mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO DONNABELLE AND ELVIN ERNEST
David Young (Republican, IA) \u2014 2018-6-8

I rise today to recognize and congratulate Donnabelle and Elvin Ernest of Bedford, Iowa on the very special occasion of their 70th wedding anniversary. They were married on March 8, 1948. prgtoken Donnabelle and Elvin's lifelong commitment to each other and their family truly embodies Iowa values. As they reflect on their 70th anniversary, may their commitment grow even stronger, as they continue to love, cherish, and honor one another for many years to come. prgtoken , I commend this great couple on their 70th year together and I wish them many more. I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in congratulating them on this momentous occasion and in wishing them nothing but the best.
HONORING THE CAREER OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL KENNETH E. TOVO
Richard Hudson (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-6-8

I rise today to recognize the extraordinary career of Lieutenant General Kenneth E. Tovo, the retiring Commanding General of the United States Army Special Operations Command located at Fort Bragg in North Carolina's Eighth Congressional District. prgtoken Raised in Saint James, New York, LTG Tovo began his military career while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. After graduation, he was stationed at Fort Bragg as a Rifle Platoon Leader in the 82d Airborne Division. Serving in combat all over the world allowed LTG Tovo to gain invaluable experience that helped shape his distinguished career. prgtoken Deployed on numerous operational assignments around the globe and through some of our nation's toughest times, LTG Tovo always answered the call to serve our great nation. Some of his most notable engagements took place during his assignments with the 10th Special Forces Group. These deployments sent him to Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina and several countries in Europe supporting Operation Desert Storm, Joint Guard and Iraqi Freedom. Throughout these operations, he delivered on the promise to keep America safe and directly confront our enemies under the most difficult of conditions. prgtoken While defending our nation overseas, LTG Tovo's most important commitment remained to his family back home. He and his wife, Suzanne, raised two wonderful children during LTG Tovo's illustrious career. This country cannot repay the debt we owe to LTG Tovo and his family-- the Tovos are true American heroes. I wish him well in what is sure to be an active retirement. prgtoken , please join me today in commemorating the career of Lieutenant General Kenneth E. Tovo.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GOLD STAR FAMILIES MEMORIAL MONUMENT AT WASHINGTON CROSSING NATIONAL CEMETERY
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-6-8

I am proud to recognize Washington Crossing National Cemetery as the first national veterans' cemetery to accept from the Hershel `Woody' Williams Medal of Honor Foundation the gift of a beautiful Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, which will be dedicated on Saturday June 9, 2018. Approximately 35 similar monuments have been dedicated across the country, but this one is the very first in a national veterans' cemetery. prgtoken The Hershel `Woody' Williams Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to erect monuments for Gold Star families throughout the United States, and provides scholarships to children of fallen heroes. prgtoken At the request of John C. Heenan, Project Chairman, I would like to honor the important and enthusiastic help provided by the Director of Washington Crossing National Cemetery, Gregory J. Whitney, and his team along with the official support group, The Guardians of the Washington Crossing National Cemetery, to bring this most noble project to fruition. prgtoken Since opening in January 2010, more than 11,000 of our nation's veterans have made this cemetery their final resting place. The Gold Star Families Memorial Monument is a tribute to Gold Star Families--to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and their loved ones who continue to honor their memory. prgtoken We must never forget our fallen service members, who paid the ultimate sacrifice to uphold our liberties and cherished way of life. For the families of those departed, may this monument serve as a small token of our humble gratitude for the heroism of their loved ones.
COMMEMORATING THE 136TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE YAKAMA TREATY
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2018-6-8

I rise today to commemorate the 136th anniversary of the Yakama Nation Treaty of 1855. prgtoken On June 9 in 1855, the United States entered into an agreement with the confederated tribes and bands of the Yakama Nation. This treaty marked the beginning of a successful relationship between the Yakamas, the Federal Government, and the people of Central Washington State. prgtoken I am proud to display a copy of the treaty of 1855 in my office here in Washington, D.C. as a reminder of the Federal Government's obligations. prgtoken The Yakama Nation's presence and influence is evident in my district. The Yakama Nation Museum and Cultural Center provides students and visitors an inside look at the history and the values of the Tribes. The newly opened Yakama Warriors Association's Veterans Center provides resources and assistance to veterans on or near the Yakama Reservation. Events and celebrations bring communities together to honor and preserve the Yakama Nation's cultural traditions. prgtoken , I am grateful for the Yakamas' input as I work to represent all of Central Washington, and I look forward to continuing to ensure their voices are heard on the important decisions that affect the land that we all love.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-8

