ohio, Tennessee, and Idaho. The final result is a very good one for our count
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS STANLEY CUP VICTORY
Michael F. Doyle (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-6-15

I'm very excited to say congratulations, once again, to the Pittsburgh Penguins on winning the 2017 Stanley Cup. prgtoken For those of you who don't know, the Penguins also won the Stanley Cup last year--making them back-to-back champions. That hasn't been done since the late 1990s and since the salary cap was put in place. It was truly a historic achievement, and the City of Pittsburgh could not be more excited. This is the 5th Stanley Cup for the Penguins franchise. prgtoken Over the course of the season--and particularly the playoffs--the Penguins showed the grit, resiliency, and determination that is emblematic of the City of Pittsburgh. They battled through injury after injury, tough games, hostile arenas, changing rosters--you name it, they faced it. And yet they came out on top every time. prgtoken Throughout the course of the playoffs, they bested the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, winning handily in a 4-1 series. Next, they came here to D.C. and faced the No. 1-seed Washington Capitals. Well, for the ninth time in 10 playoff matchups, the Pens defeated the Capitals in a brutal 7-game series that also (temporarily) knocked out our Captain, Sidney Crosby. But the thing about Pittsburgh--and the Pens--is that a knock-out punch just won't keep us down for long. They moved right along and trucked through the Ottawa Senators 4-2 to make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second year in a row. prgtoken Now, I would like to congratulate the Nashville Predators on a magical run through the playoffs and a hard-fought final series. But ultimately, it wasn't enough to overcome the Penguins' skill, experience, hustle, and determination. prgtoken In a riveting Game 6, neither team had scored a goal and the end of regulation was quickly approaching. With only 95 seconds left on the clock, Patric Hornqvist managed to use the Predator's goalie himself to get the puck in the net. Left with few options, the Preds had to pull their goalie which allowed the Penguins to get an empty-net goal with seconds remaining. It was the perfect end to a historic season. prgtoken I would particularly like to congratulate Sidney Crosby on winning his second back-to-back Conn Smythe Trophy, one of only three players ever to do so. The last player to win back-to-back? The Pens very own Mario Lemieux. prgtoken The City of Pittsburgh is welcoming home another championship trophy, and for that I would like to once again thank and congratulate the 2017 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Welcome back to Pittsburgh, Lord Stanley.
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2017-6-15

it is nice to see the Presiding Officer again today--again and again. I don't know if I will be your last speaker, but I will try not to keep you here too long just in case. prgtoken I know the Presiding Officer has been through Delaware a time or two and the Senator from Louisiana has been through my State. I have been through theirs. prgtoken I am going to talk about a 14-year-old young man who lives in Delaware. I used to say to my friend from Louisiana: Thanks for working, trying to get us to pull together and do something across the aisle on healthcare. We will see how it turns out. prgtoken If you come up I-95 on your way to Philadelphia, PA, Trenton, NJ, New York City, Boston, or Maine, you pass through Delaware. As you cross from Maryland into Delaware heading north, you cross into Delaware and go through the toll plaza, and then almost immediately you are at the intersection of a road called State Route 896, a north-south highway. prgtoken If you happen to go north on 896, you go into Newark, DE, and you go right by the University of Delaware, which is there in Newark, DE. We don't pronounce it Newark. We pronounce it New-ark, as if it were two words--New-ark. Even though it is one word, we pronounce it as if it were two words, New-ark. prgtoken If you go north, you go on 896, you go right into the University of Delaware. I took that road over 40 years ago while I was still in the Navy and on leave with the Navy, trying to figure out where to go to graduate school. I went north on 896 and ended up falling in love with the University of Delaware and applied to graduate school there, and I made my life in Delaware. prgtoken If you go south on 896--when you intersect 896 and I-95, you don't go to the University of Delaware. You don't go to Newark. You go south to a town called Middletown. It is one word. There are some extraordinary athletes, high school athletes in Middletown. prgtoken For many years, their principal high school was Middletown High School. They have a couple of other schools there now, but one is Appoquinimink High School. In Middletown, they are the Cavaliers. The other is the Jaguars. The Jaguars have a new school; Appoquinimink is a newer school. Middletown has been around forever. They have a history of great athletes. prgtoken Year after year, they have won championships, including football-- State prgtoken football championships--and men's sports and women's sports. The key to their successes is that these kids grew up together, and they played sports when they were Peewees. They played sports when they were in middle school. By the time they got to high school, they had worked together, trained together, and knew each other, and they did well as a team. prgtoken I met another athlete from Middletown a couple of weeks ago. He came by my office with, I believe, his mom. I think it was his mom. We have a photograph of him right here. He is an unlikely athlete. He is 14 year
CLIMATE CHANGE
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-6-15

one thing we learn at a young age is the very basic principle that, when you give your word, you keep it. On June I, on the international stage, President signaled to the rest of the world that America cannot be relied upon to meet this very basic tenet. On one warm afternoon in Washington, President withdrew the United States from one of the most sweeping global environmental accords in generations. Abandoning our obligations to the Paris climate accords doesn't make America great. It doesn't reflect America's traditional role as innovator, leader, and standard bearer in our shared commitment to protecting the environment. prgtoken The chief U.S. negotiator of those accords, Todd Stern, is a former member of my staff. No one among the ranks of our government was closer to these negotiations, which led to a deal that was a win for American workers and businesses and a first step toward ensuring the survival of our planet. His words, published by the Washington Post on June 1, should be required reading for every American, including the President. prgtoken By reneging on our pledge to honor these accords, which were forged through U.S. leadership, President is ceding American leadership in emerging clean energy technologies and worsening one of the genuine existential threats to the world. The President's decision was a serious setback in our fight to save our planet. But as Mr. Stem writes, ``This is not the end of the line. This is a call to arms.'' prgtoken Governors and mayors and State and local officials are heeding this call, rejecting the President's decision, and pledging to move forward with aggressive efforts to curb climate change. President may think this is the end of America's involvement in the Paris climate accord. But, like Todd Stern, I believe a majority of Americans will reject this move. I, too, hope they will double down on our shared commitment to protecting our environment and our world for generations to come. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Stern's column, `` just betrayed the world. Now the world will fight back,'' be printed in the Record.