mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
THANKING AMERICA'S TEACHERS
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-5-9

I rise today during national Teacher Appreciation Week to celebrate America's hardworking, dedicated, and passionate teachers. prgtoken , I am sure every Member of this House can think of a teacher who had a positive influence on not only their education, but their life. Teachers push students to achieve their best, and they show students how to realize their full potential. Sometimes it is the interest of just one teacher that can transform the life of a young person. prgtoken Teachers are often the most underrated, yet powerful professionals in the entire world. They truly do shape young minds and our future. prgtoken Teachers lend a caring hand and extend a loving heart. They make differences in the lives of our students academically, emotionally, and physically. prgtoken So, , during national Teacher Appreciation Week, I rise to say ``thank you'' to those who educate our children. Thank you for the job you do, for the hours you work, for the patience you show, and for the impact prgtoken you have on so many lives. Day in and day out, our teachers are there. We are grateful to them.
HONORING THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE ZELL MILLER
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-5-9

I thank the gentleman for his comments. prgtoken , the gentleman mentioned something about the HOPE Scholarship. Zell Miller was known as Georgia's education Governor. He was the founder of the HOPE Scholarship, and as the gentleman noted, it resulted in a number of students who have been able to complete their college degrees and their college careers as a result of the Zell Miller Scholarship and the HOPE Scholarship. prgtoken Before I recognize the next speaker, I want to continue on what I was sharing with you about Zell's early life and the fact that, after he got out of the Marine Corps, he went to Young College and he was a professor of history and political science. But he was something else. He was also a baseball coach. He coached baseball at Young College. prgtoken I had the privilege of talking to some of his former players. In fact, we just had homecoming up at Young a few weeks ago, and I had the opportunity to talk to Don Harp, a retired Methodist minister who has served for many years on the board of trustees at Young College. He was one of the best baseball players to ever come through Young . prgtoken He was telling me a story about how he was a catcher on the baseball team. They had a lead in the game, and he was calling the signals. They were ahead by one run, with two outs, in the top of the ninth inning. They were about to wrap it up. He said he called for two sinkers in a row. Sure enough, he got two strikes on the batter and had an 0-2 count. He said then he decided he would call for a fastball. So he called for a fastball, and sure enough, the batter hit it right up the middle, two runs scored, and they got behind by one run. prgtoken He said he went back to the bench after that inning. He said they were behind by one run, and he went back to the bench, and he said Zell Miller was coaching and he was sitting on the bench. He said he motioned to him. He said: Come over here. prgtoken He said he came over there and he sat beside him, and he said Coach Miller looked at him and he said: If you ever make another call like that, you will be sitting here by me the rest of this game. prgtoken He said he understood right then exactly what he was to do. prgtoken I also remember talking to one of my colleagues that I served with in the Georgia State Legislature in the Georgia House, Mickey Channell, who played baseball for Zell at Young College. Mickey was from Greensboro, Georgia. prgtoken Mickey told me: I didn't get to play very much, but I remember this one time that my dad traveled up to see me and traveled up to see me play, and Zell knew he had come. prgtoken He said: Zell let me start that game because he knew my dad was there. prgtoken I could tell how much that meant to Mickey, and he had always remembered that. prgtoken That is just a glimpse of what we are talking about when we are talking about this great man, this great Georgian, this great Amer
Order of Procedure (Executive Calendar)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-5-9

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, at 12 noon, on Thursday, May 10, all time be considered expired on the Brennan nomination and the Senate vote on confirmation with no intervening action or debate; further, that following disposition of the Brennan nomination, the Senate vote on cloture on Executive Calendar No. 729, the Carson nomination; further, that the cloture vote on Executive Calendar No. 777, the Nalbandian nomination, occur at 1:45 p.m.; and that if cloture is invoked on both nominations, debate time run concurrently. Finally, I ask that with respect to the Brennan nomination, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
Nomination of Gina Haspel (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-5-10

