mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING THE 49TH CITI OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2017-7-13

I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the Citi Open Tennis Tournament, taking place July 29 through August 6, 2017, in Rock Creek Park, and in recognizing these dates as ``Tennis Week in the District of Columbia.'' All are invited to attend the 49th edition of this Washington tennis tradition, a cultural, economic and community staple in the region. prgtoken The tournament, now known as the Citi Open Tennis Tournament, was founded in 1969 by tennis legend and Hall of Famer Donald Dell, along with business partner John , and with the support of Arthur Ashe, the first African-American to win both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. Ashe declared he would participate in the inaugural tournament under two conditions: the tournament would take place in a naturally integrated neighborhood, and it would be played on public land where all people could come together, enjoy the sport and share the experience. Today, the tournament remains at its original location on 16th & Kennedy Streets NW in Rock Creek Park. prgtoken In 1972, Donald Dell gifted the tournament to the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (then called the Washington Area Tennis Patrons), a nonprofit organization supporting local education causes. prgtoken The Citi Open Tennis Tournament draws the best players in the world, making D.C. a global tennis destination. The tournament is also seen on television in over 180 countries. A recent economic impact study found that the estimated total gross impact of the Citi Open on the regional economy is more than $28.2 million. The tournament is the only Association of Tennis Professionals 500-level event in the United States, and it is one of only four professional tennis tournaments combining men's and women's events. It is also recognized as an International level tournament by the Women's Tennis Association. As the tournament returns to the District this year, the city and our office will be working with residents of the neighborhood to ensure that measures are taken to mitigate traffic in the area and that the beautiful residential neighborhood of the tournament's location is undisturbed. prgtoken , I ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing ``Tennis Week in the District of Columbia'' for the Citi Open Tennis Tournament, as well as the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation for their efforts.
REMEMBERING KENNETH ENGEBRETSON
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2017-7-13

today I wish to honor the life of Kenneth Engebretson, a lifelong Montanan--born and raised--and a veteran who served in World War II. prgtoken To Kenneth's family, on behalf of myself, my fellow Montanans, and my fellow Americans, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for Kenneth's service to this Nation. prgtoken Kenneth was born in 1919 to Oliver and Tena Engebretson in South Gildford, MT. He was raised on the family farm that was homesteaded by his parents in 1910. Kenneth graduated from Gildford High School in 1937 and set out from home to explore his country. prgtoken After graduation he went to Dalton, MN, to work on his uncle's farm. He enlisted in the Army on October 16, 1941, out of Fergus Falls, MN. He was initially stationed at Fort Sill, OK, and then at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. prgtoken Kenneth went on to serve in World War II from 1941 to 1944 in the Philippines and New Guinea. While deployed, Kenneth contracted malaria and was hospitalized. As a result of the illness, Kenneth was discharged in November of 1945 and immediately returned to the Havre area to help on the family farm in Gildford, MT. He remained on the farm to raise a family of his own. prgtoken He was proudly involved in the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization and remained an active member until his passing on October 10, 1993. Kenneth left behind a deeply appreciative and loving family, and his memory is preserved in the living history of the Engebretson family farm. prgtoken Let us now take a moment to recognize the life of Kenneth Engebretson and the legacy he left behind. We deeply appreciate his service to the American people.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-7-13

I wish to thank and commend Joe Kaliko for his extraordinarily valuable commitment and service in aiding and advocating for our most vulnerable throughout the community. His many deeds of generosity and caring have made him a go-to person when people need help. His life is a real inspiration for all of us. prgtoken Joe Kaliko is founder of the Needs Clearinghouse, a private nonprofit organization. He has actively partnered with governmental agencies, in helping provide necessary--sometimes lifesaving--resources to people through programs such as Hug a Hound and the Refugee Assistance Project. He has helped raise funds and contributions to a myriad of charitable causes, touching many, many lives. I have seen those people and the powerfully positive effects on their lives, disabled people who now have ramps for access to their homes, veterans who now have housing, ill people who now have better healthcare, and numerous others. prgtoken Joe Kaliko is all about making a difference. He is a true hero.
HELP FOR WILDLIFE ACT
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-7-13

