mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING ELEANORE deVADETZSKY
Dwight Evans (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-6-21

I rise today to honor a noted centenarian of Philadelphia, Ms. Eleanore deVadetzsky. prgtoken Eleanore deVadetzsky was born in Pennsylvania Hospital on June 11, 1917, to Minna (nee Wolfsohn) and Tevye Rosenstein of Olney and Wynnefield. It was just months after the entry of the U.S. into WW I. Tevye had a trained voice, a choir leader, opera enthusiast, taught music and song and was a strong supporter of the founding of Israel. prgtoken Minna fled an unhappy family situation in Latvia, when a very young woman, making her way alone to the New World, with little more than a suitcase crammed with philosophy books, Spinoza and Maimonides. She was a homemaker, suffragette, and struggling businesswoman, who prized education and always had a book in her hands. She studied science, and upon graduating, became a chemist, first at Tastycake Bakery and later, at Whitman's Chocolates. prgtoken Along the way, Eleanore Rosenstein met the dashing Vladimir, aka Walter, deVadetzsky, who bore a striking resemblance to actor Richard Ney, and was on his way to the South Pacific to fight in World War II. They wrote letters during his absence, and they were married on his return. prgtoken They managed to travel to far-flung places around the globe such as China, Japan, Australia for the '56 Olympics, pre-Castro Cuba, Central and South America, and almost every European country, making friends wherever they were. Both here and abroad, Eleanore & Walter enjoyed theater, ballet, music and art. prgtoken For many years, they both volunteered at Pennsylvania and Graduate hospitals. When Walter passed away in 2005, Eleanore continued volunteering at Pennsylvania Hospital and CHOP, until 2010, when she was sidelined with a broken ankle. She never touched alcohol, but always had a cocktail waiting for Walter at the end of the day, and was a connoisseur and devotee of dark chocolate, to which she attributed her longevity. Eleanore frequently visited with family and friends around the globe by telephone. prgtoken Sadly, Eleanore passed away on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 from complications of dementia. Her family and friends celebrated her 100th birthday and said goodbye on Sunday, June 11. She is survived by her cousins Rosenstein, Winitz, Wagner, Dichter, Kaplan & Vaughan.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1873, ELECTRICITY RELIABILITY AND FOREST PROTECTION ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1654, WATER SUPPLY PERMITTING COORDINATION ACT
Jared Polis (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-6-21

the letter is signed by a number of sportsmen and environmental organizations, the very groups that we should seek to work with, the very groups that actually support, as I do, hydropower, facilitated permitting of hydropower, the right way. prgtoken We need to speed up the process. In Colorado, we have had water projects that have been waiting on a decision for far too long. prgtoken But instead of going around experts, rolling over tribal sovereignty, why don't we fund the agencies doing the reviews so that they have the manpower and time to look at an application, give feedback, and make a decision quickly? prgtoken Again and again we have underfunded the Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA, not acknowledging that that is what is causing and contributing to this very slowdown. prgtoken We can solve these issues that we are facing. We can expedite permitting for water projects and hydropower. We can allow utilities to do additional work to reduce the risk of forest fires. prgtoken I call upon this body, please, let's do it in a way that brings and s together, proudly gets a bill to President 's desk in a fast and effective way involving input from and s, not just s.
HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-6-21

from Hawaii for her words and Senator Murray for organizing this group of speakers. prgtoken I rise today to join my colleagues in making clear that Care would be a disaster for women in New Hampshire and across the Nation. prgtoken Right now Senate s continue to meet behind closed doors on their Care bill, and the reason they have not been transparent is because they know they can't defend this dangerous bill to their constituents. Throughout the process in the Senate, it has been a group of 13 men--no women--writing a bill that will impact the healthcare of millions of American women. It is not just that a small group has been writing the bill behind closed doors. It is also that once we do eventually see the bill, it is going to be rushed to the floor without a hearing. So we will not have the benefit of feedback from our constituents, from stakeholders, from people who understand what the impact of this bill will be. This is simply unacceptable. prgtoken To compete economically on a level playing field, women must be able to make their own healthcare decisions. They shouldn't have to pay more than men do for their healthcare. They should be able to visit providers of their own choice who understand and have expertise in women's healthcare needs. The health insurance that is available to women should be equal to that of their male colleagues. That means it should cover their basic healthcare needs. prgtoken To fully participate not only in our economy but also in our democracy, women have to be recognized for their capacity to make their own healthcare decisions--just as men are. prgtoken I have heard from many constituents whose lives have been changed by being able to get the healthcare they need from the providers they trust. One of those people is Carla from Newfields, NH. As a college student, Carla suffered from significant pain. She needed immediate medical care, so she went to her local Planned Parenthood. prgtoken It turned out that her pain was caused by ovarian cysts, and the treatment for those cysts was birth control. As a college student on a limited budget, before the Affordable Care Act had passed, Carla couldn't afford birth control. Because she went to Planned Parenthood, though, she got the treatment she needed at a price she could afford. Her pain went away. She was able to graduate college and eventually start a family--something she might not have been able to do if her underlying condition had not been treated, caught when it was. That was the power of access to appropriate and affordable health care in her life at the right time. prgtoken Carla's story is the story of the thousands of New Hampshire women who received primary and preventive healthcare services from Planned Parenthood. prgtoken Care is a disaster for women. Care defunds Planned Parenthood, which would take away a critical source of care for women. This car
SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE CRAFTING THEIR HEALTHCARE BILL IN SECRET
Daniel T. Kildee (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-6-21

