mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMEMBERING ALTO ``BUD'' ADAMS, JR.
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-10-2

I would like to recognize the legacy of an extraordinary Floridian and friend who passed away this past weekend. prgtoken Alto ``Bud'' Adams, Jr owner of Adams Ranch, died this weekend at age 91. Born in Fort Pierce, FL, in 1926, Bud was known in Florida and around the Nation for developing the Braford breed, a new breed of heavy-yielding cattle, crossed between the Herefords and the Brahmans, that was better able to handle the heat of south Florida. prgtoken For 75 years, Bud Adams tended the family-owned Adams Ranch, which has grown to 50,000 acres of land across St. Lucie, Madison, Okeechobee, and Osceola Counties. prgtoken The family's land is home to one of the largest cow-calf ranches in the country. This land was also one of the first sets of conservation easements to be added to the Everglades. Today thousands of acres of Adams Ranch land have been placed into permanent land trust, including part of the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Areas. prgtoken Adams Ranch was first purchased in 1937 for $1.50 an acre by Bud's father, Florida Supreme Court Judge Alto Adams, Sr. prgtoken Since then, Adams Ranch has received multiple environmental awards from Audubon Florida, the Farmers Conservation Alliance, and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association for the owners' leadership in land, water, and wildlife management. prgtoken Bud was also honored with the Pete Hegener Leadership Award by the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County, an honor presented every year to a dedicated business leader who makes a significant contribution to St. Lucie County's economy and quality of life. prgtoken Bud Adams was not just a cattleman and businessman; he was a devoted environmental conservationist and a philanthropist. Bud founded the United Way of St. Lucie County and supported causes like the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery and Heathcote Botanical Gardens. He also sat on the board of the Indian River State College Foundation. prgtoken In Bud's own words, ``It is not enough for us to just do a good job breeding and caring for cattle. We must have a more holistic approach that keeps man, cattle, wildlife, and the land in a relationship that is profitable, productive and can be continued indefinitely.'' prgtoken Bud showed us what it truly meant to be an environmental steward and a cowboy. He always took pride in his management of land, water, and wildlife, and Florida is better because of it. prgtoken I extend my deepest condolences to his family, particularly his wife, Dorothy. He is also survived by his sister Elaine on; his children Alto Lee Adams, III, and his wife, Cindy, Michael L. Adams and his wife, Rachael, and Robert Adams and his wife, Cindee; his grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.
SAINT-GAUDENS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK REDESIGNATION ACT
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-10-2

I thank Congressman McEachin for yielding this time to me. prgtoken , I rise today to urge passage of H.R. 965, the Saint- Gaudens National Historical Park Redesignation Act. prgtoken Named after the great American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, this historic site, located in Cornish, New Hampshire, has preserved his home and working studios since it was established in 1965. prgtoken Augustus Saint-Gaudens was born in Dublin, Ireland, and immigrated to America with his parents when he was just 6 months old. It was at a young age when Augustus developed a strong interest in sculpting, which set him on a path to Paris and Rome, where he studied art and architecture and worked on his very first commission. prgtoken In 1876, Saint-Gaudens was tapped for his first of several prominent Civil War-related commissions, which include the Standing Lincoln statue of our 16th President. At over 12 feet tall, this historic landmark stands prominently in Chicago's Lincoln Park. After working on the statue for close to a decade, the towering piece was unveiled in 1887 to a crowd of over 10,000 people, including President Lincoln's only living grandson. prgtoken His most famous work was commissioned soon after: the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, a bronze bas-relief which took Saint-Gaudens 14 years to complete. Located in Boston Common, this iconic sculpture depicts Colonel Shaw and the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which was the first African-American regiment organized by the Union in the Civil War. prgtoken As one of the foremost American sculptors of the 19th century, Saint- Gaudens left a lasting legacy on our country's artistic heritage, which continues to be cherished at our historic site in Cornish. prgtoken Since its authorization by Congress in 1964 and establishment a year later, the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site has blossomed into a popular tourist attraction and location for local artists and musicians to share their talents. However, the present name, which designates this location as a historic site, is no longer the most appropriate or useful to accurately portray the complexity of this site. prgtoken Whereas, National Historic Sites are typically designated for single buildings or sites that only encompass a few acres in size, the Saint- Gaudens National Historic Site is 190 acres in size and includes multiple buildings, a vast collection of American art, and a small trail network that allows visitors to explore the grounds. prgtoken My legislation would simply redesignate Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site to Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, which would more accurately illustrate all that the park has to offer. prgtoken In partnership with the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, a private nonprofit that operated the site until it donated the land to the National Park Service in 1965, this historic site offers rotating contemporary and historical exhibitions, concerts, hands-on workshops, lectu
CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS: GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE IN NATURAL DISASTERS
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-10-2

