mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING JAMES BAKER OF ARLINGTON, VERMONT
Peter Welch (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2018-9-25

I rise today to honor Mr. James Baker of Arlington, Vermont for his distinguished career in law enforcement and his deep and abiding commitment to improving the lives of Vermonters. prgtoken Jim's exemplary career spanned 40 years. As commander of the Vermont State Police and director of the Vermont Police Academy, he put to good use his strong leadership skills and his noble commitment to public service. He worked hard to ensure the fair delivery of justice and an end to discrimination and misconduct whenever it arose. prgtoken Shortly after retiring from the Vermont Police Academy in 2009, Jim was recruited to fill important positions in communities in need of new law enforcement leadership. He served as acting police chief in Manchester, then took the helm of the Rutland Police Department. prgtoken In Rutland, Jim worked countless hours to tackle the opioid epidemic that hit the city hard. He played a major role in the creation of Project VISION, an effective grassroots community collaborative that coordinates local efforts to combat addiction and crime. He also transformed the culture of the police department, while identifying and rooting out the causes of crime and addiction. Jim's lasting legacy is a coalition of hundreds of residents, active to this day, who address community challenges head-on to improve the quality of life in Rutland. prgtoken Jim's tenure yielded positive results for Rutland. Calls for police service dropped and the city experienced a double-digit decline in burglaries and property crimes. Resident surveys demonstrated remarkably higher satisfaction with their neighborhoods. prgtoken Most recently, Jim returned to Arlington to help revitalize his hometown, working with volunteers to ensure that no one falls through the cracks. prgtoken Jim Baker has earned his reputation as the ``Mr. Fix-It'' of the Vermont law enforcement community. Countless Vermonters have benefitted from his tireless work, and our state is better off because of it. prgtoken And now, as he battles cancer, Jim is doing so with the characteristic grit, grace, determination, and sense of humor that all of us who have had the good fortune to work with him will recognize. prgtoken , I ask the House of Representatives to join me today in sending James Baker of Arlington, Vermont our best wishes and thanking him for his lifetime of service to Vermont.
TRIBUTE TO LENNIS ``RED'' ARNDT
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-9-25

today I wish to recognize Red Arndt for his many years of service to the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, as well as his lifetime commitment to bringing safe and reliable water to the rural corners of this country. prgtoken Born Lennis Arndt, but nicknamed ``Red,'' he started working in 1989 as the public utilities director in Luverne, MN. Shortly after beginning his new position, Red heard about a proposal to bring water from the Missouri River in South Dakota to the surrounding States. Although it was a major undertaking with more people doubting the idea than supporting it, Red saw the potential and recommended to the mayor and city council that Luverne join the project as one of the first members of the corporation that would later become the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System. prgtoken Seeing Lewis & Clark develop from conception to construction was a labor of love for Red and a mission he fought hard to achieve. He has worked tirelessly on behalf of the project, serving as the vice chairman of the board beginning in 1994, until becoming the board chairman in 2006, a position he still holds. Under Red's leadership, over $470 million in funding was directed to Lewis & Clark, and over 200 miles of pipeline have been laid in the ground that currently deliver much-needed water to 14 member communities and rural water projects, reaching over 300,000 people across South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. prgtoken In May 2016, Luverne, MN, was finally able to celebrate its connection to Lewis & Clark, with Red reveling in taking the first swig of water. It was at this ceremony that the meter building in Luverne was dedicated in Red's honor. Red will be the first to acknowledge that this endeavor, benefiting generations to come in the tristate area, was a team effort. There is no question Red's vision for the future, as well as his dedication and strong leadership have been a driving force through the years. That is why he was a recipient in 2012 of the Lewis & Clark Trailblazer Award, which is the organization's highest honor. prgtoken I am grateful for his commitment to public service, his hard work on behalf of Lewis & Clark, and, more importantly, I am proud to call him a friend. I commend Red Arndt for his many great contributions to Lewis & Clark, the community of Luverne, and the entire State of Minnesota. prgtoken Thank you.
Remembering John Abrams (Executive Calendar)
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-9-25

