mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING DR. LESTER TENNEY
Darrell Issa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-3-7

I rise today to honor Dr. Lester Irwin Tenney of Carlsbad, California, who recently passed away on February 24, 2017 at the age of 96. I am proud to recognize his memory as his Congressman and admire his life's work to strengthen ties with our allies in Japan. Dr. Tenney served our nation during World War II on the 192nd Tank Battalion in the Philippines. Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, his battalion continuously fought against the Japanese assault until his commanders surrendered on April 9, 1942. He became a Prisoner of War and survived the infamous Bataan Death March, while thousands of his American and Filipino counterparts perished. He was then forced to work in a Japanese coal mine until the conclusion of the war. Upon returning to the U.S Dr. Tenney studied business at San Diego State University, taught finance at Arizona State University, and started his own financial planning firm. After publishing his memoirs documenting the atrocities he experienced as a POW, Dr. Tenney made it his mission to forgive his captors and establish friendships with Japanese citizens. As national commander of the Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, he met the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, prgtoken Ichiro Fujisaki, and arranged for a public apology on behalf of Japan to the surviving POWs. He also worked with the Japanese government to establish the U.S.-Japan POW Friendship Program, which allows former POWs and their families to visit Japan annually. Finally, Dr. Tenney received a personal apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2015 and just last month received a letter of apology from Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, one of the companies that profited from POW labor at the time. I have been fortunate enough to know Dr. Tenney. His courage and tenacity are an inspiration to all, and his moving story demonstrates how much impact one person can have on world affairs. Dr. Tenney's legacy is admirable and his impressive achievements in U.S.-Japan relations will be remembered for years to come. He is survived by his wife, Betty, and his son, two stepsons, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. I extend my condolences to his family in this difficult time.
HONORING REILLY RENKEN
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2017-3-7

I rise today to honor Reilly Renken, a remarkable young lady making a big difference in central Illinois. prgtoken Just after she was born, Reilly was diagnosed with a rare genetic abnormality, along with a form of epilepsy that severely impacts her neurological development. Her parents were told by numerous specialists that she would need support for the rest of her life and that she would likely never read or write. But Reilly proved them wrong. While her genetic makeup is one of a kind, she also has a one-of-a-kind personality. prgtoken Despite the obstacles she has overcome, Reilly was determined to be a cheerleader. Now she is an integral part of the cheerleading squad at Glenwood Middle School in Chatham, Illinois. prgtoken Cheering on the Titans has become one of Reilly's greatest joys, and her presence on the squad has been a joy for her teammates as well. They will tell you that they wouldn't be the squad they are without Reilly and her positive attitude. She brings life to their practices and they always count on her to make them smile. prgtoken Reilly is a true inspiration. She shows all of us what is possible when we put our minds to something. Thanks to her, students at Glenwood Middle School have learned the importance of celebrating our differences. prgtoken Way to go, Reilly.
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TRANSITION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017
Lamar Smith (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-7

I thank the chairman of the Subcommittee on Space for yielding me time. prgtoken The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017 provides bipartisan and bicameral guidance for NASA as we usher in a new era of space exploration. prgtoken I support this bill and the direction it establishes for America's space program. S. 442, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent on February 17, includes almost all of the policy provisions from the House authorization bills that passed the House in the last Congress with broad bipartisan support. In fact, it authorizes the House's proposed fiscal year 2017 funding level of $19.5 billion. prgtoken This bill provides a balanced NASA portfolio across all of the mission directorates. It maintains congressional direction for priority near-term programs, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, the Space Launch System, the Orion crew vehicle, the International Space Station, and the Commercial Crew and Cargo Programs. prgtoken NASA's exploration projects are vulnerable to changes in the political landscape. We must have a flexible space program, but not one that is knocked off course. Successfully combining flexibility with constancy of purpose requires thoughtful planning. prgtoken This bill directs NASA to create a roadmap for human exploration. An exploration roadmap will help NASA inform Congress and the President, as well as direct the future path and tempo of exploration for decades to come. prgtoken This legislation also looks to the future of scientific exploration. It provides support for NASA's Mars 2020 rover, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, and a mission to Europa, Jupiter's icy moon that possibly harbors the building blocks of life. It establishes that one of NASA's fundamental objectives is ``the search for life's origin, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe.'' prgtoken Toward that end, this legislation directs the NASA Administrator to develop both an exoplanet exploration strategy and an astrobiology strategy within 18 months after the bill is signed into law. It also directs the NASA Administrator to report on how the Administration can expand collaborative partnerships for these scientific endeavors. prgtoken Just 2 weeks ago, NASA announced that it had confirmed the existence of prgtoken seven planets around a nearby star, three of which are in the ``habitable zone.'' This bill builds upon these awe-inspiring discoveries and will help ``unlock the mysteries of space,'' as President said in his inaugural address. prgtoken Part of achieving success in space exploration is making sure that NASA is not burdened with funding other agency missions. For example, there are 17 agencies with responsibility for studying climate change, but only 1 agency, NASA, is responsible for space exploration. This bill directs the NASA Administrator to seek reimbursement whenever responsibilities are transferred to
RECOGNIZING MALI GARDNER IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-3-7

