mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING DR. FRANCIS GRAHAM
Bill Flores (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-8

I rise today to honor Dr. Francis Graham of Waco, Texas, who passed away on January 10, 2019. prgtoken Frank was born on March 19, 1930, in Sparta, Wisconsin, to Francis Graham, Sr and Theresa Snyder Graham. He was the second of nine children. prgtoken In 1947, at the age of 16, Frank dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. Frank later served in the U.S. Navy from 1950 to 1954 as a member of an underwater demolition team, a predecessor unit to the Navy SEALs. In 1955, Frank returned to the Army and served until 1971, when he retired as a sergeant major serving with the Special Forces. prgtoken After he retired from the military, Frank decided to continue his education and obtained his doctorate in psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1976. prgtoken In 1982, Frank and his wife, Patricia, moved to Waco. For over 20 years, Frank practiced as a psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. prgtoken Frank was an active member of the local Special Forces chapter, the Woodway Veterans of Foreign Wars, and was the past president of both the local American Heart Association and the Italian Club of Waco. He was also involved with Saint Jerome's Catholic Church and was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. prgtoken Frank had a variety of hobbies, including breeding horses for racing, traveling, reading, movies, having family and friends over for game night, and being a connoisseur of fine wines and food. prgtoken Frank was also a member of my Military Service Academy Review Board, which assists in selecting candidates for nomination to our Nation's service academies. prgtoken , Frank's life was defined by his service to his family, to our country, and to our community. He will be forever remembered as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a veteran, a selfless servant, and a great friend. prgtoken My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Graham family. We also lift up the family and friends of Frank Graham in our prayers. prgtoken I have requested that a United States flag be flown over our Nation's Capitol to honor the life and legacy this humble servant. prgtoken As I close today, I ask all Americans to continue praying for our country, for our military, for our veterans, and for our first responders who keep us safe at home. Honoring Jack Restivo
GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , last Congress, the Judiciary Committee interviewed multiple DOJ and FBI officials about their actions regarding the 2016 elections. prgtoken People anticipate the Mueller report soon. Will he find any so-called collusion, or was the only collusion among agency personnel who hated the President and started this investigation? prgtoken Our interview transcripts were pertinent to a congressional investigation; but the 115th Congress ended, the investigation was closed, and copies were shared with certain Members of Congress. prgtoken Out of an abundance of caution, we gave DOJ an opportunity to review them for information that would endanger national security; but after many months and little progress, our patience grows thin. prgtoken The proposed redactions had nothing to do with national security and are anathema to our goal of government transparency. I am, therefore, today making one of those transcripts public. prgtoken Madam , to avoid burdening GPO with a 200-page transcript, I include in the Record the link www.dougcollins.house.gov/ohr so the American people can review the transcript of Bruce Ohr. prgtoken I intend to make other transcripts public soon. I am willing to consider any reasonable redactions DOJ makes in a timely manner but won't allow these transcripts to remain shrouded in secrecy.
HONORING VETERAN OF THE MONTH PETER LUITWIELER
Kevin Hern (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , I rise today to honor Peter E. Luitwieler, an American hero and a true friend to our country's veterans. prgtoken Mr. Luitwieler served in military intelligence during the Vietnam war, and in January of 1968, when his compound was surrounded by enemy troops and the machine gunners abandoned their posts, Mr. Luitwieler and a brave marine manned the machine guns for hours, keeping the enemies at bay and protecting the lives of their team. For this act of bravery, he was awarded the Vietnamese equivalent of the Bronze Star. prgtoken After he retired, Mr. Luitwieler dedicated his time to fellow veterans. He now serves as a program manager for Warrior Partnerships of Eastern Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Veterans Connections, and he is a mentor to veterans going through the Tulsa Veterans Treatment Court, going above and beyond to enrich the lives of Oklahoma's veterans. prgtoken Mr. Luitwieler is an incredible example of the great men and women who have served our country every day. He is the First District's March 2019 Veteran of the Month, and I am honored to recognize him with this award.
RECOGNIZING JOE M. STEELE OF THE STEELE CANNING COMPANY
Steve Womack (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-3-8

