mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HOLY SEE ARTICLES
Francis Rooney (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-3-28

I rise today to share with my colleagues several more articles that I have written over the years regarding the Holy See. As a Member of the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, these pieces serve to outline and inform discussions that our Committee will cover in the 115th Congress. U.S. must embrace Holy See The past few years have seen cordial but cooling relations between the United States and the Vatican. Since President took office, he has visited the Vatican just once, and the administration has demonstrated little more than a perfunctory interest in the Holy See's diplomatic role in the world. This is a lost opportunity at a critical time for America. U.S. foreign policy has much to gain from its relationship with the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church. No institution on earth has both the international stature and the global reach of the Holy See-- the ``soft power'' of moral influence and authority to promote religious freedom, human liberties, and related values that Americans and our allies uphold worldwide. President Reagan established full diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1984 because, among other reasons, he realized that he could have no better partner than Pope John Paul II in the fight against communism--and he was right. The administration of continued to expand these relations, even in difficult times while engaged in a conflict in Iraq of which the Holy See had strongly and vocally disapproved. Before President 's recent appointment of Ken Hackett as the next U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, there was growing speculation that the administration was considering completely eliminating the diplomatic mission, or reducing it to an appendage of the Embassy in Rome. While the administration has been in conflict with the Catholic Church on a range of issues from abortion to contraception, it is clearly in America's national interests to strengthen diplomatic ties with the Holy See to advance our interests around the world. The United States and the Holy See remain two of the most significant institutions in world history, one a beacon of democracy and progress, the other a sanctum of faith and allegiance to timeless principles. Despite these differences between the first modern democracy and the longest surviving Western monarchy, both were founded on the idea that ``human persons'' possess inalienable natural rights granted by God. This had been a revolutionary concept when the Catholic Church embraced it 2,000 years ago, and was equally revolutionary when the Declaration of Independence stated it 1,800 years later. The Church is one of the leading advoc
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Bill Johnson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-3-28

when the FCC reclassified the internet as a common carrier, utility-style service and adopted their rules regulating the use of consumer data by internet service providers, it represented a monumental shift in the way we view privacy. prgtoken Instead of a uniform, technology-neutral standard that balanced data protection with consumer choice, internet users were stuck with a two- sided approach that causes confusion and dampens competition. There is one set of rules for service providers, and one set for the rest of the internet ecosystem. But how often do consumers really recognize the difference between where their data is accessed and where it is stored? prgtoken Ultimately, consumers are actually harmed by the artificial sense of protection created by these rules. It is essential that we take steps to restore the time-tested framework embraced by the Federal Trade Commission. prgtoken We have talked a lot about protecting consumer privacy and data, but I haven't heard a lot about allowing the consumer to decide how their information is used. Consumers deserve to have the autonomy to control their information and their internet experience. prgtoken As Acting Chairman of the FTC Maureen Ohlhausen pointed out: The FTC approach reflects the fact that consumer privacy preferences differ greatly depending on the type of data and its use. prgtoken There is widespread agreement that sensitive data, like financial or health information, should be strongly protected and opt-in appropriate. But what about other types of nonsensitive data? Let's not forget the ways that consumers benefit from allowing ISPs access to that kind of information. prgtoken Consumers should retain the ability to make the decisions that make sense for them when it comes to how their nonsensitive data is used and obtain the discounts or lower prices that can result. This vote isn't about reducing the level of privacy protection for consumers; it is about an FCC decision that ignored the preferences of consumers in favor of a regulatory power grab.
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-28

