mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SENATE RESOLUTION 29--RECOGNIZING JANUARY 28, 2017, AS ``NATIONAL DATA PRIVACY DAY''
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2017-1-30

as an engineer who worked at a cloud computing company for 13 years, I have seen firsthand how technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Innovative products and services have made it easier than ever to learn, communicate, and to share our data with others. prgtoken Personal data has become a form of currency, and the sharing of personal information may compromise privacy if appropriate protective action is not taken. That is why I am proud to recognize January 28, 2017; as National Data Privacy Day. Each year, our Nation recognizes this day as an opportunity for private organizations, governments, and individuals to work together to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices. prgtoken I am pleased to recognize this day and am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure the privacy of individuals is protected. S. Res. 29 Whereas, on January 28, 2017, National Data Privacy Day is recognized; Whereas technology has enhanced our ability to communicate, learn, and work and is now a part of our everyday lives; Whereas personal information has become a form of currency; Whereas it is easier now than ever before to share personal information with friends, colleagues, and companies; Whereas the sharing of personal information may compromise the privacy of individuals if appropriate protective action is not taken; Whereas governments, corporations, and individuals have a role in protecting the privacy of individuals; and Whereas National Data Privacy Day constitutes a nationwide effort to educate and raise awareness about respecting privacy and safeguarding data: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) recognizes January 28, 2017, as ``National Data Privacy Day''; and (2) encourages governments, individuals, privacy professionals, educators, corporations, and other relevant organizations to take steps to protect the privacy of individuals.
BUDGET RECONCILIATION REPORTING DEADLINE
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-1-30

section 2001 of S. Con. Res. 3, the concurrent resolution on the budget Fiscal Year 2017, directs the Committees on Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to report changes in laws within their respective jurisdictions to reduce the on-budget deficit by not less than $1 billion each for the total of fiscal years 2017 through 2026. Those committees were instructed to submit their recommendations to the Committee on the Budget no later than January 27, 2017. prgtoken For the information of colleagues, the reporting deadline has passed, and the Budget Committee has not received reconciliation recommendations from either committee. While committees have not complied with the deadline, the Senate retains the ability to utilize the instructions contained in section 2001 of S. Con. Res. 3.
NOMINATION OF REX TILLERSON
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-1-30

I am pleased to rise in support of the nomination of Rex Tillerson to serve as our next Secretary of State. The proceedings in the Foreign Relations Committee for his nomination were fair, exhaustive, and in the best traditions of our committee and the Senate. Mr. Tillerson completed all of his required paperwork expeditiously, having met or exceeded the pace set by former Secretary Hillary Clinton after she was nominated in 2008. He testified in a public hearing for more than 8 hours and afterward responded to over 1,000 additional questions for the record from committee members. prgtoken Opinions and votes today on Mr. Tillerson may differ, but there is no question that the committee and the Senate have fulfilled their constitutional responsibility in carefully reviewing his nomination. prgtoken As we proceed in ensuring that the new administration has the leaders it needs to implement our Nation's foreign policy going forward, I have great confidence that Rex Tillerson will serve the United States well. prgtoken In both my private meetings with him and in the hours of public testimony he offered before the Foreign Relations Committee, it has become clear that he will be an effective leader at the State Department. Mr. Tillerson has led an exemplary and honorable life. He has been at the same company for over 40 years. As an Eagle Scout, he served as the national president of the Boy Scouts of America. prgtoken Furthermore, the nonpartisan Director of the Office of Government Ethics recently stated that Mr. Tillerson is making a clean break from Exxon and has even gone so far as to say that Tillerson's ethics agreement serves as a sterling model for what we would like to see with other nominees. prgtoken Having managed one of the world's largest companies by revenue, with over 75,000 employees, there is no doubt in my mind that Rex Tillerson is well qualified to lead the State Department. I encourage all of my colleagues to support his confirmation and look forward to his service as our next Secretary of State. prgtoken .
FAST START UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Matt Gaetz (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-1-30