I wish to return to a theme that I have been addressing the last few days, and that is the nomination of Ms. Gina Haspel to be Director of the CIA. prgtoken Yesterday, the entire country--indeed, the entire world--saw Ms. Haspel's performance before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Speaking for myself, I could not have been more impressed, and taking an informal poll among others, I think many people felt the same way. prgtoken It is a tough requirement of her confirmation process for somebody who has spent 33 years working for the CIA in some of the most obscure--and unknown to the rest of us--spots around the world to have to come and answer questions about her career, much of which happens to be classified information. prgtoken We had an open session and then a classified hearing where she and we on the committee could protect the sources and methods and alliances we have around the world that help us collect intelligence for our policymakers and help to keep our country safe. As expected, she faced intense rounds of questioning, as I said, both in an open session and behind closed doors. I believe she did so with patience, courtesy, and poise. prgtoken She articulated her view on a number of topics, of course. She defended her record against a series of false accusations and said repeatedly what those of us who have supported her already knew. She believes that U.S. Government actions must be held to a strict moral standard. If confirmed, she would not obey an order she believed to be unlawful, and in her new role, she would not restart interrogation programs inside the CIA. prgtoken I want to highlight three developments that I believe lend credence to many of Ms. Haspel's statements during yesterday's hearing. First are the prgtoken comparisons that have been drawn with John Brennan, former CIA Director under President . prgtoken As many others have pointed out, Mr. Brennan served as the No. 4 official at the CIA--much higher up the food chain, so to speak, than Ms. Haspel, who was a GS-15. Yesterday, I asked someone to tell me, as a civilian intelligence officer, how that rank would compare to the military. I was told that would be the equivalent of roughly a major or maybe a lieutenant colonel in the military. I think that is significant when you think that Mr. Brennan was the No. 4 official at the CIA, and at relevant times Ms. Haspel was an intelligence officer in a mid-level position to be sure. prgtoken Getting back to Mr. Brennan, he had direct personal knowledge of the interrogation program many have questioned Ms. Haspel about. She told us she was not a part of it, had not been read into the program, and did not interrogate anyone. prgtoken Mr. Brennan was confirmed by a vote of 63 to 34, with only 2 and 1 Independent voting against him. If Mr. Brennan was confirmed, despite his history at the CIA at a time when this program was being implemented, Ms. Has
RECOGNIZING BARRINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 220 SUPERINTENDENT DR. BRIAN HARRIS
Peter J. Roskam (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-5-10

I rise today to recognize Dr. Brian , Superintendent of Schools for Barrington 220 Community Unit School District in Barrington, Illinois. On April 12, 2018 it was announced that Dr. was elected to serve on the executive committee of AASA, American Association of School Administrators. This July, Dr. will be sworn in as an executive committee member and will serve a three-year term. Founded in 1865, ASAA advocates for equitable access for all students to the highest quality education, and develops and supports school system leaders. Dr. has been a member of AASA, as well as the Illinois Association of School Administrators since 2010. He has also been a member of the AASA governing board since 2014. Prior to joining Barrington 220 as the Superintendent of Schools in 2014, he served as Superintendent of Schools for Community Unit School District 200 in the Wheaton/Warrenville, Illinois area and Assistant Principal at Barrington Middle School's Station campus. As the leader of one of the top school districts in Northern Illinois, Dr. is well-prepared to serve on the executive committee, where he will bring over 30 years of experience and expertise in education to the national level. and distinguished colleagues, please join me in recognizing Dr. Brian for his outstanding leadership and being elected to serve on the executive committee of the American Association of School Administrators.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-5-10

I ask that my remarks to the International Franchise Association be printed in the Record. prgtoken The material follows: International Franchise Association . What I have discovered is that those who like a center-right administration, which I do, have a hard time accepting success. I could probably do the accomplishments and achievements over the last 15 or 16 months in a 60 second version, which would be a better economy, lower taxes, fewer regulations, more conservative judges, repeal of the part of Dodd Frank that hamstrung small financial institutions in mortgage lending, Alaskan energy, a new NLRB, the local control of schools--that actually happened before President came in because of a majority in the Senate--and the repeal of the individual mandate. That's a pretty good list. In fact, if you only did economy, taxes, regulations and judges, at the end of four years, most administrations would be pretty happy with the different direction. So if you cut through all the tweets and the chaos and confusion and the noise and the cable television in Washington, D.C. and look at the direction of the country, I think it's significantly different. I'll give a couple of examples of that: rolling back regulations--only once before this administration and this majority in Congress, we've used a provision in the law that allows us to overturn a regulation with 51 votes. We've done it 15 times in the last 15 months, including the blacklisting rule, including the OSHA record keeping rule. Most of you know about all these things in detail so I won't go into detail, but those are important. They're unusual and they're a completely different direction. We passed the first major tax reform for 31 years. In Tennessee, I hear a lot about that, not just from individuals whose taxes are lower but I hear it from corporations who are now paying 21 percent on their income tax. But I'm hearing especially about being able to deduct capital investments in the first year, and I think we can see the results in the economy. We have been able to confirm experienced and qualified nominees in a whole range of areas and I would suggest that in no area has the shift in policy been more marked than in the Labor area. For example, there's a new labor secretary, Acosta. A new deputy labor secretary, Pizzella. There's a new NLRB chairman Ring, NLRB member Kaplan, NLRB member Emanuel, NLRB general counsel. Those are big changes in the policy direction of this country. Then we've been examining, or these new appointees have been examining policies that are harmful that you work on a regular basis. Let's start with joint employer guidance.
RECOGNIZING THE BUSY BEE CAFE
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-5-10

