mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Corporal Matt Henderson (Executive Calendar)
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2018-11-29

I rise today to continue my tributes to the current generation of Nebraska men and women who have lost their lives defending our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each of these Nebraskans has a special story to tell. prgtoken Today I will recall the life and service of Cpl Matt Henderson of Lincoln, NE. prgtoken Matt was born on May 15, 1979, in Columbia, MO, to Owen and Rebecca Henderson. At the time Matt came into the world, his dad, Owen, was attending veterinary school. After Owen finished veterinary school, the Henderson family moved to ``The Good Life'' to raise both Matt and his newly born sister Kellie. prgtoken As Matt grew, he made many friends, loved to play outside, and enjoyed hunting and fishing. Many times Matt could be found by his dad's side on his equine veterinary visits. prgtoken His favorite furry companion was his curly-haired golden retriever Rocket, with which he spent a lot of time and which he taught to play fetch. prgtoken Matt loved sports and participated in many sports growing up, including baseball, basketball, wrestling, track, and football, but his favorite of all was football. He was a devout Nebraska Husker and Chicago Bears fan. prgtoken Matt and his wife Jaimie began dating while they attended Palmyra Junior-Senior High School in Otoe County. Jaimie remembers Matt wearing his football jersey on game days and their dates at the movies, the mall, and homecoming dances before they were even old enough to drive. prgtoken After graduating high school in 1998, Matt attended Nebraska Wesleyan University where he studied athletic training and criminal justice. He also played on the football team and was an avid weightlifter. prgtoken In 2000, Matt joined the U.S. Marine Corps because he was attracted to the discipline and direction that it offered. He completed boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego before attending and completing infantry training at Camp Pendleton. Due to his strong interest in the construction field, Matt also finished combat engineer school at Camp Lejeune. prgtoken After engineer school, he was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion at Camp Pendleton. prgtoken On August 4, 2001, Matt proposed to Jaimie on Mission Beach in San Diego, just after sunset. They were so excited to finally get married and begin planning their wedding in Nebraska, which was scheduled for April 12, 2003. prgtoken In January of 2003, however, Matt's unit was informed that they would be among the first forces to invade Iraq. Jaimie postponed the wedding, which was supposed to take place in just a few months, and instead she and Matt were married in a civil ceremony in San Diego. The two of them couldn't imagine something happening during Matt's deployment and never being able to marry one another. prgtoken In February of 2003, Matt deployed to Iraq. He joined other U.S.-led forces in the invasion of Iraq and Kuwait in order to oust Saddam Hussein. During his deplo
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--CALENDAR NO. 670, S. 3405
Ron Johnson (Republican, WI) \u2014 2018-11-29

. Again, I am happy to do that, but we have not had that kind of engagement. Right now, there is, basically, a gun to my head, threatening me to take it or leave it. That is not collegial, and that is not a very high-integrity approach. I am happy to sit down. Let's continue working on this thing. This program needs reforms. We have done the work, and I think that work needs to be recognized and respected. Again, let's sit down and get our staffs together on this, and let's reauthorize and reform the CFATS Program.
THANKING 16TH AND 17TH DISTRICTS OF FLORIDA, STAFF, FAMILY
Thomas J. Rooney (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-11-29

this is the last time I will have the privilege to address this body. prgtoken It has been an honor to serve the people of Florida's 16th and 17th Districts over the last 10 years. I am eternally grateful for the trust that the people of Florida's heartland bestowed upon me to be their voice in the United States Congress for the last five terms. prgtoken I would not have been able to do this job without the great work of my staff both here in Washington, D.C and back in Florida. Thank you, Team Rooney. prgtoken Thanks always to the love and support of my family: my mom and dad; my brothers and sisters, Pat, Joe, Suzanne, Terry, Chris, Molly, and Brian; and, most importantly, to my wife, Tara; and my sons, Tommy, Jr Sean Patrick, and Seamus. I will be home soon. I love you guys.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 88, SHILOH NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT AND PARKER'S CROSSROADS BATTLEFIELD DESIGNATION ACT
Pete Sessions (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-11-29

