mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IBEW LOCAL 134, DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL
Bobby L. Rush (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-6-28

I rise today with excitement and a sense of pride in my heart. Today, , I am here to share some great news coming out of my hometown of Chicago, Illinois, because next week, on Monday, a group of smart, dedicated, and hardworking young African American men from Dunbar High School located in my district will start new jobs in the skills-based industry. prgtoken These jobs, , and the young men's employment are a result of a robust partnership and a sincere commitment to diversity that brought the city of Chicago, the Chicago public schools, and the IBEW Local 134 together to form an innovative construction trades program. prgtoken , I am extremely encouraged by these motivated and diligent young men who never gave up and who saw the opportunity and hope that was available to them that extended beyond their environment. This program, the partnership it represents, and the hopes that it inspires is spot on. It is exactly the type of investment our most vulnerable communities need because it has the potential to yield life- altering results. prgtoken Programs like this one not only provide hope by decreasing joblessness, but they have the ability to play a major role in reducing the pervasive violence that plagues our Nation and our communities. prgtoken This particular program, , is an important endeavor that offers more opportunities to underserved communities across the Nation by providing students in their junior and senior years of high school the chance to learn skills in fields including general construction, carpentry, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, welding, and electrical work, among many, many others. prgtoken After graduation, students have multiple options available to them. They can enter a pre-apprenticeship program; they can pursue a postsecondary education; or they can obtain professional certification that will lead to immediate employment, as it has for these young men. prgtoken , I just want to take a moment and recognize Mayor Rahm Emanuel's commitment to seeing this program's initiation and inauguration to get off the ground. prgtoken Additionally, , this would not have been possible without the hard work and devotion of some dedicated individuals and organizations. So I want to thank the IBEW Local 134 and Don Finn, its president, and the city of Chicago, the Chicago public schools, and, most importantly, the instructors and the mentors of these young men for their persistence in seeing that this vision emerged and ensuring that the next generation that builds America represents the diversity of America. prgtoken , I sincerely wish these young men the best as they embark on this new chapter in their lives. I want them to know that, with their perseverance, they have made it easier for those individuals, those young men and young women, who will follow in their footsteps. prgtoken , .
HONORING PRIDE MONTH
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-6-28

this week marks the 49th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, where, on June 28, 1969, a group of bar patrons led by transgender women of color began to fight for LGBTQ equality. prgtoken Over nearly 50 years, the LGBTQ community has celebrated many historic victories. In fact, just yesterday, we celebrated the third anniversary of marriage equality becoming the law of the land nationwide. prgtoken However, while we celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month, it is important to remember we still have a long way to go. In most States, LGBTQ individuals can still get kicked out of their housing, be refused service from restaurants and other businesses, or lose their jobs simply for being who they are. prgtoken The Equality Act would end this injustice by extending civil rights protections to LGBTQ individuals nationwide. I am a proud sponsor of the Equality Act and urge Ryan to bring this commonsense bill to the House floor for a vote
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CHARLES PAGE
Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-6-28

I rise today to mark the life and legacy of Charles Page, a true public servant who considered himself so blessed that he went by the nickname of Mr. Lucky. prgtoken But it goes without saying that all of us benefited from Charlie's generosity and willingness to give back to the place that we call home. prgtoken He came to the Monterey Peninsula as a young airman assigned to the Defense Language Institute. He stayed there, built his life there, and continued to serve there as a two-term city councilman, as the president of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Government, and as the founder of the Monterey County Legal Aid Society, as well as the founder of the Monterey Peninsula College Foundation. prgtoken Charlie understood the value of junior colleges, not just for students, but for the entire community. prgtoken He inspired people to get involved, including myself. I will never forget when I received a phone call out of the blue asking me when I was going to get involved, when I was going to serve. prgtoken I believe that that call sparked the beginning of my career in service. prgtoken , for that and all of his contributions to our community and country, I recognize Charlie Page, for we are all blessed and lucky to know him.
INSISTING DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COMPLY WITH REQUESTS AND SUBPOENAS
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-6-28

