mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CELEBRATING THE 100TH CLASS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS CYBERSECURITY TRAINING COURSE
Raúl R. Labrador (Republican, ID) \u2014 2017-3-17

today, March 17, 2017, the 100th class for the Department of Homeland Security's Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity training course will be completed in Idaho Falls, Idaho. It is my honor to congratulate the graduates and recognize this milestone for the Idaho National Laboratory. INL hosts this training in support of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center for DHS where up to date information about current security issues, vulnerabilities, and exploits are provided to government agencies, states, and the private sector. prgtoken This course provides hands-on training in discovering who and what is on the network, identifying vulnerabilities, learning how those vulnerabilities may be exploited, and learning defensive and mitigation strategies for control system networks in an actual control systems environment. The training offers the opportunity to network and collaborate with other colleagues involved in operating and protecting control system networks. prgtoken The Idaho National Laboratory, Department of Energy and Department of Homeland Security are working together to advance cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. Idaho has a longstanding leadership role to establish cybersecurity best practices and innovative technologies for government and industry partners. Under the guidance of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center the Industrial Controls Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory has successfully illustrated the demand and importance of advanced training for cybersecurity professionals within the critical infrastructure sectors through the instruction of over 4 thousand industry professionals and students. prgtoken Congratulations to the graduates of the 100th Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity training course and thank you to these men and women whose hard work and dedication will make our critical infrastructure safer and more secure.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE MOORE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Richard Hudson (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to recognize the Moore County Chamber of Commerce as we celebrate its 50th Anniversary. Thanks to the hard work of the countless individuals involved with this organization, Moore County has never been a better place to live, work, or visit. prgtoken Established in 1967 as the Southern Pines Area Chamber of Commerce, this organization has long stood for the advancement of civic, cultural, and economic prosperity. By engaging with local leaders, the chamber has created a successful model for integrating businesses and the community they serve. Members continually choose to invest their time and money into the development of a better business environment for current and future generations. prgtoken There is no doubt in my mind that Moore County is a better place today thanks to their Chamber of Commerce. The hardworking men and women at the Chamber have continued to provide their members with the resources they need to grow and thrive in an ever-changing economic climate. As a result, businesses continue to choose Moore County as the place they want to reside in order to be successful. I look forward to maintaining a close relationship with the Chamber and its members as we work together to create a better future for all folks across Moore County. prgtoken , please join me today in recognizing the Moore County Chamber of Commerce on its 50th anniversary and wishing them continued success in the years to come.
HONORING TOWN OF BOONTON'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to honor the historic Town of Boonton, located in Morris County, New Jersey, on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary. From humble beginnings, this town's birth from a house and barn has grown to be a thriving community of over 8,300 residents today. prgtoken Boonton's history began in 1740 with a simple house and barn--the first house recorded in Boonton. It was originally part of a 231 acre plot that was purchased for 85. Over the years, three families have owned this historic landmark. Each family maintained and built onto the house until it was listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places; Boonton's population steadily grew thanks to an iron forge, which attracted local workers to establish their lives and provide for their families. This forge served as a central source of supplies for the military during the American Revolutionary War. prgtoken The town was named ``Boone-Towne'' after the late Colonial Governor Thomas Boone in the year 1761. In March of 1867, Boonton incorporated as a town by the New Jersey State Legislature. The first of what would be many tests of Boonton's fortitude came in 1876 when the town faced an economic crisis, due to iron deposits found in the Great Lakes. The iron company shut down and workers left the town. The leaders of Boonton were strong and resilient and the town recovered by opening a silk, brass, knife, and many other factories. A diversified economic landscape prevented a depression from happening again. prgtoken The Town of Boonton has also shown its resilience in not only handling economic hardship, but also during natural disasters. The blizzard of 1888 hit the town of Boonton hard for 36 brutal hours, covering the town with 15 feet of snow. This was a significant moment in defining the strong character of Boonton. prgtoken Over the years, Boonton has grown and thrived into a tightly knit community. It has developed a booming Main Street that portrays its local community through a variety of schools, businesses, houses of worship, and other services meeting the needs of its diverse population. Boonton still attracts more and more people every year and has continuously seen a growing population. prgtoken , I ask that you and our colleagues join me in congratulating the Town of Boonton on the occasion of its Sesquicentennial Anniversary.
WELFARE REFORM
Warren Davidson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise to talk about Welfare BRAC, an opportunity to reorganize our 92 social safety net programs. prgtoken , I call attention to the 92 programs that, over time, since the Great Society, our country has launched. I call attention to Ronald Reagan's prescient quote about the near eternity of government programs. It is very hard to take a program away once it is launched, and this plan acts on The Brookings Institution's data, which has rarely been accused of being on the right side of the political ideology. prgtoken It says that if we do three things, we will eliminate 80 percent of poverty: graduate high school, work full-time at any wage, and have no kids outside of marriage. prgtoken This program that I am proposing in this bill, H.R. 1469, the Welfare Benefit Reform and Alignment Commission, would nominate four s and four . They would have 1 year to work together until September 30, 2018, to prioritize not taking any money away, but taking the 92 programs and making them fewer. prgtoken So if you think about the social worker out in the country trying to help somebody who is in a social safety net, each of these programs may have a 4-inch binder. I don't think we need 92. Maybe it is 6; maybe it is 12. It is not 92. prgtoken I encourage my colleagues to support this and work together to make this a more efficient program so we can help meet their needs.
TIMBER INNOVATION ACT
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-3-17