just to follow up on what my good friend from Iowa (Mr. King) was saying, there is an article here from this week--Hans A. von Spakovsky says: ``Alabama is arguing that by including illegal immigrants in its count of the population, it deprives the State of representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The key to Alabama's case is the definition of `persons' who should be counted and thus used in apportionment. This is not an issue the court has addressed before.'' prgtoken That is interesting. ``Alabama has filed an unprecedented but little-noticed lawsuit against the U.S. Census Bureau. If the State wins, it could have major political ramifications and restore fundamental fairness in political representation in Congress.'' prgtoken And I might insert parenthetically here, I heard my friend, the delegate from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) was talking about hoping to have a vote, whether it was making D.C. a State or whatnot. But in the little research that I ended up doing after I got here is I have seen the license plate, ``Taxation without representation.'' I thought: Well, you know, of course, that was something that was said during the Revolution, ``Taxation without representation is tyranny.'' Ben Franklin said, if we don't get to elect even one of the members of parliament that put taxes on us, then they should not be able to put taxes on us. prgtoken So I am familiar with that situation, but I didn't know, until after I had been here awhile, I find out that territories, like--or any U.S. property that is not part of a State, they do not have a U.S. representative because the Constitution is very clear, very succinct, it says that the representative shall come from the several States. prgtoken In the late 1970s, all of the proponents of giving Washington, D.C. a representative, a U.S. representative, they understood there is only one way to do that, and that is to have a constitutional amendment to amend where it says the representative shall come from the several States and include, and the District of Columbia, something like that. prgtoken Well, they passed it with a significant percentage in the House and the Senate that allowed it to go forward as a constitutional amendment, but they never got--in the late 1970s, they never got the requisite number of States because I guess, from the State standpoint, they are thinking: Well, if we ratify this as a constitutional amendment, it slightly, but still does, dilute a little bit of our power in the House of Representatives. So it didn't get the requisite number of States. prgtoken But, again, after I was here, I was talking to a friend from Puerto Rico, and I said: I know there have been votes in the past about whether Puerto Ricans want to be a State or not. Why has that not passed previously? This is several years ago. prgtoken And he said: Well, there are people that kind of like the current situation in Puerto Rico. It is the same a
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-6-8

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I would be upset, too, if I voted against every economic bill brought to this floor that had the opportunity to grow America--and the statistics prove it. prgtoken It is not me saying it. It is The New York Times. To be frank, Mr I don't think they have ever said many nice things about s. But this is what they said about the economics of today: ``We ran out of words to describe how good the job numbers are. The economy is in a sweet spot, with steady growth and broad improvement in the labor market.'' That is The New York Times. prgtoken I don't have a problem if you are upset by the fact that the economy is exactly what we said would happen if we got the economic changes we desired. Just as when we looked at deregulation, we will continue to make this move forward. prgtoken Now, , I have heard many times on the other side of the aisle in these colloquies: Work with us. Work with us on CHIP. prgtoken But, , they are being directed by people higher up not to work with us in the committee, just as they said not to work with us on the farm bill, when we were working together the whole time. But we kept the things they wanted inside that bill. prgtoken Just as we voted on this floor a little earlier today, there was a message that went out from the leader on the other side to not vote at all. So they held their votes until it passed, and 23 brave, courageous individuals on the other side broke from the letter that the leadership asked them not to vote for. prgtoken What was it about? prgtoken It was about VA and veterans. prgtoken I think you have got to stop playing politics. prgtoken Just last night on this floor, , I heard from my dear friend who was very concerned because there was an agreement and the trust was going to be broken. Even though at the end of the day he couldn't vote for that agreement and trust that we worked so hard together on in an omni, that if we did anything in a rescission package to cut funding that the taxpayers would want us to do, that he couldn't deal with the omni. prgtoken So I took him at his word. He said: You had 1, 2, 3 years in these committees. They just sat there in these programs. prgtoken There is a program in there that has $4.7 billion parked by the administration to help fund electric cars. What was the one automotive company that went bankrupt and took the money as well? Fisker. That is $4.7 billion. Nothing has been done on that since 2011. prgtoken So I took him at his word. We worked with the administration. We brought the largest rescission package here, because, yes, we want to take care of this debt. We think it is the responsibility of everybody here. But, no, those words rang hollow that day. There wasn't a vote for that, but we were able to pass it anyway. prgtoken I look right here at the Economic Cycle Research Institute in October 2016. It is their numbers. There was a 2 percent average growth under
RECOGNIZING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE Y-12 NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX
Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-6-8

