mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELATING TO TEACHER PREPARATION ISSUES
Brett Guthrie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-2-7

such time as I may consume. prgtoken s and on both sides of the aisle have worked hard in recent years, particularly in the ESSA that we passed to make sure that we have local control of education, the idea that reforms that State and education local leaders know best. I think the same is true for teachers. prgtoken It is vitally important that we have teachers that are prepared to succeed. We want the best and brightest in the classroom that help ensure our students receive the quality education they deserve. prgtoken This resolution will put an end to this rule that will have negative consequences, I believe, for teachers and students; but it will allow us to address teacher preparation responsibly. Article I of the Constitution gives the legislative powers to Congress. So we don't just need to say: There's a new administration in town, let them fix it. prgtoken What we need to say is that it is Congress' job, through working together, to pass the law and reauthorize higher education that will ensure that we have quality teachers in the classroom teaching our children. prgtoken So I urge my colleagues to put a stop to this rule and vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 58. prgtoken , .
IN HONOR OF WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
Barbara Comstock (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-2-7

I rise to recognize a school in my District who was recently crowned as state champion in football. The Westfield High School Bulldogs Football team, led by Athletic Director Terri Towle, Head Coach Kyle Simmons and Assistant Coaches Dan Keating, Jon Shields, Mike Giancola, Pete Bendorf, Jose Ardon, Alex Callas, Mike King, Chris Coyer, and Curtis Knight, was one of several teams who won state titles in a variety of sports from Virginia's 10th Congressional District. I am proud of their hard work in achieving this goal. They practiced long hours as a team, and this extraordinary achievement shows how far dedication, hard work, and commitment to teamwork can take a group as they played against some of the best competition in the nation. prgtoken This year's state championship was a rematch of the 2015 state championship, where Westfield defeated Oscar Smith High School in quadruple overtime. Oscar Smith jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter; but Westfield took the lead in second with touchdowns by Nolan Cockrill and Sean Eckert. They extended their lead to 21-7 in the third after Nathaniel Chung punched in a third touchdown. However, Oscar Smith stormed back in the fourth quarter, scoring two touchdowns and executing a two point conversion with seven seconds left on the clock to send the game to overtime. Oscar Smith struck first with a touchdown pass on the first play. With the game on the line, Westfield answered with a touchdown pass of its own, tying the game at 28 and forcing a second overtime. Westfield had capitalized on having the first possession, with Rehman Johnson throwing his fourth touchdown of the night to Ivory Frimpong. Westfield's defense then rose up, and stopped Oscar Smith's high powered offense on the three yard line and in doing so, secured the Bulldogs' second state championship in as many years. prgtoken Westfield High School's Football team has made Virginia's 10th Congressional District proud and they have represented us well. Winning a state championship attests to their impressive athletic ability, unselfish mentality, and determination to succeed. I commend them for their tireless dedication to both their school and their teammates, without neither of which this could have been possible. It takes a delicate combination of superior skill and many hours of practice to win a state title. Westfield Football has certainly earned this honor and the lessons learned over the years will valuably serve them as they continue on in their lives. prgtoken , I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the Westfield Bulldogs for winning the Virginia 6A Football State Championship and representing Virginia's 10th Congressional District with such distinction. I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
IMMIGRATION AND THE RULE OF LAW
Steve King (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-2-7