the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was among one of the most active hurricane seasons on record. Four major hurricanes--Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria--left terrible devastation in their wakes as the United States and its surrounding neighbors were hit with historically catastrophic storms. As we know far too well, these storms caused billions of dollars in damage across Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and other areas in the region. Much like Hurricane Katrina, the effects of this devastation will be felt for decades. prgtoken The frequency and intensity of these storms continue to be an ongoing issue for our country, and it is a problem that is only further exacerbated by global warming. Warmer oceans and extra heat in the atmosphere caused by climate change provide even more fuel for weather systems. Studies are already demonstrating that storms are intensifying significantly faster today than they did 25 years ago. Additional water vapor in the atmosphere is also leading to extreme precipitation. In fact, Hurricane Harvey brought more than 50 inches of rainfall to the Texas Gulf Coast, representing the greatest accumulation of rainfall ever recovered in the contiguous United States from a single tropical storm. prgtoken As the costs of natural disasters continue to increase, we need to be cognizant of the impact of these costs on communities all across the United States--particularly communities of color or other areas where our most vulnerable populations reside. Federal disaster response needs to be fair and equitable across the board. Communities of color suffer greatly from natural disasters as many are left without housing or jobs to return to after the storm. Low income individuals and minorities suffer even greater when these events occur, making a strong and equitable federal response that much more important. prgtoken , we need to be looking at what we can do as Americans to support our fellow citizens and the steps that we can take to build more resilient infrastructure in the wake of such devastating natural disasters. Each and every American shares in the responsibility to face these natural disasters together as one nation, and we cannot afford to ignore entire segments of the population in the wake of these disasters.
CONFIRMATION OF AJIT PAI
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2017-10-2

I had every intention of ably performing my duty as Senator and voting today on the confirmation of Mr. Ajit Pai to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission. Unfortunately, the tragic events in Las Vegas last night required me to travel back to my home State. My thought and prayers are with the families of those killed and wounded in the vicious and senseless attack outside the Mandalay Bay Resort. prgtoken On the question of Mr. Pai's nomination, I wanted to make my vote in opposition to his confirmation clear. Many of the specific actions taken by Mr. Pai as Chairman of the FCC have raised questions about whether he should garner my support for another term at the Commission. I have come to this decision through a process of reviewing his resume, meeting with him personally to discuss his governing perspective, as well as having questioned him during multiple FCC hearings before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. prgtoken I will continue to keep an open mind in working with Mr. Pai to bridge the digital divide in remote parts of Nevada and for my constituents who simply need more access to complete their homework, apply for jobs, or perform various everyday functions that require quality internet service. At this time, there were too many concerns about actions taken in Mr. Pai's tenure since January, including the process by which he is looking to reform a free and open internet.
IN TRIBUTE TO COLONEL CHRISTOPHER J. BARRON
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-10-2

today I rise to recognize Colonel Christopher J. Barron upon his retirement from the Army Corps of Engineers. prgtoken For 27 years, Colonel Barron had dedicated himself to serving our nation with the Army Corps of Engineers. Colonel Barron, a native of Goshen, New York, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers in 1991. His overseas deployments include combat, reconstruction, and peacekeeping missions in Somalia, Haiti, Macedonia, Bosnia, and Iraq. In his last assignment, Colonel Barron served as District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New England from July 31, 2014 to July 19, 2017. Prior to this post, Colonel Barron served as the U.S. Army War College's Visiting Defense Fellow at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. prgtoken While serving as District Commander of the New England District, Colonel Barron had many accomplishments including dredging projects, navigation improvement, flood risk management, and environmental restoration. It was an honor to work with him on a wide array of dredging projects in my district and across the Connecticut coastline, and I will certainly miss his knowledge of and passion for water resource programs in our area. He was always accessible and open to input from my office which I greatly appreciated. prgtoken Please join me in congratulating my friend, Colonel Barron, on an impressive career of service with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and wishing him a wonderful retirement.
CELEBRATING 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BLACK WOMEN'S TASK FORCE OF TUCSON
Raúl M. Grijalva (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2017-10-2

