mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE SESQUICENTENNIAL OF HAMPTON UNIVERSITY
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2018-4-27

I rise today to honor an institution that has been at the forefront of education in America for the last 150 years. This April, Hampton University is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. To mark the occasion, I would like to take a moment and recognize the wonderful legacy of this institution of higher education that lives on today. prgtoken The seeds from which Hampton University grew were planted in 1861. During the Civil War, Fort Monroe, the Union-controlled coastal fortress, was a beacon to slaves in Hampton, Virginia and the surrounding towns. General Benjamin Butler, Commanding Officer of prgtoken the fort, had issued a declaration that any slaves that made it to Union lines would not be returned to their masters, but declared ``contraband of war.'' Overrun with slaves desiring their freedom, the Union created a camp for the refugees a few miles northwest of the fort. It was in this camp that Mary Smith Peake, a free black woman held classes for escapees under a large oak tree, in violation of Virginia law prohibiting the education of free or enslaved blacks. This tree would later be named the Emancipation Oak, as it was the first place in the South when the Emancipation Proclamation was read aloud to a crowd. The classes and meetings held under the Emancipation Oak were the beginning of education on the campus of what was to become Hampton University. prgtoken After the war, there were no existing pathways for freedmen to rise from their station in slavery. Recognizing this, Brigadier General Samuel Chapman Armstrong, head of the Freedmen's Bureau in Hampton Roads, founded the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in April 1868. While nominally the school's mission was to train black teachers to fill the demand for the education of black Americans, the school's founder suggested the true purpose of the school was ``to train selected Negro youth who should go out and teach and lead their people first by example, by getting land and homes; to give them not a dollar that they could earn for themselves; to teach respect for labor, to replace stupid drudgery with skilled hands, and in this way to build up an industrial system for the sake not only of self-support and intelligent labor, but also for the sake of character.'' prgtoken Hampton became a model for the creation of other schools designed to uplift Black America. Within nine years of arriving on Hampton's campus for his education, Booker T. Washington was founding Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Hampton continued to produce black educators and skilled craft and tradesmen. Many of the campus buildings of this era were built by Hampton students. Hampton expanded its programs, increasing its course offerings to include business, nursing, and other arts and sciences classes. In 1930 the school was renamed Hampton Institute, recognizing its growth from its agricultural and teacher training roots. And in 1984, after a thorough nine
FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018
Adam B. Schiff (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-4-27

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment, Schiff No. 29, which requires the FAA to create a program that utilizes remote detection and identification technologies to identify unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that are not in compliance with applicable Federal aviation laws and regulations. prgtoken I first came to this issue several years ago when fire fighters responding to a wildfire had to ground support aircraft due to civilians operating drones in the airspace. This problem seems likely to grow more pronounced, not just in response to wildfires but also in the airspace near airports. According to the FAA, the agency projects there are 1.1 million unmanned aircraft systems in the United States and they expect that number to grow rapidly in the corning years, putting airline passengers, firefighters, and others at risk. prgtoken I want the owners of these vehicles to be able to enjoy them, but in a complicated and crowded airspace like the one we have in Los Angeles, we need to be sure we are putting public safety first. That is why it is so important for Congress to give the FAA and law enforcement the appropriate tools to address this increase in drones entering restricted airspace. prgtoken Furthermore, we still do not know how many unmanned aircraft enter restricted airspace, whether at airports, above forest fires, or in other restricted areas. That is why my amendment also requires annual reporting by FAA to Congress to report the number of drones entering restricted airspace, the number of enforcement cases brought by FAA or other agencies, and recommendations by FAA for detection and mitigation systems. There are a variety of vendors developing technology to counter unauthorized UAS operation in restricted airspace, some of which show great promise and have already been tested in pilot projects by the FAA. My amendment would direct the FAA to continue this important work. prgtoken With the adoption of UAS technology continuing at a rapid pace, I am worried it is more a matter of when and not if a drone will collide with a commercial airliner or first responder, with potentially devastating results. We must be proactive to ensure that the next time we read about this issue, we are not also reading about casualties that could have been prevented. prgtoken man and Ranking Members of the committee and appreciate the inclusion of my amendment in the FAA Reauthorization bill. It is my hope it will remain in any conference agreement finalized by the House and Senate.
HONORING COUNCILMEMBER MARGARET FINLAY
Grace F. Napolitano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-4-27