it is my honor to be recognized to address you here on the floor of the United States House of Representatives and to have the privilege to participate in this great deliberative body that we have and are. prgtoken On occasion, I come down here and listen to my colleagues from the other side of the aisle. They have been known to change the subject on me, or I have changed the subject that I came down here to speak about because I have listened to the things that they had to say. It is good for us to have that kind of debate, , because certainly I disagree with the conclusions that have been drawn here. prgtoken I want to take this from the top, and I will get to the wall situation along the way. I think those numbers are a long ways off, myself. I will start the immigration issue, . There has been a long battle that has gone on. For me, it goes back into the early prgtoken part of this millennium when we had a group of Senators who decided they were going to solve the immigration problem back in about 2006 or so, and so they brought their big immigration bill and pushed it hard. prgtoken Here in the House we brought an enforcement bill and pushed that back against the Senate. We held hearings for that enforcement bill around the country, in places like Arizona and Dubuque, Iowa, as I recall. There were a number of others around the country. We made the case that we have to be a nation of laws, and the rule of law has to prevail, and that the effort on the other side was to waive the application of the law. They said: We want to be able to tell people that we feel sorry for you. Therefore, we are going to sacrifice the rule of law out of our sympathy for the condition that you left in order to come in to America. prgtoken Well, that fits some people, but it doesn't substitute for the rule of law. It doesn't substitute for the respect for the law that we must have if we are going to be a law-abiding, first world nation. Plenty of Third World nations don't have respect for the rule of law. Most of the nations that these illegal aliens come from are coming from countries that don't have respect for the rule of law. One of the things they are trying to get away from is the erosion of the law that they have had in their home country. prgtoken I mean, think of Mexico, for example. Driving down the street in Mexico, you might be pulled over by a police officer there and they will leverage a thing called mordida against you, which is you pay the police officer on the spot and he will let you go. Well, that is paying off the law enforcement. They use that to generate income for themselves, and they get by with it in a country that is corrupt. prgtoken , when I travel to Mexico and to some of the worst places in the world, and when I look at the circumstances there, whatever they may be, I can generally put together--and I will say almost always put together--a proposal, a strategy on how to put that country back in
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELATING TO TEACHER PREPARATION ISSUES
Paul Mitchell (Republican, MI) \u2014 2017-2-7

I thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.J. Res. 58. I am pleased to join Congressman Guthrie as a cosponsor. prgtoken As a parent, I know the critical difference teachers can make in a student's life. That is why many young people choose the path of education as their career and their mission. prgtoken This rule creates an arbitrary tie between teacher preparation programs and student test scores. What is worse, this rule unfairly discriminates against teachers who commit to teaching STEM subjects or different languages--critical subjects already facing a teacher shortage and occupations desperately seeking skilled employees. prgtoken In Michigan--my home State--teacher training program enrollment declined 38 percent between 2008 and 2013. The number of people who actually pursue teaching after going through a prep curriculum declined by 26 percent. We face a teacher shortage in Michigan and nationwide. prgtoken I frequently hear from the people I serve, teachers and parents in my district, that they are disheartened and frustrated by the Federal Government's overreach and arrogance that turns educating young people into a test score. prgtoken , let's return authority where it belongs with teachers and, more importantly, parents.
LAURYN RICHARDSON EARNS ACADEMIC ALL-STATE RECOGNITION
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-2-7

I rise today to congratulate Lauryn Richardson of Richmond, TX, for earning volleyball all-state recognition by the Texas Girls Coaching Association. prgtoken A sophomore at Foster High School, Lauryn received academic all-state recognition while leading her team, the Lady Falcons, to a playoff victory. She had 169 blocks and averaged 2.1 kills per set during the sets. prgtoken On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Lauryn Richardson for earning volleyball all- state academic recognition. We are proud of her and look forward to seeing her excel in the future.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELATING TO ACCOUNTABILITY AND STATE PLANS
Ryan A. Costello (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-2-7

last Congress, Members on both sides of the aisle came together to restore education decisionmaking authority to where it should be--at the State and local level--devolving it from overreach by the Federal Government through the Every Student Succeeds Act. It was a bipartisan accomplishment that I speak very proudly of in my congressional district, as I know many Members do in their congressional districts. prgtoken However, certain regulations were issued by the Department of Education last year that threaten regulatory overreach, including problematic provisions requiring States to issue uniform standards to determine a teacher's level of effectiveness or ineffectiveness. Put quite simply, the rule, as it was issued late in November, is not consistent with the law that we passed that we were all so proud of. In fact, it is necessary to use the CRA to override this rule in order to maintain the integrity of the ESSA, which we are all very proud of passing, to restore local control, and that goes from student testing to curriculum, to teacher evaluation. What we have here, as written, are regulations which threaten an overemphasis on students' standardized testing scores when evaluating the quality of a teacher. prgtoken H.J. Res. 57 would override regulations because they are not consistent with the law that we just passed. H.J. Res. 57 would preserve the bipartisan accomplishments achieved in the ESSA by allowing States to continue tailoring the ESSA to meet local needs without overreach and without mandates from the Federal Government. Put simply, what we are seeking to do here is to prevent the Federal Government from once again nudging its nose into local and State control over teacher evaluations, which was one of the main objectives of the ESSA in the first instance. prgtoken , I want to thank Congressman Rokita for his leadership.
CONGRATULATING THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Bruce Poliquin (Republican, ME) \u2014 2017-2-7

