mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
YON GOICOCHEA: POLITICAL PRISONER OF THE VENEZUELAN REGIME
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-7-28

today I want to recognize the plight of Yon Goicochea, a 36-year-old political prisoner who is being unjustly detained in a Venezuelan prison. On August 29, 2016, Mr. Goicochea was arrested by the Venezuelan secret police because of his role as a leading advocate for a democratic and transparent Venezuela. Over the past decade, Mr. Goicochea has played a crucial part in leading pro-democracy movements in Venezuela. At one point, he even led the pro-democracy opposition party, ``Voluntad Popular.'' prgtoken After working for various opposition movements, Mr. Goicochea found himself and his family increasingly under threat by the repressive Maduro regime. Mr. Goicochea made the decision to leave Venezuela with his family in 2013 and come to the United States to pursue a degree in Law from Columbia University. Three years later, Mr. Goicochea returned to Venezuela to fight for freedom, democracy and human rights. prgtoken Mr. Goicochea has remained in prison since his arrest in 2016. As highlighted in a recent report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Arbitrary Detentions Group, Mr. Goicochea has been denied the right to due process and subject to brutal forms of solitary confinement. Unfortunately, Mr. Goicochea is only one of thousands to have been unjustly imprisoned by the Maduro regime. prgtoken The United States must address these egregious human rights abuses by fully implementing and applying additional sanctions against Maduro regime officials who continue to violate the most basic principles of human rights and liberty and who are responsible for the plight of the Venezuelan people. Maduro and his thugs must not be allowed to continue to oppress the people of Venezuela without paying a significant price. We must demand the release of all the political prisoners who have been denied their fundamental human rights. prgtoken The Venezuelan people have illustrated an unrelenting resolve to bring about a just and democratic Venezuela. Just during the past three months, over ninety people have been prgtoken killed, thousands injured, and hundreds have been subject to politically motivated arrests, as the people of Venezuela have taken to the streets to protest the undemocratic nature of this brutal regime. The United States must stand with Mr. Goicochea, all political prisoners, and the people of Venezuela in their pursuit of a democratic society.
TRIBUTE TO DAN MATHEWS
Bill Shuster (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-7-28

I rise today to recognize Dan Mathews and thank him for his years of dedicated service to Congress and the American taxpayers. Dan has worked on the Hill for over 20 years, and, he has been a fixture on the staff of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as the Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management for the last 14 years. The Subcommittee has a wide area of jurisdiction covering federal buildings and courthouses, the General Services Administration, and GSA leases and capital projects, the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, and numerous other federal facilities. In addition, Dan also staffed the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparedness for and the Response to Hurricane Katrina in 2006. He was one of the primary authors of the Committee's investigative report, ``A Failure of Initiative,'' which led to the successful enactment of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, and later the establishment of the National Preparedness System and the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act. In his time with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Dan has had a leading role in the enactment of major pieces of legislation related to public buildings and emergency management. Most notably, during his tenure, he has overseen the passage and the initial implementation of the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act (FASTA), which will shrink the size of government and help ensure savings by selling or redeveloping high value properties, consolidating federal space, and streamlining the disposal of unneeded assets; the Post- Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, which gave FEMA clear guidance on its mission and priorities, and provided the legislative authorities needed to better partner with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments before, during, and after disasters; and the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act, which was the most significant legislative change to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) substantive authorities since the enactment of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1974. Dan has also worked tirelessly to save taxpayer money by reducing the cost of federal real estate, reducing waste in the federal courthouse construction program, coordinating efforts by agencies to reduce leasing costs through space reductions and consolidations, and pushing GSA to negotiate the best lease deals for the taxpayer. It comes as no surprise given his experience and efforts, that the Administration has appointed him Commissioner of GSA's Public Buildings Service. I am confident in that role, Dan will continue the important work of ensuring GSA and other federal agencies continue to reduce costs and make smarter decisions in federal real estate to benefit the taxpayer. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his
IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-7-28