today I wish to join the American people in celebrating Women's History Month. I would like to begin that celebration by paying homage to several women whose ingenuity and inventions have shaped modern society, but who, like innumerable women throughout history, have not received the credit or recognition they are due. prgtoken Katherine Blodgett is a good place to start. In 1935, she invented the first transparent glass that eliminated distortion and glare. Before her, glass contained small bubbles and inclusions that was suitable for windows, but little else. Her method of producing and cutting glass revolutionized the material and is the reason we have camera lenses, microscopes, and eyeglasses today. Without her pioneering work, our ability to see and our ability to look into the universe would be degraded. prgtoken In 1942, the actress Hedy Lamarr and a partner were granted a U.S. patent for a secret communication system that involved manipulating radio frequencies to form an unbreakable code to prevent classified messages from being intercepted. The significance of her invention was not fully realized until the 1960s, when it was used by naval ships during the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were able to navigate that perilous nuclear threat successfully in part because of her self-taught inventiveness and skill. Lamarr's coded communications system has been used by numerous military agencies since. prgtoken Just 2 years later, in 1944, Grace Hopper made her own kind of history, becoming what many consider to be one of the world's first computer scientists. She invented the compiler that translated written language into computer code and coined the terms ``bug'' and ``debugging.'' Fifteen years later, she led the team that developed COBOL, one of the very first programming languages. prgtoken More recently, in 1965, Stephanie Kwolek invented Kevlar. We know Kevlar best as the material used to manufacture bulletproof vests, protecting our police officers and first responders in their greatest moments of crisis, but Kevlar is widely considered to be one of the strongest, most durable materials ever invented and has become a critical component in the manufacturing of airplanes, boats, cars, and bridge cables. prgtoken I pause to honor these great inventors and scientists because their names should be familiar, but they aren't. As long as toxic, gender- role stereotypes persist, these women serve as important examples that such stereotypes are hollow and wrong. Women have been serving on the frontlines of war, science, and invention since long before men ``allowed'' them. prgtoken These women and others are part of our untold history. You will rarely hear them discussed in American classrooms, and you will seldom find their stories printed in textbooks. Most people wouldn't even recognize their names; yet our lives and fortunes have been shaped by them. Every day, men go to work protected by Kevla
NOMINATION OF NEIL GORSUCH
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-3-28

during last week's hearing on 's nominee to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, I raised serious concerns about what is at stake for the future of our country. It is a mistake to think that the confirmation process for a lifetime appointment to our Nation's highest Court is only about the nominee. It isn't. prgtoken The real focus and the real heart of this decision lies in the struggles that working families, women, people of color, the differently abled, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, students, seniors, and our Native people face every single day. These are the everyday Americans who will be impacted by the decisions Justice Gorsuch would make. These are the people who would have been hurt by and the Congressional s in their failed attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken and the s in Congress fought for a plan that would callously throw Americans by the tens of millions out in the cold without health insurance and would make the lives and health of millions more precarious. It was only through the voices of Americans who were loud and steadfast in confronting Care that Care failed. These are the people for whom the need for justice is often most urgent. An understanding of these people, their lives, and how they would be impacted by the Court is what I found to be missing from Judge Gorsuch's view of the law. It is these same voices I am listening to now. prgtoken Judge Gorsuch should have been more open with the Judiciary Committee about how he would approach the difficult and important cases that come before the Supreme Court. But time and again, Judge Gorsuch avoided answering questions, telling us his judicial philosophy and his view of the law were irrelevant to our consideration of his nomination. prgtoken The well-funded campaign to put Judge Gorsuch on the Supreme Court fueled by millions of dollars of money from unnamed donors has attempted to create a narrative about Judge Gorsuch and the stakes of this nomination. This is a narrative woven with Ivy League credentials and endorsements but not revealing at all about Judge Gorsuch's judicial philosophy--the heart he would bring to his view of the law. prgtoken During the hearing, many of my colleagues echoed the view that credentials are enough and that our real questions about Judge Gorsuch's record and philosophy are somehow irrelevant or even inappropriate. Certainly, Judge Gorsuch did his part, telling us time and again in his words, his views, his writings, and his clearly expressed personal views that these writings had no relevance to what he would do as a judge. I disagree. prgtoken In my view, there is a great deal of difference between how Judge Gorsuch, as Justice Gorsuch, would approach the kinds of tough cases that reach the Supreme Court and how, say, a Justice Merrick Garland would approach these cases. prgtoken We know that Justice
RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE
Zoe Lofgren (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-28

