mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Order for Recess (Executive Session)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-3-28

I come to the floor today to talk about the importance of the Senate's vote to ratify the accession of Montenegro into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. I am confident we will see an overwhelming, bipartisan majority of our colleagues here in the Senate support Montenegro's effort to join NATO. This is in Montenegro's interest, it is in Europe's interest, and it is in the national security interest of the United States. prgtoken NATO is the most successful security alliance in history, and it is essential to the stability, freedom, and prosperity that Europe enjoys and that the United States has enjoyed, and, really, to that stability that has existed since after World War II. NATO has provided the security and stability for the freedoms we enjoy and the prosperity. Montenegro's accession to NATO will help the alliance become more resilient, and it will deter Russian aggression on Europe's eastern flank, which is why the alliance invited Montenegro to become its 29th member last year. prgtoken I agree that Montenegro is a small country, but it is geopolitically important. Its membership in NATO will complete the alliance's control of the Adriatic coastline, and that will strengthen NATO's southern border. prgtoken Since its independence from Serbia 10 years ago, Montenegro has pursued inclusion in Euro-Atlantic institutions, and it has been a good partner to NATO. For example, Montenegro has contributed ably to the mission in Afghanistan, which is the only time article 5 of NATO has been invoked. It was after the attacks of 9/11 on the United States, and our response was to go into Afghanistan. Montenegro joined us, along with our other NATO allies in this effort. Montenegro also imposed sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine. prgtoken Montenegro's accession to NATO is also critically important for the wider Balkan region, which faces increasing Russian influence and interference. After all, remember that the two major wars of the last century, World Wars I and II, started in the Balkans. We need to do everything we can to maintain stability there. This is one of the things that I believe Montenegro's accession to NATO will help us do. We saw the increasing Russian influence and the increasing effort to destabilize the Balkans last year in Montenegro's fall elections. prgtoken Since those elections, Montenegrin authorities have arrested several people in connection with a coup attempt and a plot to assassinate Montenegro's Prime Minister. There is indisputable evidence that ties both violent plots back to Russia, which was trying to eliminate a high-profile supporter of Montenegro's accession to NATO and install, instead, a pro-Kremlin political party there. Montenegrin police are still working with international authorities to locate the suspected Russian masterminds of these efforts. prgtoken But when the bipartisan codel from the Senate and House, led by Senators Mc
ALZHEIMER'S IN AMERICA
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-28

. Thank you so very much, Mr. Cohen, for your personal story and the effect of research not being available to you in your early childhood and the result of that. We know that all across the United States there are issues that are out there. Certainly Alzheimer's, which is our principal subject matter today, together with the cuts in the National Institutes of Health budget, but also there is this thing called Zika. That is out there, and the research for that, is that going to be forthcoming or is that also going to be cut? prgtoken I noticed that our co-chair of the Alzheimer's Caucus is here. Ms. Waters, if you would like to join us, the gentlewoman from the State of California with whom I have been able to work now for, well, just a few years, dating back to our time in the California Legislature. .
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Paul Tonko (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-3-28

I rise today in opposition to S.J. Res. 34, a bill that would strike most of the internet privacy guarantees protecting the American people today. prgtoken I have grave concerns with this effort. Our agenda here should be working on behalf of our constituents to protect their privacy and give them, not their service providers, data security. Instead, this effort would eviscerate any real online privacy protections and would limit data security. prgtoken Some of my colleagues have claimed that this commonsense rule has created challenges for consumers. I have found just the opposite. My office has been inundated with calls demanding that Congress protect their privacy and data security by opposing S.J. Res. 34. To everyone who has called, I hear you and I stand with you in opposing this harmful and misguided effort. prgtoken Back at home in New York's capital region, I have been hearing from many people who are frightened by the thought that S.J. Res. 34 will become law and the last shred of their online privacy will be lost forever. prgtoken They know how much information their internet service provider has mined from their search and browsing history, including financial, medical, and other very personal and sensitive details. They rightly believe that they should have a say in when that information can be bought and when it can be sold. prgtoken They understand that gutting these privacy protections would mean that internet service providers could sell their private information without their permission. It means their private internet browsing and search history, the text of their emails, and their mobile app usage can all be sold without their permission. prgtoken They have a right to control what they search for, their financial information, their health insurance, and information about their children. They have a right to protect their Social Security numbers and the contents of their emails. These rights are enshrined in our Constitution. prgtoken Privacy rules also require providers to use reasonable measures to protect consumers' personal information, a clear and commonsense standard that all who do business online should be required to uphold. prgtoken Finally, internet service providers must notify customers if hackers breach the system and may have access to their private data. With hackers from Russia and elsewhere running rampant across the net, this is a critical provision for our American families. prgtoken This is not too much to ask. The American people deserve to know that their data will be protected and that they will be notified if their data is compromised.
ALZHEIMER'S IN AMERICA
Bonnie Watson Coleman (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-3-28