. I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. I similarly thank him for many nights coming to this floor and defending values that are not only uniquely American, but which are unmistakably conservative. I appreciate him for being the fire keeper on this floor for those values and those principles for constituents in his district and in mine and all throughout this great country. prgtoken , I rise today in support of my fellow northwest Floridians, brave airmen who serve at Eglin Air Force Base and Duke Field and skilled prgtoken aviators who train out at NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field and some of the planet Earth's most hardened and successful warriors in the 7th Special Forces Group and those who also deploy out of Hurlburt Field in northwest Florida. They are the best among us and they often inspire the best within us as a consequence of their patriotic service. prgtoken So when I encounter them at townhall meetings or in church or at grocery stores, I often ask: How do you do it? How do you leave your family, your home, your community, risk your life, your health to go to places that many Americans couldn't point to on a map and to fight against an enemy who is evil and vicious and determined and increasingly equipped? prgtoken And almost to a man and woman, they tell me: We fight them over there so that we don't have to feel the consequences over here in America. prgtoken It is that spirit that I join in supporting and honoring in my full- throated and unequivocal support of President 's most recent executive order so that we are not devaluing the service of my constituents by risking the lives and the health and security of Americans here in this great country. prgtoken , I wish so much that President 's executive order were unnecessary. I wish that we lived in a world that was more stable and secure, where America could welcome with open arms anyone from anywhere for whatever reason at whatever cost. But the reality is that American taxpayers can't pay for everything, and American families cannot shoulder the risks of insecurity for the consequences of terrible foreign policy decisions that have been made over the last 8 years. prgtoken Maybe if the former President hadn't withdrawn from the Middle East, these regions would be more secure. Maybe if our policies hadn't so destabilized north Africa that we had failed state after failed state functioning as a caldron of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism, this order would not have been necessary. But, alas, it is necessary. prgtoken I think it is important to distinguish between the realities of this executive order and the hysteria that has been created by the media. Some would believe, if they were to look only at media reports, that this was a ban on all Muslims who would seek to come to this country. prgtoken Let me affirm: our war, our conflict is not with the Muslim faith. As a matter of fact, this consequence, this conflict we are engaged
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCTED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-1-30

we are introducing today a CRA that is kind of interesting. This is something that has only been successful one time. prgtoken I think everyone knows that during the past 8 years, under the administration, we have seen thousands, literally thousands of regulations that have come through that have been anti-business, many of them anti-certain businesses, such as the oil and gas industries. It is no secret, the fact that we have had a President, in President , who has had a war on fossil fuels. prgtoken It is interesting to me that when I go back to my State of Oklahoma-- one reason I go back all the time is because I want to be around real, rational people. Sometimes I get the feeling there really aren't any around here. They ask questions. They will say: Tell me. Explain this to me. In the United States of America, in order to generate power, 89 percent of the power we are generating is either fossil fuels, coal, oil, gas, or nuclear. If we do away with 89 percent of our generation capability, then how do we run the machine called America? prgtoken The answer is that we can't. But we don't get those types of questions here. I am sure most of us who go back find that kind of concern, and it is not confined to Oklahoma. prgtoken I chaired the Environment and Public Works Committee during the 8 years--during the time President was in office, and most of the regulations were actually associated with that committee. Many committees have regulations associated with their committees but not nearly as many as Environment and Public Works. An example is the WOTUS regulation. Ask anyone with the American Farm Bureau or anyone who deals with farmers and ranchers, and the No. 1 problem they have, they will tell you, is nothing that is found on the AgNu Committee; it is the overregulation of the EPA. That is one example. The Environment and Public Works Committee is the committee that has the jurisdiction over the EPA--at least we are supposed to. prgtoken During the time when WOTUS came through--the water regulation--it has historically always been the States' jurisdiction to handle water issues, not the Federal Government, with the exception of navigable water. I think we all understand that. In fact, there were several liberal Members in the House and Senate who tried to take the word ``navigable'' out of the regulations, and we defeated them every time. The last two who tried to do that were, in fact, defeated in the polls. prgtoken We know that in the State of Oklahoma--I should say our farmers know that if you put the Federal Government in charge of water regulations in the western part of Oklahoma, which is an arid part of the State, it would end up being designated as a wetland. Anyway, that is a major concern they had. prgtoken Another example of regulation is President 's Clean Power Plan. We all know how that came about. Way back in 1972, I was one of the bad guys who told the
FAST START UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-1-30

