mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A FINAL RULE OF THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Stevan Pearce (Republican, NM) \u2014 2017-2-3

New Mexico gets 40 percent of its State's revenues from oil and gas, that is, 40 percent of our teachers' pay, 40 percent of our government institutions, law enforcement, hospitals--40 percent. So when the Federal Government begins to adjust the rules, we in New Mexico take an interest because it provides our jobs and it provides the way we educate our children. prgtoken Now, we have two points of view being postulated on this argument nationwide. One says that the government is suddenly becoming the model of efficiency. I wonder where that efficiency is with regard to the $200 billion of fraud in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The government hasn't suddenly gotten efficient about that. Or just your local post office, has it suddenly gotten efficient about that? Or you could listen to the argument that the government is suddenly interested in the environment and we are going to make it clean. prgtoken The BLM did not say a word when the Gold King Mine spill not only was allowed, but mandated to be turned loose by the EPA. The heavy metals ran down across those public lands and currently sit in the streambeds in New Mexico, and our friends say that the government is suddenly all worried about the environment. prgtoken When you look specifically at the venting and flaring rule, we are told that oil and gas production went up dramatically in the last years. The truth is, when you dissect it down, oil and gas production on private lands went up dramatically. Oil and gas on public lands, the government lands owned by the BLM and other agencies, went down dramatically. prgtoken So when the BLM decided to go in and control the venting and flaring of gasses, then we in New Mexico looked and said, is the government suddenly being more concerned about us or is it one more wink and nod to the special interests who want to kill the industries? They have already succeeding in killing the timber industry in this country. They have the coal industry on its back, and they want to kill the oil and gas industry that provides the jobs in New Mexico. prgtoken Yes, we have an opinion about that. Oil and gas production, again, educates our kids. Oil and gas production provides our jobs. It provides the way of life that we in this country are looking for. We contribute heavily to that, but we don't stand silently when the government suddenly decides our best interests are at stake.
IN APPRECIATION OF GARY ANDRES
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2017-2-3

as the new chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I, too, want to join in showing my appreciation and affection for Gary. He has given our committee and, dare I say, our country incredible service for many years. prgtoken I am grateful for his friendship, I am grateful for his guidance, his counsel and, as we have gone through this transition, his advice, a steady hand, incredible intellect, a curiosity about how to get policy done. prgtoken From his start on Capitol Hill working in both administrations and then leading the Energy and Commerce Committee staff effort, he has this passion for public service. He is relentless in his devotion to serving the American people and to driving the committee over time and really putting together a great team. prgtoken As you have heard, because of his leadership, the committee successfully shepherded through dozens of pieces of really important bipartisan legislation for the American people that have made their lives better, such as the 21st Century Cures Act, modernizing our chemical safety laws, improving pipeline safety, among many others. prgtoken We are fortunate to have had such a gifted adviser, exceptional leader, tireless advocate at the helm of this committee staff for the last 6 years. prgtoken It has been a real honor, Gary, to work with you. I wish you, Sue, and your whole family the very best in the years ahead. You have given this country incredible service, and we appreciate you for that. prgtoken God bless you and Godspeed.
Remembering LaVell Edwards (Executive Session)
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-2-3