I am here today to honor the life of GEN John Abrams--a father, a husband, a friend, a soldier, and to so many, a hero. He passed away last month at the age of 71 after spending more than half of his life in the U.S. Army. prgtoken Rising from the son of a general to become himself a four-star general, John Abrams embodied the spirit of selflessness and of sacrifice for which our military is known. He spent his life fighting to defend the freedoms that we all too often take for granted. He was wounded in battle, returned to duty, and then wounded again, but he refused to let any injury deter him. He was a soldier's soldier from the very start, and those who knew him were made better by being in his orbit. prgtoken He served in the Armed Forces for 36 years, first enlisting in 1966 before becoming commissioned as an officer just 1 year later. He made it to four stars the hard way: by starting as a private--the lowest rank. prgtoken Soon after he was commissioned, he deployed to Vietnam, where he served two consecutive tours and volunteered for a third before being sent home. Then, he was off to a Korean province just north of Seoul. After that, he went to Germany for five tours, serving in Hungary, Bosnia, and Kuwait as well--all this in service to his country, all in an effort to add to the greater good. prgtoken He made history, becoming just the second American ever to command the same unit as his father when he was promoted to lieutenant general and tasked with commanding the V Corps in Germany--yes, that V Corps, the same unit that stormed the shores near Normandy and fought at Omaha Beach, that liberated Paris and took on the German troops during the Battle of the Bulge. prgtoken His own heroism in Vietnam did not go unnoticed. He was decorated with a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. But he would tell you that his greatest decoration was that of being a father, a husband, and a leader of soldiers. prgtoken He went on to lead the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, overseeing the Army's training in its entirety. He continued to rise in the ranks alongside his own brothers, one of whom just testified in front of the Senate today and is set to be confirmed as the next commander of U.S. Forces Korea. prgtoken Looking back, it is little wonder where General Abrams' strength of character came from. His father served as the Army Chief of Staff, commanding all forces across Vietnam from 1968 through 1972. His mother founded the Army's chapter of the Arlington Ladies around that same time, organizing volunteers to attend funerals to make sure that no troop was ever buried alone. He combined his father's courage with his mother's compassion, and in the process, he made this Nation a better, safer place for the rest of us--for his children and their children and my children. prgtoken He couldn't have done any of this without the loving support and service of his family, his wife Cecelia and his two
HACK YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT ACT
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-9-25

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of this measure. prgtoken , I thank Representative Lieu of southern California, a very valued member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for his hard work on this bill. prgtoken It is important, , that we modernize our agencies across government to better deal with 21st century challenges. prgtoken The State Department is under constant threat of cyberattacks from foreign actors bent on stealing our secrets, disrupting our foreign policy, and undermining our security. prgtoken Just 8 days ago, it was reported that the State Department's email system was breached. This time, whoever was behind the attack got ahold of private information about State Department personnel. Who knows what they will get their hands on next time. prgtoken Mr. Lieu's bill will help shore up the State Department against this sort of intrusion. First of all, it requires the Secretary of State to get out ahead of this problem. Instead of waiting for the next attack to happen, this bill would mandate a plan for researchers to actively seek out and report vulnerabilities. prgtoken Secondly, this bill launches a new initiative, a so-called bug bounty program. This seeks to tap the expertise of everyday Americans by rewarding citizens who uncover and report security risks in the Department's computer system. It will also allow security researchers and friendly hackers to find the cracks in the system so that the Department can patch them. prgtoken This effort is modeled after a very successful program at the Defense Department, which got off the ground in 2016. Since then, 1,400 people have registered to participate, and they have found roughly 140 vulnerabilities. prgtoken Our Federal agencies should learn from one another. It is just common sense to put this tested practice to work at the State Department and elsewhere. prgtoken , I commend Mr. Lieu. I am glad to support this bill, and .
HONORING MATTHEW CHANEY
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-9-25

