mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
JUSTICE FOR UNCOMPENSATED SURVIVORS TODAY (JUST) ACT OF 2017
Joseph Crowley (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-4-24

I thank my friend and colleague from the Bronx, New York (Mr. Engel). He has been a true friend for many, many, many years. I thank him for yielding me this time. prgtoken , I rise in full support today of S. 447, the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today Act. This important measure has already unanimously passed the Senate. Senator Tammy Baldwin had worked hard on this issue, on a bipartisan basis, and I am proud to have introduced the House version, as has been mentioned, along with my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). I appreciate the efforts of the chairman and the ranking member here in bringing the bill to the floor. prgtoken I was first approached about the lack of justice still facing Holocaust survivors by a gentleman from Queens, New York, Jehuda Evron. I am sorry that he cannot be here today to watch this debate, as he has spent a lifetime helping those who endured and escaped horrific atrocities during the Holocaust. prgtoken Jehuda has been an incredible campaigner for Holocaust survivors, along with his wife, Leah, who lived in the ghetto under a false identity and joined others in hiding with resistance fighters. prgtoken It was Jehuda and the World Jewish Restitution Organization who shared with me an ongoing indignity Holocaust survivors still face to this very day: the inability to reclaim property unlawfully seized during the Holocaust. This is property that, if restored, could have a significant impact for the far too many Holocaust survivors living in poverty today. prgtoken It may shock some to hear that, here in the United States, one-third of the Holocaust survivors live at or under the poverty line. That is despicable. Some survivors are so poor, they sometimes have to choose between food and medicine. prgtoken Their stories put in stark relief the lifelong impact the Holocaust had on an entire generation of families and survivors. That is why it is so important that in 2009, the United States, Israel, and 45 other countries signed the Terezin Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets and Related Issues. prgtoken In that important measure, countries pledged to take steps to return assets looted by the Nazi government and others. Nine years later, there is still work to be done. prgtoken The JUST Act urges countries to keep their commitments to restitute wrongly taken Holocaust Era Assets, and it will continue to shine a light on the ongoing struggle of survivors to reclaim the property that is rightfully theirs. prgtoken If you walk out the front door of this building and head down the street, you will find yourself at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It is a powerful institution and one that reminds us of not only the heroic role played by the United States in World War II, but the tremendous suffering faced by the Jewish people and all victims of the Holocaust. prgtoken For me, it is also a reminder that if we can take steps to right more of the wrongs committed during
HONORING THE VICTIMS OF THE WAFFLE HOUSE SHOOTING IN TENNESSEE
Jim Cooper (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2018-4-24

I rise today to honor the victims of a deadly mass shooting at a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, early on the morning of Sunday, April 22. prgtoken Four young, promising lives were lost: Joe R. Perez, DeEbony Groves, Taurean C. Sanderlin, and Akilah DaSilva. They crossed paths at the restaurant expecting nothing more than good food. Now four young lives are lost, and we mourn with their families and friends. prgtoken I would also like to recognize Mr. James Shaw, Jr a native Nashvillian and an American hero. Mr. Shaw bravely stopped this attack from being even worse. His courageous and decisive action saved many lives. Now, Mr. Shaw doesn't consider himself a hero, but his actions clearly prove that he is a hero. He gave us hope on one of our darkest days. prgtoken We are heartbroken for the tragic loss of life, but we are heartened and proud of our hometown hero. May we remember Mr. Shaw's words: I hope that we can bring violence to an end in all facets, not just gun violence, but all violence. prgtoken , I rise today to honor the victims of a deadly mass shooting at a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee, on the morning of Sunday, April 22. prgtoken Four young, promising lives were lost, and two other people were injured. Today we mourn Joe R. Perez, 20 years old, who moved to Nashville to live with his grandmother and work at his brother's business; DeEbony Groves, 21, a senior at Belmont University who was weeks from earning a degree in social work; Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29, a Waffle House employee who was outside on a break; and Akilah DaSilva, 23, a student and aspiring musician. They crossed paths at the Waffle House, expecting nothing more than good food. Now, four young lives are lost. We mourn with their families, friends, and the Antioch community. prgtoken I would also like to recognize Mr. James Shaw, Jr. a native Nashvillian and an American hero. Mr. Shaw bravely stopped this attack from being even worse. His courageous and decisive actions saved many lives. In Mr. Shaw's own words, he ``saw an opportunity and took it.'' prgtoken Later Sunday morning, after receiving treatment for his own injuries, Mr. Shaw went home to see his family. He is a loving father to his 4- year-old daughter, Brooklyn. He then went to the church he has attended since he was a baby. Mr. Shaw's greatest concern is for the other victims, and he has organized a fund to support them. prgtoken Mr. Shaw doesn't consider himself a hero, but his actions clearly prove otherwise. Mr. Shaw gave us hope on one of Nashville's darkest days, and he embodies the very best of our community. We are forever grateful for his bravery and his willingness to put his own life at risk in order to save others. prgtoken We are both heartbroken for the tragic loss of lives but proud of our hometown hero. This tragedy will not define our city. We are grateful to people all across America who have supported our community with prayer
AMERICAN SPACE COMMERCE FREE ENTERPRISE ACT
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2018-4-24