I rise today to honor the memory of LaVell Edwards, a giant of the gridiron who guided the Brigham Young University football program through decades of unprecedented success. Surrounded by his family, Coach Edwards passed away peacefully on the morning of December 29, 2016. prgtoken Born to Philo and Addie Edwards in 1930 in Orem, UT, he excelled in football and basketball at Lincoln High School. prgtoken Following graduation, he decided to attend Utah State University to play football. LaVell figured that if he played for BYU, the hometown school, he would have lived at home and been required to milk the family cows, so he went north to Logan. At Utah State, he met the love of his life, Patti Covey. A few months after the two went on a blind date, they were married in Beaver Dam, UT. prgtoken Following graduation, LaVell served in the Army for 2 years. After receiving an honorable discharge from the military, he became head football coach at Granite High School in Salt Lake City. prgtoken After eight seasons as head coach, LaVell was hired at BYU by Hal Mitchell in 1962. LaVell humorously remarked that he was hired only because Coach Mitchell wanted to run the single wing offense and Coach Edwards was the only Mormon running that offense at the time. prgtoken After 10 seasons as an assistant coach at BYU, he was promoted to head coach in 1972. Prior to his promotion, BYU had never achieved much success in football. In LaVell's words, it was a matter of when, not if, he would be fired. So he decided to do something that few other coaches were doing at the time: make the forward pass the focal point of the offense. LaVell's bold move revolutionized the game of football. His quarterbacks ended up throwing for over 100,000 yards, and four of them won the Davey O'Brien Award, given annually to college football's best quarterback. One of his quarterbacks even won the Heisman Trophy, which is awarded each year to college football's best player. LaVell's high-powered offense boosted the team to national prominence and culminated in BYU's 1984 national championship victory. prgtoken Following this historic season, Coach Edwards was named the AFCA National Coach of the Year. With LaVell at the helm, BYU consistently finished in the top 25. He would eventually lead the Cougars to 19 conference championships and 257 victories, making him the seventh winningest coach in college football history. He coached 31 all- Americans, 6 College Football Hall of Famers, and 2 Outland Trophy winners. Coach Edwards himself was ultimately inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. prgtoken Despite his tremendous success on the field, LaVell always remained humble. He also never lost his sense of humor. Although college football fans typically remember Coach Edwards for his trademark sideline scowl, he was renowned for his wit. He quipped on this fact, saying, ``Someone once said I'm a happy guy; I just forgo
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Matt Gaetz (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-2-3

. I thank the gentleman for yielding. The gentleman is from Texas. I am from Florida. Both of our States have seen many of the negative economic consequences of illegal immigration, but my question relates to the negative national security consequences that result from illegal immigration. prgtoken We are receiving more reports that ISIS, Daesh, other Islamic fundamentalists are exploiting America's weakness on our southern border with Mexico for their own economic gain, as well as to smuggle people into the United States who may function as lone wolves or even as a part of a coordinated terrorist attack against Americans. prgtoken So I would hope that the gentleman would speak to the interconnectivity between the need for strong border security and a wall on our southern border with Mexico and the risks posed by Islamic fundamentalism.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-2-3

with this vote, the Senate will move early next week to confirm the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be the U.S. Education Secretary. In my judgment, she will be an excellent and important Education Secretary for this country. prgtoken The No. 1 job of the U.S. Education Secretary is to help create an environment in which our 100,000 public schools succeed, because that is where 9 out of 10 of our children go. prgtoken When I was Education Secretary for President George H.W. in the early 1990s, I had the privilege of working with a man named David Kerns, who had been the chief executive officer of the Xerox Corporation. He came in as the Deputy Education Secretary at a time when he was not only one of the country's leading businessmen, but he was also the leading businessman who tried to help change public education. David Kern's belief was that it was very difficult to help children by changing public education if you try to do it from within. As all of us do, he respected the teachers, the parents, and the students who work within the public education system, but over the last 30 years, as this country has worked to try to improve our public schools, much of that energy has come from outside the public school establishment. Among those were the Governors of the country. prgtoken In the mid-1980s, all of the Governors met together--in 1985 and 1986--on one subject for a whole year. The purpose was, how can we help improve our public schools? I was chairman of the National Governors Association that year, Bill Clinton was the vice chairman, and we did that in a bipartisan way. We did that from outside the schools. Since that time, many Governors and many business leaders have worked hard in support of our public schools, trying to help them have even better opportunities for our children. Among those has been Betsy DeVos. The Governors I spoke of are Governors who are familiar names in this country. I think of Gov. Jeb , Gov. John Engler of Michigan, Gov. Mitt Romney, and the work they did in their respective States to make their public schools better and to create other opportunities for children. All of the three Governors I mentioned--, Romney, and Engler--support Betsy DeVos. prgtoken As chairman of the Senate's Education Committee, there are 22 Governors who have written letters to me supporting Betsy DeVos. They see her as someone from outside the system of public education who, as they worked for 30 years, can help change and improve it. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record following my remarks the names of the 22 Governors who support her. They come from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. prgtoken The Governors of all those States support Betsy DeVos. Fo
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-2-3