I wish to recognize the Black Women's Task Force of Tucson on the event of its 40th anniversary. prgtoken The Black Women's Task Force of Tucson organized with the mission of ``educating and empowering women through support and networking for equality and success in the Tucson community.'' Serving as a bedrock of the Tucson community for four decades, it has met its mission statement and more. prgtoken The Black Women's Task Force of Tucson provides much-needed access to information on healthcare and business, as well as hosting events and providing a space to share stories with the Tucson community. Part of its community support is assisting local students through a variety of programs and scholarships. prgtoken For example, the Black Women's Task Force donated over one hundred computers to students in the Tucson Unified School District and sponsored student trips to Africa and South America with an academic focus. There have been many changes throughout the last 40 years; and many fights won in the pursuit of social and economic equality for women. prgtoken However, there is still much work to be done both in Tucson and throughout the nation. I know that the Black Women's Task Force will continue to be a positive force for change. I cannot emphasize enough the impact that this organization has had on the Tucson community. prgtoken From helping victims of domestic violence to feeding the hungry, the Black Women's Task Force has worked tirelessly to make our city a better place for everyone. I look forward to seeing the impact the Black Women's Task Force has on the next forty years. For that, it would be my honor to ask that the work done for the past forty years by the Black Women's Task Force be known to this Congress as a force for good in the City of Tucson.
Las Vegas Mass Shooting (Executive Session)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-10-2

I commend the words and the determination for action that were expressed by the Senator from Connecticut and the Senator from Illinois. Like them, and like so many people across the country, I start with condolences and prayers and commendations. I offer condolences to the families--the names and the families we don't know yet--of this most recent tragedy, but we do know they are not only worthy of our expressions of condolence but will be in need of our prayers. Then, I offer commendations, of course, to the first responders and the law enforcement officials who responded as they always do, running toward the danger, running to help. We can't say enough about the work they do. prgtoken If we stop at expressing condolences and offering prayers and commending those who take action, like first responders and law enforcement--if we stop there, I don't think that is an adequate response to this tragedy, just like it wasn't an adequate response in connection with the Pulse Night Club or the tragedy in December of 2012 in Newtown, CT. It is nowhere near an adequate response when we consider the enormity of this problem. prgtoken I believe we have to take action. I will talk about that in a moment. Action must start with what happens on this floor. It is difficult to take action necessarily if there isn't time for debate, time for collaboration on legislation, and ultimately consideration of legislation on the floor of the Senate and I would hope in the U.S. House of Representatives. prgtoken The enormity of this tragedy is almost hard to comprehend when we think about it, not just in terms of the number, which at last count was 58 killed and over 500--over 500--injured. Those numbers are almost too large to comprehend; that one person with one weapon or maybe several weapons was able to inflict that kind of carnage in one place at one time. I don't know how long it took, but he wasn't shooting for many hours to kill that many people. He did it in a short timeframe. prgtoken When we consider those numbers, I have to ask--I don't know if we went back and compared a similar day or a similar timeframe, comparing the loss of life in the context of war, but I am sure there were plenty of days of conflict where Americans were on foreign soil in a battle, in a war, where we would have lost even less lives on a particular day or a portion of a particular day. The scale of this is almost unimaginable. prgtoken Then, we need to consider what has been happening on our streets. Every State, every community has their own numbers. I can point to Pennsylvania. Just since 2014, thousands of shootings--by one estimate I think over 7,700--but then, of course, the more ominous number is the number of people killed as a result of those shootings. In Pennsylvania, since 2014, some 2,072 people have died as a result of that larger number of shootings. prgtoken I think for the Nation, and I think, certainly, undoubtedly for
Las Vegas Mass Shooting (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-10-2

