mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
THE INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO REQUIRE THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TO INSTALL THE D.C. SEAL IN THE MAIN READING ROOM OF THE THOMAS JEFFERSON BUILDING
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2017-2-24

today, I introduce a bill to require the Library of Congress to install the District of Columbia seal in the Main Reading Room of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress concurrently with the renovation and replacement of the existing glass panels. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed this bill unanimously last Congress. The Library is one of the few buildings in the District that remains open to the public on most holidays. It provides not only D.C. residents but visitors and researchers from across the nation with access to incomparable resources. The bill requires the Library to depict the District's seal on the stained-glass windows in the Main Reading Room, where the seals of all the states and territories that existed when the building was constructed, except for the District, are depicted. D.C.'s seal was readily available at that time and should have been included. The seals of Hawaii and Alaska are not included in the display because they were not states or territories when the building was constructed. The fact that these two states were not part of the Union at the time of the creation of the stained-glass windows argues for the inclusion of the District, which, after all, was in fact the nation's capital at the time. We are asking that the omission of D.C. be corrected immediately. This omission was brought to my attention by a District resident, Luis Landau, a former docent at the Library. prgtoken The residents of the District have always had all the obligations of American citizenship, including paying federal taxes and serving in all the nation's wars, including the War of 1812, during which the Capitol building, which then housed the Library of Congress, was burned, prompting construction of the current Library of Congress building with the state and territory seals. It is, therefore, without question that the District and its residents should receive equal treatment among the stained-glass windows that portray the history of the United States. D.C. residents deserve to have their history and American citizenship recognized. prgtoken There is existing evidence that the seal of the District should have been depicted. The Members of Congress room in the Jefferson Building, which is not open to the public, has a painted depiction of the D.C. seal, along with state seals, on its ceiling. This precedent reinforces our request to be represented among the stained-glass windows in the Main Reading Room, which is open to the public. There is no reason why the D.C. seal cannot be added with the planned restoration of the stained-glass. The right time to add the seal of the District would be during the planned restoration. prgtoken Congress already includes the District, or has corrected the omission of the District, when honoring the states. For example, the District of Columbia War Memorial honors District residents who served in World War I, the prgtoken
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2017-2-27

it is with great pleasure that I rise today on behalf of Delaware's congressional delegation--Senator Chris Coons, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and myself--to honor the exemplary service of MG Frank Vavala, the adjutant general for Delaware for the past 18 years. As Governor of Delaware, I had the distinct pleasure of nominating him to serve as Adjutant General in February 1999, and I believe to this day it is one of the best appointments I have ever made. Over the past 17 years, General Vavala has been responsible for the mission readiness of all Delaware National Guard units for both Federal and State missions. He served as a cabinet member and trusted military adviser to me when I was Governor, as well as to the three Governors who succeeded me: Governor Ruth Ann Minner, Governor Jack Markell, and Governor John Carney. In January 2017, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general Delaware, becoming the first three-star general to lead the Delaware National Guard. prgtoken During General Vavala's tenure, the Delaware National Guard has deployed close to 11,000 soldiers and airmen to support our State and country. Nearly half of them were deployed abroad to Bosnia, South America, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan, among other countries. Once in theater, these men and women accomplished almost every mission imaginable. They ran entry control points, provided security, established and maintained communications and conducted medical evacuation from the battlefield. They also transported supplies, patients, personnel, and dignitaries in both UH- 60 Blackhawk helicopters and C-130 aircraft. Back at home, the Delaware Guard activated nearly 5,000 soldiers and airmen to provide support during 11 snowstorms, 8 hurricanes--including Hurricane Katrina, where hundreds of Delawareans went to help in Mississippi and Louisiana just 24 hours after the devastating storm made landfall, 1 tornado, dozens of floods, Noreasters, and three Presidential inaugurations. General Vavala oversaw all operations as soldiers and airmen helped transport emergency workers and patients, evacuate flooded areas, get residents to shelter, safety, and medical assistance, and even set up emergency communications around the state. prgtoken Like many successful leaders, General Vavala did not keep regular office hours. He routinely came to work early, stayed late, and worked on weekends. He was known for taking the time to recognize, thank, console, and care for everyone under his command from the newest private to the most senior officer. He valued every person who wore the uniform equally. I have met Guard men and women for years who say that when they were in a time of need, General Vavala was there for them, even if it was just taking time to drop them an email or note. Sometimes they wondered how he found out about what was going on in their lives, but however he did it, he found out. He priorit
Tribute to Dr. Constance E. Clayton (Executive Calendar)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-2-27

