mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-9-11

notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, September 12, the Senate proceed to executive session for consideration of Calendar No. 110, the nomination of Kevin Hassett to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. I further ask that there be 20 minutes of debate on the nomination equally divided in the usual form; that following the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote on confirmation with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.
COMMEMORATING THE 26TH ANNIVERSARY OF MACEDONIA'S INDEPENDENCE
David A. Trott (Republican, MI) \u2014 2017-9-11

today, I, along with Macedonian Caucus co- chairs Representatives Dingell and Boyle, rise to recognize the 26th anniversary of Macedonia's independence. On September 8, 1991, the people of the Republic of Macedonia voted to end their centuries-long struggle for a free, independent and sovereign Macedonian Republic in Southeast Europe. Macedonian Independence Day provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the Macedonian-American community's substantial contributions within the United States. This month will also mark the 22nd year of full diplomatic relations between the United States and Macedonia. We extend our congratulations to all of Macedonian heritage for their accomplishments as we commemorate this anniversary of Macedonia's independence. As a critical ally, we underscored the importance of supporting this young democracy. Therefore, we include in the Record the following letter to Secretary of State Tillerson: Dear Secretary Tillerson: As members of the Macedonia Caucus and friends of Macedonia, together with our partners in NATO and the EU, we have been closely watching the developing political situation in Macedonia. As Macedonia continues on a path toward a stronger future, we see a tremendous opportunity to further promote a strong relationship with this key Balkan ally. Since the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1995, the United States of America has readily supported Macedonia's aspirations for full integration into Euro- Atlantic institutions, and remains committed to helping Macedonia strengthen its democratic foundations. A vibrant, multi-cultural country, Macedonia has a positive future ahead, and we look forward to engaging with Macedonia to ensure that it realizes this potential. Despite common interests and a growing security and economic partnership, the last time a Secretary of Defense visited Macedonia was a decade ago, and it's been almost 15 years since a Secretary of State visited Skopje. With Macedonia beginning a crucial portion of its contemporary history, and non-state and state actors like Russia looking to exploit and influence vulnerable countries in the region, the dynamics in the Balkans present an exceptional opportunity to show Macedonia that the United States of America recognizes the value of strengthening this relationship. As you work to develop the European policy of the administration, we hope that you will see it is in the best interests of the United States to further our relationship with Macedonia, as we strive for a safer and freer world. We stand ready to assist you in your efforts to actively promote this bilateral relationship. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter and we look forward to your leadership on this issue.
COMMEMORATING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF NEW PARIS, OHIO
Warren Davidson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-9-11

it is with great pride that I recognize and celebrate the 200th Anniversary of New Paris, Ohio. The bicentennial celebration is a historical benchmark for New Paris, as well as the State of Ohio. In the 1800s, pioneers from Kentucky traveled north in covered wagons and settled in a valley 50 miles west of Dayton, Ohio, on the border of Indiana. There, they built family homes and a local church. In 1817, founders James Fleming and Andrew Ireland named the town ``New Paris'' after the City of Paris in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Songwriter Benjamin R. Hanby made New Paris known throughout the entire country after he composed the Christmas song, ``Up On the House Top'' in 1864. The first school opened in 1818, and its first newspaper was established in 1844. By 1865, New Paris' 650 residences were very involved in agriculture and developed cotton mills, tanneries, pork- packing plants and had a meat market. Over the past 200 years, New Paris, Ohio has developed a rich heritage and a high level of community involvement that would make its forefathers proud. I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in congratulating the citizens, elected officials and businesses in New Paris on their rich history, and bright future ahead.
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF FALLEN MISSISSIPPI SOLDIER ARMY FIRST LIEUTENANT (1LT) DONALD CLAYTON CARWILE
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2017-9-11