this week I have the honor of recognizing Mary Ann and Mark Petree for their contributions to Musselshell County as owners of Roundup's Busy Bee Cafe for almost 50 years. prgtoken For folks across Musselshell County, the Busy Bee Cafe is iconic. It is a place for the community to gather, have a great meal, and enjoy the best pie in Montana. The Busy Bee Cafe has grown to be a staple in the community, and that comes as a result of their owners, Mary Ann and Mark Petree. prgtoken Mary Ann and Mark bought the Busy Bee Cafe 49 years ago. When they purchased the Busy Bee Cafe, they saw the restaurant's potential. Business quickly grew, and they began expanding the size of the restaurant. Business today remains booming, while still holding onto the personal touches that drew them to the cafe in the first place. prgtoken With both of their children now grown, Mary Ann and Mark are able to dedicate their time to keeping the business running smoothly. They pride themselves on the local touch of all their food, with 95 percent of it being homemade. Every morning, Mary Ann and Mark start their day by serving coffee to the Busy Bee Cafe regulars. prgtoken I congratulate Mary Ann and Mark Petree on their 49 years of dedication to the Busy Bee Cafe. As a result of their hard work and attention to detail in every aspect of the business, the Busy Bee Cafe is a local favorite that brings together the greater Musselshell County.
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-5-10

I would like to end by saying I know there are some rumblings out there about what is this litigation fund being paid for and who is paying for it? prgtoken The United States Government is being sued. We have to make these payments because we are not abiding by the law. It is not the private industry. prgtoken There are rumblings out there about: Oh, we are relieving the nuclear industry of reliability. That is absolutely false. We are going to protect U.S. taxpayers from the liability that we are paying because the Federal Government is not complying with the law. prgtoken And I want to make that straight. That is accountability, that is transparency. That is what my colleague Mr. Keating is doing. prgtoken And with that, I support his amendment, and .
PARK MANOR BEE CAVE AND GULF POINTE PLAZA RESIDENTS BAND TOGETHER
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-5-10

not far from the beach in Rockport, Texas, lies the Gulf Pointe Plaza, a community providing care for the elderly. prgtoken Their serene world was overturned when Hurricane Harvey bore down on the southeastern coast of Texas. Mobilizing quickly, the care center successfully evacuated all of the 90-plus residents and transported them to sister facilities, out of harm's way, before the storm hit. The fire departments of both Rockport and Travis County played a significant role in their successful evacuation. prgtoken Since September, the residents of Park Manor in Bee Cave have graciously played host to their displaced visitors, heartily welcoming them into their communities while the future of the facilities in Rockport remained up in the air. Current residents doubled up in rooms, and the staff converted the physical therapy room into a makeshift dormitory that slept 14 people. prgtoken The Rockport crew received support from well-wishers outside of Texas. Residents of the South Shore Care Center in Worthington, Minnesota, gathered together and painted signs with messages of support, including ``Stay Strong Texas'' and ``God Bless You,'' that they mailed to Texas to bolster the spirits of the uprooted Gulf Coast residents. prgtoken Just recently, the Gulf Pointe Plaza residents and employees, who relocated with their patients, received the good news that renovations on their new facility have been completed and that they will soon return home. In addition to those returning from Bee Cave, the facility will also take in new residents once it is reopened. prgtoken To celebrate their return to their original home, the residents and staff at Park Manor threw their visitors a Texas-themed goodbye party, complete with food, drinks, and, naturally, country music. While the folks from Rockport will be glad to return home, their farewell to their hosts was bittersweet. Despite the stress of being displaced from their home, they take fond memories from their eight months spent in Bee Cave with them. prgtoken , the generosity, support, and helping hand provided by the Rockport and Travis County Fire Departments, the South Shore Care Center, and of course the Park Manor in Bee Cave are yet another example of the tremendous benevolence shown to the victims of Hurricane Harvey, and they represent everything that is good about America. This is truly a country whose citizens will provide for each other in a time of need, even if it does mean going without a fitness area for eight months. prgtoken And that is just the way it is.
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
Jeff Duncan (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-5-10

