mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STUDENTS ARE UNITED IN THEIR FIGHT TO GET WEAPONS OF WAR OFF OUR STREETS
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-4-11

8 weeks ago, a lone gunman entered the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and in just 6 minutes, killed 17 students and staff and injured 17 others: 1 shooter, 6 minutes, 17 dead, and 17 injured. prgtoken In the weeks since, I have stood alongside students at the March for Our Lives in Buffalo, New York, sat down and listened to students from schools across western New York, and participated in a town hall panel discussion by Students for Action. prgtoken These students are respectful of the Second Amendment and of those good, law-abiding citizens of gun ownership. prgtoken Congress can learn from the thoughtful, reasoned, respectful, and passionate approach demonstrated by each of the students I have encountered. They have come from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and different communities, rural, suburban and urban, but they are unified in their fight to get weapons of war off our streets and to end mass school shootings. prgtoken , we can come together to save lives.
TRIBUTE TO RENEE SPROW
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-4-11

today I wish to celebrate the contributions of Renee Sprow, who dedicated over 30 years of service to the Small Business Development Center, SBDC, network. Ms. Sprow spent her career promoting economic development and the growth of small businesses, which means that she spent her career helping countless people and their families achieve the American dream. prgtoken One of many highlights of Ms. Sprow's service to the Federal Government and private industry was her critical role in helping to establish the National Minority Purchasing Council, now known as the National Minority Supplier Development Council, which reports private contracts exceeding $1 billion to minority suppliers. She designed and directed small, minority and women-owned subcontracting programs for major Federal and private-sector construction and revitalization projects, resulting in the award of multimillion dollar subcontracts. prgtoken Under Ms. Sprow's leadership as director of the Maryland SBDC, the value of contracts awarded to minority firms who met the U.S. Department of Defense's Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Business Utilization qualifications increased by more than 200 percent. prgtoken Ms. Sprow also participated in the drafting of Public Law 95-507, which established the legal authority to reshape Federal procurement policy for contracting with minority and women-owned firms. As an entrepreneur herself, Mr. Sprow owned and operated two businesses that generated annual revenues exceeding $1 million. prgtoken Ms. Sprow's objective while serving as director of the Maryland SBDC was to contribute to economic development within the State by making the network responsive to the needs of Maryland's small business community. She deftly managed a $4.3 million annual budget and 50 staff members in 22 offices located throughout Maryland. During her tenure, she realigned the SBDC network to target assistance to businesses more effectively and efficiently. In 2009, one of her regions ranked first in region III and second nationwide for the annual SBDC of the Year award presented by the Small Business Administration, SBA. In addition, the Washington, DC, and Baltimore district SBA offices each selected a Maryland SBDC region as the winner of the 2009 SBDC Excellence and Innovation Center Award. prgtoken Ms. Sprow transformed the SBDC network's operational methods to favor economic outcomes over mere output. To do so, she instituted a management performance system to ensure accountability for network performance. This management tool for evaluating, measuring, analyzing, and improving SBDC operations also helped objectively determine economic impact and customer satisfaction. prgtoken Ms. Sprow established a subsidiary program to assist firms in obtaining government contracts. In 2008, the program's clients obtained more than $37 million in government contracts. In conjunction, she developed industry assistance program
INEQUALITY AND FAIRNESS FOR ALL AMERICANS
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-4-11