I rise today, as I have every year that I have been in the Senate, which is quite a long time now--the last 10 years, going into 11--to give some remarks in commemoration of Black History Month. The way I have done that, and the way our office has done it, is to recognize a special figure in my home State of Pennsylvania, an individual who we are very proud of. Today we honor Dr. Constance E. Clayton, a trailblazing figure whose career in education positively impacted the lives of countless children in Philadelphia, and whose work continues to pay dividends in the city public schools to this day. Throughout her long career as a teacher and administrator in the Philadelphia School District, Dr. Clayton never lost sight of her mission. In her words: ``The children come first.'' prgtoken A product of Philadelphia public schools, Dr. Clayton became the first African American and the first woman to serve as superintendent of the Philadelphia School District. This Black History Month, we celebrate Dr. Clayton's place in that history, but as we do, we should also ask ourselves if we are living up to her legacy and if we are putting the children first--all children everywhere first. prgtoken I will be seeing Dr. Clayton today and so many of her friends. The rules don't allow me to acknowledge anyone else in the Chamber. So I will do that later. But I do want her to know how much we appreciate her giving us this much time to pay tribute to her and to her work. prgtoken Connie Clayton's story is a great American story. Born to a plumber and social worker, she was raised by her mother and grandmother after her parents divorced when she was just 2 years old. She attended Paul Lawrence Dunbar Elementary School in Philadelphia. prgtoken Her mind, like that of so many children, was awakened by a special teacher. In her case, it was her fourth grade teacher at Dunbar, whose name she still readily recalls--Ms. Alice Spotwood. She remembers that Ms. Spotwood was kind, and she made learning fun. She also remembers that Ms. Spotwood seemed interested in her individually, even as she was interested in every other child in that classroom. Ms. Spotwood made Connie feel special. prgtoken Connie Clayton went on to attend Jay Cook Junior High School and Philadelphia High School for Girls, where she excelled academically. She thought she wanted to be a doctor, even taking 4 years of Latin at Girls High School on the theory that she would need to decipher dated medical jargon. Her enthusiasm waned when she realized that calling a body a corpus didn't make studying its contents any more appealing. She chose, instead, to focus on the mind, earning her bachelor's degree and her master of education degree from Temple University, before going on to her doctorate of education in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a Rockefeller scholar. prgtoken Dr. Constance E. Clayton recognized that educ
HONORING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE BOB MICHEL
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-2-27

I thank the gentleman from Peoria. Well, maybe not exactly Peoria, but Bradley University. prgtoken , I rise to honor one of the most decent, patriotic Americans with whom I have ever served in any legislative body. I had the great honor of being Bob Michel's friend, the great honor of being his colleague, and the great honor of believing that what Bob Michel represented in this Congress was the best of us, the most decent of us, the most considerate of us, and deeply committed to his country and prgtoken respectful of those with whom he served, perhaps differing with them, but, nevertheless, deeply respectful of his colleagues. He and Tip O'Neill were good friends. They could argue their side and their policies vigorously but be the best of friends after we adjourned that day. prgtoken from Illinois for leading this tribute, and I rise to join in remembering this great man, a great American leader, Bob Michel. prgtoken , Bob's entire life was given to service to his country. From his time in the Army as an infantryman on the front lines of the fight for democracy in the Second World War to his long career in government, Leader Michel sought to make America and the world safer and to protect the American Dream for all of our people. prgtoken , I did not want to lose the majority in 1994, but when we lost, I lamented the fact that Bob Michel did not become the of the House of Representatives. In my opinion, if he had, America would be a more civil place today and this body would be a more collegial body than it is. prgtoken I want to congratulate the gentleman who represents Bob Michel's district now, succeeding in that office, his father, who is a very dear and close friend of mine. All three of them represented the best of that which America hopes would serve it well. prgtoken Bob Michel and I didn't always agree on policy, , but as colleagues, we worked together to reach consensus and achieve results. I remember in 1989 when Tony Coelho and I were working to pass the House's version of what would become the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. It was Bob Michel who saw how important this legislation would be and asked my friend, Steve Bartlett from Texas to work with me, from the side of the aisle, to achieve a bipartisan version that could become law. That is how Bob Michel operated. prgtoken This House would be a better House if we followed the example of Bob Michel. He saw a problem and looked for a way we could come together around a compromised solution, not focused first on confrontation. His decency and friendliness were as evident as his seriousness as a legislator. prgtoken As whip and leader, he set an example of how to lead an effective opposition based not on obstruction, but on identifying ways to work together to achieve common goals. To that extent, and in so many other ways, as I have said, Bob Michel represented the best of us. prgtoken N
Nomination of Rick Perry (Executive Session)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-2-27