I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Construction of the Y-12 plant in 1943 was a vital step in winning World War II, and 75 years later, Y-12 and the NNSA still play an essential role in protecting our nation. Today, Y-12 not only helps to maintain the nation's nuclear deterrent, but provides fuel stock for the United States nuclear navy, retrieves and stores vulnerable nuclear material from around the world, and supports other essential government missions. The Y-12 National Security Complex is an integral part of the fabric of its community and of the greater East Tennessee region. It is a powerful economic driver, with more than 6,000 full-time contractors, subcontractors, and federal employees working at the site. In addition to being a key component of the region's economy, Y-12 gives back to the Oak Ridge community, providing more than $400,000 annually to area nonprofits and educational institutions. On Y-12's 75th anniversary, we reflect not only on its great history, but look to its bright future. The Uranium Processing Facility, a $6.5 billion dollar project, will transform the site by replacing outdated, legacy facilities, and during construction, create thousands of jobs and have a positive economic impact on the region. Through collaborations with labor organizations, colleges, universities, and schools, the Y-12's lead contractor, Consolidated Nuclear Security, encourages students to consider careers in trades and crafts, as well as engineering and other technical fields. Seventy five years ago, the men and women of the Y-12 plant worked tirelessly to protect our national interests and help us win World War II, and generations on they continue to serve their nation and their community. The 75th anniversary of the Y-12 National Security Complex is an occasion to reflect on this proud history and celebrate the people of the complex for their contributions.
REMEMBERING JOHN WESLEY WARDROP
Bradley Byrne (Republican, AL) \u2014 2018-6-8

I rise today to remember a great Alabamian who tragically died the morning of Thursday, May 31 in a single-car crash near Atmore, Alabama. prgtoken At 10 a.m an Alabama Army National Guard Humvee was involved in an automobile accident on I-65 that killed one soldier and injured the other. John Wesley Wardrop, 38, of Satsuma was killed when his 2009 military Humvee left the roadway and overturned. prgtoken Wardrop had devoted much of his life to serving our state and nation. He was a squad leader for the Alabama National Guard's 1165th Military Police Company out of Fairhope. At the time of the crash, he was on a mission preparing for his unit's annual training. prgtoken Wardrop was a staff sergeant for the National Guard. He served our country in the military for over twenty years and completed four tours of duty overseas. prgtoken Family members say that Wardrop was a man of steadfast faith. The night before his passing, he visited Living Hope Church in Saraland and made a donation to support the children's bible school program. He embodied what it means to be a servant leader. prgtoken Sergeant Wardrop left this worldly place helping others. That legacy of service and sacrifice is how he should always be remembered. prgtoken On behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District, I want to share our deepest condolences with his wife, Terri, and their two children, Madi and Logan. I hope you can take comfort in knowing that Sergeant Wardrop will forever be remembered for his service and sacrifice to our community, state, and nation.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
John R. Carter (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-8

. Mr. Chair, we understand and commend the gentlewoman's concern about safeguarding the homeless programs. Looking at what we have done, we have gotten in this bill $7.4 billion in homeless veterans' treatment services, housing, and job training, and we certainly are going to keep in mind, when we go to conference, what the gentlewoman has presented us here today. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-6-11