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I appreciate the feedback from the gentleman from Wisconsin, a very dear and very good friend of mine, and I appreciate the differences between our parties. prgtoken The differences between the philosophies of the parties and the differences of the direction are apparent. But what is also apparent, , is that what these dadgum s did is working: more money is coming into the Treasury; millions more people have a job. prgtoken The opportunity that happened--a result of the Tax Code changes--have brought, at minimum, $50 billion back into America in less than about 9 months, money flowing back in, which is the reverse of what was described in the nineties with that sucking sound of jobs leaving America. It is now the rush of the beautiful breeze of jobs coming back in, manufacturers not just in Wisconsin, but all through the Midwest, down even as far as Dallas, Texas. prgtoken , there was one point where I held a meeting and a press conference at a manufacturer, and that manufacturer said that this is the most robust period of time he had had in the history of the company and actually challenged the TV stations to say he was looking for 12 more workers. He found two the next day, people who called who were looking for jobs. prgtoken , we are talking about things that work, not axioms of these feel-good things: Oh, we can do better. prgtoken Well, for 8 years, they didn't do better. For 8 years, the philosophy was tax, spend, regulate, overregulate, move jobs overseas, blame somebody else for their problem. prgtoken That is not a winning hand. A winning hand is more people having jobs. Today, the highest numbers of people ever are working in America. The facts of the case are: more African Americans today work than ever, more Hispanics, more women, more opportunity, better chances for you to get a higher paying job, better opportunities. prgtoken , I wouldn't have to say too much, but these same policies that they talk about here today are the same policies that you would get out of the State of California that has 125,000 homeless people, 55,000 homeless people in Los Angeles. How can that be? prgtoken Well, it is easy to understand. The same policies that they want for us in Washington are the same policies they prgtoken have in Los Angeles and in California. That is called overregulate, overtax, and run them the heck out of town. prgtoken That is why there are so many unemployed people. That is why there are 55,000 homeless people in Los Angeles. Friends of mine who visit the beautiful, coveted city of San Francisco come back and tell the story of heartbreaking demise of people living on the streets of San Francisco, a drug-ridden, crime-ridden, despicable opportunity for people to see a great city in despair, in ruin. prgtoken That is what you get when you raise taxes, when you don't give opportunity, and when America fails to be able to look forward
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-11-29

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
LAFAYETTE, WE ARE HERE: THE AMERICAN LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-11-29

as we remember the 100th anniversary of the great World War I, it is vital to honor American pilots who fought for freedom in Europe before the United States officially entered the war. prgtoken Under the French Air Service, the Lafayette Escadrille was formed. It was an all-American, all-volunteer squadron. prgtoken In 1916, 224 Americans formed the unit. They wore French uniforms, and assembled on their biplanes was a courageous Native American chief. prgtoken Being a pilot in World War I was deadly dangerous. The life expectancy of an Allied pilot was 11 days. Daily combat operations saw casualty rates of 400 percent. Fifty-one Americans were killed in combat, and the Americans downed 199 enemy planes. They flew in all the major battles over the Western Front's bloody trenches of no man's land. prgtoken In 1918, when the United States entered the war, these men of the Lafayette Escadrille were incorporated into the United States Air Service. These young flyboys of World War I were some of America's best. They went over there and flew the skies fighting prgtoken for freedom, proudly proclaiming, ``Lafayette, we are here.'' prgtoken And that is just the way it is.
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT INFORMATION DATABASE ACT OF 2018
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-11-29

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in support of H.R. 6777, introduced by Congressman Palmer of Alabama. prgtoken Transparency and public participation are critical to maintaining the public's trust in its government. Since the 1970s, however, Federal agencies have increasingly resolved litigation by entering into consent decrees and other legally binding settlement agreements rather than through a public trial. prgtoken These agreements were often negotiated behind closed doors. Secret negotiations prevent the public from holding the Federal Government accountable for decisions made without their input. prgtoken States, local governments, industry stakeholders, and taxpayers are often directly affected by the agreements, but are shut out of the negotiations. For example, a consent decree entered into by the Environmental Protection Agency required the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas to reform its sewer systems in 12 years. Sewer utility bills increased by 167 percent in 3 years to fund the obligations of the agreement, while residents' incomes simultaneously decreased by 11 percent. prgtoken Due to poor recordkeeping, it is impossible for Congress and the public to determine the full cost of Federal settlement agreements. Most of the public's access to Federal settlement agreement information is currently determined by individual agency discretion, usually issued in the form of a press release. prgtoken Further, heads of agencies can declare a settlement confidential and seal the contents of the agreement without providing any explanation. The Settlement Agreement Information Database Act seeks to correct this problem by shining light on the details of Federal settlement agreements. The bill requires the establishment of an electronic and publicly-available database of agencies' settlement agreements. It requires Federal agencies to enter basic information about settlement agreements into the database. prgtoken , this is a commonsense transparency bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it. prgtoken , .
THANKING THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN'S FIRST DISTRICT
Paul D. Ryan (Republican, WI) \u2014 2018-11-29