I rise today to discuss a bill I just introduced, the John P. Smith Act. prgtoken Just a few short weeks ago, I came to the floor to recognize John Smith, a Wyoming resident who was a life-long advocate for transportation safety. For nearly three decades, ``Big John'' Smith led the Department of Transportation for the Eastern Shoshone and prgtoken Northern Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation. Wyoming lost one of its great representatives and leaders on December 31, 2016, but John's legacy lives on through the changes he effected on the Wind River Reservation. prgtoken John's unwavering commitment to improving transportation infrastructure earned him awards and respect the country over. More importantly, Big John inspired others to invest in transportation and road safety on the Wind River Reservation. It is only fitting that a bill, which seeks give additional tools to tribal governments across the country, would be named after such a committed man. prgtoken The John P. Smith Act will streamline requirements for tribal transportation projects to help make intersections, railroad crossings, and other tribal transportation features safer for the people who depend on this infrastructure. Relatively minor changes can dramatically improve public safety around roads. The John P. Smith Act makes sure that simple things, like installation of rumble strips, improvement of roads for pedestrian or cyclist safety, and even basic signage would not be subject to months or years-long delays due to bureaucratic backlog. prgtoken When he testified before the Committee of Indian Affairs when I was Chairman, Mr. Smith told the stories outlining the many tragic deaths on dangerous roads in Indian country. He shared that at the time of his testimony, the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming had the highest rate of pedestrian deaths in the United States. The John P. Smith Act would ensure that basic safety measures could be put in place in a timely manner. Big John shared, ``When you have narrow roads, with sharp curves, no medians and no shoulders, you are asking for trouble.'' The projects included in this bill will help to save lives in tribal communities. prgtoken John Smith has been described as a ``Champion of Change'' by the White House, a skillful diplomat by his peers, and I was proud to call him my friend. It is with great honor and respect that I am pleased today to introduce the John P. Smith Act to build on John's lifetime of transportation safety achievements.
PAYING TRIBUTE TO GARY ANDRES
Fred Upton (Republican, MI) \u2014 2017-2-3

I rise today to pay tribute to a very good friend, certainly a trusted adviser and, by everyone's account, one of the very best staff directors ever on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Gary Andres. prgtoken I first met Gary when he was a young staffer working in the White House for President 41. Over the years, I became so close with both Gary and his wonderful wife, Sue. prgtoken Gary came on board day one for my committee chairmanship, and we assembled an all-star staff of the most professional, talented, and kind people on Capitol Hill. In Gary, we got a trusted counselor with a strategic mind second to none. Gary also understands that sometimes you can't change the direction of the winds, but you can adjust your sails so that you are always going to reach that destination. prgtoken Nowhere was this more important than during our herculean, bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act effort. For more than 3 years, Gary was our five-star general; and thanks to his tireless leadership, we got the job done for patients and families across the country. prgtoken What drove us more than anything else was that the clock was ticking for folks with terrible diseases, and we couldn't waste a day to get this bipartisan bill to the President for him to sign into law. It ended up being what many say was the most significant legislation enacted in the 114th Congress. prgtoken But it went beyond the 21st Century Cures Act. There were 562 hearings, 354 measures through the House, 200 signed into law in the last 6 years, substantial legislative wins. Whether it be the doc fix, saving Medicare, pipeline safety, health reforms, opioids, so many more, Gary was with us at the table. prgtoken Gary understands how important this institution is. He has a reverence for the people's House. But Gary was also quick with a smile, a witty insight, or a laugh. He never lost his perspective, his temper, or eagerness to engage on an issue. prgtoken I know I speak for all of the Members and staff on both sides of the aisle when we say: Thank you, Gary. We are going to miss you, but we know that we are going to continue to lean on you for advice no matter what the issue is. prgtoken As Gary moves on to that next venture, I wish him the very best. prgtoken To his wonderful wife, Sue, who is in the gallery today, it has been an honor to work with this distinguished gentleman.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-2-3

. So you know the importance. prgtoken What I would say to the gentleman is: let's work with this administration. prgtoken As we sat in our meeting this week with leaders of other countries, I thought their advice to us was good advice: let's not say what this is not, because we may get political points with one another, but it puts them in harm's way, and they know what the truth of this is. prgtoken I think you and I agree on a lot of different things, and we are cordial with one another when we disagree, and I think this is an area in which sometimes we may disagree, but sometimes we have shown we could agree. prgtoken I know you want to keep America safe, and I know we want to keep America safe. prgtoken I also know it is a brand new administration. I also know that when I go down to that White House--you have been there with me--there is not a lot of staff there. I know there are going to be a few hiccups along the way. I am going to work with them. I am going to help them, and I want you to help us help them as well.
ELKHORN RANCH AND WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST CONVEYANCE ACT OF 2017
Doug Lamborn (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-2-6