last week, with Representative Suzan DelBene, I introduced the Timber Innovation Act to help find new and innovative uses for wood as a building material. prgtoken Proudly, the Allegheny National Forest is a part of the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania. Communities in my district depend on the revenue from high-value timbering and forest products that are generated by the forest as well as privately held lands throughout the Commonwealth. prgtoken This bipartisan legislation encourages the advancement of tall wood building construction along with research and development. prgtoken , since our earliest days, we have used wood as a building material. New technology will help expand and develop the use of wood in larger construction projects. Currently, most wood buildings do not exceed three to four stories in height, but we hope to change that. prgtoken There is so much potential for mass timber, and this bill truly encourages new advancements of wood construction. This bill is good for both consumers and the industry, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill and advance the sustainable forest management and opportunities in our rural communities.
MUSLIM BAN
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-17

in my remaining time, I want to address the question of Care. prgtoken Two years ago when was Vice President, making him President of the Senate, there was a compromise. Instead of doing complete and full repeal of Care as s have been promising for years, there was a compromise: All right. We will take out all but the regulatory authority, those things that actually caused the greatest increase and expense. prgtoken But it didn't change the fact, , that we had made a pledge to America that I didn't help write but our leaders of the Party in the House did, and it said: Because the new healthcare law kills jobs, raises taxes, increases the cost of health care, we will immediately take action to repeal this law. Then it goes into some detail about that. prgtoken Then we know we had A Better Way, Ryan, our leadership, current leadership's Better Way. And this was from June 22 of 2016. prgtoken The plan begins by laying out five principles. It begins by repealing Care. That is all of it as its first principle. And the last sentence of the paragraph says: ``We need a clean start in order to pursue the patient-centered reforms the American people deserve.'' prgtoken That is exactly right, and I was glad that our leadership of our party put that in there because we needed a full repeal. prgtoken But 2 years ago, it wasn't a complete repeal. More so than what is being done now, in what we are being told is the new bill. It was more repeal then. But even then we wanted to do a full repeal, but we were told because could come over from the White House, come down Pennsylvania Avenue and take the presiding officer's seat straight down the hall, that he would likely rule that other part was not in compliance with the Byrd rule. prgtoken In essence, the Byrd rule basically means, if something is merely incidental in its effect on the budget instead of a direct effect on the budget, then it may not be considered under the procedure that was being used, and that procedure only requires 51 votes. prgtoken So the thing that everybody knew back then is, if it were a in the presiding officer's seat, of course, would say all of this, especially the part that was taken out, would survive the Byrd rule because it is not just an incidental effect on the budget. It is the most dramatic effect on the budget of most any bill that Congress has ever taken up--dramatic and not incidental, dramatic. prgtoken And so now we are told: Look, everybody needs to get on board with this new bill that doesn't go as far as the one 2 years ago, and it leaves all these regulations and things, all that power. 1,400 times it says the Secretary will make the rules, regulations to implement the bill. But we are being told it is okay; you don't have to knock those out because now we have Secretary Price that can do that. prgtoken Well, for one thing, if he could, then that would mean when the
VA ACCOUNTABILITY
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to recognize the House's efforts this week to improve the employment standards at the Department of Veterans Affairs. prgtoken In recent years, complex bureaucratic processes can take up to a year to remove or discipline a VA employee for misconduct or subpar performance. The VA has even had trouble firing one employee who participated in an armed robbery and another who participated in a veteran's surgery while intoxicated. prgtoken Just last year, VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson testified at a hearing that it was too difficult to fire bad employees. That is why I was happy to vote in the House this week for the VA Accountability First Act of 2017. This legislation provides the VA Secretary more flexibility to demote, suspend, or remove employees for misconduct or subpar performance. prgtoken Additionally, the House has passed a second bill today to make the hiring process more efficient, allowing the VA to recruit and retain the best in the field. As a result, the VA can fire bad employees and replace them with good ones who have a passion, and we can retain at the agencies we want to work hard for our veterans. This will lead directly to higher quality care for our veterans, which is the whole reason and purpose we do this.
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Ken Buck (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 1367. prgtoken First, I thank Chairman Roe and Representative Wenstrup for bringing this bill before us today and for consideration of my amendment. prgtoken As Americans, as Members of Congress, our job is to serve and care for our veterans once they return home. That is what H.R. 1367 does. prgtoken My amendment strengthens this important bill, guaranteeing that the Department of Veterans Affairs can employ the best people to care for our veterans. prgtoken My amendment makes clear that former political appointees at the VA are not eligible for direct hire authority for competitively selected positions without first going through the proper civil service hiring process. prgtoken America's veterans deserve the top care from people who are devoted to serving them. The VA is run by hardworking civil servants, men and women hired in a competitive, merit-based process that assessed their skill and their passion for serving our Nation's veterans. prgtoken Political appointees, on the other hand, are meant to serve their appointing President's agenda for a temporary period of time. Part of their duty to the Nation is to know when it is time to step down from their position of power. prgtoken My amendment prevents former VA political appointees from using their political connections to jump ahead of other qualified individuals, burrowing into a high-paying career position at the VA. prgtoken Along with my friend and colleague Representative Lieu, I have already introduced a bill to address the problem of political burrowing. prgtoken H.R. 1132 would prevent political appointees from burrowing into the civil service across the government for 2 years after leaving their political position. Until that bill is enacted, this amendment will ensure that the most qualified workers are filling the crucial jobs at the VA, providing our veterans the treatment they deserve. prgtoken We must protect the independence of our merit-based civil service, we must employ the best people in the VA, and we must guard our veterans from the failed policies and practices of administrations past. prgtoken I urge a ``yes'' vote on my amendment, and .
FATHER TRAFFICS DAUGHTER
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-17