in recognition of Women's History Month, I rise today to honor Mali Gardner, a remarkable individual and public servant in Florida. Ms. Gardner was first elected to the Clewiston City Commission in October of 1999 and was reelected in 2003, 2008, and 2012. Ms. Gardner's work extends far beyond her important role on the Clewiston City Commission. In 2001, Ms. Gardner was appointed Mayor of Clewiston, where she served until 2010, and was elected Mayor once again in December 2016. Her tireless efforts on behalf of the public led her to become part of Governor Rick Scott's Economic Development Transition Team, where she worked to extend economic opportunities to Floridians across the state. Ms. Gardner's public service extends beyond her work on the Clewiston City Commission or her mayoral activities. Ms. Gardner is a Paul on Fellow in the Clewiston Rotary Club. As a graduate of Clewiston High School, her commitment to the Clewiston community runs deep. Whether it is fighting for better schools or more economic opportunities for residents of Clewiston, it's a safe bet that Ms. Gardner is standing up for her constituents and neighbors. I have been privileged to work with Mali in her capacity as mayor, and been impressed time and again with her work ethic and devotion to her community I am privileged to know Ms. Gardner and I greatly admire her service to the community. I have known Mali for many years, and she has consistently been among the most active, positive, and fore thinking individuals I have been privileged to work with. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing her and her achievements.
FINDLAY NAMED TOP MICROPOLITAN COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-3-7

I would like to recognize the City of Findlay, Ohio for being named a 2016 Top Micropolitan Community in the United States. This is the third year in a row that Findlay has been selected by Site Selection magazine for this honor. Site Selection ranks micropolitan areas, which have populations ranging between 10,000 and 50,000, by evaluating different sets of criteria for opportunities to provide proven sustainable success. Findlay, once again, ranked highest out of these cities with 22 projects that secure and grow the local economic growth of the community. Findlay has made quite a name for itself by focusing their efforts on steady economic development. Site Selection has deemed this the ``Findlay Formula,'' the building of strong, reliable partnerships from the local government arena to both business and nonprofit organizations the success in Findlay is a testament to the strong leadership and tight-knit community that exists in Hancock County. I'm excited about potential future development and the benefits it will bring to residents and businesses that are proud to call Findlay home. Congratulations once again to the City of Findlay for being named a top Micropolitan community.
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-3-7