I rise today to express profound gratitude to the people of the First District of Wisconsin. prgtoken Any time I get to swear in a new Member as we just did, it brings me back to the time when I was first sworn in here in 1998. I remember just being awestruck the first time I walked down that center aisle. That feeling just never goes away. I still feel it when I walk onto the floor each and every time. prgtoken I am immensely grateful to the people of southern Wisconsin for their trust and their confidence. I have always had this thing about calling the people I represent not my constituents but my employers. It is the way I have always thought of this, and I think it is important that we as Members understand that we work for the people and not the other way around, and that we are in this to make a difference for them. prgtoken We work every day to keep that obligation, especially, actually, when it comes to constituent service. It is the lifeblood of the work we do here as Representatives. It is something that goes unreported, but it is extremely important, extremely valuable, and very gratifying. prgtoken Any success that we have had is really, in my case, due to our humble and our hardworking staff. I have had the chance to work for and to work with the very best people. I really have. prgtoken Before I was a Member, I was part of a legion of Hill staffers. I was a staffer here before I got elected as a Member. I started as an intern in the mailroom, and I worked my way on up: legislative correspondent, legislative assistant, legislative director, and chief of staff, all of those things. prgtoken I figured I knew everything about these jobs, all long hours and all sacrifices, but nothing can truly prepare you for having people willing to help you in such a big undertaking on the front lines. So I am profoundly grateful for the dedicated public servants who have helped us serve the people--my employers--of the First Congressional District. prgtoken I want to thank the members of our team who have stayed with us to the very end: Rebekah Cullum, Jordan Dunn, Brandon Farnsworth, Megan Wagner, and Laura Wiley. prgtoken I want to thank Allison Steil, our deputy chief of staff, who has been with us for 10 years. prgtoken I want to thank Tricia Stoneking, our director of scheduling and office operations, who has been with us for 15 years. prgtoken I want to especially thank the members of our team who have been with us from the very beginning, from the start. We call them the lifers: Danyell Tremmel, my chief of staff; Chad Herbert, director of military and veterans services; and Susie Liston, district director. prgtoken Chad is a hunter. He is a veteran. Danyell came from my predecessor. She knows every nook and cranny in the Federal Government and how to help constituents navigate their problems. Chad has helped countless veterans. He knows the veterans system so well, and he has done so much good for the veterans o
RECOGNIZING ERIN SMITH
Kevin Yoder (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-11-29

I rise today to congratulate a young woman in my district for creating a remarkable application to help detect Parkinson's disease. prgtoken Erin Smith, a Shawnee Mission West High School graduate, created FacePrint, a facial expression recognition system that uses a web camera or smartphone to detect facial masking, a common Parkinson's symptom caused by stiff facial muscles. FacePrint will analyze facial movements and compare them to a database of people with and without Parkinson's. prgtoken Erin's app will help lead to early detection of Parkinson's. Early diagnosis means early treatment, and appropriately targeted therapies can be initiated before further tissue damage is done. prgtoken This creation earned Erin a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, making her the youngest person to make this list in a decade. prgtoken We are extremely proud to have Erin in the Third District of Kansas. She is a testament to our local schools and a shining example of the hardworking and innovative Kansas spirit. I wish the best for Erin as she continues this important work to combat Parkinson's disease.
CONGRATULATING IRA A. LEESFIELD
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-11-29