I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of the late Joe Steele, the founder of Steele Canning Company in Arkansas. prgtoken Joe grew up in northwest Arkansas and eventually enrolled at the University of Arkansas. To cover his tuition, he began canning tomatoes. This side job quickly turned into the Steele Canning Company. prgtoken The business continued to grow and relocated to Springdale. There Joe made history by shipping the first trainload of canned food in the United States and introducing Popeye brand spinach. During World War II, 70 percent of Steele's products were sent to our brave troops. One soldier even commented on the beans, saying that the prgtoken reason they are so good is because they were canned in Arkansas. prgtoken His legacy also includes the creation of the Beaver Water District, which is the primary source of water for northwest Arkansas. prgtoken For these contributions, he was posthumously inducted into the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. I congratulate his family on this great honor.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-3-11

as chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize a small business that exemplifies the unique American entrepreneurial spirit. Today, it is my distinct pleasure to name Miami Tour Company as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken Founded in 2002, Miami Tour Company has quickly become a premier provider of tours and activities in south Florida. Husband and wife, Gus and Michelle Moore, founded the company based on the principle of providing the best customer experience possible. Gus and Michelle met while working at a restaurant and bonded over a shared passion for making sure that visitors to their home State have a great experience. After serving thousands of hungry patrons and learning how to make visitors to Miami as happy as possible, Gus and Michelle decided to start a business. With their combined knowledge of the area and a knack for anticipating their customer's needs, a tour company was the perfect fit. With their savings from working at the restaurant, the couple prgtoken bought a tour bus, and the Miami Tour Company was born. prgtoken Seventeen years later, Miami Tour Company has grown to transport 35,000 passengers annually and have served more than 600,000 clientele. Their fleet now includes motorcoaches, mini-buses, vans, SUVs, shuttle buses, and boat tours. The company's local guides run day tours through Key West, Orlando, the Everglades, and Miami Beach. They have also instituted a GPS-guided system in their tour buses that triggers high- quality digital voice recordings at locations of interest, making them the only tour company in Florida to offer this technology. To expand their customer base, the company has begun offering the recordings in Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, French, Italian, German, and Russian, allowing visitors from around the world to enjoy the attractions that Florida has to offer. prgtoken On top of providing enjoyable and informative tours, Miami Tour Company gives back to their community. They guide local elementary students on free historical bus tours throughout Miami and offer students free eco-tourism trips to the Everglades. They also give back to their community by providing complimentary travel charters for activities for the children and families of Sophia's Hope. In addition, they donate portions of their proceeds to the Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial and the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. Miami Tour Company has been a true small business success story. Their dedication to hospitality has been recognized with an A-plus rating from the Better Business Bureau and a Certificate of Excellence from online reviewers. prgtoken Gus and Michelle's commitment to an exceptional customer experience represents the standard of hospitality with which Florida small businesses are known for. Companies like Miami Tour Company are one of the many reasons that visitors enjoy south Florida and keep coming back. I wou
PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HONORABLE RALPH HALL
John Ratcliffe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-11

at age 19, Ralph Hall jumped at the chance to join the Navy, to fly Hellcat fighters during World War II in defense of this Nation. Seventy years later, at the age of 89, he jumped again out of an airplane to honor America's veterans on Memorial Day. prgtoken At age 11, Ralph Hall was working at the Rockwall, Texas, drugstore when he served two Coca-Colas, two packs of Old Gold cigarettes, and a stack of newspapers to two customers known simply to the rest of the world as Bonnie and Clyde. Eighty years later, at the age of 91, Ralph was still working and serving the folks in Rockwall, in north Texas, as the oldest Member ever to cast a vote in the history of the House of Representatives. prgtoken From beginning to end, Ralph Hall lived one of the most extraordinary and remarkable lives of anyone ever to serve in Congress. prgtoken In his 34 years in this Chamber, Ralph spent some of his time sitting over here as a Blue Dog . For some of his time he spent it sitting over there as a conservative . Ralph liked to joke that was because ``the s never much wanted me, and the never much liked me.'' Neither of those was true, but it was that self-deprecating humor that made Ralph Hall beloved to everyone who knew him. prgtoken In the Science, Space, and Technology Committee room, Ralph Hall's picture hangs alongside other past chairmen. But Ralph was the only chairman to have Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Gene Cernan, and every then-living Apollo-era astronaut come to his home to celebrate one of his birthdays. When asked why, Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon, who famously took a giant leap for mankind, said it was because Ralph Hall was a giant to our space program. Ralph Hall, he said, was a giant among men. prgtoken , to those on the floor who knew Ralph Hall, thank you for allowing me to remember him for the Representative that he truly was. And for those of you who did not have the privilege of serving with Ralph Hall, thank you for letting me remember the man who was the kind of Representative that we should all hope to be. prgtoken When Ralph Hall passed away last Thursday at the age of 95, he left this Earth, went right past the Moon--and our loss became Heaven's gain. prgtoken Godspeed, Ralph Hall. prgtoken , I would like to ask all Members to rise and observe a moment of silence to honor the extraordinary life of Congressman Ralph Hall.
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF WEST POINT ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2019-3-11