I thank Mr. Garamendi for sponsoring this moment that we can speak about such important issues. prgtoken In a budget proposal purported to ``make America great again,'' President has put forth a request to cut $5.8 billion from the National Institutes of Health for fiscal year 2018 there is absolutely nothing great about that. These cuts would reverse growth for the agency that President boosted its budget by $2 billion in 2016 and 2017. These cuts would forfeit American dominance in a sector where we are global leaders. prgtoken In New Jersey's 12th District, Princeton University received close to $46 million in NIH grants, and the College of New Jersey received around $400,000 to continue our Nation's stature at the forefront of medical breakthroughs. The cuts proposed would, in effect, stunt good and essential medical research, lifesaving research. prgtoken Unlike what we have seen from this administration, the NIH has produced results that improve the health and livelihood of the American people. For example, there is no widely available cure for sickle cell anemia. While some children have been successfully treated with blood stem cell and/or bone marrow transplants, this approach was thought to be too toxic for adults. However, NIH researchers successfully treated adults with severe sickle cell disease using a modified stem cell transplant approach that does not require extensive immune-suppressing drugs. prgtoken After receiving an experimental spinal stimulation therapy from a team of NIH-funded researchers, four young men paralyzed due to spinal cord injuries were able to regain control of some movement, promising results for treating these devastating injuries. prgtoken NIH-supported researchers designed a protocol to transform human stem cells into beta cells that produce insulin and respond to glucose. That finding could lead to new stem cell-based therapies to treat diabetes in patients of all ages, a disease that is so prevalent in our society. prgtoken The specific damage that occurs in affected brain tissue after a concussion has not been widely well understood. A study by NIH researchers provided insight into the damage caused by mild traumatic brain injuries and suggested approaches for reducing its harmful effects. prgtoken It has even been reported that these draconian cuts will slow research that could lead to new ways to prevent and treat cancer, the Nation's number two killer, which claimed the lives of almost 600,000 Americans just last year and which, incidentally, claimed the lives of both of my parents. prgtoken The evidence is overwhelming, and these are the facts. I just want to know when this President and his supporters here in Congress will set aside budget gimmicks and put Americans, our health and our well-being, first.
HONORING RILEY RICE
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2017-3-28

I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant, Mr. Riley Rice. prgtoken Mr. Rice has extensive experience in the field of education and municipal government. prgtoken Mr. Rice was born on August 8, 1943, the fifth child of the late Robert Rice, a World War I Veteran and sharecropper, and Katie Rice, a housewife. prgtoken Mr. Rice is a resident of Indianola, Mississippi, and was educated in the former Indianola Public School District. He is a 1963 graduate of Gentry High School; 1967 graduate of Mississippi Valley State University with a Bachelor of Science in Social Science Education; 1992 graduate of Delta State University with a Master's in High School Counseling; and further studies in Political Science at Mississippi State University. prgtoken Along with Mr. Rice's background in education, he worked 35 years in the Sunflower County School District. He served 16 years on the Indianola Board of Aldermen and 8 years as Vice-Mayor. prgtoken Mr. Rice participated in the Civil Rights Movement in 1965. He was jailed for attending the former Seymour Library and for a sit-in at the Traveler's Inn Restaurant. He participated in many marches throughout Sunflower County and he marched with Fannie Lou Hamer and Charles Scattergood. prgtoken Presently, Mr. Rice serves as Supervisor of Sunflower County, District 2; is a member of the P16 Council; a member of the Cares Mentoring Program, and Vice President of the Sunflower County Branch 5333 of the NAACP. prgtoken Lastly, Mr. Rice is a devoted Christian and an ordained Deacon at Traveler's Rest M.B. Church, where he serves as Chairman of the Deacon Board and Superintendent of the Sunday School. The Pastor of Traveler's Rest M.B. Church is Rev. T.L. Martin, Jr. of Cleveland, Mississippi. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Riley Rice for his dedication to serving others and giving back to the African American community.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-28