from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison) for his passion and his commitment. prgtoken I just want to mention a couple things before I turn it over to my incredible colleague from Connecticut, who brings such passion and real insight to these issues. prgtoken But as the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison) said about minimum wage, in the 1960s, if you worked a full-time job and you earned the Federal minimum wage with an average amount of overtime, you earned 55 percent of the median household income nationally. prgtoken So think of that. You could work a minimum wage job in the sixties, and you could have enough to earn at least half of what the rest of your citizens were doing. So you could pay for housing. You could get by. prgtoken I know there are a lot of things, but if we had indexed that for inflation this whole time, it would be very different. prgtoken And just a few statistics on extreme poverty, because Mr. Ellison brought this up. prgtoken So extreme poverty or absolute poverty is the definition by the economics profession. It is not limited to nations outside our borders. So we like to talk about the rest of the world has come up from $1 a day on average of these poor countries to $2 a day. prgtoken To my great chagrin and shock, 3.2 million people in the United States now live on under $2 a day. Think about that. The United States of America, 3.2 million people. This is extreme poverty that we often ascribe to very, very underdeveloped poor countries. prgtoken According to Oxford economist Robert Allen, absolute poverty in the United States is anything under $4 a day due to the costs. prgtoken Can you imagine trying to live on $4 a day. But, yes, over 3 million of our fellow citizens attempt to. prgtoken In comparison, let's say based on this, if you took the $4, then you go up to 5.3 million Americans are in this economic definition of absolutely poor by global standards. There are more people in absolute poverty in the United States than in Sierra Leone or Nepal. prgtoken In comparison, zero percent of the populations of Germany, Iceland, Switzerland live in absolute poverty. Two-tenths of a percent of Great Britain and three-tenths of a percent of France live in absolute poverty, respectively. prgtoken So this is just the extreme that I think we have to hear about because too often we gloss over the issues in this Chamber of people who are really struggling, the absolutely poor, the very poor, the most vulnerable amongst us, while we correctly try to help everybody in the bottom 90 percent, particularly middle income, but we have got to help everyone. prgtoken With that, I yield to my wonderful friend from Connecticut, who is such a passionate, determined, eloquent spokesperson in this Chamber for issues around poverty and inequality.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4790, VOLCKER RULE REGULATORY HARMONIZATION ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-4-11

this uncertainty could devastate the nearly half of older American households whose principal incomes come from Social Security or the over 50 million Americans who depend on Medicare. Even small cuts to Social Security checks or increases to Medicare premiums could impact the finances of older Americans and disabled Americans. prgtoken Now, the same week that the Congressional Budget Office predicts this majority and their tax scam bill will lead to the return of trillion-dollar deficits, we will consider a balanced budget amendment that has been subject to no hearings and no markups. Even for this record-breaking closed Congress, to attempt to amend our Constitution for only the 28th time in our Nation's history in this manner, quite frankly, is stunning. prgtoken , I am going to ask that my colleagues vote ``no'' on the previous question. If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule which would amend the bill to exempt Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, vital pillars of our social safety net. prgtoken I would just say to my friends on the other side of the aisle who go home to their constituents and regularly talk about how great Social Security is, how great Medicare is, and how important Medicaid is, if you really believe it, you are going to vote to defeat the previous question so we can offer this amendment. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent, , to insert the text of my amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
RETIREMENT OF ROBERT M. LIGHTFOOT, JR. ACTING ADMINISTRATOR, NASA
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-4-11

I rise to recognize the career of an outstanding civil servant who has dedicated his professional life to furthering our nation's goals in space exploration at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. prgtoken Robert M. Lightfoot, Jr Acting Administrator of NASA will retire on April 20, 2018 after 29 years of service at NASA. prgtoken Mr. Lightfoot's NASA career, which began in 1989 as a test engineer and program manager for the space shuttle engine technology testbed program at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is marked by numerous leadership roles, including as: assistant associate administrator for the Space Shuttle Program at NASA Headquarters from 2003 to 2005 where he worked on space shuttle Return to Flight activities following the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew in 2003; deputy director of the Marshall Space Flight Center from 2007 to 2009, and director of the Marshall Space Flight Center from 2009 to 2012. prgtoken In 2012, Mr. Lightfoot, became associate administrator of NASA, the highest ranking civil servant position in the agency. prgtoken , on January 20, 2017, following the departure of NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at the end of the Administration, Mr. Lightfoot became the Acting Administrator of NASA. prgtoken Since the date he assumed the Acting Administrator role, Mr. Lightfoot has led NASA through the transition to the current Administration, through the Fiscal Year 2018 and Fiscal Year 2019 budget submissions, through Congressional budget hearings, and through the reestablishment of the National Space Council and NASA's participation therein. prgtoken Perhaps, most importantly, Mr. Lightfoot has provided steadfast leadership of NASA's programs, including the development of the Space Launch System and Orion crew vehicle, the commercial crew program that will reestablish U.S. human spaceflight capability to low-Earth orbit, the development of the James Webb Space Telescope and Mars 2020 flagship science projects, the commencement of the aeronautics x-plane project, and the continued advancements in space technologies that will enable future NASA missions. prgtoken The nation is fortunate to have had such a committed, experienced, and technically-knowledgeable leader at the helm of NASA for what has become the longest Acting Administrator period in the agency's history. prgtoken , it is not surprising that Robert Lightfoot has received numerous prestigious awards and accolades for his service to NASA, engineering, and civil space, including the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executives, the highest honor for Federal government work. However, like the NASA workforce he leads, Mr. Lightfoot never forgets that he is part of a team. prgtoken In an interview with NASA Tech Briefs in May, 2010, Mr. Lightfoot said, ``Spaceflight is very much a team sport, and being part of these teams, whether it was running engine tests, whether
ATTACK ON SYRIA
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-4-11