I rise today to oppose President 's nomination of Wilbur Ross for Secretary of Commerce. Mr. Ross is a Wall Street billionaire with a long history of profiting from the suffering of others. He also has shady ties to Vladimir Putin's Russia. That is just his record. Because of that record, I do not have confidence that he will protect the interests of the American people as Secretary of Commerce. prgtoken This administration's disturbing ties to Russia have been all over the news. Here is what has been publicly reported as of today. prgtoken Our intelligence agencies have concluded that the Russian Government conducted a successful series of cyber attacks against the United States designed to help get elected President. Our intelligence agencies are actively examining a dossier alleging that the Russian Government has collected compromising information on President , and numerous press reports indicate that investigators have already corroborated some of that dossier's contents. prgtoken The President's National Security Advisor resigned in disgrace and is the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation for his conversations with the Russian Government before the inauguration, conversations that may have been illegal and conversations that he has apparently lied about in public. prgtoken Knowingly or unknowingly, the Vice President of the United States has repeated these lies on national television. According to CNN, high- level advisers close to then-Presidential nominee were in constant communication during the campaign with Russians known to U.S. intelligence. prgtoken CNN confirmed the New York Times' original investigation with ``multiple current and former intelligence law enforcement and administration officials.'' Our allies documented regular calls between the campaign and the Russians, confirming the reports of U.S. intelligence agencies. According to reports published in Newsweek, ``the British government obtained information that people acting on behalf of Russia were in contact with members of the campaign.'' prgtoken Many news outlets have reported on U.S. intelligence worries that NATO allies will no longer share sensitive information because they fear the new administration could share it with Russia. When asked about the regular points of contact between Russian intelligence operatives and his most senior campaign staff, President refused to take the question seriously. He claimed the multiple reports of staff communications with Russian were ``fake news.'' prgtoken Behind the scenes, 's chief of staff was pressuring the FBI to help cover up the links between Russia and the campaign. We are 1 month into the Presidency. I wish this were not happening. I wish things were normal, but this is not normal. It is shameful if we ignore all of it as we evaluate the President's nominees to critical foreign policy
IN CELEBRATION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WALL OF HONOR WITHIN THE FRESNO AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MUSEUM
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-2-27

I rise today to recognize the State Center Community College District's Wall of Honor within the Fresno African American Historical and Cultural Museum in celebration of its 20 year anniversary. As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important to note this important part of the museum which has highlighted successes in the African American community throughout the San Joaquin Valley. prgtoken The African American Historical and Cultural Museum was the creation of Jack Kelley, the first African American police sergeant in Fresno. Passionate about black history, Jack wanted to create a place where people could go to recognize and enjoy black history throughout our Valley. Jack and former State Center Community College District chancellor, Dr. Bill F. Stewart, coined the idea of creating a Wall of Honor within the museum, where exceptional African American leaders affiliated with the State Center Community College District could be recognized. Since 1996, the Wall of Honor has served as a platform to highlight the success of notable African Americans in our community. Each year, a committee of local leaders accepts nominations for the Wall of Honor and selects the inductees. Those inducted into the Wall of Honor must have attended, worked or served the State Center Community College District. prgtoken The Wall of Honor acts as a representation of the triumphs African Americans in the State Center Community College District have achieved. It will serve as a place for where the brilliance, accomplishments, and strength of our black community leaders will be honored. It is my great pleasure to honor the Wall of Honor for a successful 20 years. I also commemorate the services of all the staff of the museum and the State Center Community College District who have worked hard to educate our community and preserve our Valley's African American History. I send my best wishes for many years to come.
Nomination of Ryan Zinke (Executive Calendar)
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-2-27