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Last week, s tried to take away your health care; and, today, they are trying to take away your privacy. prgtoken s have said broadband providers and other internet companies should be under the same privacy rules. But oddly enough, when the committee considered an amendment to give the FTC, the Federal Trade Commission, rulemaking authority like the FCC, a change that would allow the agencies to adopt the same privacy protection, every single voted no. In fact, s proposed making it harder for the FTC to pursue privacy and data security cases. prgtoken The protections that the FCC adopted last year were very simple: consumers should know what data is being collected, opt in to sharing of sensitive data, have their data reasonably protected, and receive notice when their data is compromised. But this dangerous resolution puts America's privacy and data security at risk. prgtoken , I urge all of my colleagues to stand up for consumers and vote ``no.''
PROTOCOL TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY OF 1949 ON THE ACCESSION OF MONTENEGRO--Continued
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-3-28

I am on the floor to speak in favor of the pending business before the Senate--to allow for Montenegro to join NATO as a new member. I have been a proponent of this move for a long time, having spent time in Montenegro and having chaired for a period of time the Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee, now serving Senator Johnson as his ranking member. prgtoken I am convinced that NATO will be stronger if Montenegro joins. I am convinced that our alliance will be stronger if Montenegro joins. It is a small country with a very small military, but it occupies an incredibly important space on the world map. It is the only part of the Adriatic coast that breaks up the current NATO map, and it will provide a strengthening of our alliance in that region. prgtoken Montenegro is ready. It has made significant progress on internal reform, especially in the area of the rule of law and security sector reform. The Ministry of Defense has met all of the requirements for NATO membership. It is moving to modernize its military. It is moving to try to operationalize itself in a way that it can interact with both U.S. and European equipment. It is replacing its aircraft that previously had required Russian spare parts so that they are more compatible with European and American air equipment. There is still work that Montenegro needs to do, but now it can continue under the umbrella of the alliance. prgtoken I am very happy that we are taking an important step here to signal that NATO's open-door policy is still in practice. I think there was some doubt, frankly, and some concern, after years and years of Montenegro's desire to join amidst the interest from Georgia and prior to the crisis in Ukraine, that some of these transatlantic institutions were closing down. This is a sign that NATO is not only viable but is still open to those countries that want to join, that want to find additional safety and security under our umbrella. I am glad we are going to have a bipartisan vote here in favor of Montenegro's joining NATO. prgtoken I want to make a broader point about our future policy in the Balkans. It was prgtoken not that long ago that it was a precondition, if you were a Member of Congress, to be an expert on the Balkans. The United States was at war in the Balkans, as were Russia and our European allies. It was the hottest spot on the globe. Thanks to U.S. military might as well as diplomatic might, the Dayton Peace Accords brought peace and relative economic prosperity to a region of the globe that has been, frankly, at the center of almost every major conflict in and around Europe over the greater part of the last 100 years. It is a moment to celebrate this period of political and security stability in the Balkans and to remember that we should not take it for granted. There are still festering ethnic and nationalist tensions that play out every day in th
RUSSIA AND TRUMP CAMPAIGN INVESTIGATION
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-3-28