a few weeks ago, I joined Senators Barrasso, Capito, Klobuchar, Boozman, and Baldwin in introducing S. 1514, the Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation-- HELP--for Wildlife Act. prgtoken This bill represents a more than $100 million annual Federal investment in the protecting the bay. The bill has several provisions, one of which reauthorizes the programs at the heart of restoring and maintaining the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. S. 1514 reauthorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's, EPA, Chesapeake Bay Program through 2022 at $90 million per year, which is more than the program has ever been funded in its history. This unique regional partnership, managed by EPA through the Chesapeake Bay Program office in Annapolis, helps program partners collaborate to achieve the goals of the voluntary, bipartisan Chesapeake Bay agreement. Because this program expired in 2005, reauthorizing the program is critical to secure necessary appropriations and reject the administration's proposal to eliminate the program. prgtoken S. 1514 also reauthorizes the Chesapeake Bay gateways and watertrails network and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program, which provides $6 million per year throughout the watershed in technical and financial assistance to State, community, and nongovernmental partners to increase access to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The bill also reauthorizes the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NFWF, until 2023. As the Nation's largest conservation grant-maker, NFWF has been instrumental in completing conservation projects in Maryland and around the Chesapeake Bay. In 2016, the State received nearly $5 million in funding for projects protecting and restoring habitat for fish and wildlife. prgtoken S. 1514 also reauthorizes the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, NAWCA, which provides grants to increase and protect wetlands which not only provide habitat for wildlife, but also reduce the severity of flooding and coastal erosion, and improve water quality. In the 2014 to 2015 grant period alone, Maryland received $1 million from the NAWCA program, which was leveraged with nearly $3 million in additional contributions by outside partners to protect 1,600 acres of wetlands in the State. prgtoken The bill reauthorizes the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act for another 5 years and authorizes $6.5 million to be spent each year on conservation projects that protect more than 350 different species of birds which summer in the United States and winter in the tropical regions. Twenty-one different State birds are neotropical migrants, including Maryland's famous and beloved Baltimore Oriole. prgtoken S. 1514 codifies the National Fish Habitat Partnership, a collaboration between public agencies, private citizens, and nonprofits for promoting fish conservation. America is home to more than 3,000 species of fish, and 22 perce
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Rick Larsen (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-7-13

. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Garamendi-Hunter amendment because I know how important a strong icebreaker fleet is to national security. prgtoken The committee recognizes this reality, as elsewhere in the bill we give the DOD some important authorities to support icebreaker procurement. However, this section 123 prohibits DOD funding for icebreaker procurement. This amendment strikes this provision because flexibility will be essential to funding new icebreakers. prgtoken Coast Guard shipbuilding budgets are insufficient for icebreaker procurement absent radical cuts elsewhere. As co-chair of the Arctic Working Group, I know that the United States needs icebreakers. These ships protect economic interests in the region, and they defend our sovereignty. prgtoken As the Arctic becomes increasingly navigable, the importance of icebreakers will only grow, and I urge my colleagues to support the Garamendi-Hunter amendment.
TRUMPCARE BILL
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-7-13

as we wait for a vote on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, I want to remind my colleagues that 51 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Affordable Care Act, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. That is more than the support for Congress or the President. prgtoken More importantly, a recent study from Kaiser found that the ACA markets are stabilizing and insurers are regaining profitability. Yet we continue to hear false arguments saying that markets are collapsing or in a death spiral. That is not true. prgtoken If the majority is serious about fixing our healthcare system and cutting costs to healthcare, they should give up plans to repeal and start putting solutions over politics. prgtoken I have said for years that the ACA is not perfect. No bill this Congress ever passed is. But in order to fix it, we need to work together on a bipartisan basis. prgtoken The bill that the Senate and House GOP has proposed will undermine protections for Americans with preexisting conditions. Now we are hearing there is an amendment on the Senate side that will essentially allow for the sale of policies with skimpier benefits, so long as insurers offer an option that covers all ACA-mandated benefits. We know where that goes. We will not be able to afford those benefits.
Unanimous Consent Requests--Executive Calendar (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-7-13