I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Bera), the ranking member, and Chairmen Smith and Babin. prgtoken , I rise today as a supporter and cosponsor of H.R. 2809. prgtoken The United States has the best aerospace industry in the world. In order to stay number one, we need to provide certainty to American industry so it can attract investment and continue innovating to push our country forward. prgtoken We are at a time where we have the opportunity to set the standard of how to regulate space activities so there is a level playing field for our American industry. prgtoken That is why we need a certification process, as provided in the bill, to ensure compliance with the Outer Space Treaty. This process will reduce uncertainty and create a clear path to certification and to the launch of new spacecraft. prgtoken I have heard from stakeholders still discussing where to place this new authority. This legislation placed that authority in the Office of Space Commerce. Others have suggested the Office of Space Transportation at the FAA. I hope this discussion continues and we reach a consensus as we continue through the legislative process with the Senate. prgtoken The second part of this bill makes important reforms for the remote sensing industry. Satellite imagery or space images are also known as the remote sensing industry, and it is changing the way we see the Earth and enabling businesses of all types to find new opportunities. prgtoken A major remote sensing company named DigitalGlobe is headquartered in my district in Westminster, Colorado. I have heard stories about how long they have waited for a license determination under NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency--over 4 years in one case. This is well past the 120-day deadline currently required in statute because of a broken interagency review process and no mechanism to enforce a timeline. prgtoken This is why I believe the reforms in section 4 of the bill are overdue. Those companies in the remote sensing industry need certainty so that they can make sound plans and attract investors and customers. All of these regulatory delays mean lost revenue and significant expenses as they wait for approval. Section 4 of the bill helps fix that. prgtoken During the markup of this bill last year, we made improvements to the bill to ensure the Office of Space Commerce has the time needed to get its decisions right and to strengthen the consultation language to require the Secretary of Commerce to consult with other relevant Federal agencies. prgtoken Since the markup, I was pleased to see additions to the bill which ensure the proper balance with the defense community to ensure the Department of Defense has the proper input into remote sensing applications. prgtoken , I want to thank Chairman Smith, Chairman Babin, and now- NASA Administrator Bridenstine for their work with me on this bill. prgtoken I thank Ranking Member Johnson and Ranking Member Bera
AMERICAN SPACE COMMERCE FREE ENTERPRISE ACT
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-4-24

I rise to speak on H.R. 2809, the ``American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act of 2017''. Before turning to my substantive concerns with the bill, I must note my disappointment with the process followed by the Majority--a process that led to the Majority's putting this bill on today's suspension calendar without any attempt to engage with the Minority to address our concerns in the ten months since the bill was marked up in the Science Committee. That is not the way we should be legislating in this House. prgtoken However, here we are. I would anticipate that very few Members have had any opportunity to review this legislation or to examine the issues it raises. So in my remaining time, I will attempt to identify a few of the concerns I have with this bill. prgtoken First, H.R. 2809 proposes a significant realignment of governmental space organizations, and a very significant increase in the responsibilities and authorities to be given the Department of Commerce's Office of Space Commerce--an office that currently has only a handful of employees. These would include the authorization and supervision of nongovernmental space activities. At the same time, the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA AST), which has built up significant expertise and staff over the years in the areas of licensing commercial space launches and reentries and which has coordinated authorization of a non-traditional space mission, would have no significant role in any of the commercial space activities covered in this bill beyond launch and reentry licenses. As a result, DoC will have to build a new bureaucracy to carry out its new duties, and in the process have to duplicate the skills that already reside in FAA's AST. All of this would be set in motion without a single House hearing on the proposal or any other substantive review of it. prgtoken At the same time that the Department of Commerce is given those significant new responsibilities, including ensuring compliance with the Outer Space Treaty, something that has been and is a core responsibility of the State Department, the bill would significantly limit DoC's ability to disapprove a certification application as long as the paperwork is complete, regardless of any non-Outer Space Treaty- related concerns involving U.S. international obligations that the application might raise. Again, all of these measures are included in the bill without any substantive prior congressional review of the proposals. I could go on and cite other examples, but in the interests of time I will just note that the bill also would significantly weaken the enforcement of the international standards and guidelines covering ``planetary protection'', i.e the prevention of contamination of scientifically important sites on planetary surfaces or moons that might accrue from commercial space activities. These standards and guidelines were largely shaped by NASA through years of engagem
Senate Rules on Nominations (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-4-24

