mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Airline Fees (Executive Session)
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-12-11

we are just about to enter the holiday season. The traffic is already picking up. We could call it the great holiday migration that is going to be underway. Millions of people will be traveling to see their loved ones--their families, their friends-- and they will be visiting by airplane. They are going to get a big surprise when they head to the airline ticket counter or try to check in online and face a blizzard of what the airlines call ancillary fees. prgtoken For years, many of us on the Commerce Committee have been pushing the Department of Transportation to adopt rules that would require a standardized disclosure statement for common airline fees, such as bag fees, change and cancellation fees, and priority boarding and seating fees. Comparing this to when one applies for a credit card, there is a box on the back of the application that shows the annual fee of the credit card, the interest rate, and any other fees. Consumers have this so they can compare adequate data to adequate data. We like to call it comparing apples to apples. Therefore, the consumer can know what it is they are looking for and choose the credit card they want. So it is a commonsense solution in the airline business that you would want to do for consumers, to make sense of all prgtoken those different fees on an airline ticket. prgtoken Well, there was some progress on this earlier in the year when the Department of Transportation proposed a rule to require airlines to disclose bag fees to consumers when they purchased a ticket. Last week, however, the White House directed the Department of Transportation--the administration did this for all of those airline holiday travelers. They put a big lump of coal in their Christmas stockings when they abruptly canceled the proposed rule of the Department of Transportation that you were going to know what those fees were upfront when you purchased the ticket, along with another rule that would have required airlines to tell the public how much money the airline is charging for all the other ancillary fees. Those proposed rules were withdrawn. Well, that is just not in the interest of the traveling public. That is not in the interest of consumers, and it should not be any skin off the airlines' back to just show what the fees are upfront so the consumer understands that. prgtoken Indeed, a new revenue source for the airlines is to have these additional charges. That is not what this Senator is arguing with, as long as those fees are properly and clearly disclosed. prgtoken Let me give you another example. Last year, on the FAA bill we passed into law, it required the Department of Transportation to implement two basic rules to protect airline customers--two very simple rules. The first was, if you have checked a bag and you have paid the airline a certain amount of money to check that bag, what happens if your bag doesn't arrive or if it is delayed beyond a certain number of
REMEMBERING JUDGE FRED L. FOX II
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2017-12-11

today I wish to honor the Honorable Fred L. Fox, a proud Vietnam veteran and West Virginian, noble public servant, and very dear friend of mine, who left a significant imprint on our home State of West Virginia. prgtoken Fred was born in Charleston and raised in Sutton in lovely Braxton County. His grandfather, Fred Fox, Sr or ``grandfox,'' was a lawyer, a State senator, and a West Virginia Supreme Court justice. His father, John Fox, was a prosecuting attorney in Braxton County for more than a decade. Despite this family tradition, Fred grew up determined that he did not want to be a lawyer. prgtoken He loved our country, and after graduating from the Greenbrier Military Academy in 1956 and Davis and Elkins College in 1960, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served from 1960 to 1963. Once he returned home with his new perspective, he finally did follow in his family's footsteps and enrolled at West Virginia University's College of Law, ranking second in his class, and remained in the Marine Corps Reserves. prgtoken Fred also graduated from the Naval Justice School in Newport, RI. His success in these endeavors prepared him for his first law experience at Furbee, Amos, Webb and Critchfield, a local firm in Fairmont. Fred began working as a personal attorney for my father and our lifelong friendship began. prgtoken However, soon after joining the firm at the height of the Vietnam war, Fred again answered the call of duty. He wanted to be a combat marine because, in his words, ``It was the right thing to do.'' After nearly a year as an infantry company commander, Fred was wounded. He was awarded a Purple Heart, two Bronze Stars with combat ``V,'' and two Vietnamese Crosses of Gallantry with Gold Star. Due to his injuries, Fred retired as a captain in 1969. I can recall Fred saying, ``You don't win Bronze Stars, they're awarded to you.'' His experience during Vietnam set the groundwork for how he viewed the rest of his endeavors. In his opinion, he certainly faced pressure as a judge, but he had already faced so much as a marine that nothing ever quite compared. prgtoken Even now, I remember Fred so clearly with his globe and anchor marine prgtoken lapel pin and a warm smile on his face, and that is how I'll always remember him. I chose Fred to swear me in at my second inauguration as Governor, and it made the day even more special. prgtoken What made Fred's presence so comforting was that he wasn't afraid to admit he didn't know an answer. In fact, when he was elected as Marion County circuit court Judge in 1970, he frequently called upon one of his mentors, Judge Robert Maxwell of Elkins, for help. He followed Judge Maxwell's example and always maintained a good relationship with his colleagues. He had only been out of law school a few years, but because of his compassion, intelligence, and fairness, he was reelected every 8 years until his retirement in 2010. Young judges and lawyers often
150 YEARS OF HBCU EXCELLENCE
James E. Clyburn (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2017-12-11