I thank the gentleman. Great points. And I wish I were as articulate. prgtoken I have been critical of the majority leader in the Senate, Senator McConnell, but this story is from CNS News. Majority Leader McConnell says: ``Well, I think it's a good idea to tighten the vetting process.'' prgtoken And he went on to say: ``I don't want to criticize them''--the administration--``for improving vetting.'' prgtoken And I applaud the majority leader for not running for the hills when all of the media does their typical thing and just goes freaking out. But, we found this story goes also, I think, to illustrate the point Mr. Gaetz was making. This is from Daniel Horowitz's article today. It turns out that 17 sitting in the House and Senate voted to ban visas from some Muslim countries and that law still exists today. Of course, this was back in 2002. And back at that time, you had some quite conservative in the House and Senate, people like Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Dianne Feinstein, you know, real bulwarks of conservatism, who voted to ban visas from these type countries, of the Muslim majority countries, as CNN would like to call them. Gee, names like Cardin, Markey, Menendez, Murray, Nelson of Florida, Reed of Rhode Island, Sanders of Vermont. Wow, there is another conservative, Sanders of Vermont. Schumer, another strong hearted conservative. Stabenow, Wyden, Durbin, Feinstein, Leahy, and Udall. prgtoken So it kind of begs the question: If this is only a temporary ban from countries until we can ascertain better vetting, how much worse is it for these 73 sitting to have voted for a permanent ban? That is rather shocking. prgtoken And it is notable that President , not exactly consistent with former President who went 8 years without coming out and making formal criticisms--well, President has said he is very heartened by all of the anti- protests. We even have here in the House who said: `` . . . as we've heard before, the President fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion.'' Because I know my friend here in the House would not misrepresent the truth. So it just shows, obviously, he hasn't read this executive order that makes very clear it is not banning a religion or a faith, it is countries where we don't have enough information. prgtoken And I just find it interesting that we are standing on the side of 73 --Markey, Bernie Sanders, Feinstein, people like that--who thought it was a good idea when they were closer to 9/11.
KENNESAW MOUNTAIN NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ACT
Tom McClintock (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-1-30

. such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 558, introduced by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk), expands the boundary of the Kennesaw National Battlefield Park by authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to acquire approximately 8 acres of land by donation or exchange only. The expanded area includes the historic Wallis House and ton Hill. prgtoken The Wallis House is one of the few remaining structures associated with the Kennesaw Mountain Civil War battle, while ton Hill was strategically significant as the Union signal station. prgtoken The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in June of 1864 was critical to the Union campaign to split the Confederacy, and although it was a tactical victory for the Confederates, it opened the way for the Union's strategic victory of taking Atlanta. The sacrifices of more than 3,000 Union troops on Kennesaw Mountain made possible Sherman's famous telegram to Lincoln 3 months later that ``Atlanta is ours and fairly won.'' prgtoken These battlefields remind succeeding generations of Americans of the price paid by so many for the preservation of our Constitution and the liberty it protects and the enormous responsibility that each of us has to maintain and defend that same Constitution today. Nearly identical legislation passed the House by voice vote in the 114th Congress. prgtoken , I urge passage of the bill. prgtoken .
OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK BOUNDARY REVISION ACT OF 2017
Austin Scott (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-1-30

I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop). I know he has had a busy week, as I have, with his district being affected by the storms. I certainly want to take a second to thank America for their prayers and their support. It has been overwhelming. A tremendous number of churches have opened their doors, and there are volunteers out there helping people. I thank all who have participated. prgtoken , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 538, the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act of 2017. I am happy this legislation is being considered before the full House in this Congress. I am hopeful we can reach an agreement with the Senate to pass this legislation and have it signed into law. prgtoken For years, there has been a great effort to bring about increased recognition of the enhanced cultural preservation of the Ocmulgee National Monument. The Ocmulgee National Monument was originally authorized by Congress in 1934 to protect the Old Ocmulgee Fields, which includes a network of very well preserved Indian mounds of great historical importance. The history of the fields can be traced back to Native Americans who first came to the site during the Paleo-Indian period to hunt ice age mammals. prgtoken The park is unique in that it vividly displays the story of many stages of prehistoric cultural development, including the Mound Builder period and highlights the important role of agriculture in the region. prgtoken I am proud to represent this area of middle Georgia along with Congressman Sanford Bishop. Our offices have worked together, along with many regional community partners, to advance this goal. prgtoken By expanding the current Ocmulgee National Monument area from 700 acres to just over 2,000 acres and redesignating the area as a national historical park, the legislation will provide significant economic, educational, and cultural benefits to middle Georgia. Additionally, H.R. 538 will authorize a resources study for future further expansions and include increased opportunities for hunting, fishing, camping, and other recreational activities. prgtoken The expansion of the Ocmulgee National Monument area provides for critical preservation of additional archaeological locations throughout the Old Ocmulgee Fields. Because of its significant historical and archaeological importance, the future Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park must be preserved. The expanded park also will generate additional tourism in middle Georgia while educating visitors on the fascinating history of the many civilizations that have thrived in the region. It should be noted that the property in the proposed expansion area would be acquired only from willing donors or sellers, using private funds, and that no Federal dollars will be used to achieve the expansion. prgtoken I want to take this time to thank Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva as well as all members of the House C
NOMINATIONS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-1-30