Senate s are continuing to craft their healthcare bill, Care, in complete secrecy, behind closed doors, no hearings, no bill text, no transparency whatsoever, and they expect to bring this bill to the floor next week. prgtoken The bill is secret, but it is pretty clear why they are keeping this legislation secret: because it is a lousy piece of legislation and the American people reject it because it takes away healthcare from 23 million Americans. For those who are fortunate enough to have healthcare, they will pay more for worse care. You will pay an age tax if you are an older American just to have access to healthcare. prgtoken Even President says this healthcare bill is mean. And let's just face the obvious. If says something is mean, you have got a real problem. prgtoken This legislation should go through the process of open debate and dialogue, not be crafted in secret because it is such a bad piece of legislation that the people offering it are embarrassed for the folks in America to know what it says. We have to shut this down.
ELECTRICITY RELIABILITY AND FOREST PROTECTION ACT
Collin C. Peterson (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-6-21

. Mr. Chair, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R.1873, the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act. This important legislation is meant to proactively prevent major utility reliability problems before they happen. prgtoken Currently, electric cooperatives in my district own transmission lines which cross lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to provide essential services to rural areas. I've heard from my electric coops that before addressing problems with these transmission lines, such as clearing downed trees or excess debris near utility poles, they must first be granted approval to do the work from these federal agencies. Any delay in receiving approval costs time, money, and amplifies the impacts of major power outages to my constituents. prgtoken Currently, electric coops can be held responsible for damages if a tree falls on a power line and causes a fire, even if the coop is still awaiting approval to work on clearing the hazardous debris. prgtoken H.R. 1873 will save utilities unnecessary costs and improve electricity reliability for consumers by streamlining outdated federal land management policies. The language minimizes the need for case-by- case approvals and instead provides expedited review and approvals for routine vegetation management and maintenance activities. Cutting red tape will make it easier for electric utility companies to initiate preventative measures to manage vegetation and woody debris on right- of-way transmission lines. This proactive work will mitigate the effects of fires and storms by clearing hazardous material before the natural disaster hits. prgtoken Just two weeks ago, a major storm with winds up to seventy miles-per- hour blew through my district and left thousands of my constituents without power. The strong winds downed trees and took out power lines, severely damaged homes and businesses, and ripped the roofs off of barns. Lengthy power outages delay the repairs needed to get storm victims' lives back on track. So I am eager to support legislation which helps my communities recover from these painful storms as fast as possible. prgtoken Storms like these are commonplace in Minnesota. Our electric coops are ready to complete the work necessary to mitigate the effects of these disasters as much as possible so consumers can have better access to electricity, especially during natural disasters. Again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
CELEBRATING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF MATTHEW `MATTY' FERRENTINO
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-6-21

I rise today to honor the active and impressive life of my friend Matthew `Matty' Ferrentino as he celebrates his 90th birthday on June 21, 2017. Matty Ferrentino is the son of Italian immigrants and was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife Joan now live in West Seneca, NY. Matty graduated from University at Buffalo in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. During his time at the University at Buffalo, Matty played football for the UB Bulls, starting all four years as offensive guard and defensive linebacker. In 1950, Matty earned Little All-American status and led the UB Bulls as co-captain in their fifth straight winning season. After his time at UB, Matty began working at the Ford Stamping Plant as a guard and retired in 1994 as a Production Manager. Matty and his wife Joan raised three children: Dan, Judy, and Rob and now have five grandchildren: Dani, Baylea, Conner, Drew and Gracie. In September, Matty will become a great-grandfather for the first time. Physical activity has long been a part of Matty's life. In addition to leading the UB Bulls during his time at school, Matty boxed in the U.S. Army and as an amateur outside of the army. Even today, Matty remains active working out at LA Fitness. I am honored to be among the many friendships that Matty has developed through the years at the gym. His discipline and perseverance is an inspiration to us all I am pleased to recognize the accomplishments of my friend, Matty Ferrentino. I look forward to celebrating his 90 years of life with family and friends who have traveled from near and far on June 23, 2017. I wish Matty and his family health and happiness in all the days to come.
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ACCOUNTABILITY AND WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-6-21