I am so proud to rise today to recognize Ira Leesfield and congratulate him on receiving the 2018 Lawyers for Children America's Janet Reno Outstanding Community Partner Award. prgtoken As a University of Florida Law School graduate, Ira proved himself to be an intelligent and driven individual from the very beginning of his legal career. Upon graduation, Ira entered the honors program at the U.S. Department of Justice and served as a trial attorney in the U.S. Army and in the Judge Advocate General's Corps before opening his own practice in 1976. prgtoken Since then, Ira has become well known for his work throughout our State and the U.S where he has consistently made it his mission to be a voice for the less fortunate and those in need. prgtoken In the early 1990s, Ira established the Leesfield Family Foundation, which supports both local and national nonprofits, and emphasizes protecting the elderly and underprivileged women and children in our south Florida community. prgtoken Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ira on this well-deserved recognition. I thank him for prgtoken his tremendous efforts throughout the years, and I am so honored to call Ira Leesfield my amigo.
HONORING THE LIFE OF SERGEANT JOSHUA RODGERS
Darin LaHood (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-11-29

on April 27, 2017, U.S. Army Sergeant Joshua Rodgers gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country during a raid on an ISIS headquarters in eastern Afghanistan. prgtoken Despite being just 22 years old, Sergeant Rodgers, a member of the U.S. Army Rangers Special Operations unit, had quickly become a decorated hero, earning numerous awards and medals, including the Bronze Star with Valor and Purple Heart. prgtoken Today, the House will consider my legislation renaming a post office in the name of Sergeant Rodgers. With this legislation, we worked closely with the U.S. Postal Service; local State Representative Dan Brady; and Joshua's mother, Vonda Coulter Rodgers. This is a way to pay tribute to Sergeant Rodgers by renaming the post office in his hometown of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. prgtoken This legislation has the backing and bipartisan support of the entire Illinois delegation. We hope that the renaming of this post office will forever remind the Bloomington-Normal community of their hometown hero and Joshua's commitment to serving our country. prgtoken While we can never fully repay Sergeant Rodgers and his family for the sacrifices he made, renaming the post office in his honor is a small way to thank him for his service and dedication to protecting America, the greatest country in the world.
Nomination of Kathleen L. Kraninger (Executive Calendar)
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2018-11-29

I rise to speak in support of the nomination of Kathy Kraninger to be Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. prgtoken Ms. Kraninger has had a distinguished career in public service, with exposure to a diverse set of Federal agencies. She brings significant leadership experience at Federal agencies on Capitol Hill, with particular expertise in the budget and appropriations processes. prgtoken She has served as Associate Director for General Government at the Office of Management and Budget since March 2017. In that capacity, she oversees nearly $250 billion in the budgetary resources for seven Cabinet Departments, and 30 other Federal Agencies, including the Bureau. prgtoken In addition, she serves as OMB's principal policy official for issues related to the Treasury Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Federal financial regulators. prgtoken Prior to her time at OMB, Ms. Kraninger served in leadership positions at the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as having served on the staff of several congressional committees, including on the Senate Appropriations Committee. prgtoken As Director of the Bureau, Ms. Kraninger would be charged with overseeing the market for consumer financial products and services, enforcing many Federal consumer financial laws, and protecting consumers. The Bureau's supervision, regulation, and enforcement decisions have an immense impact on consumers' access to critical financial products and services. prgtoken At her nomination hearing, Ms. Kraninger reiterated her dedication to fulfilling the Bureau's congressional mandate of ensuring all consumers have access to markets for consumer financial products and services that are fair, transparent, and competitive. prgtoken At her hearing, Ms. Kraninger identified what her first four priorities would be if she were to be confirmed: ensuring the Bureau is fair and transparent, including the use of robust cost-benefit analysis, notice and comment rulemaking, and tailoring regulations to ensure that consumers are not unnecessarily and smaller companies are not disproportionately harmed; improving collaboration with other financial regulators in the States on supervision and enforcement; limiting data collection to only what is necessary and strengthening its protection; and making sure the Bureau is held accountable. prgtoken She was also forceful in saying: Nothing is more destructive to competitive markets and consumer choice than fraudulent behavior. Under my stewardship, the Bureau will take aggressive action against bad actors who break the rules by engaging in fraud and other illegal activity. prgtoken It is good that Ms. Kraninger plans to prioritize limiting data collection and strengthening the protection of consumers' sensitive, personal financial information. prgtoken I have long been critical of big data collecti