it has been a deeply troubling last 12 hours-- prgtoken 24 hours, I guess. The House went about trying to repeal the--and it is just tough to say--Affordable Care Act because of the thousands of people we have heard from in my district in the last 7 years who have just been devastated by the costs that skyrocketed, the premiums that skyrocketed, the deductibles that skyrocketed, the critically important doctor or medicine or facility that President promised they could keep that was taken away by Care. It is just hard to call it the Affordable Care Act because it has cost some people everything. prgtoken But every had promised we would repeal Care. It is possible Susan Collins in the Senate may not have. She didn't vote for the repeal in the last Congress, but it is my understanding that virtually everybody had promised: If you will elect me, or reelect me, I will vote for repeal. prgtoken I have literally prayed for Senator John McCain with the cancer that they found out has overtaken him, and I do hope and pray for a speedy, full recovery. But I do recall, vividly, that election in Arizona, and apparently he was extremely concerned about getting reelected. prgtoken There was hard-charging opposition in the primary, more than one primary opponent, and as I recall, there were repeated promises that the Senator, if the good people of Arizona would just reelect him, give him another 6 years, he would be working tirelessly, he would be working so hard to repeal Care. prgtoken And I did go down to the Senate Chamber this week a couple of days ago. I went down because I thought it would be historic, potentially, to have the Senate vote to proceed to debate on what we hoped would be an actual repeal of Care. prgtoken It turns out they called it a skinny bill, or a skinny repeal. It wasn't much of a repeal at all. In fact, I guess there is a decent chance, if that had passed and become law, it may have very well ensured the total collapse of private insurance and, ultimately, the desire of those who pushed through Care. We would ultimately end up with socialized medicine, rationed care. prgtoken I am not a fan of the term ``single payer'' because it masks what we are really talking about. We are talking about government takeover of healthcare. And as we have watched the little precious child, Charlie Gard's parents going through absolute hell, there have been so many questions: Whether you agree or disagree, should he be allowed to have further surgery? Should he have been allowed to have a procedure that might have saved his life? prgtoken It ends up going to court, and because of the laws in England with their socialized medicine, the government gets to choose who can have potentially lifesaving procedures, what life-enhancing procedures, and who can't. That is the nature of socialized medicine. prgtoken During my summer in the former Soviet Union, back when I was
RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF MAJ. CHARLES APPLEBERRY
Jason Smith (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-7-28

I rise today to honor the military service of Major Charles Appleberry of Flat River, Missouri. Major Appleberry was a medical doctor who enlisted in the Army on May 26, 1942 and served until his discharge on January 29, 1946. prgtoken As a member of the Army Medical Corps, he served in the South Pacific during World War II. He saved many lives, but one particular surgery is recounted in the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune on November 1, 1944. It tells of how Dr. Appleberry removed a live Japanese 20 millimeter shell from the chest of Private Jackie Miles on the island of Leyte in The Philippines. The newspaper account explains how the doughboy clung to life, ``unaware that the group of tense medics were risking their lives to save him.'' The article states how Major Appleberry firmly grasped the shell, removed it and safely lifted it to a tray for careful disposal. prgtoken After the war, Dr. Appleberry returned to St. Francois County to resume his medical career at the Farmington State Hospital and Bonne Terre Hospital until his death in 1984. prgtoken Those who knew the doctor join with VFW Post No. 5741 in Leadington today to honor him for his 55-year career as a physician both at home and at war. I join them in recognizing Dr. Appleberry today before the United States House of Representatives.
GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM WAR MEMORIAL ACT
Tom McClintock (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-7-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken With this vote, we will begin proceeding on this memorial and begin a process of planning a great work to honor the bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism to those who have defended Western civilization from the medieval barbarism that has reappeared in our time. prgtoken But even more importantly, we begin work on a tangible promise for future generations, a promise animated by the heroic deeds of these veterans, the promise of a coming age of liberty and justice, of peace and tolerance that will surely come. I ask for adoption of this measure. prgtoken , .
RUSSIAN ENERGY SECURITY THREATS
Don Bacon (Republican, NE) \u2014 2017-7-28