I rise to honor the long career of public service provided by an outstanding leader in my district, Councilmember Margaret Finlay, who is ending her term as President of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). Councilmember Finlay has ably led the nation's largest metropolitan planning organization, representing six counties, 191 cities and more than 18 million residents. Under her guidance, SCAG has undertaken important work in a variety of planning and policy initiatives that will improve Southern California now and in the future. Councilmember Finlay has been an invaluable resource to me and my staff as a councilmember and six-term Mayor of the city of Duarte having served our region for over 28 years. She has served in many capacities as she has been elected by her peers in other cities to serve on regional, state, and national boards such as the National League of Cities, League of California Cities, Liability Trust Fund Oversight Committee, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Personnel Committee of the Sanitation Districts, LAFCO Representative for Los Angeles County, and the California Contract Cities Association. I have been privileged to work directly with Councilmember Finlay on many issues affecting our community such as increasing transportation options for our residents, creating more access to our beautiful San Gabriel Mountains, and improving emergency preparedness and response. She is a leader on prgtoken advocating for additional transit, bicycle and pedestrian options to improve the daily commute of our residents. She has done exceptional work to preserve our natural resources for future generations by fighting to preserve 330 acres in the foothills. Councilmember Finlay and I recently held a first responder event together to improve wildfire and mudslide prevention and response activities in Duarte and our surrounding community on behalf of the citizens of Duarte and the many people she has impacted in the Southern California Region, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Councilmember Margaret Finlay for her service as President of the Southern California Association of Governments. I look forward to continuing to work with Councilmember Finlay to improve the lives of residents in Duarte and the San Gabriel Valley.
COMMENDING STUDENTS ADVOCATING AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE
Lois Frankel (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-4-27

I rise today to commend Adin Segal, Tal Shauder, Eli Eiston, Isana Singh, and Zach Bodin, five students from Palm Beach County who have come together to say enough is enough with the gun violence in our country. While Congress refuses to enact common sense gun safety legislation, a new generation is taking action. prgtoken These students enrolled in the Peres Leadership Program, named after former Israeli President Shimon Peres' vision of leadership. For Peres, leadership was a noble cause defined not by personal ambition, but by moral values and a call to do the right thing. These students are all too familiar with our collective failure to protect them from gun violence. They reject calls for arming teachers and placing armed guards in schools. They do not accept the idea that the answer to gun violence is more guns. They see their schools as sanctuaries of learning in which guns have no place. prgtoken To support and honor the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the students created the National Association of Students Against Gun Violence, establishing chapters in their schools to connect and unite students as they fight against gun violence. Their organization seeks to register every student to vote on their 18th birthday, facilitate town hall forums, and advocate for accountable leadership that supports reasonable solutions to gun violence. prgtoken Since its founding only four weeks ago, their group has grown to nearly 1,000 members in 70 chapters in high schools across Florida, with more on the way in high schools and colleges around the country. prgtoken I commend their activism, leadership, and dedication to their communities and I look forward to working with them to advance common sense gun legislation, like expanding background checks and banning the sale of assault rifles, high capacity magazines and bump stock devices. This is the least we can do.
FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-4-27