I know the Presiding Officer is a fellow westerner, from a State that is impacted by decisions made by our public lands management agencies, whether that is the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service. Both Colorado and Arizona, as well as Wyoming and Utah--all of our Western States--are greatly affected by decisions that are made in Washington, DC. In a conversation I had with the Presiding Officer from Arizona, we discussed the fact that 85 percent of the State of Arizona is managed by the Federal Government. Whether it is the State or a Tribal entity or the Federal Government, about 47 percent is being federally managed. In the State of Colorado, about half of our State is managed by a public entity. Whether that is the State or a Tribal entity or the Forest Service, BLM land, the Department of the Interior, roughly half of the State is managed by the Federal Government, the State government or others. In other words, it is not in private landownership. So that means that the decisions made by these public land management agencies have a significantly outsized impact on our States than it does on States say east of the Mississippi. prgtoken So today I come to the floor to talk about one of those decisions made by the Bureau of Land Management's planning 2.0 rule. The discussion we are having today is about whether we should approve a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to stop the BLM 2.0 rule from going forward. prgtoken The Bureau of Land Management has over 245 million acres of public land. Almost all of those acres are west of the Mississippi River, predominantly in 12 States. The final BLM 2.0 rule is an example of how little Washington bureaucrats understand about the West and how little they understand about how the Federal Government and how Federal policymaking doesn't work when you try to take something they think of in Washington and put it on the people of the West. prgtoken It is the promulgation of this rule that actually led to my call for relocating the headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management out of Washington, DC, and to put it in a place like Grand Junction, CO, because I believe it is important that we have public land managers and decisions about our public lands being made by those who are directly affected by that public land being in their backyard. If you live in the State of Colorado or if you are a county commissioner on the Western Slope, some of those counties have over 90 percent of their county managed by the Federal Government. A decision made by that public land agency directly impacts them, not in a couple of weeks or months or next year but that very same day. To have somebody from Washington, DC, deciding a one-size-fits-all approach that is going to apply to a Western Slope county commissioner is just absurd. So moving the BLM headquarters to a place like Colorado or Arizona would absolutely result in better poli
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR-- Continued
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2017-3-7

we are coming to the end of debate on the disapproval resolution for the BLM Planning 2.0 Rule. I would like to take just a few minutes to highlight the very broad support it has drawn here on Capitol Hill but really across the country. prgtoken Here in the Senate, I mentioned earlier that there is a total of 17 Members who have joined me in sponsoring our version of this resolution. That is nearly one-fifth of this Chamber. It includes every from a Western State with BLM lands within its borders. These are Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Montana, even Kentucky, and the State of the occupant of the Chair, North Dakota, and Oklahoma, so a very strong contingent of Members who are in support of this disapproval resolution. prgtoken Across the Capitol, the House of Representatives passed this resolution with bipartisan support a couple of weeks ago through the leadership of Representative of Wyoming. This resolution wound up with 234 votes in the House. That is a pretty strong vote. prgtoken The reason why so many Members of the House and the Senate want to overturn BLM's planning 2.0 Rule is pretty simple. We know what it means for our Western States. We don't like the impacts that it will have and neither do a wide variety of elected officials and stakeholders back home. prgtoken In my State of Alaska, I have heard from the Alaska Municipal League, the Alaska Farm Bureau, and the Associated General Contractors of Alaska. The Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce wrote to ask us to overturn the rule. The Alaska Chamber wrote in support of our resolution because they said BLM's planning process ``has grown to be substantially lengthier, more confusing, and burdensome for stakeholders to engage in.'' prgtoken We have heard from our leaders in the Alaska State Legislature, State Senators Pete Kelly and John Coghill, who have asked for this rule to be nullified, as have several of our Alaska Native corporations, including CIRI, Olgoonik, and Calista Corporation. The Alaska chapter of the Safari Club opposes it because its landscape-level approach to land management planning has the potential to withdraw and lock up even more land in Alaska. prgtoken Alaska's energy, mineral, and timber producers are united in their opposition to this rule and in their support of our disapproval resolution. We have heard from the Resource Development Council, the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, the Alaska Forest Association, the Council of Alaska Producers, the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Fortymile Mining District, and the Alaska Miners Association, and they all oppose BLM's planning 2.0 Rule because it reduces economic opportunities for Alaskans--those who actually live near these BLM lands, who know prgtoken the most about them, and who depend on them to provide for their families. prgtoken It is the same story in many other Western States, from Arizona and
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TRANSITION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017
Brian Babin (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-7