let me thank the gentleman for yielding, and certainly, let me thank my good friend from North Carolina. prgtoken I think the Nation should understand that we have these stark political differences. We have these stark legal differences. But there is nothing that can undermine the rule of law and the truth. prgtoken My good friend who just spoke earlier wants to go to the extreme of holding the Nation's professional law enforcement officers in contempt for doing their job. What I hold in my hand is from the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice, issued in June 2018. Besides these pages, , there are eons and eons of documents. prgtoken Right now, in the Judiciary Committee, Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein is there voluntarily. We have Director Wray there. Even if there was a subpoena, they have come. Both of them indicated that they canceled important trips to be here before the United States Congress. prgtoken I asked in that hearing: What was the reason for the emergency hearing? What was the good cause? And I don't know if my colleagues heard it. I could not decipher any good cause of why we are now thrown into this hearing room. prgtoken The reason I say that, which speaks to this particular resolution, is the fact that we have had now, under the Presidency of Mr almost 2 years, and the Judiciary Committee has not answered one single inquiry offered by the . We have not had one legitimate hearing on the Russian collusion to have violated and made vile the 2016 election. prgtoken I do not speak to the results. I speak to the impact on the integrity of the election by the American people. We have not had one hearing. prgtoken Now we are in a rush to continue to reinvestigate and reinvestigate the findings of the inspector general and the investigators who indicated that they investigated this and, in essence, found no criminal behavior; that this is Secretary Clinton's email. prgtoken I think it is public knowledge that the item that she was being looked at for was the misuse of classified data. Minimal, at best. We don't want that to happen. She did not want it to happen. But she was cleared of any criminal intent or criminal actions by people that we would normally trust. prgtoken I believe in oversight. I don't want scandals at the Department of Justice. I want the Civil Rights Division to work well. Maybe somebody should ask the question why the Civil Rights Division is understaffed and barely working. Maybe somebody should ask the question why the administration switched from being supportive of anti-voter ID laws that were discriminatory but did not. prgtoken So this resolution is redundant. It goes in the face of those who are already performing.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-6-28

this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. prgtoken As a veteran, I am pleased to offer this amendment, which increases funding for peer-reviewed traumatic brain injury and psychological health research to $150 million for fiscal year 2019. prgtoken It is imperative that we prioritize and commit to medical research to address battlefield wounds. prgtoken Funding for traumatic brain injury and psychological health research, including research on PTSD, suicide prevention, and other mental health conditions resulting from military service, has always been the highest priority for the Defense Health Program, and prior funding levels have reflected this priority. prgtoken By increasing funding for traumatic brain injury and mental health research by $25 million, this will ensure that this research program remains the Defense Health Program's highest priority. prgtoken Just last week, the VA released its latest national suicide data report. It is very depressing. The tragic figures remain unchanged. Twenty veterans and servicemembers commit suicide every day. These suicides can result from untreated mental health conditions and even can be caused by traumatic brain injury. prgtoken Since 2000, almost 380,000 servicemembers have been diagnosed with TBI. Many of these servicemembers and veterans will need lifelong healthcare as a result of this injury. And these numbers do not capture the number of servicemembers, many of whom are now veterans, who may have sustained multiple TBIs that can lead to permanent brain injury, the early onset of Alzheimer's disease, and CTE, which can cause permanent memory loss and even suicide. prgtoken These wounded warriors need cutting-edge treatments that will address this signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. prgtoken We are seeing already the results of this research. Funding for DOD TBI research has resulted in improved treatments and diagnostic tests that clinicians can use to treat servicemembers when they sustain a traumatic brain injury. prgtoken Clinicians know from this research program that it is important to immediately test and treat TBI when it occurs. As a result of research, clinicians now know that it is vitally important to prevent the chance that a servicemember will sustain another TBI before the servicemember has healed from their first. prgtoken Investments in this research will pay dividends in the future so that our servicemembers and veterans receive the world-class care they need, and that must be made a top priority. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on making TBI research a top priority. prgtoken I am going to conclude by noting that we are soon going to be heading off into our July 4th recess. As we sit here today, there are still thousands of babies and kids ripped away from their parents by the c
350TH ANNIVERSARY OF SALT SAINTE MARIE, MICHIGAN
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-6-28