. Mr. Chair, the United States maintains the world's safest and most complex aviation system in the world. The last multi-year FAA reauthorization bill expired in 2015. Since then, Congress has taken a patchwork approach to regulating Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations and programs, which I believe has threatened the safety and efficiency of our airways. Today, as we consider reauthorizing the programs and regulations that dictate how we manage our nation's airspace, I am encouraged that we are making real progress on a long-term bill that will reauthorize FAA operations through FY 2023. prgtoken Overall, this bill represents an important first step to providing the long-term assurances and reliability that we need at the federal level to support FAA operations in Texas and across the country. Dallas is home to the fourth busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements, the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and the largest hub for American Airlines. Having the certainty of a long-term authorization bill will help solidify the Dallas metroplex as a major hub for domestic travel and commerce, and allow it to flourish as an international gateway to every part of the world. The longer we delay passage of a long-term bill, the more expensive and more time consuming it will be to modernize our airspace for a 21st Century economy. prgtoken This measure is not without criticism. I am disappointed to see that the underlying bill includes dramatic cuts to the Research, Engineering, and Development (RE&D) title that is lowered than the amounts appropriated in the FY 2018 Omnibus. I offered an amendment to restore critical RE&D funding for environmental sustainability, but I was disappointed that the Rules Committee would not make that language in order. Furthermore, I introduced an amendment to ensure transparency and accountability in FAA investment decisions by requiring performance-based standards to drive the evaluation and adoption of new aviation technologies, rather than arbitrary deadlines set by special interests. prgtoken , while not perfect, H.R. 4 represents a discernible improvement over the piecemeal approach that Congress has taken with its series of short-term extensions over the years. Our nation's aviation stakeholders need the long-term certainty of federal involvement that only comes with a multi-year reauthorization of FAA programs. H.R. 4 would largely achieve that goal to provide the support and resources for the aviation community all across the United States. Therefore, barring no gross changes to the legislation, I offer my support to this legislation and urge my colleagues to support the underlying bill.
FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-4-27

. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment to H.R. 4, FAA Reauthorization and Disaster Recovery Reform Act, which is included in En Bloc Amendment Number Four. prgtoken I.thank the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Rules for making this Jackson Lee Amendment in order. prgtoken I thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio for their leadership in bringing the FAA Reauthorization and Disaster Recovery Reform Act to the House Floor for consideration. prgtoken I am disappointed that the other Jackson Lee Amendments to H.R. 4, the ``FAA Reauthorization and Disaster Recovery Reform Act that addressed disaster recovery reform and offered improvements to commercial air transportation, were not made in order. prgtoken I offered Jackson Lee Amendment No. 609 because of my experience with Hurricane Harvey. prgtoken Over the years, Members of Congress, develop an extensive network of people we work with and those who may have need of legislative assistance. prgtoken The storm and the catastrophic flooding that resulted from Hurricane Harvey put at risk thousands of people who needed help. prgtoken The 911 emergency call centers serving the disaster area were inundated with thousands of calls for rescues. prgtoken I am pleased to say that my office managed dozens of calls, which came to me and my staff from Houston residents seeking rescue or medical assistance. prgtoken FEMA, the City of Houston and the State of Texas did exceptional work in the disaster response for Hurricane Harvey. prgtoken There is no blame or fault, but valuable lessons that can be learned. prgtoken There was no way to pre-prepare for Hurricane Harvey or Maria or Irma or any of the other major disaster events in 2017. prgtoken What we can do is learn as much as possible and apply those lessons to future disaster response and recovery efforts. prgtoken When there is an event, like Hurricane Harvey there are important and valuable lessons that can help us to meet future challenges. prgtoken Harvey's significance is the size of the impact zone and the level of flooding experienced. prgtoken The nine-county Houston metro area impacted by Hurricane Harvey covers 9,444 square miles, an area larger than five states, including New Hampshire, New Jersey and Connecticut. prgtoken County covers 1,778 square miles, enough space to fit New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Austin and Dallas, with room still to spare. prgtoken There was over 41,500 square miles of land mass impacted by Hurricane Harvey and the subsequent flooding that covered an area larger than the States of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont combined. prgtoken Hurricane Harvey dropped 21 trillion gallons of rainfall on Texas and Louisiana, most of it on the Houston Metroplex. prgtoken Harvey dropped 51.88 inches of rain near Cedar Bayou, in the City of Houston, and 52 inches in Nederland and nearby Groves Texas mak
FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018
Tom O’Halleran (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2018-4-27