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017. This bipartisan and bicameral bill grew to maturity through many long and serious discussions about the future of our Nation's space program. prgtoken I am encouraged by the bill's persistent emphasis on the continuity of purpose and stability. It is crucial that we continue to support NASA's ongoing human exploration efforts. prgtoken I am proud to note the inclusion of the To Research Evaluate, Assess, and Treat Astronauts Act, better known as the TREAT Astronauts Act, which will ensure that our Nation's astronauts receive support for medical issues associated with their service. The language of this bill is exactly the same as the TREAT Astronauts Act that was passed in the House on December 7, 2016. prgtoken As a medical professional myself, I care deeply about this issue. I am honored to have sponsored the original legislation, and am proud to contribute to an important program that will support the brave men and women of our astronaut corps. Outer space poses many medical challenges. The human body simply is not designed to thrive in microgravity, or weightlessness. We know that spending time in space is risky. We want to understand the reasons why the TREAT Astronauts Act will ensure the retention of our astronauts' medical data and help to continue our research in aerospace medicine, while also providing our astronauts with the medical care that they need and deserve after risking so much in service to our country. prgtoken This bill continues support for the important work on the Space Launch System, the Orion crew vehicle, and commercial cargo and crew programs. prgtoken The future of the International Space Station is another key topic addressed in this legislation. We are committed to operating the ISS until 2024. Beyond that date, however, maintaining NASA's current level of support for the ISS will dramatically affect the rest of NASA's portfolio, particularly in human spaceflight. prgtoken This bill opens the debate about how and under what circumstances NASA's presence in low-Earth orbit can and should be continued beyond 2024. Balancing NASA's presence and low Earth orbit and beyond low Earth orbit will require thoughtful and informed decisionmaking. My hope is that NASA will explore unique partnerships that will maintain NASA's ability to utilize low Earth orbit in an efficient manner by leveraging private sector investment. This bill will help inform and frame that imminent debate. prgtoken This bill also addresses NASA's facilities and infrastructure here on Earth. NASA must develop a plan so that its labs, tools, facilities, and infrastructure can support a robust exploration agenda. Right- sizing NASA's footprint is a longstanding challenge. We must maintain critical capabilities but also find efficiencies where they
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR-- Continued
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-3-7

. I appreciate that question. prgtoken We must continue to urge the FDA to fully implement its relatively new authority. Every one of us in this body represents constituents who are battling rare diseases, and I urge the FDA to consider this flexibility as applied in reviewing all candidates' therapies. prgtoken I will continue to work closely with my Senate colleagues to ensure that the FDA uses the tools, authorities, and resources required to provide patients and physicians with new treatment options. I have also contacted the FDA frequently during the past year to encourage the agency to listen to the voices of patients during the agency's evaluation process. prgtoken When the Senate considers the nominee for FDA Commissioner, I will continue to stress the importance of incorporating a balanced and flexible approach when weighing risks, benefits, and outcomes, especially when dealing with small patient populations with such rapidly progressing prognoses. prgtoken Patients with limited or no treatment options are depending on FDA to utilize the flexibility outlined in FDASIA. This law, which provides full and fair review of new drug therapies in a timely manner, gives hope to patients suffering from life threatening diseases and, of course, their families as well. prgtoken I ask Senator Klobuchar, how can we move forward into the next user fee agreement?
PROTECTING YOUNG VICTIMS FROM SEXUAL ABUSE ACT
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2017-3-7

today I wish to support the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act of 2017. I commend Senator Feinstein for her leadership on this bill and for shining a spotlight on the atrocious crimes perpetrated against young American athletes. prgtoken Sexual abuse is a heinous crime that must be eradicated in every corner of our society. I have long worked to prevent sexual assault and ensure that survivors have access to the resources and support they need. Last year, the Indianapolis Star reported on allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct made against coaches, gym owners, and other adults affiliated with USA Gymnastics over several decades. These very serious allegations included sexual abuse against young athletes. Predatory coaches were allowed to move from gym to gym, undetected by a lax system of oversight. The investigation also revealed that officials at USA Gymnastics, one of America's most prominent Olympic organizations, failed to alert police to many incidents of sexual abuse that occurred on their watch. prgtoken These crimes have hurt hundreds of victims across various sports. This Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Assault Act would require amateur athletic governing bodies, such as USA Gymnastics and other U.S. Olympic organizations, to promptly report every allegation of sexual abuse to the proper authorities. This legislation would help survivors receive justice and protect more people from becoming victims. prgtoken In addition, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Assault Act would require these national governing bodies to develop robust policies and procedures for mandatory reporting to law enforcement and to develop training and oversight practices to prevent abuse. This bill would also bolster Masha's Law, the law that lets minors bring civil suits against sexual predators and extends the statute of limitations for such cases. prgtoken The young athletes who train to represent our country at the top levels of competition and those at all levels who aspire to compete should not have to fear victimization by trusted coaches and sports officials. I want to again thank Senator Feinstein for her leadership on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.