earlier this month, the Senate passed by voice vote the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. I recognize this bill is the result of a bipartisan compromise, and I commend Senator Tester, ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, for his efforts to find agreement on this particularly challenging issue. prgtoken Everyone in a position of public trust, particularly those serving at the VA, must be held accountable for their actions. Whistleblowers must also be protected so that misconduct can be brought to light. This balance between accountability and transparency is essential to ensure that the services provided to the public--particularly to veterans--are of the highest quality and that we can attract the best and brightest to Federal service. prgtoken Unfortunately, while the bill passed by Congress seeks to strike the appropriate balance, I remain seriously concerned about some of the bill's provisions which would expedite the process of terminating employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA, by reducing current due process protections. prgtoken To ensure the integrity of the Federal civil service, it is essential that Federal employees have access to constitutionally protected due process rights. Specifically, the bill lowered the evidentiary standard for firing rank-and-file employees for misconduct from ``preponderance'' of the evidence, 50 percent or more, to substantial, 30 percent or more. Reducing due process protections for rank-and-file VA employees in this manner will make it harder for the Federal Government to attract the best and brightest to public service. prgtoken During the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee's consideration of the bill, I cosponsored an amendment offered by Senator Brown to strike the section of the bill lowering the evidentiary standard. Unfortunately, the amendment was not adopted. Going forward, I intend to closely monitor the VA's implementation of the act to see that these new authorities are not abused in order to retaliate against VA workers. Not only would this be unfair, but it would also exacerbate the Department's challenging retention issues. prgtoken I am also disappointed that this bill does not address the longstanding recruitment and retention issues facing the VA. According to the VA, there are over 30,000 vacancies across the VA, including over 150 in Hawaii, for frontline medical personnel that this administration has not filled as of the end of January 2017. prgtoken The over 40,000 veterans in Hawaii who are enrolled in the VA healthcare system deserve the best healthcare and highest ethical and professional standards from those they depend on to provide that care. While we must ensure whistleblowers can come forward without fear of retaliation and those who violate the pub trust are held accountable, the VA cannot effectively carry out its mission without being fu
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-6-21

earlier this week, on Monday morning at 9 a.m I held a last-minute emergency field hearing on healthcare. With our colleagues on the other side of the aisle refusing to hold any official hearing on the bill and refusing to even show us the bill-- what almost certainly is almost bad policy that is contained in the bill--I wanted the people of Connecticut to know that their voices and their faces would be heard and seen here in Washington, DC, and their stories would be told with or without an official committee hearing. prgtoken When I say this emergency field hearing was last minute, it was truly last minute, with many people having not even days but hours of advance notice to come and speak and share with me and others what the Affordable Care Act has meant to them, to their families, to their communities, and what losing it would mean to them. prgtoken To say the room was full would be a gross understatement. Every seat was filled, and when those seats were gone, people lined the wall two or three deep and squeezed in through the door. They were so anxious to be heard, and they were loud and clear. They were heard by me, and now I want their voices to be heard here. prgtoken We are continuing this hearing. In fact, we are having a second hearing on Friday afternoon at 1:30 in New Haven. We are sending out notices, blasting them to the people of Connecticut. We will have a third, if appropriate and necessary. prgtoken The people who came to this emergency field hearing in Connecticut were no different from millions of other people around the country, and they were speaking, in a sense, for all Americans. In my mind, they were speaking for parents who are suffering, providers who are healing, kids fighting back against dreaded diseases. They came because the closed-door discussions held in secret here by a small number of colleagues across the aisle will impact them every single day for the rest of their lives. My constituents and the people of Connecticut and the people of the country are unrepresented in those discussions. That is a travesty and a betrayal of our trust and our job. prgtoken So, on Friday, we are going to do the same thing. We are holding another emergency hearing in New Haven so people of my State can be heard, despite this disgraceful process that has left them and so many others on the outside looking in. They are excluded from democracy, and that is unconscionable. prgtoken If nothing else, I hope my colleagues will realize one thing. This is what democracy looks like. This is how we are meant to make decisions with many opinions--much debate, diversity of viewpoint, sometimes messy but always transparent, open, and clear to people whose lives are affected by it. That is what this emergency field hearing was designed to do. prgtoken Since it is becoming increasingly clear that this bedrock principle of our democracy--the right to open and honest debate--is being denied, I w
HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-6-21