today I rise in memory of Army First Lieutenant (1LT) Donald Clayton Carwile who paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending our great nation on August 15, 2008, during Operation Enduring Freedom. 1LT Carwile was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 1LT Carwile was killed when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb and then attacked by insurgents with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Wardak Province, Afghanistan. Army Private First Class (PFC) Paul E. Conlon, Jr. of Somerville, Massachusetts was also killed. prgtoken 1LT Carwile enlisted in the Army shortly after he graduated from Lafayette High School. Following a three-year enlistment, he returned home to his family after the death of his stepmother. During that time, he served as a police officer at the Batesville Police Department and later, at the Oxford Police Department. While he was working in law enforcement, 1LT Carwile earned his degree in criminal justice at the University of Mississippi. prgtoken In 2006, 1LT Carwile re-enlisted in the Army and qualified for Officer Candidate School, where he was commissioned as an infantry officer. He was assigned as a platoon leader in the 101st Airborne Division. His wife, Jennifer, was asked about her husband's experience in the Army by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. ``He cared so much about the men in his platoon,'' Jennifer said. ``He always said his first goal was to bring his men home, and his second, only after that, was to come home himself.'' prgtoken In 2016, the House and the Senate approved legislation I introduced to honor 1LT Carwile. H.R. 5309, designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 401 McElroy Drive in Oxford, Mississippi as the Army First Lieutenant Donald C. Carwile Post Office Building. Family, friends, emergency responders, and local officials came to the dedication ceremony held in April 2017. prgtoken 1LT Carwile distinguished himself as a leader in the Army which earned him many awards. He received the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, Combat lnfantryman Badge, Air Assault Badge, Parachutist Badge, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon. prgtoken 1LT Carwile is survived by his wife, Jennifer; two daughters, Avery Claire and Elizabeth Reese; and his parents, Dennis and Judy Carwile. prgtoken 1LT Carwile is a hero. We will never forget his sacrifice to protect our freedoms in this great nation. It is important to honor notable Mississippians who are willing and proud to pay that price. Everyone who passes through the doors of the post office will be reminded of a soldier who loved his country.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-9-11

when we finish this period of morning business, which is open to speeches and statements on many different topics, we will then go to the Defense authorization bill. Our process in the Senate is to authorize spending and then to appropriate the money for the actual spending. Occasionally, those two things are in sync, but many times they are not. I am afraid that what we face today is uncertainty. prgtoken Senator McCain, who is the chairman of the defense authorization committee, will bring his proposal to the floor, but it is at a spending level that is not allowed by current law. The Budget Control Act will not allow Senator McCain or the Senate to spend at prgtoken the level at which he wants to spend. I can make a good argument that the statutory level we are required to hold to is inadequate to our national defense. If we are honest about taking care of the problem, we not only have to pass this authorization bill, but we have to change the Budget Control Act so that we can put more money into our national defense. That debate will get started this week. It is near and dear to Senator McCain's heart. He works hard on it each year with Senator Jack Reed, a from Rhode Island. prgtoken There will be many amendments considered, I am sure, during the course of this week on Defense authorization.
HONORING THE 130TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Judy Chu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-9-11

I rise today to honor the 130th Anniversary of First African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Pasadena, California, for their proud history and countless contributions to our community. Established in 1887, just one year after the founding of the City of Pasadena, First AME Church was organized at the home of Joseph Holmes, the first black settler in the city. The church became one of the first places where African Americans in the area could come together as a community. This was not without its challenges, as the small church faced hostility and opposition from their neighbors, forcing the congregation to move frequently before finally finding a long-term home in 1913. With this stability, First AME became a mainstay in the community and a catalyst for social change in Pasadena throughout the 20th Century. As a leader in the African American community's fight for racial equality, First AME was instrumental in efforts to desegregate Pasadena public schools, integrate the city's public workforce and main public pool, and in founding the Pasadena chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Today, First AME continues its proud tradition of service to the community--hosting events to feed the hungry, house the homeless, provide job training, and collect clothing for those in need, all while offering a safe place for congregants to come together in worship. On this momentous anniversary, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating First AME Church of Pasadena and its congregants for 130 years of proud service to their congregants and community.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-9-11

. Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment and to commend Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their leadership in shepherding this bill to the floor. prgtoken Among other agencies, this legislation funds the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park System, and the Smithsonian Institution. prgtoken Most Americans do not know that this bill also funds a very special program, the National Recreation and Preservation. prgtoken Mr. Chair, the Jackson Lee Amendment is simple but it sends a very important message from the Congress of the United States. prgtoken The Jackson Lee Amendment provides: prgtoken Sec.__. None of the funds made available by this Act for the ``DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE--NATIONAL RECREATION AND PRESERVATION'' may be used in contravention of section 461 of title 16, United States Code. prgtoken And 16 U.S. Code Sec. 461 provides that: prgtoken It is declared that it is a national policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States. prgtoken This is important, especially as it relates to National Heritage Areas (NHAs). prgtoken NHAs both preserve our national heritage and provide economic benefits to communities and regions through their commitment to heritage conservation and economic development. prgtoken Through public-private partnerships, NHA entities support historic preservation, natural resource conservation, recreation, heritage tourism, and educational projects. prgtoken Leveraging funds and long-term support for projects, NHA partnerships generate increased economic impact for regions in which they are located. prgtoken In 2012, a nationally respected consulting firm (Tripp Umbach) completed a comprehensive economic impact study of six NHA sites in the Northeast Region that also included an extrapolation of the economic benefit of all 49 NHA sites on the national economy. prgtoken The annual economic impact was estimated to be $12.9 billion. prgtoken The economic activity supports approximately 148,000 jobs and generates $1.2 billion annually in Federal revenues from sources prgtoken such as employee compensation, proprietor income, indirect business tax, households, and corporations. prgtoken The study quantified the economic impacts of individual NHAs based upon a case study approach and found that the economic impact of the three National Historic Areas in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania showed: prgtoken 1. Essex National Heritage Area (MA) generates $153.8 million in economic impact, supports 1,832 jobs, and generates $14.3 million in tax revenue. prgtoken 2. Oil Region National Heritage Area (PA) generates $21.2 million in economic impact, supports 314 jobs, and generates $1.5 million in tax revenue; and prgtoken 3. Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area (AZ) $22.7 million in economic impact, supports 277
TRIBUTE TO FLORENCE NEMPHOS
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-9-11

today I wish to recognize and extend my sincerest congratulations and happy birthday wishes to Florence Nemphos. On August 17, 2017, Florence celebrated her 100th birthday. prgtoken Florence Nemphos was born in Saugus, MA, on August 17, 1917 to two loving parents, Annie LeBrun and Richard LeBlanc. Florence has been a resident of Seabrook, NH, for the past 34 years. Florence is known as an outstanding woman and a vital and active member of her tightknit community. prgtoken For over 40 years, Florence has dedicated part of every week to playing bingo at the American Legion of Seabrook and the Seabrook Fire Association with members of the Seabrook community that she calls her bingo buddies. prgtoken As Senator for New Hampshire, I would like to honor Florence on the occasion of her 100th birthday. I join with Florence's friends and family, as well as many, many people in her hometown of Seabrook and across the Granite State, in wishing her a very happy 100th birthday.
HURRICANE IRMA DISASTER RELIEF
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-9-11

as Hurricane Irma continues to buffet Florida, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Florida and the rest of the Southeast that is in the storm's path. The ic caucus and I stand ready to work with the majority leader and his caucus, members of the administration, and officials in Florida to provide them with the resources and aid they need. prgtoken Just as we were able to speedily pass an aid package after Harvey, I expect we will come together to support rescue and recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irma and in some of the other disasters, particularly the fires out west.
NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED BY GOVERNOR CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-9-11