today I wish to recognize the 350th anniversary of the city of Sault Sainte Marie, MI. As one of the oldest cities in the State of Michigan, as well as the United States, Sault Ste. Marie is endowed with a rich history, dynamic present, and bright future. prgtoken As early as 800 A.D the Chippewa Indians, originally referred to as Ojibway, inhabited the area now known as Sault Ste. Marie. The Chippewa Indians called the region ``Bahweting,'' or ``the Gathering Place,'' due to the wealth of fish and fur found along the St. Marys River, the only water connection between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. prgtoken In the early 1600s, British, French, and Jesuit missionaries ventured to the territory, including Fr. Jaques Marquette. In 1668, Fr. Jaques Marquette renamed the settlement Sault Ste. Marie in honor of the Virgin Mary, establishing the first permanent settlement in the Great Lakes region. Due to the abundant natural resources and strategic location of the St. Marys River, the French and British repeatedly fought over the area, as well as the right to trade with the Chippewa and Ottawa Tribes. Although Fr. Jaques Marquette built the first permanent structure, John Johnson is considered to be the first permanent settler in Sault Ste. Marie. In the late 1790s, Johnson and his family moved to the region to open a fur trade operation along the St. Marys River. In 1797, the Northwest Fur Company constructed a navigation lock approximately 38-feet long on the Canadian side of the St. Marys River. Unfortunately, the lock was destroyed in the War of 1812. prgtoken In 1820, the Chippewa Indians signed the Treaty of the Sault that turned control of Sault Ste. Marie to the United States. In 1852, almost three decades later, the State of Michigan contracted Fairbanks Scale Company to build a lock designed to permit waterborne commerce between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. The Fairbanks Scale Company constructed a system of two locks, each 350 feet long, called the State Lock. The State of Michigan operated and maintained the locks for more than a decade, but as the shipping traffic and vessel sizes increased, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assumed ownership of the facility and constructed a larger lock, more than 515 feet long, named the Weitzel Lock. Since then, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the construction and replacement of five locks, later known as the Soo Locks, in order to meet the growing demand for larger vessels: First Poe Lock, Davis Lock, Sabin Lock, MacArthur Lock, and Second Poe Lock. Over the past 350 years, Sault Ste. Marie transformed from a base for fisherman and fur traders to an international gateway for community development and economic growth. prgtoken Today, Sault Ste. Marie is home to more than 13,000 residents who enjoy the beautiful parks, historic downtown, and safe neighborhoods. Situated in Chippewa County, the city provides a number of
KILAUEA VOLCANO
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-6-28

I want to share an update about what is happening with the Kilauea volcano in my home State of Hawaii. prgtoken The first thing people need to know is that the State of Hawaii remains safe to visit and that the Island of Hawaii, where the volcano is erupting, is also safe to visit. prgtoken Let's start with a basic geography lesson. Hawaii has eight main islands, and the volcano is on the Island of Hawaii, which people often call the Big Island. It is about 4,000 square miles. This is Hawaii Island. It is about the size of Connecticut. Only 9 square miles are directly impacted by the volcano. So it is actually just this little area in this corner of the island. If you are in the town of Hilo, which is 25 miles away from the volcano, you can't even tell there is a volcano erupting for the most part. prgtoken Cruise lines are coming back, and officials are trying to set up areas where people can safely view this spectacular volcano. It is that safe. People need to know that it is business as usual for lots of people on the Big Island and that both the State and the island are open for visitors. We just got the data in for the month of May, and we had again increased tourism statewide. Everyone should come to visit. prgtoken With that being said, this is an extraordinarily difficult situation for the communities that are being affected, and even though people are used to living with volcanos, this is extraordinarily tough. Right here, we have fissure 8. This is about a 300-foot lava fountain that has not ceased for several weeks. As recently as 2015, lava approached the town of Pahoa in the Puna district, but we really haven't seen anything like this since the 1974 flow. prgtoken For the past few months, we have had 300-foot lava fountains. We have had ash explosions that have reached tens of thousands of feet. We have also had more than 30 billion gallons of lava that have destroyed 600 homes. An estimated 2,500 people have been displaced, one way or another, by the volcanic eruption. In certain areas, there is no power, no water, and no cell phone reception. So even if your home has not been destroyed, your access now may be limited or nonexistent. prgtoken Here is the really good news: There has been no loss of human life due to the volcano. Despite all that has happened, the people of Puna and the people of Hawaii Island remain extraordinarily resilient. The bad news is that no one is sure when the volcanic activity will end. Even the experts at the United States Geological Survey don't know. We have several difficult challenges in moving forward--from air quality to the need for economic relief and, especially, for housing and transportation. Hundreds of people are currently living in shelters. Hundreds of animals from homes and ranches are, in a sense, volcano refugees. So we have to secure temporary housing for people who lost their homes or who have been evacuated and then get these people
SENATE RESOLUTION 568--DESIGNATING JUNE 2018 AS ``GREAT OUTDOORS MONTH''
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-6-28