I rise today to honor Matthew Chaney, a member of the Merced High School Class of 1978 who has been recognized for his dignity, grace, and courage. Since graduating high school forty years ago, Mr. Chaney has made numerous contributions to his family and community, particularly in the last seventeen years with his fight against ALS. prgtoken After high school, Mr. Chaney attended the University of California, Berkeley and earned a degree in physical education. After graduating, Mr. Chaney began his professional career, which has included work in product development and sales in the chemical industry. prgtoken For the last thirty years, Mr. Chaney has been a devoted father to two remarkable gentlemen, having spent many years supporting the activities of his sons and community. He has served as a little league board member and remained active as a coach for both baseball and soccer, despite having lost the use of his arms. In Lafayette, California, the ``Chaney Field'' at the Lafayette Little League stands in honor of Mr. Chaney's contributions to his community and family. prgtoken Mr. Chaney also holds a passion for environmental protection. As a co-director of Bluefish.org, he helps lead an organization committed to facilitating an open, honest dialogue between citizenry, business, and government concerning the plight of Idaho's wild salmon and steelhead. prgtoken Since his ALS diagnosis in 2000 at the age of 40, Mr. Chaney has been an advocate for those affected by the disease through his involvement in many local and national fundraising and awareness efforts. Some of these include Major League Baseball's ``4ALS'' initiative with the San Francisco Giants, ``Runs for ALS'' Lafayette Little League campaign, and most notably for the ALS Association's Golden West Chapter, which he fundraised over $1 million for. prgtoken On June 3, 2016 Mr. Chaney was honored as the recipient of the Spirit Award at The ALS Association Golden West Chapter's Annual Champions for Care and a Cure dinner as celebration for his determination for his efforts in the areas of advocacy, fundraising, and public awareness of ALS. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the accomplishments of Mr. Matthew Chaney. The courage, dignity, and grace he has exhibited while confronting each of life's challenges is truly exceptional. It is both fitting and appropriate that we honor him as the Merced High School Class of 1978 celebrates their 40th Class Reunion.
EMPOWERING FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2018
Kyrsten Sinema (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2018-9-26

every day, I hear from Arizonans who are sick and tired of the dysfunction in Washington. They know that the partisan fights and name-calling keeps Congress from delivering the results that Arizona families expect from their leaders. prgtoken Arizonans deserve leaders who come together and find solutions on issues that matter, like keeping our families safe, protecting our Nation, and honoring our commitment to veterans. prgtoken We can still get things done for Arizona families if we would stop the political games and work across the aisle. We have an opportunity to prove that today by passing three bipartisan bills that will make a difference for Arizonans. prgtoken I am lucky to have worked closely with my colleagues on these three commonsense solutions that improve our ability to fight human trafficking, protect our country from weapons of mass destruction, and support Arizona veterans. prgtoken We have a moral obligation to fight human trafficking, stand up for victims, and bring traffickers to justice. That is why I cosponsored the Empowering Financial Institutions to Fight Human Trafficking Act with Congresswoman Wagner, Congresswoman Maloney, Congresswoman Love, and Congresswoman Tenney. prgtoken This legislation helps nonprofits share valuable intelligence and collaborate with institutions in real time. Nonprofits are frequently on the front lines of this fight, combating trafficking and supporting victims. They see what is happening on the ground, prgtoken and our bill ensures we can freeze money and stop those traffickers in their tracks. This is good policy that will protect families, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' prgtoken Keeping Arizonans safe is my top priority. We are also set to pass a bipartisan bill I introduced with Congressman Tipton to protect America from terrorists and rogue states like North Korea and Iran. prgtoken This week, the President has addressed the United Nations to call for action to stop weapons proliferation and other threats in Iran. In Congress, we are taking bipartisan action to combat these same threats. prgtoken Our bill, the Improving Strategies to Counter Weapons Proliferation Act, makes it harder for America's enemies to get their hands on the world's most deadly weapons by helping choke off the financing of terrorist activity. This bill makes our country safer and our communities safer, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' prgtoken Finally, we must always ensure that our support for veterans is worthy of their sacrifice, and that is why I worked across the aisle with Congressman Zeldin and Congresswoman Tenney to introduce and pass the Protect Affordable Mortgages for Veterans Act. This bill fixes the law and protects veterans from higher costs to refinance their homes. Our actions help more Arizona veterans achieve the American Dream of homeownership, and, again, I would urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan fix that helps America'
FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY PROTECTION ACT
Stephen F. Lynch (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-9-26