. Madam , outrage is certainly not a tough enough word to watch the children of Syria, and innocent civilians, be attacked by poisonous gas. Assad is a vicious dictator, and Russia has propped him up. prgtoken It is important for the American people and for Syrian Americans to know that we will not tolerate the kind of vile violence, particularly against children. But Congress must stand for its constitutional responsibility of debating an authorization to use military force. We must not, at any time, recklessly ignore actions by the administration that really should be a collaborative thought-provoking discussion and debate on the strategy for dealing with the crisis in Syria, but, more importantly, the propping up of Assad by Russia and its supporters. prgtoken The children need us in Syria to be able to stop both the bloodshed and the terrible tragedy of gas attacks that immediately cause life and injury. It is time for us--the Members of Congress-- prgtoken to come to this floor and debate our strategy in Syria.
REMEMBERING BRONSON C. La FOLLETTE
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2018-4-11

today I wish to honor Bronson C. La Follette, who was born in 1936 in Washington, DC, and passed away March 15, 2018, in Madison, WI. Bronson dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice and was known as the People's Lawyer. He was a progressive in the tradition of his father, Senator Robert M. La Follette, Jr and his grandparents Senator Robert M. ``Fighting Bob'' La Follette, Sr and Belle Case La Follette. prgtoken A true Badger at heart, Bronson earned his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin--Madison. Following his graduation in 1960, he worked in private practice before being appointed Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin by U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy. In 1964, at the age of 28, he was elected as Wisconsin's attorney general and served two terms. He was the youngest state attorney general in American history ever elected to the office. As attorney general, he was a champion for consumer protection and served as chair of President Lyndon Johnson's Consumer Advisory Council. prgtoken In 1968, Bronson became the ic Party's nominee for Governor of Wisconsin, an election he lost to incumbent Governor Warren Knowles. In 1974, Bronson was again elected as attorney general of Wisconsin, vowing to make the department of justice live up to its name. To Bronson, that meant taking on an activist role, hiring a bright young progressive team, and not being afraid to tackle new ideas and sensitive subjects head on. Wisconsinites will recognize some of the attorneys who made up that bright, young team because two of them have become iconic progressives in their own right. Ed Garvey and Kathleen Falk spent a portion of their early careers in Bronson La Follette's department of justice. prgtoken In 1978, Bronson married the love of his life, Barbara. He was also blessed with a son, a daughter, two grandchildren, and two great- randchildren. prgtoken In 1987, Bronson retired from public service and joined a prominent law firm where he continued to advocate for criminal justice reform and government transparency. prgtoken Bronson was also a passionate advocate for children. He founded the Dane County Project for the Prevention of Child Abuse and became the chairman of the National Campaign for Missing and Exploited Children. prgtoken No tribute to Bronson La Follette would be complete without a nod to his wonderful sense of humor. Together with his friend, State treasurer Charles Smith, he campaigned in a camper, bringing their unique blend of politics and fun to communities throughout the State. He cherished his reputation as a talented washboard player and percussionist. His most remembered antics involved his Irish Setter ``Cutter.'' When Bronson was cited with allowing Cutter to run at large in Maple Bluff, he hired Madison attorney and prankster Edward Ben Elson to defend the dog. Elson demanded that the dog be tried by a jury of his pe
Nomination of Mike Pompeo (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-4-11