it is said that there is no need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection. That is a father's job. prgtoken Recently, a Texas father arrogantly violated all of his responsibilities. He forcibly sex trafficked his teenage daughter. In the milky darkness of night, he would take her to truck stops and coerce her to have sex so he could pocket the filthy lucre. prgtoken The 16-year-old was sold to multiple customers in a single night. Every dollar the deviant collected was stolen at the expense of his daughter's childhood. His evil and greed were so boundless that this so-called father placed ads on the internet to sell his daughter. She was sold on the marketplace of sex trafficking. But the girl was rescued. The defendant was convicted and put in the deepest bowels of a Texas prison.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-3-17

. I think we both agree that responsible fiscal policy is important to our country's ability to succeed, and that includes honoring the full faith and credit of the United States. We expect to continue working closely with Secretary Mnuchin to ensure that America is on the right path to a strong fiscal future. prgtoken We know the amount of debt that has been added in the last 8 years has been tremendous. I know that the gentleman, when he looks to what we do next week--to be able to lower premiums, save more than $300 billion of the deficit, and let people have more choice--that is also a first step. prgtoken Now, I do not have any immediate action to announce, but we will relay any information to the Members as we move forward. prgtoken I thank the gentleman. prgtoken Is that going to be your last question?
WE CANNOT LEAVE OUR VETERANS BEHIND
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to honor our veterans who have served in our country's Armed Forces. prgtoken For over 240 years, millions of brave souls have fought, bled, and some have died, to defend our American freedom. The Bible says: ``Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'' prgtoken , the American veteran truly has great love for his fellow man. Because of the great sacrifices of our veterans, we must see to their care and well-being. We have often failed in this obligation. We have left our veterans helpless, suffering through bureaucratic nightmares to get care they desperately need. prgtoken The Phoenix Veterans Administration has worked hard to improve its care for veterans, and the newly-opened Southeast Veterans Affairs Health Care Clinic in Gilbert is intent on providing the best possible care for our Nation's finest. prgtoken While conditions have been improving in Phoenix and around the Nation, there is still much work to be done. I have made it a priority to provide excellent service to the veterans in my district. They deserve nothing less. prgtoken Our veterans did not leave us behind we cannot leave them behind.
LISTENING TO EVERYBODY'S VOICE
Mike Bost (Republican, IL) \u2014 2017-3-17