under clause 1 of rule IX, questions of the privileges of the House are: ``those affecting the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings.'' prgtoken The dignity and integrity of the House's proceedings have been violated, and continue to be violated, because Congress has not had the constitutionally afforded opportunity to consent to emoluments being received by the President or to enforce, if consent is not given. prgtoken I would note that Congress has the authority to request the President's taxes under section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, and use of this authority would not be unprecedented, as it was used in 1974 to request President Nixon's tax returns that revealed that he owed nearly half a million dollars in back taxes. prgtoken I would note that issues of the Constitution and the House's prerogatives under the Constitution have a precedent in using rule IX as a privileged resolution. prgtoken For example, if a revenue measure is initiated in the Senate instead of in the House as required by the Constitution, that is a matter of a privilege of the House. I would argue that the Emoluments Clause is at least as important, possibly more important, than the origination of a revenue measure in either the House or Senate. prgtoken I have been a member of the Judiciary Committee for 22 years. I am well aware of how the Judiciary Committee operates and the need for individual Members to do research before any official action is taken in that committee. And since it is the Judiciary Committee, it has the first responsibility for adhering to the Constitution among the committees of the House. I think it is absolutely essential for the President's tax returns to be released so that the members of the Judiciary Committee can do their job to research whether the Emoluments Clause has been violated and whether permission should be given to the President to receive payments from foreign states. prgtoken I would note that there is no question that the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution was placed there to prevent corruption in the system. It was based on a sad experience during the Articles of Confederation. It is necessary to make sure that the President and all other officers of the United States have loyalty to only one thing, and that is to the United States of America, not to any foreign power. prgtoken In order to do that, we need to review the data. As I say, the dignity and integrity of the House requires that the Constitution be upheld, and in order to uphold the Constitution, we must have this information. prgtoken For these reasons, the resolution raises a question of the privileges of the House and should be permitted, .
Introductory Statement on S. 754
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-3-28

a skilled workforce is essential to addressing the growing cybersecurity challenges in the United States. In both the public and private sectors, a shortage of skilled cyber security professionals has hindered the Nation's cyber preparedness. According to a 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study, 1.8 million more cyber security professionals will be needed worldwide by 2022. prgtoken Data breaches at the Office of Personnel Management in 2015 highlighted the need for robust cyber security protections at the Federal level, which include a strong and skilled workforce. Since 2001, the Federal Government has operated a cyber security education program known as CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service. Thanks to great leadership by Chairman John Thune and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Congress codified the CyberCorps Program as part of the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014. Serving roughly 70 institutions, the National Science Foundation, NSF, grants award to institutions as part of the CyberCorps Program. Institutions utilize grants to build capacity for cyber security programs and provide scholarships to students. Scholarship recipients must fulfill a service requirement in a federal, state or local government cyber security job upon graduation. prgtoken In recent years, more community colleges have provided opportunities for students to gain much needed cyber security skills. An October 2015 study by the National Academy for Public Administration reviewed the CyberCorps Program and formulated major recommendations to improve it. One of the Academy's recommendations was to include qualified 2-year programs in the program regardless of their association with a 4-year institution. Currently, NSF only provides scholarship awards to students in 2-year programs who will transfer into a 4-year program. prgtoken Today, I am pleased to introduce with my colleague Senator Roger Wicker, the Cybersecurity Scholarship Opportunities Act of 2017. This legislation will improve the federal cyber security workforce pipeline by directing the CyberCorps Program to provide 5 percent of scholarships to career changers and military veterans at qualified 2- year programs with no transfer requirement. The bill would also codify CyberCorps' K-12 education program and align the skills required for scholarship eligibility with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Framework. prgtoken In addition, the bill would enhance cyber security protection for critical infrastructure by allowing CyberCorps graduates, on a case-by- case basis, to meet their service requirements in critical infrastructure missions at government-affiliated entities like the Tennessee Valley Authority. Just today, a report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that digital threats to U.S. critical infrastructure demand attention and that the Nation does not produce enough graduate
IN HONOR OF WALTER HARRISON
John B. Larson (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-3-28