I am happy to be joined by my colleagues who graduated from West Point, our alma mater, and our colleague, who represents the West Point community and the area. prgtoken Why are we talking about the academy today? Well, we are close to what we call our Founders Day, which is March 17, but this is also a special year. It is the 150th anniversary of the Association of Graduates, which keeps the alumni informed and connected with our alma mater. prgtoken The 150th anniversary will be May 22, 2019, so we thought we would come down to the floor to talk about the experience and the importance of the military academies--of course, West Point being the oldest and the best--to our Nation and its security. prgtoken , from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney), from Hudson Valley, who represents West Point and the surrounding communities.
COMMEMORATING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CARTHAGE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Darin LaHood (Republican, IL) \u2014 2019-3-11

. Madam , I would like to recognize the Carthage Public Library of Carthage, Illinois, for celebrating their 125th anniversary. prgtoken In 1894, the Carthage Public Library was officially opened as a circulating library for the residents of the city. Since then, the library has grown immensely; it now provides the community with far more than great reads. The library has taken on its own role in the area. This is where the residents of Carthage go to stay current on local affairs, and where the youth go to learn life skills that strengthen both their mind and body. prgtoken The Carthage Public Library is known throughout west-central Illinois for the services that it has provided for the community over the last 125 years. Today, we celebrate the library and staff for their dedication to serving Carthage. I extend my sincere congratulations to the Carthage Public Library for a successful 125 years, and I wish them even more success going forward.
Socialism (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-11

in thinking about some of the debates swirling about here in Washington, DC, as to whether capitalism or socialism should be a preferred economic model, I recall a story that involves Boris Yeltsin, who went on to become the Russian President, who happened to be in Houston, TX, in 1989, visiting the Johnson Space Center--a very important part of NASA in Houston--when he decided to visit a grocery store in Clear Lake, TX. Though it sounds like it could be, this isn't the beginning of a Wes Anderson film. prgtoken It was nearly 20 years ago, in 1989, when the Soviet Union had not yet imploded and when the Berlin Wall was still standing. It would be 2 years before Yeltsin would be forced to take steps to begin to transform the Soviet prgtoken economy. As I said, he was in the Houston area, finishing a tour of the Johnson Space Center, when he made an unscheduled stop at a Randalls grocery store before he headed to Miami. prgtoken The Houston Chronicle reported at the time that Yeltsin gawked at the abundant produce, the selection of fresh fish, the checkout aisle, and especially the frozen pudding pops. He roamed the aisles, according to the story, stared at the frozen food section, and took advantage of the free samples of cheese. He actually talked to some of the customers there and asked questions about what they were buying and how much it cost them. He was stunned--absolutely stunned--as this was a far cry from the grocery stores in the Soviet Union. Yeltsin said: ``Even the Politburo doesn't have this kind of choice, not even Mr. Gorbachev.'' prgtoken That day, Boris Yeltsin learned something that the overwhelming majority of people in our country already know--that socialism cannot provide the bounty, the prosperity, or the choices that capitalism can. prgtoken Leon Aron, who wrote Yeltsin's biography, quoted one of his associates. prgtoken He said: For a long time, on the plane to Miami, he sat motionless, his head in his hands. ``What have they done to our poor people?'' he said, after a long silence. prgtoken He told his fellow countrymen who were traveling with him that if their people were to see the conditions in American supermarkets, ``there would be a revolution.'' prgtoken Make no mistake about it. If the most radical in our country today get their way on the outlandish socialist policies they are pushing, the American people will be calling for a revolution. prgtoken The Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and economic security for those who are able-bodied yet who are unwilling to work are policies that are not going to raise up the most economically disadvantaged people in our country. They are going to pull everyone else down. Socialism promises not prosperity for all but what Winston Churchill called the equal sharing of miseries. prgtoken Though these self-proclaimed democratic socialists make big promises on how their policies will deliver fairness and eq
HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER MOBILITY DEMONSTRATION ACT OF 2019
Blaine Luetkemeyer (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-3-11

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 1122, the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2019. prgtoken As currently administered, housing vouchers often are insufficient in helping American families get access to neighborhoods with greater opportunities. That is why H.R. 1122 is so important. prgtoken A strong body of research shows that growing up in a safe, lower- poverty neighborhood with good schools improves children's academic achievement and long-term chances of success, and may reduce intergenerational poverty. prgtoken A recent groundbreaking Harvard study found that young children in families who used housing vouchers to move to better neighborhoods fared much better as young adults than similar children who remained in extremely poor neighborhoods. prgtoken The Harvard study found that young boys and girls in families who use a voucher to move to lower-poverty neighborhoods were 32 percent more likely to attend college and earned 31 percent more as young adults than their counterparts in families who did not receive an MTO voucher. Girls in families who moved to lower-poverty neighborhoods were also 30 percent less likely to be single parents as adults. prgtoken And let us not forget that location also affects adults in many ways, such as access to jobs, the cost of getting to work, the feasibility of balancing child care responsibilities with work schedules, and other basic goods and services. prgtoken Voucher mobility is key to enabling families with children to move to safer neighborhoods with less poverty, thereby enhancing their chances of long- prgtoken term health and success. H.R. 1122 will provide the foundation for many of these key changes. prgtoken I thank Mr. Duffy and Mr. Cleaver for their hard work in looking into this issue and providing evidence-based solutions to affect positive change in families and communities. prgtoken , I urge passage of H.R. 1122, and .
Tribute to Dick Williams (Executive Session)
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-3-11