you can learn a lot when you listen. During times like these, when political infighting makes it difficult to hear everyone's voice, we need to try even harder. prgtoken Today I would like to encourage all of my constituents in the Illinois 12th District to visit bost.house.gov/yourstory to share your personal perspective on the Affordable Care Act. Again, that is bost.house.gov/yourstory. prgtoken If the law has helped you and your family receive care you needed, I want to hear about it. If the law has put you in a situation where you don't have insurance or have higher premiums, I want to hear about that, too. prgtoken It is important that we deal with this healthcare issue and reform it so that it works for all people. And for the people of southern Illinois, I want to hear your story.
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF FALLEN MISSISSIPPI SOLDIER ARMY SERGEANT (SGT) LERANDO J. BROWN, JR.
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2017-3-17

today I rise in memory of fallen Mississippi soldier Sergeant (SGT) Lerando J. Brown, Jr who died while in service to our great nation on March 15, 2008, during Operation Iraqi Freedom III. SGT Brown gave his life while deployed in Balad, Iraq. prgtoken SGT Brown, of Gulfport, was assigned to the 288th Sapper Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion, Mississippi Army National Guard based in Houston, Mississippi. At the time of his death, SGT Brown was the 48th Mississippian to die in Iraq since March 2003. SGT Brown served in Iraq beginning in September 2007. He arrived with more than 90 other members of the 288th. prgtoken Lieutenant Colonel Tim Powell of the Mississippi Army National Guard said this was Brown's first deployment. SGT Brown's wife, Candice, described her husband as a man who loved to make her laugh. She said SGT Brown constantly told her he loved her through phone calls and e- mails. prgtoken SGT Brown's service and sacrifice will always be remembered.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RHODORA J. DONAHUE
Francis Rooney (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today on behalf of my wife Kathleen and I to wish Mrs. Rhodora J. Donahue a very happy 92nd birthday. prgtoken We hope Rhodora is celebrating this very special day surrounded by her loved ones. I believe a loving family is the greatest treasure in life and with 13 married children, 82 grandchildren, and 108 great grandchildren, Rhodora has most certainly attained it. I hope you all can join me in wishing her continued health and happiness throughout the year.
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Jaime Herrera Beutler (Republican, WA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I want to commend Dr. Wenstrup and the chairman and ranking member for their work on this bill. prgtoken Today I am offering this amendment that will help get to the root of one of the big problems within the VA that leads to high turnover by providers and compromises care for our veteran heroes. Specifically, my amendment strengthens anonymity protections for VA employees who fill out exit surveys and requires that this exit survey data be more localized so that the agency can better solve region-specific problems. prgtoken High staff turnover is an ongoing problem in our VA and it negatively affects our veterans. High turnover leads to staff shortages and results in veterans having to wait longer to see their doctor or their specialist, and it also means that there are issues with continuity of care for veterans. prgtoken Over the last few years, I have asked the VA why healthcare providers are leaving. The VA took some educated guesses as to why but could not provide hard data or facts. prgtoken Two years ago I inserted a directive into the MILCON VA approps bill requiring the VA to begin offering exit surveys to collect data on why healthcare providers are leaving. I also required that the VA develop a detailed plan to address the primary reasons these providers were leaving. While that report has provided some insights, we found that it is failing to take a few important steps that would make sure we are receiving honest feedback from these exiting providers. prgtoken For instance, the Portland VA employees who fill out the survey have to fill it out at a kiosk in the HR office where the HR staff can see them doing it. While the survey, itself, is anonymous, departing employees have to log into the kiosk with their employee identification number. The fear of being identified is a big deterrent for providers filling out this voluntary but critical survey. Only if VA providers are telling the honest truth about what they saw, heard, and experienced in their workplace can the VA then fix the problems that plague its facilities. prgtoken Therefore, we have to make this exit survey as easy and confidential to fill out as possible, and that is what my amendment requires. It requires these surveys to be conducted at a location that allows for privacy, not directly visible by another VA employee, and it does not require the departing employee to put in any personal, identifiable information. It also requires the exit survey data to be compiled at the regional level to identify and acknowledge local needs. prgtoken What needs to be changed in southwest Washington may not be the same as what is happening in Texas or Virginia or Florida, and this amendment will help the VA identify the right region-specific solutions. prgtoken With that, I urge Members to support my amendment so we can better serve and support our veterans by retaining their healthcare providers. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of m