I strongly oppose this amendment. prgtoken I am acutely attuned to concerns about fiscal responsibility. While Congress has struggled with fiscal concerns, the consistent attacks on the critical EAS program demonstrate a complete lack of concern for the realities of life across rural America. prgtoken Supporters of this amendment claim that, in many cases, an alternative airport is a short drive away. This incorrectly assumes that point-to-point miles on a map are the same as road miles. prgtoken The truth is that EAS is a vital economic engine that remains just as important today as when it was created. It supports economic development in small and rural communities by connecting businesses to larger markets. prgtoken Page, Arizona, in my district, is just one example of the need for this type of critical infrastructure. The challenges are real, but so is the promise in Page. Taking away vital EAS dollars at a time when Page and places like it all over the country are trying to attract business and capital would be devastating and undermine the critical work being done. prgtoken Let's work to support these communities, not exasperate the stark economic disparities in rural America I urge my colleagues to reject this shortsighted amendment.
THE HOUSE MAJORITY'S GREAT INJUSTICE
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-4-27

the majority in this House has just exacted a great injustice. The unwarranted, unjust, forced resignation of a sworn officer of this United States House, the House Chaplain, Patrick Conroy, is a complete, complete violation of justice. It is also a complete violation of the rules of this House and the 229-year precedents of this House. prgtoken As well, Paul Ryan's unilateral decision to remove the House Chaplain, who is elected by the entire membership of this House, is simply wrong. The Chaplain deserves just and fair treatment by every Member of this body that would attend to any Member who is subjected to such treatment or any citizen in our country who appears before the law. Every life in our Nation should matter.
NO ASSISTANCE FOR ASSAD ACT
Brendan F. Boyle (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-4-27

since 2011, Bashar Al-Assad purposely and systemically destroyed Syrian communities in order to crush political opponents and retain absolute dictatorial power, with the help of his Russian and Iranian backers. Starting as peaceful protests, the people of Syria demanded basic freedoms from the Syrian government. Of course, this was met with a harsh crackdown, prolonged conflict, and today, a humanitarian crisis. As co-chair of the Friends of a Free, Stable and ic Syria Caucus, I believe we in Congress must do all we can to ensure that the welfare of the Syrian people remains the top priority of our involvement in the region, and condition any engagement with the Assad regime as such. prgtoken My heart goes out to every Syrian that has to monitor the skies to see what aerial attacks will be coming that day; to every child that has been robbed of their innocence--forced to leave their home and live in constant fear, denied a basic education--and to every family member left wondering if their relatives will live to see the next day. We've all seen the images in Syria. They're hard to stomach. Yet, the attacks persist. The violence and ruthlessness persist. Assad and his supporters in Russia and Iran are responsible for all of this pain and suffering. prgtoken H.R. 4681, the No Assistance for Assad Act, would ensure that American assistance for reconstruction in Syria should be available in areas controlled by Assad only if the regime stops its indiscriminate use of weapons, ends attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, releases political prisoners, allows human rights organizations access to prisons, and removes senior officials complicit in human-rights abuses. If the Assad regime, Russia, and Iran continue to break Syria, this legislation makes clear they must own the responsibility for rebuilding it. U.S. policy must not allow the regime in Damascus control American dollars that are meant to rebuild the country. prgtoken I was proud to introduce this critical legislation with Ranking Member Engel, Chairman Royce, and my fellow caucus co-chair, Adam Kinzinger. I thank them for their hard work on this legislation and urge passage of this timely, important legislation.
COMMEMORATING THE RETIREMENT OF ROB ROSCOE FROM THE SACRAMENTO SUBURBAN WATER DISTRICT
Ami Bera (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-4-27

I rise today to commemorate the retirement of Rob Roscoe. Mr. Roscoe is retiring from the Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) as General Manager after 15 years of service. As General Manager of the Sacramento Suburban Water District, Mr. Roscoe remained committed to ensuring government transparency and providing sustainable water resources to much of Sacramento County. Under his leadership, SSWD's credit ratings rose from an A- in 2003 to its current rating of AA+. In addition to being General Manager of SSWD, Mr. Roscoe has been a longtime advocate of water infrastructure and held several other leadership roles with both regional and statewide organizations during his 40 years in public service. He has been the recipient of numerous awards over his notable career, such as the Regional Water Authority's 2007 ``Statesperson of the Year'' and the 2017 ``Distinguished Service Award.'' He also received Association of California Water Agencies' 2017 Emissary Award for ``remarkable and visible contributions to the enhancement, protection or development of water resources in California.'' In March 2018, he was awarded the American Society of Civil Engineers Region 9 Lifetime Achievement Award I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Roscoe on 15 years of outstanding service to Sacramento County and wish him the best in his next stage of his life.