mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 52ND ANNIVERSARY
G. K. Butterfield (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2017-5-19

I rise to commemorate the 52nd Anniversary of Metropolitan Baptist Church located in my Congressional district in the City of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. This Church has been a beacon of light in the community for more than half a century and has positively impacted generations of families in eastern North Carolina. prgtoken Metropolitan Baptist Church was founded on May 4, 1965, by a group of devout Christians eager to proclaim the goodness of the Lord. The Church's first worship service was held just five days later on May 9, 1965 in the auditorium of the Lincoln School. Reverend Benjamin Daniels, a Shaw University ministerial student, was the first to preach at Metropolitan. Despite these humble beginnings, the congregation remained faithful and steadfast and would go on to grow by leaps and bounds. prgtoken On July 23, 1967, Metropolitan Baptist Church held a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate construction of a sanctuary at 1213 Leggett Road, where it still stands today. Reverend John W. Fleming presided over the first worship service in the new edifice on July 14, 1968. prgtoken Under the leadership of Reverend Dr. J. E. Arnette, Metropolitan Baptist Church continued to grow both physically and spiritually. Dr. Arnette oversaw the establishment of Boy and Girl Scout Troops, a Young Adult Sunday School Class, and provided food for needy families. These good deeds led to Metropolitan Baptist Church to be ranked 12th out of more than 1,700 Baptist Churches in North Carolina by the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. prgtoken Reverend Raymond L. Privott succeeded Dr. Arnette and continued the tradition of providing outreach services that enhanced the growth and development of children. This included providing tutoring in community schools and providing preliminary SAT studies that greatly benefited young people in the Rocky Mount area. prgtoken Reverend Norman T. Davis served as interim pastor for two and a half years and continued Metropolitan Baptist Church's commitment to both God and the community. He was followed by Pastor Richard Allen Gerald, who has served as Senior Pastor of Metropolitan since 2004 and has been the spiritual leader to many families and individuals. His strong faith in God and preparedness for the ministry, has earned him a stellar reputation among Christian believers throughout our great state. prgtoken , by the grace of God, Metropolitan Baptist Church has been blessed for 52 long years as it has witnessed for Christ each and every day. The Church's faithfulness and scripture-based ministry will ensure that Metropolitan continues to thrive for years to come. prgtoken On behalf of the United States House of Representatives and the people of the First prgtoken Congressional District of North Carolina, I extend to the Pastor and Members of Metropolitan Baptist Church my best wishes on this auspicious occasion.
INTRODUCTION OF STOP DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING FOR WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE SERVICES
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-5-19

today, I rise to reintroduce the Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Healthcare Services Act to make sure that women receive honest information about family planning services. prgtoken Expecting mothers should never be misled about critical health information and services. Yet that is exactly what is happening today all across the country. Commonly called crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), these centers often have an anti-choice agenda and deliberately misinform or mislead pregnant women seeking information about family planning services, including abortion. CPC's masquerade as sources of unbiased pregnancy counseling or even abortion providers, yet they often have no medical professionals on staff. CPC's use deceptive propaganda to dissuade women from considering comprehensive birth control options or legal abortion. These fake reproductive health clinics entice women with unintended pregnancies through their doors under the pretense of providing the full range of reproductive options and services. Instead, they pedal scientifically unfounded information claiming that abortion leads to adverse health outcomes or can affect chances of pregnancy in the future. CPCs should be held accountable if they deliberately mislead women who are seeking legitimate medical assistance and advice. prgtoken The Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women's Healthcare Services Act directs the Federal Trade Commission to promulgate rules under the Federal Trade Commission Act, declaring it an unfair or deceptive act for an entity, such as a crisis pregnancy center, to advertise as a provider of abortion services if the entity does not provide abortion services. prgtoken I thank my friend Rep. Suzanne Bonamici for leading this critical effort with me. During National Women's Health Week, I hope you will join us in cosponsoring this legislation that demands that crisis pregnancy centers, some of which receive federal funds, are prohibited from making false advertising claims that intimidate and harm women who are looking for help and honest medical advice.
INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-5-19