50 years ago today, Congress enacted the Fair Housing Act, exactly 1 week after the assassination of Martin Luther King as he fought for economic justice for sanitation workers in Memphis. It also came just weeks after the Kerner Commission issued its report on the origins of urban unrest in the 1960s. This report contained the now famous warning that ``our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white--separate and unequal.'' prgtoken In the wake of these events, the Fair Housing Act made discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing illegal for the first time. For generations, redlining, restrictive covenants, and outright discrimination kept families of color locked out of entire neighborhoods, often far from where jobs were, and they created segregated communities that linger to this day. They denied these families the opportunity to build wealth through home ownership. Many of these exclusionary practices were carried out by private entities and local governments. But as Richard Rothstein reminds us in his new book, ``The Color of Law''--and I recommend to everybody listening that they read that book--Federal policies also played a significant role in reinforcing segregation. prgtoken From 1934 through 1962--30 years, three decades--98 percent of all FHA mortgages went to White homeowners. In a country that in those days was about 10 percent African American, 98 percent of mortgages went to White homeowners. The Fair Housing Act made this despicable discrimination illegal. It required that Federal housing and urban development grants be administered in a way that would ``affirmatively further'' fair housing--not in a reactive way but in a way that would affirmatively further fair housing. State and local governments and public housing authorities were required to use their Federal funds in ways that would reverse, rather than accelerate or reinforce, segregation in their communities. prgtoken April 11, 1968, however, was not the end of our work to ensure fair housing and equal opportunities. Fifty years later, we haven't had the progress we should have had, and so much more needs to be done. prgtoken A new report this year from the Center for Investigative Reporting analyzed tens of millions of mortgage records and found that all across the country people of color are far more likely--even holding constant for economic situations--to be turned down for a loan, taking into account factors like their income and the size of the loan. We know that the 2008 housing crisis hit communities of color particularly hard. prgtoken In the run-up to the crisis, faulty mortgages were targeted to people of color. Even those who qualified for a no-frills, no-surprises prime mortgage were often instead steered into a subprime, much riskier loan. Even African-American and Hispanic borrowers with higher incomes than other borrowers found themselves in risky, subprime, designed-to
HONORING DR. STEVEN WILLIAMS
Michelle Lujan Grisham (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2018-4-11

I rise today to honor Dr. Steven Williams, one of Albuquerque's leading HIV physicians and researchers, who will retire this year after more than two decades of serving our community. prgtoken In the early 1990s, the Albuquerque community had few doctors who were willing and able to take on patients with HIV. That was until Dr. Williams organized a team of physicians and nurses at the University of New Mexico Hospital to provide those diagnosed with the virus with emotional support, testing, and survival education. Over time, Dr. Williams built this practice into an outstanding specialty clinic within the hospital called the Truman Clinic. In addition to providing high quality medical care, Dr. Williams and his team have also supported fundraising and provided guidance to local organizations supporting HIV patients. prgtoken , on behalf of New Mexico's First Congressional District, I want to thank Dr. Steven Williams for his years of service to our community, and congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement. We wish him nothing but the best in all his future endeavors.
HONORING THE 2017 FELLOWS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-4-11

I rise today to honor the 155 inventors who will soon be inducted as the 2017 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). To be named as Fellows, these men and women were nominated by their peers and underwent the scrutiny of the NAI Selection Committee, having had their innovations deemed as making a significant impact on quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society. Their induction ceremony here in the nation's capital will feature a keynote address by U.S. Commissioner for Patents, Andrew Hirshfeld. prgtoken Collectively, this elite group holds nearly 6,000 patents. The individuals making up this year's class of Fellows include individuals from 124 research universities and non-prof it research institutes spanning the United States and the world. The group of Fellows, now 912 in total, is composed of more than 100 presidents and senior leaders of research universities and non-prof it research institutes, 439 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; twenty-eight inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, fifty- two recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology and Innovation and U.S. National Medal of Science; twenty-nine Nobel Laureates; 261 AAAS Fellows; 168 IEEE Fellows; and 142 Fellows of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, among other awards and distinctions. The NAI was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark of fice, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual prgtoken property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. prgtoken All Americans are greatly indebted to innovators such as these for contributions to our country and the world through their work. I commend these individuals, as well as the organizations and taxpayers that make their work possible, for all they do to revolutionize the world in which we live. I hope attention brought to this round of inductions will encourage future generations to strive to meet this high honor and continue the spirit of discovery and innovation. prgtoken The 2017 NAI Fellows include: prgtoken Samuel I. Achilefu, Washington University in St. Louis; Dereje Agonafer, The University of Texas at Arlington; Mark G. Allen, University of Pennsylvania; James P. Allison, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Hiroshi Amano, Nagoya University; Richard R. Anderson, Massachusetts General Hospital; Leif Andersson, Texas A&M University and Uppsala University; J. Roger P. Angel, The University of Arizona; Diran Apelian, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Plamen B. Atanassov, The University of New Mexico; Craig H. Benson, University of Virginia; Cory J. Berkland, The University of Kansas; Vijayakumar Bhagavatula, Carnegie Mellon University; David J. Bishop, Boston University; Donald L. Bitzer, North C