I stand before this House tonight as the proud Representative of the congressional district that has seven of the eight HBCUs in South Carolina within its borders: Allen and Benedict in Columbia; Claflin and South Carolina State in Orangeburg; Morris in Sumter; Voorhees, Denmark Tech in Denmark, South Carolina; and Clinton College in Rock Hill, South Carolina. prgtoken I listened intently as some of the speakers spoke before me, and I would like to give just a brief overview of the history of HBCUs. prgtoken You have heard from the previous speaker that the first HBCU was Cheyney State in 1837. Well, it is kind of interesting. That school was created a few decades before the Emancipation Proclamation, so it means that before slavery was abolished, HBCUs existed. prgtoken Now, one of the interesting things that took place during the Civil War was the creation of something called the Morrill Act. The gentleman from Vermont, Justin Morrill, introduced legislation to train people not just in agriculture, but in military training. prgtoken That law was signed by the President, President Abraham Lincoln, July 2, 1862. prgtoken Now, the interesting thing is that when the law was enacted, the Southern States refused to implement that law on behalf of people of color. They would not allow any person of color to attend those schools. Consequently, Justin Morrill went back before the Congress and, in 1880, created a second Morrill Act, this time mandating that these schools be established in the former slave States for people of color. prgtoken Now, I bring that up tonight because one of the speakers talked about President signing a bill earlier this year and issuing what we call a signing statement. In his statement, he said that he is going to sign the bill, though he questioned the constitutionality of that section of the bill that funded Historically Black Colleges and Universities. prgtoken Just think about this: the history of this country was to deny educational opportunities to people of color, and now we have a President of the United States today saying that those schools that were established for the express purpose of educating those citizens, that legislation is unconstitutional. prgtoken If nothing else we have heard from this President bothers you, that one thing should bother every person in the United States of America. prgtoken Now, I have talked about those schools that I am proud to represent. I met with the President. Unfortunately, I heard stuff all over the weekend about the Congressional Black Caucus refusing to meet with President . That is not true. The leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus did, in fact, meet with him, and though I don't hold a leadership position, they invited me to go along. prgtoken So I sat with the President in the Oval Office, and I told the President something that I want to share with the listeners tonight about HBCUs. prgtoken I told the President the st
New York City Attempted Terror Attack (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-12-11

first, this morning, as everyone knows, there was an attempted terrorist attack in New York City, near the Port Authority bus terminal and very close to Times Square. I was about 15 blocks away when that happened. Thankfully, praise God, the attack was a failure, and the only serious injuries were sustained by the would-be perpetrator. prgtoken On mornings like this, I am even more thankful--and I am thankful all the time--for the service of the New York City Police Department, the Port Authority Police Department, the New York City Fire Department, and the bomb squad, that responded so quickly to the scene. Today was a startling reminder as to why the ``See Something, Say Something'' campaign is so crucial to keeping our city safe and why we must always, always, always be vigilant against the threat of terrorism. prgtoken , on judicial nominations, this evening, the Senate will vote on whether we should consider the nomination of Leonard Steven Grasz to be a judge on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The nomination is significant because Grasz is just the third nominee since 1989 to be unanimously deemed ``not qualified'' by the American Bar Association. To underscore that fact, the ABA has reviewed over 1,700 judicial nominees since 1989. Before this administration, only two were ever unanimously deemed ``not qualified.'' Those two nominated by President were not confirmed. The nominee we are voting on this evening is the third. prgtoken A panel of nonpartisan legal experts unanimously concluded that this man is not fit to be a judge. What else do my colleagues need to know? They should all vote no this evening. prgtoken Instead of withdrawing the nomination and finding someone better, which is what President did in a similar prgtoken situation, some of my colleagues have started attacking the ABA. prgtoken The junior Senator from Texas said: The ABA's record on judicial nominations has been highly questionable. It has demonstrated over past decades repeatedly partisan interests and ideological interests. prgtoken I don't remember my colleague from Texas complaining when his party was touting then-Judge Gorsuch's favorable rating from the ABA. I heard over and over again from my colleagues that he received a favorable rating from the ABA. All of a sudden, they attack it. prgtoken Leader McConnell once likened a ``well qualified'' rating from the ABA to ``getting straight A+'s on your report card.'' That is what Leader McConnell said. Now Members of his party are singing a much different tune, as not one but two of President 's judicial nominees have received unanimously ``not qualified'' ratings. prgtoken Unfortunately, this is indicative of what has become part of the playbook--a playbook that specializes in, and unfortunately my colleagues are joining right in. If you don't like the message, shoot
PROTECTING RELIGIOUSLY AFFILIATED INSTITUTIONS ACT OF 2017
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-12-11