I rise today to call attention to the growing national security risk to our overseas military facilities posed by the Russian Federation. prgtoken For the last three years, we have watched with alarm as Putin's Russia has adopted an aggressive and adversarial posture towards the U.S. and our allies. Putin armed the so-called separatists in eastern Ukraine. He aggressively annexed Crimea. He is intervening in the Syrian Civil War on the side of a brutal dictator. He blatantly threatens allied nations in Europe and close to home we know he used cyber weapons to destabilize our democratic process. Moscow's hostility to our interests grows stronger and more apparent by the day. prgtoken The military dimension of Russia's strategy is obvious and you can see it covered in the nightly news. What is less obvious however is the non-military aspect of Russia's national strategy. Today one of the most serious prgtoken threats to our European allies--and our military installation in Europe--is Russia's corner on natural gas and oil. Putin constantly threatens to use these resources as means to exercise political and economic control on those who heavily rely on Russian fuels as their primary source of energy. prgtoken It is for these reasons that I was proud to join my friend and colleague from South Carolina, Representative Joe Wilson, in shining a light on this threat in the House Armed Services Committee report to accompany the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken Just as we focus on the risk to our forward-based troops, aircraft and ships, we must not overlook the risk to the installations from which they operate. The energy we rely on to power these facilities supports our troops, their families, and their vital mission. prgtoken As a matter of strategy, our military installations overseas require secure and reliable sources of energy. Today in Europe--particularly in Germany--our military facilities receive furnished heat and other utilities from commercial or private power stations. In many cases, these energy facilities are fueled by German natural gas distribution systems which are heavily supplied with natural gas from the Russian Federation. prgtoken Our growing exposure to Russia's ability to disrupt our energy supply lines is clearly seen in our network of military installations in Germany. I wish to call attention to one such facility: the U.S. Army's future medical complex at Rhine Ordnance Barracks, nearby Ramstein Air Base where I was the installation commander. At an authorized cost of nearly $1 billion, this vital new facility will replace the Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center and serve the combat needs and family requirements of military personnel on three continents. prgtoken , I am gravely concerned that our current energy supply strategy will actually increase our exposure to harmful Russian influence over time. Under no circumstances should we construct and operate critical mili
KATY GYMNAST WINS GOLD AT JUNIOR OLYMPICS
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-7-28

I rise today to congratulate Rowan Dumond of Katy, TX, for winning a gold medal for his floor routine at the U.S. Men's Junior Olympic National Championship. prgtoken I was both Rowan's first gold at the Junior Olympics and his first time competing there. The 12-year-old competed against 800 of the top junior gymnasts in the country. When not training at the gym, Rowan is also a student at Seven Lakes High School and plays percussion with the band. prgtoken On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Rowan for winning gold at the Junior Olympics. We are very proud of him and look forward to his future success as a gymnast. We're excited to have him represent TX-22.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 2017 GRADUATING CLASS OF THE DODIE LONDEN EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE SERIES
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-7-28

I rise today in recognition of the graduating class of the 2017 Dodie Londen Excellence in Public Service Series. Brandy Wells, Cindy Casaus, Debi Vandenboom, Farhana Ahmed, Jeni White, Kristen Desmangles, Lauren Pemberton, Lisa Godzich, Dr. Shadow Asgari, Simone Hall, ViciLee Jacobs, Bernadette Coggins and Yvonne Cahill have all distinguished themselves as impactful leaders in our community.
TRIBUTE TO JEAN AND WENDELL VOLKENS
David Young (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-7-28

I rise today to recognize and congratulate Jean and Wendell Volkens of Council Bluffs, Iowa on the very special occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary. They were married on June 16, 1957 at Zion Lutheran Church in Auburn, Iowa. prgtoken Jean and Wendell's lifelong commitment to each other and their family truly embodies Iowa values. As they reflect on their 60th anniversary, may their commitment grow even stronger, as they continue to love, cherish, and honor one another for many years to come. prgtoken , I commend this great couple on their 50th year together, and I wish them many more. I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in congratulating them on this momentous occasion.
RECOGNIZING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VILLAGE OF PENTWATER
Bill Huizenga (Republican, MI) \u2014 2017-7-28

I rise today to recognize the village of Pentwater, Michigan on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary. On March 16, 1867, the former settlement of Pentwater was officially incorporated as a village by the Michigan Legislature. The Victorian homes and cottages scattered around the village remind visitors of Pentwater's historic past. Its first sawmill--opened in 1867--turned into a booming lumbering industry, including the largest shingle mill in the United States. As we look back at Pentwater's historic past, we hope to preserve that which has made it special. From early on, Pentwater was known as a scenic resort destination. Today, with its picturesque location on Lake Michigan, Pentwater offers countless options for recreation and entertainment. Charles Mears State Park provides visitors the opportunity to hike, fish, sail and enjoy all that Lake Michigan has to offer I encourage my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the village of Pentwater, Michigan.
INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
James A. Himes (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-7-28