former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman wrote recently in The New York Times about ``the dangerous political turn of an agency that is supposed to be guided by science.'' prgtoken Governor Whitman, a who served as EPA Administrator under President , has a stark warning about the direction the Agency is taking under President and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt: ``Policy should always be rooted in unbiased science. The EPA is too important to treat like a reality TV show. People's lives and our country's resources are at stake.'' prgtoken , I include in the Record the entirety of Governor Whitman's op-ed in The New York Times, ``How Not to Run the E.P.A.'': I have been worried about how the Environmental Protection Agency would be run ever since President appointed Scott Pruitt, the former attorney general of Oklahoma, to oversee it. The past few months have confirmed my fears. The agency created by a president 47 years ago to protect the environment and public health may end up doing neither under Mr. Pruitt's direction, As a appointed by President to run the agency, I can hardly be written off as part of the liberal resistance to the new administration. But the evidence is abundant of the dangerous political turn of an agency that is supposed to be guided by science. The E.P.A.'s recent attack on a reporter for The Associated Press and the installation of a political appointee to ferret out grants containing ``the double C-word'' are only the latest manifestations of my fears, which mounted with Mr. Pruitt's swift and legally questionable repeals of E.P.A. regulations--actions that pose real and lasting threats to the nation's land, air, water and public health. All of that is bad enough. But Mr. Pruitt recently unveiled a plan that amounts to a slow-rolling catastrophe in the making: the creation of an antagonistic ``red team'' of dissenting scientists to challenge the conclusions reached by thousands of scientists over decades of research on climate change. It will serve only to confuse the public and sets a deeply troubling precedent for policy-making at the E.P.A. The red-team approach makes sense in the military and in consumer and technology companies, where assumptions about enemy strategy or a competitor's plans are rooted in unknowable human choices. But the basic physics of the climate are well understood. Burning fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide. And carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. There is no debate about that. The link is as certain as the link between smoking and cancer. A broad consensus of scientists also warn of the influence of
REINFORCING EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY IN DEVELOPMENT ACT
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-9-11

I rise today in support of this vital agreement brokered between the President and Congressional leaders. This is a must pass bill to bring much-needed relief to those devastated by Hurricane Harvey and those who will be hit by Hurricane Irma. Indeed, it allows for a short-term extension of the debt ceiling to avoid default and keeps our government functional at a time of natural disaster and ongoing crisis. prgtoken Thank you to the President and our Leadership for pulling the nation back from the brink again. I hope that it will bring a return to bipartisan compromise and regular order. We must move away from the destabilizing cycle of moving from one manufactured crisis to the next, with no adopted budget for FY 2018 resulting in arbitrary spending allocations passed down from the Majority's Leadership. prgtoken Congress should provide the American people with a 2018 final budget to assure a government funded at a level that provides stability and security. prgtoken Let's put politics aside and pass this bill. Then, let us embark on bipartisan negotiations to develop a new budget agreement which allows for adequate caps for both defense and non-defense spending. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this package for the benefit of our nation.
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF JOHN D. LOCKHART
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-9-11

I rise today to celebrate the life of Mr. John D. Lockhart (known as Jack)--patriot and public servant, loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather--who passed away on October 24, 2015. Mr. Lockhart cared deeply for his family, friends and community. His personality and presence are sorely missed and will never be forgotten. prgtoken Mr. Lockhart was born in 1934 in Staten Island, New York. He attended Port Richmond High School where he played on the baseball team. He studied at St. John's University in Queens. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserves. prgtoken In 1959, Mr. Lockhart joined the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), beginning a 24-year career as a first responder assigned to Engine Co. 10/Ladder Co. 15 in Lower Manhattan. He retired in 1983. prgtoken In addition to his public service, Mr. Lockhart was also a successful businessman who owned his own company and was the recipient of numerous building awards on Staten Island. He could build or fix just about anything. He enjoyed working on cars, a skill he spent many weekend hours passing on to his sons. prgtoken Mr. Lockhart was an avid sports fan and cheered for the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants. In his free time, he played baseball and football in adult leagues and was a fixture on the FDNY championship softball team. Upon his retirement, Mr. Lockhart managed the Renaissance Knights softball team in Manchester, New Jersey. prgtoken In life, Mr. Lockhart exemplified the definition of dedication to his family. He was a constant source of love and wisdom for his family and friends. prgtoken In 1958, while spending time on the beach, Mr. Jack Lockhart spotted Ms. Joan Pucillo. Pretending to injure his ankle, Mr. Lockhart was able to chat Ms. Pucillo up when she went to check on him. They went on to fall in love and were married for 57 years. Jack and Joan raised five wonderful children--David, Deirdre, Christopher, Greg, Stephen, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. prgtoken In closing, , I recall the words of novelist George Eliot, ``The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts.'' Mr. Lockhart didn't make history, but he certainly grew good and kindness in the world as a public servant, businessman, friend and family man. prgtoken And so, I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in recognizing Mr. Jack Lockhart's exemplary life.