I appreciate those comments. I would point out, for anyone who is interested, that the three of us who are here-- and I am about to yield the floor to Representative Tipton--we are all on the Natural Resources Committee. This is a committee that is going to be doing a lot of exciting and interesting things in this Congress. We are going to be very busy. I am looking forward to that. prgtoken , I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton), my friend and colleague, who is also a member of the committee.
HONORING BARRY S. GALE FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE
Elise M. Stefanik (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-2-6

I rise today to honor and recognize Mr. Barry S. Gale from Gouverneur, New York. This month, Mr. Gale will be celebrating 50 years as a volunteer firefighter at the Gouverneur Fire Department. He joined the Department in 1967 as a dedicated citizen and volunteer. Mr. Gale was assigned to Hose Company Number 1 and served in the position for eight years. His remarkable service gave him the opportunity to advance within the Fire Department, serving as 2nd Assistant Chief from 1975 to 1977. He then rose to 1st Assistant Chief and served in the position until 1979. From there, Mr. Gale served as Chief Engineer until 1981. Mr. Gale has earned numerous awards for his devotion to the Fire Department. He received the Department's ``Chiefs Award'' in 2006 and then again in 2009. In 2011, he was named the Department's ``Firefighter of the Year.'' These awards and Mr. Gale's years of dedicated service are a testament to his character and the community he has called home. On this day, I want to take a moment to thank Mr. Barry Gale for his many years of public service to our district, especially to the town of Gouverneur. Congratulations on celebrating 50 years of volunteer service at the Gouverneur Fire Department.
The Cabinet and Congressional Review Act (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-2-6

I sat here and listened with interest to the majority leader's comments about this strategy of obstruction and slow walking the President's Cabinet. I share his frustration. More than that, on behalf of the people we were sent here to represent--the American people--I regret that petty politics has gotten in the way of the ability of our colleagues across the aisle to get over the fact that the election didn't turn out quite the way they hoped and to get back to work on behalf of the American people. prgtoken This week we will continue to grind our way through consideration of President 's nominees, despite the best efforts of our friends across the aisle to obstruct and to slow walk. Because of their insistence on taking advantage of every possible procedural delay, they have tried to grind the Senate to a near halt, but we have overcome that obstruction. We came together early Friday morning and voted to move forward with the President's nominee for Education Secretary-- about 6:30 in the morning. It was a little earlier than we usually convene, but I am glad we were able to get it done. prgtoken I am confident that we will get Mrs. DeVos confirmed soon. Then, thanks to former ic leader Harry Reid, the know they cannot block these nominees from taking office. Because of the so- called nuclear option, they reduced the voting threshold from 60 to 51, meaning that, with 52 s and, hopefully, with a little help from some of our friends across the aisle, every single one of President 's Cabinet nominees will be confirmed. We can take that to the bank. prgtoken All they can do, which is all they have done up to this point, is to slow the process down for no reason other than the fact that they can. Again, thanks to Senator Reid, all of the President's nominees will be confirmed. This type of behavior is really pretty juvenile, if you ask me, and it can't actually accomplish anything. It is a strategy in search of a goal. They don't have any particular goal in mind, because at the end of the day, the President will get the Cabinet that he has nominated and deserves. prgtoken After the vote tomorrow on Mrs. DeVos for Cabinet Secretary of Education, we will vote to confirm Senator Sessions, our longstanding colleague, as Attorney General. In addition to him and the Education Secretary, we have the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Treasury, too. These, of course, are key positions in the new administration. prgtoken Now, 18 days after President 's inauguration, he still doesn't have the help he needs in these critical posts. I believe this kind of mindless obstruction is actually irresponsible, if not downright dangerous. I know our ic colleagues said they confirmed General Mattis, the Secretary of Defense, and later on the Director of the CIA and, yes, they finally confirmed the Secretary of State. But the Attorney General is