I am very pleased to follow my colleague from New Hampshire, Senator Hassan. She said it very well. This is an extraordinarily important part of the debate. prgtoken A Senate vote on Care is now days away, and that is the case even though the bill remains hidden in the Senate shadows. I am here tonight with my colleagues to try to shine some light on the extraordinary harm Care is going to do to women's health across the country and also to call on the American people to stand up and say, and say loudly, that this is wrong--wrong because it would be a partisan process that takes away important healthcare rights from women across this country. prgtoken First, Care says that health insurance in America ought to be based on what men need and what women need ought to cost extra. You look back a few years to when the Affordable Care Act set in stone guaranteed insurance benefits to protect everybody who shops on the open market, the private open market, regardless of their gender, no price gouging women just because they are women. Now, however, the plan lets States hack away at those essential prgtoken health benefits, and it always seems that maternity care is the first benefit that then gets cut. prgtoken If Care goes through, what will happen in America is insurance companies will carve maternity care out of the plans they offer on the open market. It would, in effect, become an add-on--an add-on that would come with a higher price, as if a pregnant women's healthcare is a luxury item like a sunroof on a new car. prgtoken Let's set aside the fact that every man in the country was born to a woman. My colleagues on the other side have spent 7 years telling Americans that they were laser-focused on bringing costs down for everybody. Apparently, that notion of ``everybody'' that we are hearing from Senators doesn't include mothers because their costs are going to be going up in a number of instances. prgtoken Second, the public has heard time and time again that nobody would be hurt under Care and that repeal and replace is all about putting the patient at the center of care. Tell that to the hundreds of thousands of women who will lose their right to see the doctor of their choosing as a result of Care defunding Planned Parenthood. Just unpack that for a moment. I think one basic, almost sacred principle for women is that they ought to be able to make the choice of the physician they trust for their healthcare. Yet what we are talking about here--apparently tomorrow--is a real prospect that women will lose the right to see the doctor they trust. prgtoken This ideological campaign against Planned Parenthood ignores the fact that there are already laws on the books that prevent tax dollars from funding abortions. It ignores the fact that Planned Parenthood doesn't get a dime of taxpayer funding above what is available to other comparable healthcare pr
HONORING THE LIFE OF PHILANDO CASTILE
Robin L. Kelly (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-6-22

I rise today to remember a public servant taken from us too soon; an individual who, through his life and example, inspired others, especially children, to be respectful and kind; a man who lived his life in service to others, Philando Castile. prgtoken In recent days, his name has been back in the headlines, but I want to talk about the person behind the stories. I want to talk about a man failed by our creed of liberty and justice for all. Philando Castile was the beloved nutrition services supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School, who was so invested in the young people he served, that he memorized the names and food allergies of more than 500 students. prgtoken One of his coworkers said: Kids loved him. He was quiet, respectful, and kind. I knew him as warm and funny. prgtoken Another said: He was as much a teacher as any teacher in that building. prgtoken His life was an example of living honorably for your community, for your family, and for the more than 500 students who loved him. Even in his final moments, he showed respect and dignity in what must have been a terrifying experience. prgtoken Mr. Castile's loss is our loss. He lived life as we all should: loving and respecting those around him. When he was told by an officer to get his ID, he complied and respectfully informed the officer that he was lawfully carrying a concealed firearm; that he had a valid permit. When he went to get his ID, as ordered, he was shot--not once, but seven times--not because of noncompliance, not because he was violent, not because he was a menacing threat. What killed him was his Blackness, or, more precisely, fear of his Blackness killed him. prgtoken Tragically, his story is not unique. This happens every day to Black men and women in America. Philando's story only made headlines because it was live-streamed on Facebook and showed a 4-year-old girl sitting behind him as seven rounds were emptied into his chest. A 4-year-old girl, that even Philando's murderer said ``was in my line of fire.'' prgtoken , this murder was so downright outrageous that it led The Federalist, a publication that previously published an article on how Black Lives Matter protests were destroying America, to call the not- guilty verdict an abomination. prgtoken Indeed, this is an abomination and a complete miscarriage of justice. The Federalist and I see eye to eye on this one thing. Groups in the center, on the right, on the left, have publicly and vocally condemned his murder, except for one: the National Rifle Association. The NRA's silence is sickening, deafening, and very hypocritical in this tragic American hour. For decades, the NRA has used fearmongering to claim that they are the sole organization fighting to protect the rights of every American to carry a firearm. prgtoken Where were they for Philando? Where is their outrage? Where is their stand for Philando's freedoms and rights? Where is their demand for better police training