I rise today with the entire Connecticut delegation to recognize a dedicated leader, respected academic, and a dear friend, Walter on, on his retirement as the President of the University of Hartford. His retirement marks the end of 19 years of an incredibly successful term as President and the end of an era at the University. A graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Walt began his career of service and experience in higher education, receiving his Masters from the University of Michigan and went on to serve for three years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. He then completed a doctorate at the University of California-Davis and worked in the administrations of Colorado College and the University of Michigan before joining the University of Hartford. Walter on played a critical role in revitalizing the University of Hartford after he became President in 1998. Under his guidance, the University increased and diversified its enrollment, financial stability and academic performance. During the time that Mr. on served as President, the University of Hartford renovated dorms, dining halls and athletic facilities to completely change and modernize the campus. New undergraduate and graduate academic programs were added in science, technology and the fine arts. Undergraduate enrollment increased by 20 percent. His genuine affinity for students and his authentic concern were evident every time I walked the campus with him. Walter has also been an engaged leader for the city of Hartford. He serves on multiple boards in the area including on the boards of Saint Francis Hospital and the MetroHartford Alliance. He is one of the founders of the Connecticut Science Center and a past president of Hartford Stage. Walter made engagement with the city a priority of his tenure, and was involved in the effort to incorporate Hartford public schools into the campus of the University, resulting in the University of Hartford Magnet School and the University High School of Science and Engineering. Walter also played a key role in reforming the NCAA and was recognized by his peers for his outstanding leadership. What I admire most about Walt is the easy manner and grace in which he engages students, faculty, and the greater community the University serves. His humanity and well-rounded nature makes him a man for all seasons: cultured, passionate, affable, and witty, truly a Renaissance man. He is just as comfortable at Augie and Rays as he is at Hartford Stage; talking sports, politics, or theater. I have valued our friendship, admired his leadership and academic acumen, and consider myself a better person having benefitted from our relationship and his wisdom. Walt will be truly missed at the University of Hartford. His vision and leadership have shaped the University into the institution it is today, and I am proud to call him a friend. The word retirement doesn't become him; he is too
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-3-28

along with Senator Collins, I am introducing legislation that would eliminate the sunset date for U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness--the Council--so that this independent agency can build upon its success in helping to prevent and end homelessness nationally. prgtoken The Council was established under the Reagan administration as part of the landmark McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. Since that time, it has worked across the Federal Government and private sector to coordinate homeless assistance nationally. In 2009, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing, or HEARTH Act, which I authored and introduced along with Senator Collins and others, expanded the Council's role to work with public, nonprofit, and private stakeholders to develop a national strategic plan to end homelessness. On June 22, 2010, the Council unveiled this plan, called Opening Doors, which has guided its work to develop and expand on effective strategies across the country to prevent and end homelessness. prgtoken Since Opening Doors was unveiled, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, reports that overall homelessness has decreased by 14 percent, chronic homelessness by 27 percent, and family homelessness by 23 percent. In addition, we have seen veterans' homelessness drop by 47 percent. This progress is not only a result of the more than $500 million Federal investment in housing and supportive services through programs like HUD-VASH but is also because of the direction the Council provides to the Departments of Veterans Affairs and HUD, as well as public housing agencies administering assistance at the local level. Specifically, the Council helped various partners align their resources, efforts, goals, and measures of success for serving homeless veterans. Under this approach, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, the city of New Orleans, and DeKalb County in Georgia, to name a few, have all declared an end to veterans' homelessness. prgtoken Yet more work remains. And here, too, the Council is an important part of developing solutions. For instance, nearly 36,000 unaccompanied youth under the age of 25 experienced homelessness in 2016. While some communities have started to develop responses to youth homelessness, it is a complex problem that requires a tailored approach taking into account the local variables of foster care, primary to postsecondary education, housing, and healthcare systems. Finding new ways to deliver and fund assistance to this diverse population is essential, and that is why Senator Collins and I held a hearing in our subcommittee on this matter and worked together to include over $40 million in targeted resources to address youth homelessness in both the fiscal year 2016 and 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, THUD, appropriations bills. As part of this new funding, the Council will be executing a