let me thank my colleague from Connecticut. He sponsored a filibuster on this issue, I believe it was last year. I participated in it, as did many Members of our caucus. prgtoken Both he and Senator Blumenthal bring a special perspective to this issue of gun violence, representing the State of Connecticut and the families who lost their first graders. I believe they were first graders who were shot down, 20 of them killed in their classrooms. prgtoken I remember, when I heard that story on how those children died and their teachers died, I thought to myself: This must be the moment that will motivate America to finally do something if innocent, first grade children can be shot down in their classrooms in this fashion. prgtoken The honest answer is that we have spoken a lot about the issue, but we have done little or nothing to change the circumstances that led to their death. prgtoken If that were the only case, it would be bad enough, but the Orlando nightclub--I believe 49 were killed there. Some crazed person went there and killed innocent people gathered at that nightclub. prgtoken As Senator Murphy has said, when you go through the litany, it is an endless litany of victims of gun violence--and last night in Las Vegas, NV, the worst gun crime in the modern history of the United States of America, the worst. prgtoken Estimates now, which I saw as I came to the floor, are that 58 have died and over 500 were seriously injured. I don't know what the ultimate numbers will be, but those numbers, in and of themselves, are incredible. prgtoken Last night, we witnessed what was the worst mass shooting to date in the Nation. This gunman, supposedly, at 10 p.m. last night in Las Vegas local time, began firing from a room on the 32nd floor of a hotel into a crowd of people gathered for a country music festival. He supposedly was holed up in his hotel room with at least 10 guns and obviously fired hundreds of rounds of ammunition. prgtoken As I mentioned, 58 people have been reported to have died, and over 515 injured. Those are staggering and horrifying numbers. prgtoken There are literally hundreds of families tonight and communities who have been changed forever by this horrendous crime. Our prayers, obviously, naturally, go out to them in this moment of loss and uncertainty. prgtoken During and after the shooting--as we expect but should never take for granted--law enforcement, first responders, acted like the heroes that they are, working to stop the shooter, securing the scene, helping the victims, saving lives. We are grateful to these first responders, who so often are called to run to the sound of gunfire to keep us safe, not to run away. prgtoken It is unthinkable that this type of shooting tragedy could happen in the United States of America, but I am sorry to say it is becoming a regular occurrence. This was the worst, but yesterday, October 1, was also the 2-year anniversary of the mass shooting in
COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT OF MINERAL RIGHTS ACT OF 2017
A. Donald McEachin (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-10-2

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 2316 is nearly identical to a bill that passed the House last year with overwhelming bipartisan support. prgtoken The intent of the bill, according to the sponsor, is to ensure that owners of mineral rights in the Allegheny National Forest are allowed to drill for their oil and gas within the boundaries of that national forest. prgtoken In the Natural Resources Committee last Congress, the majority accepted an amendment by Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member Lowenthal that clarified the intent of the bill and ensured that the Forest Service would still receive advance notice of any oil and gas operations and that no other national forest would be affected. prgtoken So this bill is a bipartisan compromise that protects the private property rights while also protecting the rights of the Forest Service, and I thank the sponsor for working so cooperatively on this. prgtoken , I support H.R. 2316, and .
HONORING THE ANACOSTIA COORDINATING COUNCIL
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2017-10-2

I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the Anacostia Coordinating Council (ACC) on its 25th anniversary and the retirement of its chairman Arrington Dixon, for his service to the ACC and the District of Columbia. prgtoken Arrington Dixon took his 25th boat ride down the Anacostia River while retiring as chair of the ACC on Saturday, September 30, 2017. prgtoken A boatload of District of Columbia residents proudly celebrated the silver anniversary of the ACC boat ride and, particularly, the service of Arrington Dixon as chair of the ACC. prgtoken Arrington Dixon has led not only the ACC, but also the ACC's annual boat ride on the Anacostia River. This year's boat ride provided a unique opportunity to celebrate Ward 8 and the one-of-a-kind fellowship offered by the boat ride. prgtoken The boat ride also proudly celebrates its sponsoring organization, the ACC. The ACC has been deeply embedded in the life and work of the Ward 8 community since 1983, when it was founded to organize support for the Anacostia Metro. prgtoken Arrington Dixon was born in Anacostia. Unlike many civic leaders, Arrington Dixon has held important elected offices in the District of Columbia. He was a member of the first D.C. Council of the District of Columbia (1978-1979), representing Ward 4; chairman of the Council (1979-1983); and at-large member of the Council (1997). In 1995, he was appointed to the National Capital Planning Commission and remains on the Commission. After such distinguished service, most leaders often believe they have done their work. However, Arrington Dixon has continued to serve without portfolio. His service as chair of the ACC is among his most notable civic achievements. He has built the ACC into a formidable organization much-admired for its leadership and many contributions. prgtoken Arrington Dixon's decision to retire on the silver anniversary of the ACC boat ride offered an appropriate occasion to recognize his many distinguished contributions to his hometown and to his Anacostia community as well as the contributions of the ACC for its annual boat ride. prgtoken Therefore, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing: prgtoken Arrington Dixon for his outstanding official and civic contributions to the District of Columbia; prgtoken The ACC for its civic and financial contributions to the District of Columbia; and prgtoken The silver anniversary of the ACC.