I come to the floor today, not as a member of any one committee or political party but as a gravely concerned American. prgtoken On a seemingly daily--or even hourly--basis, there is a new revelation about the campaign's possible ties to or even coordination with Russia's interference in our Presidential election last year. With these constant reports coming out, it can be difficult to see through all the smoke in the air. prgtoken However, what is clear is that we must get to the bottom of what exactly happened. I know that the White House and some in Congress are furiously working to sweep this under the rug, but only the truth will serve as a public means to move past this crisis for our democracy. prgtoken That is why I come to the Senate floor today, to address this issue before my colleagues and to help the American people sort through the details of what we know to be the undisputed facts. We know without a doubt, based on the assessment of credible intelligence, that the Russian Government hacked into Presidential campaign infrastructure and sought not only to damage Hillary Clinton but to try to help elect . prgtoken Russian intelligence operatives hacked into the email servers of both of our two major political parties. They chose to selectively leak information that damaged one Presidential candidate and favored the other. This is not a partisan political assessment. This is the plain truth as proven by credible intelligence gathered by the CIA, the FBI, the NSA, and the military's Cyber Command. In addition, 17 U.S. intelligence agencies issued a statement expressing their unanimous assessment that Moscow had penetrated State election voting centers. prgtoken During an open hearing in the Senate Intelligence Committee in January of this year, FBI Director James Comey said: ``There were intrusions and attempted intrusions at the state level voter registration databases.'' Director Comey said that there was no evidence of activity on election day related to this voter registration data. However, this clearly demonstrates that this data may be vulnerable to future cyber attacks and manipulations by foreign hackers. prgtoken What happened in this last year's election is already disturbing enough. In testimony during the same Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said: We have high confidence that President Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. Presidential election. The goals of this campaign were to undermine public faith in the U.S. ic process, denigrate Secretary [Hillary] Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency. prgtoken He continued: ``Putin and the Russian government also developed a clear preference for President-elect .'' prgtoken That shocking revelation at the very least begged for deeper investigation and accountabi
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Michael E. Capuano (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-3-28

we all know that our cell phones are tracking every move we make and keeping a record of it. Many people don't know, but your automobile is also doing the same thing. They keep a record of where you go. They keep a record of whether you wore your seatbelt. They keep a record of whether you applied the brakes or turned the turn signal on. Okay. That is your automobile. You don't have to drive. prgtoken Just recently, in the last couple months, we have learned that our televisions and children's dolls are doing the same thing. Last month, it was revealed that Vizio had spied on 11 million consumers by listening to them while their TV was off because they can do it. prgtoken Also, last month, a child's doll called My Friend Cayla for little girls or boys was banned in Germany--banned in Germany--because that doll listens and responds. It goes into the internet, and the doll's owner keeps and sells that information. prgtoken This month--this month--a teddy bear manufactured by a company called CloudPets was exposed for collecting more than 2 million voice recordings of children talking to their teddy bear. prgtoken Now, maybe we accept that. I know that those are not the items that this resolution would address, but the problem is you are taking an item for ISPs and reducing it down to this level. You say your privacy is protected. I just gave you three examples in the last 2 months where your privacy is not protected. Neither is your children's. Neither is your family's. prgtoken In 2012, a giant international company--international ISP company, by the way--filed for a U.S. patent for a cable box that would sit in your house. It would watch you. It would record you. It contained an infrared sensor and even take your body temperature with a thermographic--and that is a quote--thermographic camera. It would do all this without telling you and would work whether the cable box was on or not. If you don't believe me, if you still have the courage to go on the internet, go find patent application number--now, write this one down--2012/0304206. That is the patent application number. It is still online. prgtoken I want to read you one small segment from that 25-page patent application. This is a direct quote. I am not making up a single word. The device ``may detect . . . that two users are cuddling on a couch during the presentation of the television program and prior to an advertisement break. Based on the detected . . . action . . . the device would select a commercial associated with cuddling.''
HONORING CAPITOL POLICE SPECIAL AGENT ANGEL MORALES
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-3-29

I rise today to honor an incredible man, Capitol Police Special Agent Angel Morales, who is retiring after 21 years on the force. Angel has dedicated his entire life to serving our country. prgtoken From 1986 to 1991, he put on the uniform of our country serving in the U.S. Army, working his way up to sergeant. From there, Angel traded his Army uniform for a police uniform and served with the D.C. Metro Police. prgtoken Starting in 1996, Angel joined the Capitol Police force, where he has protected thousands of visitors, staff, and Members of Congress who come through our Nation's Capitol every single day. prgtoken Since 1998, Angel has been assigned to the United States Capitol Police Dignitary Protection Division, working with many House leaders, including Dick Armey, Roy Blunt, Eric Cantor, and, for the last 3 years, as the leader of my detail team. prgtoken I would like to thank Angel's wife, Susan, and his two kids, Tatiana and Mike, for selflessly allowing Angel to serve our Nation in these roles. prgtoken Angel, on behalf of my family and the entire Capitol family, thanks for your service. We will miss you, young man.