I am pleased the Senate is passing a resolution I introduced along with Senators Collins, Wyden, Gardner, and Bennet to commemorate the American Homebrewers Association's (AHA) 40th ``birthday''. Since its founding in 1978, the AHA--whose mission is to promote the community of homebrewers and empower homebrewers to make the best beer in the world--has had a tremendous impact on America, both within and well beyond the scope of beer. After then- President Jimmy Carter signed the momentous legislation (Public Law 95- 458) to legalize homebrewing at the federal level, the AHA worked ceaselessly and successfully to extend that legalization to all 50 States and the District of Columbia. prgtoken Today, the AHA has over 46,000 dues-paying members and works on behalf of more than 1.1 million homebrewers in our Nation. While the AHA was established in 1978, homebrewing has been an important part of our Nation's life from its inception. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock because they were running out of beer, which was safer to drink than water (each adult on board had a ration of one gallon of beer per day). Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison were all homebrewers who enjoyed crafting their own libations. In 2011, President introduced a honey ale which became the first beer known to have been brewed in the White House. prgtoken Homebrewing isn't just a wonderfully delicious hobby; however. Home- brewing has an important economic impact, creating thousands of jobs and adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy. There are more than 700 homebrew shops nationwide, and scores of small businesses that fabricate the brewing, fermenting, and packaging equipment homebrewers use. Homebrewers also support American agriculture, with their demand for domestic malts, hops, yeast, and other ingredients. In the aggregate, American homebrewers produce 1.4 million barrels of beer each year. That production level puts homebrewers between the Boston Beer Company and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, which are the second and third largest craft brewing companies in America, respectively. prgtoken Homebrewing is collaborative and social. The AHA hosts major events that bring thousands of people together, including the National Homebrewers Conference, the National Homebrew Competition, the Big Brew for National Homebrew Day, Learn to Homebrew Day, and the Hill Staff Homebrew Competition, which encourages bipartisan participation in celebrating home-brewing and its rich history in the United States. Thirty years ago, Congress designated May 7th as National Homebrew Day and the AHA celebrates that anniversary each year with the Big Brew for National Homebrew Day on the first Saturday each May. The AHA initiated Learn to Homebrew Day, which is held in November, in 1999 to encourage homebrewers to introduce their non-brewing family members and prgtoken friends to the hobby. Nearl
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018--Continued
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-6-28

I rise today to talk about the 2018 farm bill and the importance of passing this bill. prgtoken I thank Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow for their dedication and determination in producing a truly bipartisan bill that cleared the Agriculture Committee 2 weeks ago with a strong bipartisan vote. Senator McConnell and Senator Schumer have been dedicated to moving this bill to the floor. Under Chairman Roberts' and Ranking Member Stabenow's leadership, the committee held six hearings, examining every title of the bill, passed a bill out of committee on a nearly unanimous 20-to-1 vote, and included almost 70 amendments before getting it to the floor this week. prgtoken The Agriculture Committee and the farm bill are models of how we can work across the aisle on tough problems and on major legislation that impacts every American--the farmers and ranchers who grow and raise the crops and livestock that sustain us, the hunters and conservationists who rely on the wetlands and grasslands protected, the families who rely on access to healthy foods. prgtoken This is an important bill. I hear it every day from people in my State--fishermen and hunters, farmers in rural communities and leaders. They understand that we do not want to be a country that becomes dependent on foreign food. We don't want that to happen. prgtoken In Minnesota, we produce a lot of food. Our economy is diverse from north to south and east to west--corn, soybeans, hogs, and turkeys in the southern and western part of our State; wheat, canola, and sugar beets in the northwest; and dairy and cattle in the central and southwest. As a State, we are No. 1 in turkeys. Yes, , that is true. Minnesota is No. 1 in turkeys and sugar beets. We are No. 2 in hogs, No. 3 in soybeans, No. 4 in corn, and fifth overall in agricultural production. But the prices farmers have received when selling these goods have been declining since 2013. USDA's Economic Research Service is forecasting net farm income to fall another 6.7 percent this year, which would represent the lowest level since 2006. prgtoken These commodities are increasingly sent around the world. From 2006 to 2016, Minnesota producers sent $7.1 billion worth of ag products to markets around the world, making us the fourth largest agricultural exporting State in the United States. Our soybeans and dairy go to China, pork to Canada, beef to South Korea, and corn and poultry to Mexico. These exports are a crucial part of our economy, and the unknown on trade and the threat of terrorists, especially from allies with allies, such as Canada and what we have been seeing there--and I hope we will have a reasonable approach with our allies going forward-- those headlines are having real impacts on many farmers' bottom lines. prgtoken Finally, no matter where the farm is located or what crops they grow, all Minnesota farms and rural communities face weather risks. This spring, ma
WE NEED TO RESTORE DEMOCRACY
John P. Sarbanes (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-6-28

today, too many Americans feel that their own democracy doesn't respect them, that they are left out and locked out of their own democracy. prgtoken That is why today are introducing the By the People Resolution, a broad set of reforms, a declaration of principles that we need to restore democracy and give people their voice back, in three broad categories of reform: prgtoken Voter empowerment, voting rights; making sure that it is easier, not harder, to access the ballot box and to cast your vote. prgtoken Ethics and accountability, because we need transparency in our government. We need to obey the rules, observe the norms. That is critical to have trust in government on the part of the people. prgtoken And lastly, campaign finance reform, because big money and special interests have way too much influence up here on Capitol Hill, and we need to do something about it. prgtoken We can do this. With a bold set of reforms, we can make sure that Americans feel respected, and we can return, finally, to a government of, by, and for the people.