I rise in support of H.R. 5036, the Financial Technology Protection Act. Before I begin, I would like to thank the Financial Services Committee Chair Hensarling and Ranking Member Waters for their support in helping to guide this bill through the committee process. I am very pleased that this legislation was passed through the committee unanimously when it was marked up back in July. prgtoken I would also like to thank my colleague from North Carolina, Mr. Budd, for his good work on this important legislation. This has truly been a bipartisan effort. prgtoken , by a strange coincidence, I was actually elected in the ic primary in Massachusetts on September 11, 2001, the day of the attacks on the United States in New York, the Pentagon, and in western Pennsylvania. Since my arrival here in Washington and throughout my time in Congress, I have taken an active interest in cutting off the flow of funding to terrorists and other illicit actors. prgtoken I am very pleased to say that many of my colleagues, ic and , have likewise approached this work with the deliberate and relentless sense of purpose that has lifted us above the petty squabbling that sometimes causes us to fall short of the high expectations of the American people. prgtoken Over the years, this work has taken me dozens of times to many countries in the Middle East, to Amman, Jordan, a major banking center, where members of our committee urged and assisted that nation to establish its first financial intelligence unit. It must, of course, be noted that we had the robust and earnest cooperation of King Abdullah of Jordan in that effort. He is someone who, I believe, has, over the years, been the greatest friend that freedom-loving people have in the Arab world. prgtoken Members of this committee also worked to expand geographic targeting orders to help the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network crack down on money laundering as part of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. prgtoken Similarly, in Afghanistan, Morocco, Tunisia, and throughout the Persian Gulf, our committee has coaxed and guided our international neighbors to adopt methods that secure the legitimate banking system from terrorists and criminal exploitation. prgtoken From this work it has recently become clear to Mr. Budd and myself that terrorists and criminal actors are increasingly relying on digital currencies, including bitcoin, to fund their illicit activities. prgtoken For example, in August of 2015, a Virginia man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for providing material support to ISIS. He admitted to using Twitter to provide instructions on how to use bitcoin to mask the transfer of funds to that terrorist group. Also, in December of 2017, a woman in New York was indicted for bank fraud and money laundering for supporting terrorists. She is alleged to have spent about $62,000 in digital currency to engage in a pattern of financial
Russia Investigation (Executive Calendar)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-9-26

I rise today to urge the Senate to pass the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act. This is a bill that not many Americans have heard about yet, but it is a critically important bill for the Senate to pass and very important for the country. This bill will preserve the Justice Department's independent investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 Presidential election. prgtoken Since this weekend, there have been reports that the President may fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein from his position at the Department of Justice. This would be a gross abuse of power--a line that we cannot allow to be crossed without consequence. Mr. Rosenstein has a long career in public service and law enforcement. He initially joined the Department of Justice nearly 30 years ago through the Attorney General's Honors Program and rose through the ranks, serving as a Trial Attorney, as a Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division, and as a U.S. Attorney in Maryland for over a decade--a critically important job in our justice system. prgtoken As Deputy Attorney General, Mr. Rosenstein has overseen the Russia investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, which has secured indictments or guilty pleas from 32 people and 3 companies, including Russian individuals and companies, as well as former campaign manager Paul Manafort, deputy campaign manager Rick Gates, and other campaign advisers, including George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn. Earlier this month, Mr. Manafort pleaded guilty to ``conspiracy against the United States.'' prgtoken Mr. Rosenstein has played an integral role in ensuring that the Mueller investigation can continue without interference. Unfortunately, this work and Mr. Rosenstein's long and distinguished service at the Department of Justice could come to an end if he is fired by the President. prgtoken From day one, President has systematically worked to obstruct Special Counsel Mueller's investigation into Russia's attack on our Nation. He has attempted to fire, to demand loyalty of, and to interfere with any official with oversight of this matter. By way of example, this is a President who fired the Director of the FBI and later admitted in a television interview that he had done so with the Russia investigation in mind. This is a President who has repeatedly attacked the very Attorney General he nominated, suggesting that the Department of Justice should do his political bidding. This is a President who has impugned the impartiality and the motives of judges who have ruled against his policies. This is a President who has continued to call the Mueller investigation a ``witch-hunt'' despite the fact that it has already produced dozens of indictments and guilty pleas. prgtoken In short, this is a President who believes the Department of Justice owes a duty of loyalty to him and him alone. Our Justice Department officials have a dut