2 years ago, right here, I congratulated our New England Patriots on winning their fourth Super Bowl championship. Today I am proud to share the excitement of my fellow Mainers to congratulate our Patriots on capturing their fifth world championship. prgtoken , on Sunday night, more than 100 million football fans from around the world witnessed the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. Against an outstanding Atlanta Falcons team, our mighty Patriots battled back from 25 points down with only 17 minutes left to play. prgtoken Now, our Patriots, , showed the world what can be achieved if you work together and you never give up. We in Congress, all of us, can learn from that example. prgtoken Coach Belichick, you have earned your place in history as the greatest coach in NFL history. And co-captain Brady, you, sir, have earned your place as the greatest quarterback of all time. prgtoken , Maine is so proud of all of our New England Patriots, and I humbly congratulate them. I will see everybody on this team at the White House this spring.
CELEBRATING GRACE BROWN ON RECEIVING A SILVER CONGRESSIONAL AWARD MEDAL
Jackie Walorski (Republican, IN) \u2014 2017-2-7

I rise today to honor Grace Brown of Granger, Indiana, on receiving a Silver Congressional Award Medal for her dedicated service to our community and her outstanding personal growth. prgtoken Grace stands out not only because of her hardworking Hoosier spirit, but also because of her dedication to setting and achieving goals of personal growth and public service. Grace is driven, talented, and compassionate, and at her young age she has already left a positive mark on her community. I look forward to learning of the amazing accomplishments that I am certain lie ahead for Grace. prgtoken The Congressional Award recognizes the best of America by honoring individuals who have achieved goals that build character, foster community service, and strengthen personal development and citizenship. prgtoken Grace exemplifies these qualities and much more. She has shown great commitment to bettering the lives of others through her dedicated public service. She has built on her talents and developed new skills by teaching and taking part in dance classes. She has shown a genuine interest in learning about different cultures and exploring new environments, organizing and leading a five-day Expedition to Hocking Hills, Ohio. And she has given back to her community, spending more than 200 hours collecting and distributing food for local families in need. prgtoken Through all of this, Grace has shown an exceptional understanding of the importance of civic engagement. She has taken on huge responsibilities and demonstrated the power of a dedicated and inspired young mind. prgtoken , I am inspired by Grace's example and grateful for young Hoosiers like her. I ask my colleagues to join me in extending Grace our congratulations and best wishes.
DISAPPROVING RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR RELATING TO BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2017-2-7

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken , after serving on a school board, in my State legislature, and now in Congress, I have witnessed firsthand that government works better when it is closest to the people. That is why I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 44, which disapproves the Bureau of Land Management's 2.0 Planning rule. prgtoken I commend the gentlewoman from Wyoming for introducing this legislation on behalf of her constituents as prgtoken well as Americans all across the country that desire more effective government. prgtoken The Planning 2.0 rule will fundamentally change the way land management decisions are made, and I believe it will fundamentally change them for the worse. Planning 2.0 puts faith in a faraway, Washington-based one-size-fits-all approach to land management decisions. prgtoken BLM has a light footprint in my home State of Arkansas, but last year I had the opportunity to attend a field hearing in St. George, Utah. I saw firsthand the mismanagement by the BLM and how it impacts real people. prgtoken Individuals from Washington County, Utah, told our field hearing of the heavy-handed approach BLM takes toward local landowners in management decisions. Local officials talked about how BLM has also ignored the will of Congress by ensuring updated resource management plans decrease grazing permits or effectively stop the construction of roads that are authorized in Federal legislation. Land management changes should be made in a collaborative way, with ample State and local input. prgtoken Despite what some people may think, Congress and Congress' will still matters. Planning 2.0 marginalizes State and local officials in favor of unelected bureaucrats and special interests. By passing H.J. Res. 44, we will remind Federal agencies that they work for the people. prgtoken , we are not a people of the government, by the government, and for the government. We have a government that is supposed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people. The people's voice should be heard in major land management decisions. H.J. Res. 44 will make the BLM listen to their voice. prgtoken I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
RECOGNIZING JACKSON COUNTY'S 221ST ANNIVERSARY
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-2-7