I will be very brief for the Senator from Delaware so I am not taking up too much time. prgtoken I am here to do something very special. One of the great things we get to do is to pay tribute to people who do great things in our State. We don't brag about journalists as much as we should. They think we are saying bad things about them, but they are great. They make the country better. The fact that we have an accountable media makes us all great. There are superstars within the media who deserve acknowledgment, particularly when they retire from the job. In Georgia, that has been the case. prgtoken Dick Williams, in Atlanta, GA, announced on Sunday that after 53 years in print, television, and radio journalism, he is going to retire. Dick has covered me over many years. He has been known as a conservative columnist, but he has gone after me as many times as he has been for me. He plays it straight down the middle unless it has to do with basketball--and he loves basketball. He has been chosen to referee in the conference championship for the State's high schools and has been a great sportsman for Georgetown University, for which he recruits athletes. He himself went to Georgetown. prgtoken Rebecca, his wife, was in the Georgia House as a reporter when I was in the Georgia House years ago. She is a talented house person who went on to ABC. She and Dick got married, and they have two children. They live in Brookhaven, GA, which is a new city that was created by the Georgia Legislature to allow independence for a lot of our cities that had been trapped inside the metro area. prgtoken His wife has been a reporter of journalism, and Dick has been a reporter of journalism. Then Dick bought the Dunwoody Crier. The Dunwoody Crier is one of those weekly publications--neighborhood newspapers--that everybody loves because it has their kids' pictures in it, because you can get a story about your wedding in there, and because Dick also writes in there some poignant columns that one would never read anywhere else. prgtoken When he wrote for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he wrote for a newspaper that was owned by Eugene Patterson, by Ralph McGill, and by many talented writers. He was in the same category of spokesman and writer as those two gentlemen, who were giants, with McGill's having won a Pulitzer Prize. prgtoken Dick is one of the most favorite people I have ever known who reported on politics because he was always doing it for the right reasons. There are projects that have happened in our State today because Dick Williams took the power of the press not to trash something but to build up the facts that allowed it to pass. A lot of times, that doesn't happen, but when Dick saw a good deal, he would go for it, and when he saw a bad deal, he would go for it. Either way, you could take his word for it all the time because he was what is known in the profession as a straight shooter. prgtoken Dick Will
Secret Holds (Executive Session)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-3-11

. When Senators spend most of their time on the Senate floor, as they used to before the Senate was on television, it was easy for any Senator to stand up and say ``I object,'' if consent were asked for any motion or any nomination. Now we spend most of our time in committee hearings and meeting with those we represent. We rely on our party leadership to protect our rights, and we sometimes tell them if we need someone to object on our behalf to moving a bill or a nominee. That happens to be called a hold. A hold should not be secret, I want everybody to know that sometimes I put holds on nominations or bills. prgtoken Whoever heard of shouting ``I object'' in secret? A hold, in other words, ought to be public, as the standing order requires. The Senate affirmed that in the year 2011 by adopting a permanent standing order that Senator Wyden and I wrote. I remind my colleagues, that standing order is still in place. prgtoken . prgtoken .
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF WEST POINT ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES
Steve Watkins (Republican, KS) \u2014 2019-3-11

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Duty, honor, country. The United States possesses the greatest military in the history of mankind, and it isn't even close. How is that possible since, through the ages, warfare changes, our enemies change, the geography changes, the ideology that we are up against changes. prgtoken I would contest that the reason we consistently win our Nation's wars is because our greatest attribute never does change. Those are the values that we hold dear. It is the leadership principles that every graduate of the United States Military Academy learns. prgtoken How on Earth could that be encapsulated? The best I could hope for is to call on General MacArthur, who in 1962, to the United States Corps of Cadets, said: ``Duty, honor, country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.'' prgtoken The United States Military Academy has a sacred place in my heart, to the class of 1999, with duty in mind. I want to thank God for West Point. I want to thank The Long Gray Line. And God bless you USMA, my rockbound highland home.