I rise today to join my colleagues in celebration of National Infrastructure Week. prgtoken Here in Washington, meetings have brought together planners and civil engineers, builders and innovators, labor unions and developers--all dedicated to modernizing our American infrastructure. And it does need modernizing. prgtoken In my home state of Rhode Island, for example, one in four bridges is deficient, the worst rate in the country. They are battered by storms and suffering from aging concrete and steel. Families and businesses alike suffer from this infrastructure debt. prgtoken That's why this week I introduced the ``SAFE Bridges Act,'' which will provide a renewed focus on the safety of bridges across the country. It will create a discrete new way to prioritize those bridges most in need. prgtoken , it is ``Time to Build.'' We need to invest in bread-and- butter projects, highways and transit that Americans depend on every day.
TAX SYSTEM BROKEN
Scott H. Peters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-5-19

our tax system is broken and in desperate need of comprehensive reform. I am ready to get to work on a simpler Tax Code that is fiscally responsible, makes our businesses more competitive, and gives relief to our working families. But President 's plan, if you can call it that, is not the answer. prgtoken According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, 's tax plan will cost $5.5 trillion over the next 10 years. Instead of targeting relief to the deserving middle class, President wants to give big breaks to the wealthiest Americans. It is time to stop pretending that tax cuts that favor the wealthy somehow pay for themselves. They don't. prgtoken Conservative economist Gregory Mankiw has said that only one-third of the cost of tax costs is recouped from growth. So 's tax plan would actually be paid for by blowing up the national debt. That will crowd out investment and hurt economic growth, which is the opposite of what we want. prgtoken We have to do better for working Americans, and I express my interest in working with Members on both sides of the aisle to do just that.
IN HONOR OF REDWOOD CITY'S SESQUICENTENNIAL
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-5-19

I rise to honor the 150th birthday of one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in my Congressional District: Redwood City. prgtoken Long before Redwood City was incorporated, the area was inhabited by the Ohlone who lived by hunting, fishing and gathering. The Ohlone had a rich culture and thrived on both sides of the mountain range that divides San Mateo County. Their villages dotted the countryside and the residents traded regularly with nearby tribes. prgtoken Spanish and Mexican explorers and settlers came later, and with them came rapid and substantial change. After the Mexican-American War, Spanish and Mexican land grants were challenged. Such was the case for Dona Arguello, who hired Simon Mezes to defend her land title. His payment was the land that now includes most of downtown Redwood City. Rather than fighting the squatters, he laid out the town and sold lots to them, naming his town Mezesville. prgtoken Access to San Francisco Bay made Redwood City an ideal location for a port. The port and the railway revolutionized shipping and travel in the 1800s. Industries continued to develop from oyster farming and canning to cement and salt production, to nurseries and small manufacturing plants. prgtoken Redwood City was incorporated in 1867 with the purpose of raising funds to pave prgtoken downtown streets. The city has always been home to a diverse population. Joining the large Latino population, German immigrants started breweries and a tannery, the Chinese helped build the railroads and were engaged in shrimp fishing, and the Japanese brought the floral industry. In 1926, the Chamber of Commerce proclaimed Redwood City the ``Chrysanthemum Capital of the World.'' The floral industry thrived until one of the darkest chapters of U.S. history, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. prgtoken Redwood City experienced several population and housing booms. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake displaced thousands who built new neighborhoods on the Peninsula. By 1920, many Redwood City residents were commuting to jobs outside the city. In the 1930s the population doubled. By 1937, a municipal marina and an international port with a widened channel were ready to ship cargo. prgtoken The largest population increase took place after World War II when Redwood City grew from 12,400 in 1940 to 46,300 in 1960. Today, there are 82,000 residents. prgtoken No one can mention Redwood City without celebrating its schools and the families that thrive through the district's services. Two great public high schools and multiple public elementary and middle schools, as well as several charter schools, offer the American dream of a quality, free public education to all. The city also incorporates several quality private schools. prgtoken Redwood City has amazing parks and is dotted with redwood trees. Beautiful hillsides in a nearby county park are covered with a plethora of wildflowers and are home to majestic mount
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-5-19