I rise today to recognize the 221st Anniversary of Jackson County, which was formed on February 11, 1796. To celebrate this important day in northeast Georgia's history, the committees of the Jackson County Courthouse are creating an exhibit that will cover their two centuries of history. prgtoken The Historic Courthouse Restoration Committee will be giving presentations to each school system in Jackson County, including the great schools of East Jackson, Commerce, Jefferson, and West Jackson. prgtoken The presentations titled, ''Finding a Sense of Place in Jackson County, Georgia'', will invite approximately 1,100 eighth grade students into the dynamic history of their county. prgtoken The Jackson County Historical Society has already published a transcription of the first Jackson County Superior Court docket book, which contains the complete histories of each case brought between 1796 and 1802. These cases in Jackson County will serve to show the rich history of the judicial system that has guided Jackson County since its inception. prgtoken , I am honored to recognize the deep history and notable leadership that comes from Jackson County on its 221st Anniversary.
RESOLVING THE MYSTERY OF RAOUL WALLENBERG'S FATE
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-2-7

in 1944, President Roosevelt created the War Refugee Board in order to undertake efforts to rescue Jews from the Nazis and the atrocities of the Holocaust. prgtoken That same year, a young Swedish diplomat accepted an appointment to travel to Hungary on a humanitarian mission, in large part sponsored by our War Refugee Board, to help protect Hungary's Jewish community. This young diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg, risked his life to save tens of thousands of Jews, if not more, from almost certain death in Nazi concentration camps. prgtoken For his remarkable courage and humanitarian spirit, Wallenberg had been recognized and memorialized across the globe. In 1963, Yad Vashem recognized him as a righteous man among nations. In 1981, Raoul Wallenberg became the second person to be bestowed honorary United States citizenship. In 1995, Congress unveiled a bronze bust dedicated to Wallenberg here in the Capitol, and today, it can be found, appropriately, in Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center. Just 3 years ago, , Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to Raoul Wallenberg--the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed by Congress. prgtoken Yet, for all of these memorials and all of these tributes since Raoul Wallenberg was last seen as a free man on January 17, 1945, his true fate remains a mystery. For 72 years now, the truth has eluded us and, worse, Raoul's family, loved ones, and the countless that he saved have been unable to receive the closure they deserve. prgtoken For many years, my good friend and colleague, the late Tom Lantos took up the mantle of resolving the Wallenberg mystery. Not only was Tom the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in Congress, but he managed to escape the horrors of the Holocaust, thanks to the actions of Raoul Wallenberg. prgtoken It was Tom who introduced the legislation that became law bestowing honorary citizenship to Wallenberg; Tom who kept the focus on this case, never allowing it to be cast aside. It has been 72 years, Mr yet we still do not have the answers. It is now our turn to be asking the unanswered questions. We have a responsibility, indeed an obligation, to do the right thing. prgtoken It was the United States Government and the War Refugee Board, along with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee that largely sponsored Wallenberg's work in Hungary. We named him an honorary citizen and we bestowed upon him the highest honors. Yet, we have not done what needs to be done to resolve the questions surrounding his disappearance. prgtoken When proclaiming Raoul Wallenberg a United States citizen, President Reagan asked: How can we comprehend the moral worth of a man who saved tens and tens of thousands of lives, including those of Congressman and Mrs. Lantos? prgtoken We cannot possibly comprehend Raoul Wallenberg's moral worth, Mr but we must ask ourselves what our moral worth is if we don't do everything in our power to end this 72-y
COMMENDING MARIA LOHMEYER FOR HER ROLE WITH THE 58TH PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION
Gregg Harper (Republican, MS) \u2014 2017-2-7

it is with considerable gratitude that I rise today in order to recognize Maria Lohmeyer and the staff she assembled to host a historic and successful 58th Presidential Inauguration. prgtoken Through her role with the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Maria led the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies which was charged with the responsibility of planning and executing the swearing-in ceremonies for the President and Vice President of the United States. Additionally, the Joint Congressional Committee was responsible for planning the Inaugural Luncheon where Congress came together to welcome the new administration following the inaugural swearing-in ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol. prgtoken The Presidential Inauguration has been the hallmark of American democracy since 1789. During this ceremony, individuals elected by the people stand before God and the country and swear an oath to uphold the sacred duties to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. prgtoken On Friday, January 20, 2017, America again came together as we have so many times before to witness this peaceful transition of power from one Administration to the next. As Americans, we celebrated both an honorable ending and a hopeful new beginning. prgtoken The success of the Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies is due to so many individuals, from staff to our law enforcement and first responders. However, none of the ceremonies would be possible if not for the careful planning and implementation by superb and patriotic individuals. prgtoken Maria is one of those special individuals who rose to the challenge of planning the 58th Presidential Inauguration. I thank her for her stewardship over the inaugural ceremonies, which has played such an important and impactful role in our shared history.