. Reluctantly, again, I must object. But I would say to my colleague from Arizona, I would like very much to sit down and work out these other problems. I think that if he and I sat in a room together, we could figure these things out ourselves pretty well, and it would be our job to persuade our colleagues to try to do the same. I understand. I used the same words--``train wreck''--earlier this morning. If we don't come to a good agreement, for instance, on appropriations and the budget, the defense forces that he so dearly holds and so many of the issues on our side would be hurt dramatically--the country would. So I promise him, I will endeavor to work with him in the most good-faith way.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Ruben Gallego (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2017-7-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I am a Marine Corps infantryman. When I was fighting door-to-door in Iraq, some of the bravest marines in my unit, men of valor and patriotism, were Muslims. They stood with the Iraqis to risk their lives and endangered loved ones to help us. prgtoken At this very moment, marines are still fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of them are Muslim. They still rely on the steadfast support of our Muslim allies. That is why I find this amendment so troubling. prgtoken , at a time when American forces are deployed across the Muslim world and depend on the support of Muslim governments, the Franks amendment will send exactly the wrong message to our friends and adversaries alike. prgtoken By singling out a faith tradition for a strange and unprecedented study by our military, we are sending a dangerous message and signal that America is at war with Islam. America is not ever going to be at war with a single religion. prgtoken It is our task as Members of Congress who care about our military and about the American values that our servicemembers risk their lives for to defend it and to reaffirm those values, and we can do that by defeating this misguided amendment. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
PROVIDING FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2810, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-7-13

I am glad to hear all these great amendments that have been made in order, and I was glad to hear my friend from Alabama reference the fact that this is a bill to make the people of America safe. prgtoken I rise in opposition to this rule because there was one amendment that makes the people of America safe that was omitted from the list that was approved. It was a bipartisan amendment by myself, Mr. Young from Alaska, and Mr. Jones from North Carolina that would declassify a 50-year-old DOD project that sprayed biological and chemical weapons on our servicemembers and some civilians, and that amendment was not made in order. prgtoken Convulsions, paralysis, respiratory failure, and death--those are just a few of the most severe side effects of sarin gas, a chemical weapon so deadly and debilitating that it was outlawed as a weapon of mass destruction. prgtoken When Syria's military used it, we retaliated. But in the 1960s and 1970s, the United States Department of Defense sprayed biological and chemical weapons like sarin, VX nerve gas, and e. coli on our own servicemembers. In the years since, many of those exposed have suffered debilitating health effects. prgtoken For 40 years, the Department of Defense has not provided a comprehensive public accounting of these tests nor have they notified all the veterans and all the civilians who were potentially exposed. We can't allow this information to continue to be released piecemeal. These veterans can't wait any longer. Their health continues to decline, and some have already passed away. To sweep this under the rug is shameful. prgtoken These veterans served honorably for the security of our Nation. These tests are an ugly part of our history. They put veterans' lives at risk, and our veterans have every right to know what it was they were exposed to and how much they were exposed to. We need to think about their safety and their security.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Kyrsten Sinema (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2017-7-13

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Sinema- Fitzpatrick-Budd amendment to H.R. 2810, the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken I thank Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Smith for their support of our amendment and for including it in the en bloc package. prgtoken The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continues to represent a clear threat to the security of the United States and our allies, and to stability in the Middle East. prgtoken While ISIL has lost significant territory over the last six months, the terrorist organization continues to oppress and murder civilians in Syria and Iraq and spread its message of violence and hate across the globe. prgtoken ISIL's perverted orthodoxy and efforts to support and inspire attacks in the United States and elsewhere are direct threats to our security and safety. prgtoken We must do all we can to accelerate ISIL's destruction. prgtoken Our bipartisan amendment ensures that the Report on the United States Strategy in Syria prgtoken required by the underlying bill includes a description of amounts and sources of ISIL financing and our efforts to disrupt this financing as part of the broader US strategy in Syria. prgtoken Financing is the lifeblood of any organization. prgtoken Denying revenue streams from oil, from stolen currency, and from extortion, has helped in the fight against ISIL. prgtoken Less money means fewer weapons, fewer fighters, and fewer resources to support those fighters, but the fight is far from over and ISIL has already demonstrated its ability to adapt and evolve. prgtoken As ISIL loses territory in Iraq and Syria, it looks abroad to inspire and support terrorist attacks in other countries around the world. prgtoken We must choke off its sources of revenue. We must deny its access to resources that fund operations in Syria, Iraq, and abroad. prgtoken Our amendment ensures we stay focused on financing, and we do it in a way that supports our broader military and counter-terrorism strategies. prgtoken As we have seen, effectively integrating smart counter threat finance enhances our overall strategy in Syria and Iraq and can prevent ISIL support for attacks in the US, in Europe and elsewhere. prgtoken Ultimately, it will accelerate the fall of ISIL and keep Americans safe. prgtoken s Congressman Fitzpatrick and Congressman Budd for offering this amendment with me. prgtoken Again, I thank Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Smith for their support and for their continued bipartisan leadership in support of our country's national security.
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF NEW BALTIMORE, MICHIGAN
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-7-13