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I listened to his comments with interest. I want to touch on a number of comments he made, however. prgtoken First of all, in a very partisan vote from 3 a.m. in the morning until 6 a.m. in the morning, my colleagues passed a bill in a partisan fashion--there were a few ; not many--that passed part D prescription drugs for seniors. prgtoken We voted against that. And then we took the majority. And what did we do, ? We acted in a way to ensure that the part D prescription drug package that the s had passed in the previous Congress did, in fact, work; and it is a success today because we did that. prgtoken That is exactly the opposite of what our colleagues did, , with respect to the Affordable Care Act. In fact, the Affordable Care Act, as my friend knows and polling now shows that over 55 percent of Americans believe that the Affordable Care Act ought to be kept; and 75 percent of them, three out of four Americans, believe we ought to fix the Affordable Care Act, not repeal it. prgtoken That has not changed, however, the s' attempt and rhetoric to repeal. Now, there were a number of things that the s did, contrary to what we did with respect to the prescription drug bill for seniors, to undermine and create this situation of which the majority leader speaks where there are some insurance companies that have pulled out, that are not doing as well as they should have and we wanted them to have. prgtoken One thing, many Governors refuse to join the Medicaid expansion program, adversely affecting millions of Americans. prgtoken Secondly, they did not find the risk corridors. We knew when we established this problem that there was going to be a very tough time in making valid judgments on what costs were going to be two years into this program. We did not fund it. The CO-OPs also did not receive the support that was contemplated by the statute. prgtoken The cost-sharing subsidies the administration has put at risk. Now, we were assured just before the bill passed that: Oh, no, we are going to pay for the cost-sharing subsidies. prgtoken But the s, , filed suit, and the court said: Oh, no, you have to appropriate those moneys on the cost-sharing subsidies. prgtoken The majority leader knows--certainly everybody on the Energy and Commerce knows, and every Member ought to know--without those subsidies, the insurance companies will have mispriced their product, for deductibles and copays, in particular. prgtoken That, , is what I speak of, in terms of the actions that have been taken over the last 6 years to undermine the confidence of the marketplace. Everybody knows that confidence is an important factor in any marketplace. prgtoken I am sure we are going to debate this again again, I would simply ask: Is this bill coming back to the House? Will we expect another vote on it? prgtoken The CBO
IN RECOGNITION OF THERESE LEDOUX
William R. Keating (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-5-19

I rise today in recognition of Therese Ledoux on the occasion of her 100th birthday this month. prgtoken Born on May 5, 1917 to George Ethier and Albina Chevalier, Mrs. Ledoux attended boarding school in Canada before leaving to work for her father's insurance business in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Starting in 1958 she became the Town of Acushnet's first kindergarten teacher at the St. Francis Xavier Elementary School--where she remained for more than 30 years as a beloved kindergarten teacher. To this day, Mrs. Ledoux continues to volunteer each week at the school, where she is considered a local celebrity and is held in the highest esteem by staff, students, and the Acushnet community alike. prgtoken Active both in mind and soul, Mrs. Ledoux's hobbies include doing puzzles and knitting. Her knitting projects include blankets for newly baptized children at the St. Francis Xavier Church in Acushnet. Additionally, she has made it a tradition to bake meat pies for New Year's Day--a practice she has passed onto to her daughters and grandchildren. prgtoken Over the more than seventy years she has lived in Acushnet, Mrs. Ledoux has been honored for her outstanding services by being awarded the Marian Medal by the Fall River Diocese and being named the Acushnet Woman of the Year by the Standard Times newspaper. prgtoken , I am proud to honor Therese Ledoux on this joyous occasion. I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing her many more years of health and happiness surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren.
PROBATION OFFICER PROTECTION ACT OF 2017
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-5-19

as we just heard from my good friend, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Reichert), as co-chairs of the Law Enforcement Caucus, this is an important piece of legislation for us. prgtoken , as the lead sponsor of this bill, the Probation Officer Protection Act, I rise in strong support of closing a gap in the current law to help Federal probation officers more safely and effectively carry out their duties. prgtoken Despite the fact that assaulting, resisting, or otherwise preventing Federal probation officers from performing their official duties is against the law, current law does not provide the same officers the authority to correct or restrain an interfering third party. This act simply expands the authority of the Federal probation officers to arrest a third party with probable cause in cases where a third party tries to physically obstruct or harm the officer. prgtoken I understand that some of my friends worry about the implications of expanding arrest authority for law enforcement. I have to say there are a lot of trumped up arguments being made against this bill. For starters, Federal probation officers are fully trained and sworn Federal law enforcement officers. They have a tremendous training program in Charleston, South Carolina, the Law Enforcement Training Center. They understand that this training is a continuing process as well. prgtoken These officers receive extensive, ongoing, nationally standardized training to safely arrest individuals on supervised release with probable cause without a warrant. This training is also applicable to the limited arrest authority granted by this bill. prgtoken The idea that expanding probation officers' arrest authority to third parties will somehow lead to probation officers going on an unwarranted arresting spree, violating individuals' civil rights with impunity, is nonsense. prgtoken The bill includes language to ensure that the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts would issue national guidelines to implement this new, limited authority. The authority will not give Federal probation officers plenary law enforcement powers or general arrest authority. Probable cause still must exist to carry out an arrest. That is very clear in the legislation. The bill does nothing to alter Federal probation officers' scope of responsibility. To suggest so undermines the training these officers receive and the oaths that they take. prgtoken Secondly, I understand that constitutional concerns have been raised by my colleagues about the due process and rights of these third parties. Nothing in this bill, , alters the due process or rights of third parties. Nothing in the bill. prgtoken If a third party agrees to house an individual on supervised release, they consent to the Federal probation officer having access to common areas and any part of the home to which the offender has access. Additionally, Federal probation officers buil
PROBATION OFFICER PROTECTION ACT OF 2017
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-5-19