the Rules Committee will mark up Senator Lankford's resolution tomorrow to change the rules on the consideration of nominees to benefit the Senate majority. Of course, the majority in the Senate can already approve of a nomination on a party-line vote for all nominees up to and including now the Supreme Court since Leader McConnell elected to change those rules last year. prgtoken Why the need for further erosions to minority rights in the Senate? The s argue it is because they are facing ``historic'' obstruction of the President's nominees. prgtoken A few points on that: First and foremost, the truth is the have cooperated with the majority on noncontroversial nominees, like career ambassadorships and civil servants, for a long time now. Before each recess, there is a long list of names that is approved. Before the last recess, the Senate had confirmed nearly as many nominations in 2018 as President had confirmed in the analogous year of 2010. Let me repeat that. Before the last recess, the Senate had confirmed almost the exact same number of nominees in 2018 as President had confirmed in 2010, the second year of his Presidency. prgtoken So this idea that it is historic--bunk. You can tell it is bunk because at the same time our s and even the President himself, on some days, complain about obstruction, on other days, the President and the Vice President are boasting about how many judges they have filled on the bench. prgtoken This morning, President said: We put [on] a tremendous amount of [Federal] district [court] judges. We are setting records. prgtoken I say to my friends and the President: You can't have it both ways--on the one hand, historic obstruction and, on the other, a record pace of confirmations that you brag to your base about. You can't have it both ways. It is hypocrisy. prgtoken A second point: The majority has already taken brazen steps during this Congress to limit minority rights on nominations. I mentioned the leader breaking the rules on Supreme Court nominees. Let's not forget that he broke the rules after letting Merrick Garland sit there while not allowing a nomination. It takes a lot of gall to complain about obstruction when Leader McConnell opened the gates to obstruction--made obstruction his watchword--when he did what he did to Merrick Garland. He didn't stop. The s have not stopped this year. The s have engaged in hardball tactics at the district and circuit court levels. prgtoken Here is what happened. Take the seat that is vacant on the Seventh Circuit. Because Senator Leahy--then-chairman--and, later, Senators Hatch and, I believe, Grassley honored the blue slip, a seat in the Seventh Circuit that belongs to Wisconsin was held open for 6 years by their refusing to approve two nominees by President . Now the President has nominated a very c
Nomination of Mike Pompeo (Executive Calendar)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2018-4-24

I come to the floor to oppose Kyle Duncan's nomination to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. prgtoken A review of Mr. Duncan's record--his cases and chosen causes--shows he is a dangerous, ideological nominee who has consistently been on the wrong side of women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and civil rights. Let's start with Mr. Duncan's record that argues against women's rights and reproductive freedom. prgtoken When he served as the lead counsel in the infamous Hobby Lobby case, he argued that an employer can interfere with a woman's personal healthcare choices. prgtoken In Texas, he filed a brief that was in favor of abortion restrictions that would have shut down the vast majority of clinics in that State-- restrictions the Supreme Court, ultimately, ruled an ``undue burden'' on a woman's constitutional right to a safe, legal abortion. prgtoken In my home State of Washington, he filed a brief that argued pharmacies should be allowed to refuse to fill birth control prescriptions for ideological reasons. Fortunately, his views did not prevail. prgtoken Then there is Mr. Duncan's long record of opposing LGBTQ rights. prgtoken When it comes to the rights of same-sex couples, he argued against two loving parents who wanted to change their baby's birth certificate so they could add him to their insurance plan. He argued for denying a same-sex spouse her parental visiting rights to the children she had raised for 8 years. He also defended bans on same-sex marriages in Louisiana and Virginia. prgtoken When the Supreme Court was considering whether to strike down bans on same-sex marriage nationwide, he said the harm of doing this would be ``severe, unavoidable, and irreversible,'' and he filed an amicus brief against it. When the Court then made its historic decision to recognize same-sex marriage as a fundamental right, Mr. Duncan said it ``raises questions about the legitimacy of the Court.'' He said it might ``imperil civic peace.'' prgtoken When it comes to the rights of transgender people, he fought for the intolerant, harmful bathroom ban in North Carolina and against Gavin, a young boy in Virginia who simply wanted his school to allow him to use the men's restroom. He did it by using bigoted remarks that were nothing short of appalling. prgtoken In defending the outrageous ban in North Carolina, he relied on bogus testimony from a self-proclaimed expert who suggested that transgender people prgtoken are delusional. In his opposing Gavin in Virginia, Mr. Duncan advanced the offensive and discredited conspiracy theory that schools need to fear athletes who pretend to be transgender in order to gain a competitive advantage. prgtoken Outside of the court, outside of his client work, he has repeatedly addressed an organization that has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center--an organization that calls marriage equality an ``oxymoronic institution if ever there was one.'' <|
TRIBUTE TO YOUNG STAFF MEMBERS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE OF THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF TEXAS AND THE UNITED STATES
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-4-24