. Mr President, today I wish to recognize the 150th anniversary of the city of New Baltimore, MI. This celebration is a historic benchmark for New Baltimore, as well as the State of Michigan. prgtoken Located in Macomb County, along the northern coastline of Lake St. Clair, New Baltimore residents pride themselves on their traditional downtown, rich heritage, recreational activities, and a family- orientated spirit. Throughout 150 years of change and growth, the city remains anchored in that local spirit. prgtoken The area was first inhabited by French fur trappers and hunters. Among those was an explorer named Pierre Yax, the son of the first German resident of Michigan. Yax secured a land grant from President John Quincy Adams in 1826, in what was then the Michigan Territory. As other French settlers followed, long farms were established, stretching from the rivers outward. In 1845, the area was first recognized as a settlement when Alfred Ashley platted 60 acres of land. Mr. Ashley was a local businessman and would name the area the Village of Ashley. This name would remain until 1867 when the village was officially incorporated as New Baltimore. New Baltimore would stay a village until it became a city in 1931. prgtoken In its early days, New Baltimore was linked to the regional economy through its position along waterways. It operated as a small port, bringing agriculture and manufactured goods to the surrounding communities. The area became known for the manufacturing of barrels, brooms, bricks, coffins, corsets, and creamery products. prgtoken As shipping methods changed and automobile transportation increased, so too did the role of New Baltimore. The city began transitioning to a resort and commercial area. New attractions were built, including an opera house, hotels, saloons, a brewery, and other leisure and resort attractions. With the construction of a locomotive line between port Huron and Detroit in the 1800s, New Baltimore became a hub of activity well into the 20th century. prgtoken Today New Baltimore is a vibrant community covering nearly 7 square miles. Residents take pride in their excellent schools, including a high school, two middle schools, seven elementary schools, two early childhood centers, and an alternative education program. The resort industry continues to flourish with events such as the annual Bay-Rama Fish Fly Festival, which attracts thousands of people each year. The city's public park and beaches also provide opportunity for numerous recreational activities. prgtoken The city of New Baltimore has a proud history, vibrant present, and bright future. As New Baltimore celebrates this milestone, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating its residents, elected officials, and businesses as they celebrate their history. I wish the city continued growth and prosperity in the years ahead.
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Heidi Heitkamp (Democrat, ND) \u2014 2017-7-13

I would like to associate myself with the comments from the former Governor and now Senator from the great State of New Hampshire. prgtoken It is not enough to say the system is failing. It is not enough to come here and say: We can fix it if you just agree to vote the way we are voting. If you just agree, you can present any amendments you want. You can do whatever you want. prgtoken We don't even have a CBO score on this legislation. We don't know what is in this legislation. There have been no hearings so that people on both sides of the aisle can ask questions and say: What does this mean for a family on traditional Medicaid who has to rely on this to keep custody of their kids? And by the way, what does it mean if, as a result of losing their Medicaid coverage, those children are no longer able to stay at home and they become foster children because it is the only way they can get healthcare? What does it mean for those families about whom we all think we ought to have a real discussion, young people, young families who have excellent health, how they might have been disadvantaged on the exchange? What do we need to do for them? Maybe they were doing better economically than a lot of folks until they hit the cliff. prgtoken That is why I want to see my bill debated, because it can, in fact, offer opportunity. Every time we talk about this, what we hear about is how much it would cost. Well, the bottom line is that if all you do is shift the burden of these costs without any discussions with Governors, with private payers, with corporate America that is self-insured--if all we are doing is shifting costs and saying ``It is now your problem,'' we are not doing our job. prgtoken If you look at the Rand Corporation study, 12 percent of the population of this country has five or more chronic diseases. As a result of those unmanaged--typically unmanaged chronic diseases, what you will see is they incur 40 percent of the cost. Is that a problem? The answer is yes, that is a problem. We need to figure out how we can better manage chronic disease. prgtoken A great friend of mine, a guy named Richie Carmona, who once was the Surgeon General of this country, used to say--and I think it is true-- 70 percent of all healthcare costs are related to chronic disease, most of which is preventible. Where in any of these bills are we talking about prevention? Where are we talking about wellness? Where are we talking about bending the healthcare curve? We are only dumping and running with these bills. We are not doing our job, and as a result, we are frightening people in this country. We are frightening the elderly. We are frightening people who say: Right now, I can afford my health insurance; I am on an exchange. But when we change the ratio from 1-to- 3 to 1-to-5 and reduce the amount of subsidies, then 30, 40, 50 percent of their disposable income will be used to pay for health insurance. That is the thin