I include in the Record a letter from the American Jewish Committee and a letter from the Anti-Defamation League. AJC, Global Jewish Advocacy, Washington, DC, November 1, 2017. Hon. Robert Goodlatte, Chairman. Hon. John Conyers, Ranking Member, House Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers: I write on behalf of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global Jewish advocacy organization, in strong support of H.R. 1730, the Combating Anti-Semitism Act of 2017 (which we understand will be renamed the Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act of 2017). This critically needed bipartisan legislation, introduced by Rep. David Kustoff with Rep. Derek Kilmer as chief cosponsor, addresses long-standing gaps in Federal hate crimes law. H.R. 1730 amends the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996 (18 U.S.C. Sec. 241) (CAPA), which covers attacks on religious real property, to bring all religiously affiliated institutions--such as community centers--under the scope of its protections. The bill also amends CAPA so as to encompass threats against, as well as acts that result in damage or destruction to, religious real property. Further, H.R. 1730 enhances the penalty for intentional damage to religious real property, which is at the moment only at a misdemeanor level unless there is bodily injury to a person. In addition to closing these gaps in the law, enactment of H.R. 1730 will send a signal of zero tolerance for hate crimes against people of faith. Hate crimes against religious institutions are on the rise in our country. Since January 2017, at least five mosques have suffered arson attacks, while dozens of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and other religious institutions have been vandalized. These attacks are intolerable. They infringe on the Constitution's protection of the free exercise of religion. Moreover, crimes against religious institutions are intended to create an atmosphere of fear that deters community members from attending worship services and social involvement. They pose a danger to the religious freedom and security of all Americans. In light of the violent anti-Semitic and racist white nationalist rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia, this legislation is more important than ever. We as a nation must take action in response. For these reasons, AJC strongly urges your support for, and speedy action on, the Combating Anti-Semitism Act. Respectfully, Richard Foltin.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-12-11

today I wish to celebrate the career and accomplishments of an exceptional public safety advocate and a dear friend, Jacqueline S. Gillan. Jackie is a legend in the public health and public safety community. As both a public servant and as the president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, she has championed the three cornerstones of traffic safety: safer drivers, safer vehicles, and safer roads. Her career in public service began in the government affairs office of the U.S. Department of Transportation, in the Carter administration. She went on to hold senior policy positions in the U.S. Senate and with three State transportation agencies, New Jersey, California, and the great state of Ohio, which is when I first met Jackie. prgtoken After leaving public service, she continued to fight for safer roads for all Americans. Jackie helped to launch Advocates nearly three decades ago and has been at the helm of Advocates since 1990. She has led with extraordinary vision, dogged determination, and keen political judgment. prgtoken Jackie helped pass numerous Federal and State laws advancing motor vehicle and motor carrier safety standards. She was instrumental in achieving major advances, including requirements for airbags, electronic stability control, and back-up cameras. Her advocacy efforts had a significant impact on a dozen major transportation bills, ranging from the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act in 1991 to the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act in 2015. prgtoken A decade ago, after a tragic accident killed five members of Ohio's Bluffton University baseball team, I worked together with Jackie, Congressman John Lewis, Senator Kay Bailey-Hutchison, and many brave families--including John and Joy Betts--whose loved ones were killed in motorcoach crashes to enact the Nation's first comprehensive motorcoach safety law, the Motorcoach Enhanced Safety Act. It took longer than it should have to pass this commonsense bill into law, but Jackie was there every step of the way, helping us fight for these lifesaving safety improvements. prgtoken A native Californian, Jackie's introduction to public service began at home. Her father, Henry Gillan, served on the city council and was elected mayor of El Cerrito. Now, after decades fighting for the safety of ordinary Americans, Jackie has earned a long and happy retirement spent with her husband, Ernie Beyard; her children, Kristin Beyard and Alex Beyard; and Barkley, an exuberant English springer spaniel who is frequently sighted on walks around Capitol Hill. prgtoken There is no question countless lives have been saved and injuries averted and that many families will enjoy the upcoming holidays safely together because of Jackie's work. We are so grateful.
HONORING USC PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR JANICE TRAMEL
Karen Bass (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-12-11