as Members of Congress we know well, perhaps better than most, how blessed our nation is to have in reserve such exceptional young men and women who will go on to become leaders in their local communities, states, and the nation in the areas of business, education, government, philanthropy, the arts and culture, and the military. prgtoken We know this because we see them and benefit from their contributions every day. Many of them work for us in our offices as junior staff members, congressional fellows, or interns and they do amazing work for and on behalf of the constituents we are privileged to represent. prgtoken , I believe there is no higher calling than the call to serve a cause larger than ourselves. That is why I ran for public office. I was inspired to serve by President Kennedy who said, ``Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,'' and by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said: Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. prgtoken By this measure, there are several other great young men and women who served as volunteers this year in my offices. They may toil in obscurity but their contributions to the constituents we serve are deeply appreciated. That is why today I rise to pay tribute to five extraordinary young persons for their service to my constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas and to the American people. They are: prgtoken Ayesha Muzaffar from the University of Houston; prgtoken Anthony Berry from the University of Alabama; prgtoken Jonathan King from Texas Tech University; prgtoken Troy Allen from the University of Houston; and prgtoken Brett Hyland from The Madeira School. prgtoken , the energy, intelligence, and idealism these wonderful young people brought to my office and those interning in the offices of my colleagues help keep our democracy vibrant. The insights, skills, and knowledge of the governmental process they gain from their experiences will last a lifetime and prove invaluable to them as they go about making their mark in this world. prgtoken Because of persons like Ayesha, Anthony, Jonathan, Troy, and Brett the future of our country is bright and its best days lie ahead. I wish them well. prgtoken , I am grateful that such thoughtful committed young men and women prgtoken can be found working in my office, those of my colleagues, and in every community in America. Their good works will keep America great, good, and forever young.
Nomination of Mike Pompeo (Executive Calendar)
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-4-24

today the Senate is considering a divisive nominee to sit on the Fifth Circuit Court. It completely baffles me that this administration continues to put forth nominees who are either clearly unqualified or intensely partisan and controversial. This body has historically worked together to confirm consensus nominees to serve on the appellate bench. Unfortunately, that has not been the case over this past year. We have seen contentious nominee after contentious nominee. Unfortunately, the majority has abdicated its responsibility to instead choose a judicial person of integrity who is willing to find common ground. prgtoken This afternoon's vote to confirm Stuart Kyle Duncan to the Fifth Circuit Court is a perfect example of a divisive candidate. Mr. Duncan is an extreme nominee. His nomination is a senseless attack on access to healthcare for women, especially women in rural and underserved areas. His nomination is an attack on LGBT civil rights and an attack on free and open access to the ballot for all Americans. prgtoken One only needs to look at his record. Mr. Duncan served as lead counsel in Hobby Lobby v. Burwell, in which the Supreme Court ruled that a for-profit corporation can have religious beliefs and, therefore, can deny contraceptive coverage as part of their employer- sponsored health insurance plans. prgtoken I have said this before, and I will say it again, I have never sat next to a corporation in church. Corporations do not have religious beliefs, and a woman should have access to reproductive health services and the freedom to make her own decisions about her own healthcare. prgtoken In addition to his record of hostility to the self-determination of women, Mr. Duncan has an abysmal civil rights record. Mr. Duncan coauthored an amicus brief in opposition to marriage equality when this important issue was before the Supreme Court. In that same vein of discrimination, Mr. Duncan has repeatedly engaged in efforts to suppress the votes of minority voters. He has defended North Carolina voter suppression measures that were ultimately struck down by the Fourth Circuit. The court determined the discriminatory measures ``targeted African-Americans with almost surgical precision.'' prgtoken Mr. Duncan's nomination is, frankly, unconscionable. Our court system should be a level playing field, where no matter who you are or where you live, you will receive fair and equal treatment. In contrast to that spirit, this nominee has spent a significant part of the past decade advocating for the denial of rights for women, minorities, and the LGBT community. prgtoken I have absolutely no confidence that this nominee will stay true not only to the letter of the law but to the spirit of the law as well. Our constituents sent us to Washington to look out for the best interests of all Americans. That is why we need to move away from divisive nominees and instead focus on the confirmation o