I thank both the chairman and ranking member for the strong bill that has been offered up today and for the bipartisan manner in which it was developed and enacted and, hopefully, will be passed. prgtoken I rise in strong support of this bill, but would note for my colleagues that this authorization bill is an odd one. To fully understand it, you need to go deep into the basement of this Capitol and review it behind heavy metal doors. prgtoken The bill is full of acronyms and code words and classified information. As such, it can be hard to understand, and things that are hard to understand sometimes cause anxiety and fear. Let me take a moment to describe what this bill does. prgtoken This bill has the strong bipartisan support of my fellow committee members, liberal and conservative s alike, because it provides the lifeblood to a truly remarkable group of people who work behind the scenes and in the dark to keep us safe and to keep us free. prgtoken The unheralded and unacknowledged warriors of the intelligence community never stop in the work that they do around the world. As we speak, North Korea is feverishly working to develop the ability to deliver a nuclear bomb to American shores. Our intelligence community is watching, evaluating, and planning against this mortal threat. prgtoken As we speak, for the first time in a generation, Iran is not feverishly working to develop the ability to deliver a nuclear bomb to our shores. Our intelligence community is making sure that that stays true. prgtoken As we speak, , for the umpteenth time, terrorists in places like Afghanistan and Libya and Syria are spending their time desperately trying to stay alive instead of spending their time planning to attack our airlines, our cities, and our people. prgtoken As we speak, , Russia lurks, seeking advantage, promoting instability, and working to erode international norms and instability. We should make no mistake about Russia as an adversary, because there is a lot of noise about this. Russia is a country that invades neighboring sovereign countries, it murders political opponents, it bombs Syrian hospitals, and, yes, it conducted an unprecedented attack on the very core of our ic system: our free and fair elections. prgtoken This bill funds the warriors who are watching that, who are standing up against that, in order to keep our system what we all like it to be. prgtoken , because these activities are carried out secretly in the dark of night and usually unacknowledged, there is always the possibility for abuse. These activities, by their nature, run up against the lines of those values that make us Americans. This is surveillance. It is other things that are worthy of debate. The members of this committee spend their days in good argument about what the limits of those prgtoken activities should be, and we will have additional arguments around things like the reauthorization of the sec
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF S. 114, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BONUS TRANSPARENCY ACT
Louise McIntosh Slaughter (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-7-28

the balance of my time. prgtoken , I am pleased to support the underlying bill we will be voting on today. I wish I were able to say that more often. prgtoken The bill will fund the Department of Veterans Affairs Choice Program for 6 months and authorize a number of leases for major medical facilities throughout the country, and I echo its major importance. prgtoken The next rule we will be considering contains martial law authority that will allow the majority to bring up any bill they want with hardly any notice at all, and I hope we will not use that. prgtoken It has been a long week. Let's end it on a bipartisan note with a strong vote in support of this bill before us to help veterans across America. prgtoken , .
INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Adam B. Schiff (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-7-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 is a solid, bipartisan bill, one that garnered unanimous approval in the committee by voice vote. prgtoken I thank my committee colleagues and the entire HPSCI staff for their collaborative efforts in crafting the measure that we consider here today. prgtoken In the 114th Congress, this committee worked in a similar bipartisan fashion to pass into law four key pieces of national security legislation. I am proud of our past legislative accomplishments, which testify to the virtues of substantive deliberation and reasoned compromise without needing to compromise the security of the American people or of our brave servicemembers. prgtoken Reflecting on the past year, on Russia's assault on Western democracies, and on other challenges as well, from everything to include North Korea's unrelenting pursuit of a strategic nuclear capability, we owe the American people a deliberate process. prgtoken I wish the bill had come to the floor with a rule that allowed Members to offer amendments. That opportunity is commensurate with the importance of the intelligence bill and the need for vigorous oversight of the IC by the whole Congress. prgtoken Nonetheless, the manifest shortcomings in the process cannot take precedence over the imperative of discharging our duty and authorizing the operations of the intelligence community. On its merits, I urge all Members to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3180 today. prgtoken The Intelligence Committee oversees some of the most sensitive and highly classified aspects of U.S. intelligence operations and programs. The annual Intelligence Authorization Act is the primary means by which we can guarantee an appropriate balance between our Nation's national security imperatives and the civil liberties and privacy rights enshrined in the Constitution. prgtoken H.R. 3180 does just that by funding, equipping, and giving policy direction to the intelligence community and military intelligence elements of the Defense Department. It sustains support for key national security priorities and programs, and represents a slight decrease from the President's budget request from 2018. prgtoken This bill features a number of provisions championed by my ic colleagues, some of which redouble the IC's focus on the scope and nature of the threat, both overt and covert, that Russia poses to our interests and American political institutions. prgtoken H.R. 3180 also mandates public reporting about counterintelligence and cyber threats against future U.S. elections; bolsters oversight of our policy guiding counterterrorism actions outside of declared areas of hostilities; and seeks more information about the executive branch's process for determining when and to whom to reveal information about vulnerabilities in computers and networks. prgtoken At the same time, and unlike IAAs of years past, this bill omits pro