I, too, support Wilbur Ross. I know him. He lives in Palm Beach. I think he is a very good selection to be our next Secretary of Commerce. He is certainly qualified to do this job. He gave extensive answers during his confirmation hearing before the Commerce Committee. He has accumulated significant experience in dealing with the international business community, and he has detailed to the committee--in our examination of him, he detailed many of his ideas. prgtoken There have been some questions that have been raised about some of his business ties, particularly involving some of his foreign activities. One example is the Bank of Cyprus, which has significant levels of Russian investment. In the wake of the former National Security Advisor, General Flynn's resignation and under the overhanging question of the unlawful Russian involvement in a U.S. election, I certainly thought that it was prudent to get Mr. Ross's assurances on this matter in his dealings with the Bank of Cyprus and certain Russians who were involved in the Bank of Cyprus, so on February 16, I sent him a letter, along with four other members of the Commerce Committee, requesting information on any contact Russian investors in the Bank of Cyprus may have with officials from the campaign or the organization. I have spoken with Mr. Ross on at least two occasions since sending him the letter, one of those being today. He has verbally reiterated to me that he only had one meeting, approximately an hour, with one of the bank's Russian investors and that it occurred in 2014. The timing is important--2014--because that was before the Presidential campaign. He also assured me that he knows of no loans or interaction between the bank and anyone affiliated with the campaign or organization. prgtoken Mr. Ross has been forthcoming with me, and I believe him in what he has told me, that it is true to his belief. But I want to say that at the same prgtoken time, the White House and the way they have handled this matter is not doing Wilbur Ross any favors. There are a number of Senators on the Commerce Committee who are extremely troubled and frustrated that the White House has chosen to sit on Mr. Ross's written response to the questions I and other Senators have posed, and they have refused to provide them to the Senate prior to tonight's vote. This is despite repeated phone calls to the White House--repeated phone calls. It is also despite repeated phone calls from me to Mr. Ross to ask him to get the White House off the dime since he has told me he has already filled out the answers in writing--they are just sitting in the White House. So there is someone in the White House who is making the decision that they don't want the Senate to have, in writing, what Mr. Ross has told me verbally in a private conversation. prgtoken If that is any indication of the level of transparency Congress and the American people can expe
OPEN BOOK ON EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2017-2-27

I appreciate the time, and I appreciate the kind words that Chairman Goodlatte and my friend, Mr. Collins, have tossed my way. prgtoken We do get along up here, amazingly enough. People think that we all just fight all the time and we have nothing no common. There are some big issues that do divide us, and that is why you have competitive elections with two parties and two different debates. But most folks up here get along, and are friends, and we do have legislation that we can work on, and this is one of those places where Mr. Collins and Mr. Goodlatte and other members of the Judiciary Committee worked with me and others to bring this bill to the floor. prgtoken The Equal Access to Justice Act will allow Americans to recover attorneys' fees and costs when they win a lawsuit against the Federal Government. This will enable ordinary citizens, veterans, seniors, small business owners, advocates for clean air and clean water, et cetera, to fight unfair or illegal government actions without fear of having to pay court costs and without fear of having attorneys' fees that they otherwise might not be able to afford. prgtoken The law has been a success. However, in 1995, an important reporting requirement was removed from the law, and it made it harder for the public to see how much money the government had awarded. Our bill, H.R. 1033, the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act, restores the law's tracking and reporting requirements of payments awarded so the American people can have access to this important information. It will do this by requiring the group called ACUS, an acronym, which we have too many of up here, but this one is the Administrative Conference of the United States, a highly respected nonpartisan agency which was greatly championed by Justice Scalia, to post in an online database the fees and costs awarded in these cases. The database would also include the number and nature of the claims involved. The availability of this information will help keep the public informed and help Congress to conduct better oversight. prgtoken I thank my Judiciary Committee colleague, Doug Collins from Georgia, for his partnership on the bill. I would like to thank Representatives Schrader and Collin Peterson for their support for this bill on our side of the aisle, as well as Jason Chaffetz, Liz , Paul Gosar, and Raul Labrador on the side, as well as Chairman Goodlatte. prgtoken And I would like to recall the work of our former colleague, Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis, who had this bill in the past, and we worked together to try to make it a bipartisan effort and pass it. She worked doggedly on the legislation for years, and I know that she will be pleased that we are building upon her efforts. And while she is no longer here, she is truly in a better place, Wyoming, I think it is, a nice place. prgtoken I urge the House to pass the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act. And I was please