I believe this amendment is a very important amendment, and I believe that it provides the kind of guidance that is necessary because it is a clear ascertaining of the impact. prgtoken Remember, we are talking about possible constitutional ramifications. Unreasonable search and seizure. We are talking about not having assaults against police officers. There is a law that will already provide for that protection, as well as the fact that probation officers who are not police officers can, in fact, have the ability of law enforcement backup or support. prgtoken In addition, we realize that there is a greater burden on law enforcement officers in an arrest situation. That burden is not on the probation officer because they are not a law enforcement officer. prgtoken It is important for this study to be enacted so that we have the facts. Do we not, as legislators, want to have the facts regarding the Constitution and the impact it may have? prgtoken So I would ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. It is, in fact, not an amendment that negates, if this bill passes, the acts of the probation officer. But what it does do is study whether there is an enhanced impact and whether grandmother, mother, a little child, an aunt, or an uncle, in the sanctity of their home, are unreasonably detained or arrested. prgtoken We as Americans should at least be concerned about the rights of our fellow citizens and be able to respect them in their home. A probation officer has the right to call in a law enforcement officer if the actions of the home, or wherever that individual happens to be, gets in a way that interferes with his or her ability to arrest his probationer. prgtoken Let me remind everyone that the relationship between a probation officer and a probationer is a constructive one, one of rehabilitation. And, sadly, if on one incident, or 39 incidents, or 3 percent of the incidents, if something occurs, that probation officer has the right to be able to call a law enforcement officer to assist. prgtoken This study is a constructive, forthright study to help us better protect the rights of citizens and of the Constitution of the United States. prgtoken , I include in the Record letters from the Federal Defenders of New York, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the ACLU opposing the underlying bill. Federal Defenders of New York, Inc New York, NY, March 30, 2017. Re Probation Officer Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 1039) Hon. Bob Goodlatte, Chair, House Judiciary Committee, Washington, DC. Hon. John Conyers, Jr Ranking Member, House Judiciary Committee, Washington, DC. Hon. Trey Gowdy, Chair, House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, Washington, DC. Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
HONORING HOMETOWN HEROES ACT
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-5-19

I rise today in support of H.R. 1892, The Honoring Hometown Heroes Act. This bill will be crucial in giving the courageous first responders the recognition they deserve. prgtoken The Honoring Hometown Heroes Act, or H.R. 1892, will help give honor to those who have passed away while serving their communities. First responders are some of the most important people in the country. They put out the fires that threaten our homes. They keep our streets safe to live on. They bring people who are suffering from a medical issue to the hospital to provide them with the care that they need. They investigate the crimes that have been committed and bring the perpetrators to justice. These brave men and women are often volunteers, who merely want to help their communities. prgtoken These jobs are often dangerous. They involve fires, carbon monoxide, violence, and other hostile acts. Unfortunately, due to the dangerous nature of this work, not all of these men and women survive. They are killed serving their communities, making them better places to live. These men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice to their towns and cities. They deserve as much honor and respect that can be bestowed upon them and their families. prgtoken I have the utmost respect and admiration for these men and women and believe that this bill gives proper public respect to fallen first responders. Governors will now be able to declare the flag to be lowered to half-mast. This gives governors the ability to immediately honor the fallen first responders. These men and women deserve as much. prgtoken I believe that Congressman Larson's bill is a necessity for the United States. It is regrettable that such legislation has not been passed before this time. I put my full support behind this effort to honor those who have fallen in the service of others. This bill is an example of true patriotism that all members of this chamber, s, , and Independents, can get behind for the benefit of the fallen first responders, their families, and the American people. I therefore urge passage of H.R. 1892.
SAUDI ARABIAN JURISPRUDENCE
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-5-19

President is headed to Saudi Arabia today, which is an authoritarian, theocratic state which bans any criticism of the government and executes people or imprisons them for allegedly insulting Islam. prgtoken Just a few weeks ago, a Saudi man, Ahmad Al Shamri, who is in his early twenties, was sentenced to death for atheism and apostasy. Another Saudi man, Raif Badawi, a few years ago was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison, to suffer 1,000 lashes, and to pay 1,000,000 Saudi rials for insulting Islam simply for advocating secular thought and the separation of church and state. prgtoken There are dozens of Saudis languishing in prison for blasphemy, apostasy, heresy, sorcery, witchcraft, and other imaginary offenses. Mr please use at least 2 minutes of your time while you are in Saudi Arabia to plead with the rulers there to release all religious prisoners and stop executing and incarcerating people for these imaginary religious crimes in the 21st century.