I am proud to echo the praise heaped on my friend and mentor, Janice V. Tramel, over the past weekend at a surprise ceremony held by the University of Southern California (USC) honoring her 40 years of service to her patients, to nursing and to the profession of Physician Assistant (PA). She was instrumental in my own training as a Physician Assistant, first as a professor, then as a mentor, and eventually as a close friend. A California native, Mrs. Tramel completed both a vocational nursing and registered nursing program prior to graduating from the USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program in prgtoken 1977 and joining the faculty two years later. Having learned under her, I later felt very proud to become her colleague on the PA faculty. As Director of Clinical Education from July 2013 through May 2017, she oversaw the clinical curriculum, clinical site development and student placements. She now holds PA-C Emeritus status. Her passion as an educator has benefitted generations of students, not just locally but at the state and national levels. She has served as a curriculum consultant, visiting lecturer, site visitor for the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of the Physician Assistant, and grant reviewer with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Bureau of Health Professions. She was a gubernatorial appointee to the State of California Physician Assistant Committee, now known as the PA Board, from 1982 to 1992, serving as Committee Chair from 1987. But she has always returned to work with and for the underserved communities of Los Angeles. Her specialties include family medicine, adolescent medicine, women's health, occupational health, as well as quality assurance and utilization review. Her research interests include evaluation of student performance, faculty development, learning styles, educational methodology and technology and standardized testing. In May 2012, she was inducted into the Pi Alpha National Honor Society for Physician Assistants. Not content to serve others in her professional life, she has been an active volunteer with disadvantaged young adults, community health and geriatric wellness programs. I salute Janice Tramel for her lifelong commitment to serving and uplifting others, and for four decades of working to provide outstanding health care and train succeeding generations of care providers.
GIRL SCOUTS OF WATAUGA COUNTY
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-12-11

as we approach Christmas, many of us consider the season of giving and some also think of Christmas cookies. Equally, when many consider giving back, or cookies, they think of the Girl Scouts. However, , it is important to note that Girl Scouts do more than sell cookies. They actively work to improve their communities all year long. prgtoken Five Girl Scouts in Watauga County recently received the bronze and silver awards for outstanding community service. A few troops earned awards for redecorating a library reading cave to encourage classmates to spend more time learning. Another Girl Scout taught a free dance class so that children who couldn't afford lessons wouldn't miss out. Last, one Girl Scout sought to help end hunger in Watauga County. She wrote thank-you cards to sponsors that provided funds for healthy Thanksgiving meals to feed the hungry. prgtoken These young women are a credit to their parents and to our communities. I congratulate these young women on their well-earned awards, and I look forward to their continued success.
PROTECTING RELIGIOUSLY AFFILIATED INSTITUTIONS ACT OF 2017
Bob Goodlatte (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-12-11

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , this is good, bipartisan legislation to protect the religious freedom of people of all faiths. It is particularly important that we stand up at a time when some religious faiths are under particular pressure from those who would attempt to smother their ability to freely exercise their religious beliefs by intimidation. This legislation speaks strongly to that. prgtoken , I thank Members on both sides of the aisle. I thank Mr. Kustoff, Mr. Kilmer, and others for their good work. prgtoken , I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation, and .
America's Role in Global Affairs (Executive Session)
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2017-12-11

Steve's reputation for honesty and integrity and decency have earned him bipartisan support across Nebraska. prgtoken I am a bit sad in that, when I got here to Washington, this nomination took a bit more of a partisan turn before the committee. Happily, we have the chance to do the right thing here in the full Senate tonight and return to a bipartisan tone. I hope that my colleagues will listen to the broad array of Nebraskans of all ideological and partisan views and support Steve's nomination tonight. prgtoken Thank you. prgtoken .
TRIBUTE TO STAFF
Luther Strange (Republican, AL) \u2014 2017-12-11

today I wish to recognize the remarkable staff that has worked this year in my Senate offices. Individually, they bring expertise and professionalism to their tireless efforts on behalf of our State. Together, they have united in honorable service to the people of Alabama. It is with pride and admiration that I recognize Virginia Amason, Will Batson, Morgan Blankenship, Brent Blevins, Melissa Clarke, Paula Cox, David Daniels, Valerie Day, Avis DuBose, Jon Foltz, Jacob Gattman, Jordan Howard, Taylor Jetmundsen, John Little, Sandy Luff, Shanderla McMillian, Cecelia Meeks, Nick Moore, Maria Olson, Jake Proctor, Duncan Rankin, June Reeves-Weir, Cody Sanders, Jeff Sommer, Drew Tatum, Shana Teehan, Susan Thompson, Kevin Turner, Brookley Valencia, Dylan Vorbach, and Zandra Wilson. prgtoken As they continue their careers of public service, this staff bears the esteem of a grateful State and my utmost gratitude for a job well done.