I thank Chairman Shimkus for his work on this legislation. prgtoken I have long been an advocate for nuclear waste policy like this for Yucca Mountain. prgtoken Since 1982, when the Nuclear Waste Policy Act was created, ratepayers in this Nation have paid, as part of their utility bill, over $40 billion. In South Carolina, that means ratepayers have paid $1.3 billion for the construction and operation of what we now know as Yucca Mountain. prgtoken Currently, in South Carolina, there are over 4,500 tons of spent nuclear fuel in temporary storage from commercial reactors. At the Savannah River Site, we have both research and military nuclear waste sitting in vitrified glass ready to go to a long-term repository. prgtoken The law of the land, passed in 1992, is for Yucca Mountain to be a long-term repository for this Nation's waste. It is time to move forward and give the ratepayers--not the taxpayers, but the ratepayers--what they paid for, and this legislation moves in the right direction. prgtoken , I look forward to my colleagues supporting this bipartisan legislation.
Calling for the Release of Pastor Andrew Brunson (Executive Session)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-5-10

I thank Senator Tillis and the Presiding Officer for acknowledging our time to have this conversation. This is a serious conversation because this is a NATO ally. prgtoken Dr. Andrew Brunson has been in Turkey 24 years. For 23 of these years, he served as a pastor in humanitarian work. He took care of providing food and clothing and pastoral ministry for anyone who would come, just like anyone does. prgtoken That has not been an issue in Turkey for decades because Turkey has been very open to all faiths, all religions, and they have prided themselves on prgtoken being a nation that recognizes all faiths, all backgrounds, and all religions and ethnicity. At least that was the old Turkey. Literally, under Dr. Brunson's feet, Turkey shifted from where they were to where we don't recognize them anymore as a NATO ally. prgtoken In October of 2016, Dr. Brunson was called by the police department there. Assuming it was an immigration issue, he and his wife went because they had gone multiple times to the police department to renew their visa and keep everything up to date. They had a great relationship with the local police department, with local individuals, and with all the authorities in the area because they had been there for two decades and had developed great friendships. prgtoken So they went to check in, but this time, instead just checking in again for an immigration issue, they took them into custody, without any charges, and held them for a year--with no charges--then, eventually, presented these trumped-up charges which they have laid out that are absolutely absurd. prgtoken How a Christian minister is somehow cooperating with a Muslim in a coup in Turkey is absurd on its face. All of the crazy accusations from secret witnesses who would appear by video with their faces blurred out, making accusations that they had seen or they had heard--allowing no one to actually ask them questions is absurd. Just as absurd is not allowing Dr. Brunson to bring any witnesses in his defense. prgtoken There have now been two hearings that have been just this style: Dr. Brunson not allowed to bring anyone to speak on his behalf; all of these trumped-up witnesses who come with blurred-out faces--this secret testimony that they can present--to come back and present something they would consider evidence that we would never allow in any court, and, quite frankly, no one would take seriously these accusations. prgtoken In 2016, after Dr. Brunson had been in jail for a few weeks, I went to Turkey and visited with the Minister of Justice there. The Minister of Justice at that time said: We have some information. We are going to work this out. We are going to allow the process to go through the court system, but we will rapidly go through this process. Now, a year and a half later, we are finding out there never was any evidence, there never was any issue--and we are still dealing with an American being held hostage
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-5-10

if the gentleman has any idea, because I know he has served on the Appropriations Committee, please offer up, like any Member can, what he would cut or what he wants to find as savings. I will look in any department anywhere to find a savings. prgtoken Now, , can the gentleman show me where in the CHIP program--because, one, you cannot use these funds; two, the contingency base is more than what has ever been used in the history of it--show me where the Children's Health Insurance Program, because no one is saying it. No one can show that it is. Please point it out to us. prgtoken You do not have the authority to spend this money. We put a contingency fund, set aside, and looked at the history of the program. The most that was ever used was $300 million, so we keep $500 million in reserve. prgtoken If the gentleman could explain to me why, then, for those who voted for the omnibus on your side of the aisle, would you make a larger, same amount, and the argument then to take that money in the omnibus but not now, why is it different? prgtoken Why is it different when the taxpayers will save money into an account you cannot spend, you don't have the legal authority to, and it is just sitting there, and it goes to the criteria of what you laid out, 1, 2, 3, or 4? prgtoken The great thing about a rescission, this doesn't have to be the only one. So if you want to work with us and you find areas that you want to find savings to the taxpayers, I will make myself available to have those meetings.
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
Mimi Walters (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-5-10

. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018. prgtoken At the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station just south of my district, 1,800 tons of spent nuclear fuel sits along the Pacific coastline. This spent nuclear fuel must be moved for safety and environmental reasons, but also out of fairness to American taxpayers. prgtoken To date, California ratepayers have contributed more than $2 billion to the Nuclear Waste Fund, with the promise those funds would help establish a permanent storage facility. H.R. 3053 authorizes interim storage, a necessary step to move spent nuclear fuel out of our communities and into interim storage facilities, until a permanent storage solution is established. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I speak on behalf of my constituents, who say the time to fix this problem is now. The Federal Government owes it to the American people to fulfill its obligation and take ownership of spent fuel. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) for his leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3053.