the Senate will continue working to put into place President 's Cabinet, and tonight we will have a cloture vote on the nominee for Secretary of State. This nominee is well qualified. He has been a leader at one of America's largest employers, and he has the type of international work experience that will serve him well as our next Secretary of State. We are looking forward to advancing his nomination tonight. prgtoken Remember, it is in everybody's best interest to confirm each of the President's well-qualified nominees in a timely manner so they can begin the very important work before them on prgtoken matters of national security, the economy, health care, and so many others. prgtoken It is also in our Nation's best interests to confirm the next Supreme Court nominee, which the President has said he intends to announce tomorrow. Justice Antonin Scalia was a towering figure on the Supreme Court. His unfortunate passing was not only a great loss to our country, but it came, as we all know, as our country was already in the midst of a contentious Presidential election process. So in keeping with the rule, which states that action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until the election campaign is over, I have stood firm on the principle that the American people should have a voice in the selection of the next Supreme Court Justice. I consistently maintained that the next President would fill this vacancy. I held to that view even when nearly everyone thought the President would be Hillary Clinton. Our friends on the left may lack the same consistency on this topic. The principle we have followed, after all, is not only known as the rule but also the Schumer standard. prgtoken But there is one thing from which we can expect the left not to waiver: trying to paint whoever is actually nominated in apocalyptic terms. It does not matter whom this President nominates. It does not matter whom any President nominates really. The left has been rolling out the same tired playbook for decades. prgtoken When the President was George Herbert Walker , groups on the left said the record of his first Supreme Court nominee was ``disturbing'' and ``very troubling'' and that his opinions ``threaten to undo the advances made by women, minorities, dissenters and other disadvantaged groups.'' That is what the left said about President 41's first nominee. Who was it? David Souter. prgtoken When the President was Ronald Reagan, groups on the left also said that the record of one of his nominees was ``troubling.'' They even called him a ``sexist'' and said he ``would be a disaster for women'' if confirmed. The nominee in question? Anthony Kennedy. prgtoken When the President was Gerald Ford, the left said that they had ``grave concern with his Supreme Court nominee'' and that the record of this nominee ``revealed an extraordinary la
NEW ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED TO MILITARY READINESS
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-1-30

on Friday, President took lifesaving action to begin the much-needed process of rebuilding our military. prgtoken For the past 5 years, the failed policy of defense sequestration has forced our military to endure extreme reductions, dangerously affecting equipment, personnel, and training readiness. Under the order, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis will review all aspects of military readiness. prgtoken As chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, with four sons who have served overseas, I especially appreciate President 's commitment to rebuilding the military. It is critical for American families to ensure that our troops have the resources and training to accomplish their missions. prgtoken This order is a positive first step, and I look forward to working alongside President , Vice President , Paul Ryan, and Chairman Mac Thornberry as we ensure our troops have the resources they need to promote peace through strength. prgtoken God bless our troops. prgtoken We will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism. prgtoken Thank you, President , for vetting refugees to protect American families.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 38, DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-1-31

I ask my friends to bring up H.R. 724, which would rescind President 's appalling and discriminatory refugee ban on women like Samira Asgari, a scientist from Iran who was set to begin a project to study tuberculosis at Harvard Medical School, and was stopped from boarding her flight to the United States. Let us have a vote, let us have a little democracy, in the people's House.