this week the Senate continues its consideration of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act. Among important provisions related to our military readiness and operations abroad, the NDAA presents crucial opportunities to address other matters of national security. prgtoken In addition to the critical improvements to CFIUS we must make in this bill, one of the most concerning issues is the decision by the administration last week to reduce the harsh penalties previously imposed and then to provide relief to the Chinese telecom giant ZTE, lifting restrictions on the company and allowing it to continue to sell its products in the United States. ZTE was guilty of evading U.S. sanctions on Iran and North Korea and then lying to U.S. officials about it afterward. prgtoken Asked about the decision to relax penalties, President 's trade adviser, Peter Navarro, said: ``It's going to be three strikes you're out on ZTE.'' Why are we giving ZTE three strikes? If you purposely evade U.S. sanctions and then lie about it, that is reason enough to bring the hammer down and leave it there. I have another expression for the Administration: ``Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.'' prgtoken It seems the administration was outmaneuvered by the Chinese on ZTE once again. Congress should reverse what the administration has done by reinstituting the hard penalties on ZTE, and we should do it on the NDAA bill that will be on the floor this week. prgtoken You might ask: Why is this related to defense? This is the Defense bill. prgtoken It is precisely related. Cyber security experts, national security experts, principal government agencies, the -led FCC, the -led FBI, and the -led Pentagon have all deemed the sale of ZTE products in the United States a national security threat. Even if they hadn't violated sanctions and even if they hadn't lied about it, they shouldn't be here. This gives the Chinese Government-- which in many ways takes advantage of the United States militarily and economically and is spying on us by cyber warfare--a great opportunity to get right inside all of our communications. prgtoken This is what Director Christopher Wray, appointed by President , had to say: We're deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments . . . to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks. That provides the capacity to exert pressure or control over our telecommunications infrastructure. It provides the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information. And it provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage. ``Undetected espionage,'' the head of the FBI says, is what allowing ZTE in America will do. That is the Nation's chief law enforcement official--a , appointed by President --testifying tha
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-6-11

I wish to follow up on what the ic leader was making reference to with regard to net neutrality. Today is the day when net neutrality rules are gone, even though there is a way in which we, the Congress, can put them right back on the books. That is what happened in the Senate 3 weeks ago, when we voted 52 to 47 to put the net neutrality protections back on the books to ensure that they would be there for every American. As Senator Schumer was just pointing out, the ball is in the court of the House of Representatives--the -controlled House of Representatives. We passed net neutrality in the Senate on a bipartisan basis. prgtoken Senator Murkowski, Senator Collins, and Senator Kennedy of Louisiana voted for net neutrality. We know, as Senator Schumer just said, that if the vote was taken right now on net neutrality in the House of Representatives, it would win. We would be able to put those protections back on the books. Millions of people rose up throughout the last 6 months of last year, with 22 million of them contacting the FCC. Ajit Pai, the Chairman of the FCC, ignored those 22 million people, and by a 3-to-2 vote on the Federal Communications Commission, they took net neutrality off of the books. In other words, they officially stripped consumers of the protections that have allowed our economy and our democracy to flourish. Now Americans will have to blindly trust their cable companies, their broadband companies, and their internet providers to protect them against discrimination. It is Big Cable's dream come true. They have already won at the FCC, but now the counterrevolution is underway. In the Senate, it has already happened. prgtoken What we need to do now is to have the same level of energy with those millions of Americans who are targeting the House of Representatives and telling them that they want net neutrality, that they want nondiscrimination principles, that they want equal protection for the smallest voices, the smallest companies to be the law of the land--net neutrality. We need entrepreneurs; we need job creators, we need small businesses, which are the lifeblood of the American economy, to be protected against the natural tendency of the biggest corporations to pump up profits at the expense of the little guy. Yet you don't have to take my word for it. prgtoken In looking back over recent history, before net neutrality protections were codified, in 2007, an Associated Press investigation found that Comcast was blocking or severely slowing down BitTorrent--a website that allowed consumers to share video, music, and video game files. From 2007 to 2009, AT&T forced Apple to block Skype and other competing services from using AT&T's wireless network in order to encourage users to purchase more voice minutes. In 2011, Verizon blocked Google Wallet to protect a competing service that it had a financial stake in developing and promoting. prgtoken We a
TRIBUTE TO LORENCE M. BERTONE
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-6-11

I wish to recognize and extend my sincerest congratulations and happy birthday wishes to Lorence M. Bertone, who celebrated her 100th birthday on June 9, 2018. prgtoken Lorence was born in 1918 in Danvers, MA, where she worked at Sylvania until she retired and moved to Seabrook, NH, 38 years ago. Lorence is married to Ricce Bertone, and they have five children: Richard, Clarice, Bonny, Robert, and Linda. Lorence also has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and still travels to California to visit her grandsons, Rod and Dave. prgtoken Today Lorence enjoys taking trips to Vegas, crocheting, baking, and playing bingo every week at the Seabrook American Legion and Seabrook Fire Association. prgtoken I hope you join me, Lorence's friends and family, and many people in the town of Seabrook and across the Granite State in wishing Lorence M. Bertone a very happy 100th birthday.