mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING DAVID NELSON, MENDOCINO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE
Jared Huffman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-1-23

I rise today in recognition of the Honorable Judge David Nelson as he retires from Mendocino County Superior Court. David Nelson was born in Rochester, Minnesota. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University in 1968 and received his Juris Doctorate in 1971 from Yale Law School. He began practicing law as the Deputy Public Defender for Contra Costa County for three years before eventually starting his private practice. In 2003 he was appointed to a judgeship with Mendocino County Superior Court by Governor Gray Davis and was re-elected for two terms in 2004 and 2010. Over his thirteen years of service, Judge Nelson presided over criminal, felony criminal, and juvenile courts. Most notably, he has been an avid supporter for the Adult Drug Court serving as its judge throughout his career. This program, which provides treatment and rehabilitation for drug offenders, has helped many individuals across Mendocino County. In addition to his official duties, Judge Nelson has served as President of the Mendocino County Bar Association, President of the Mendocino County Criminal Defense Bar Association, and Board Member of the Law Library. He and his wife Judith are known for their active involvement with many groups throughout the community. Judge Nelson's legacy is one of dedicated service to the County of Mendocino and worthy of distinction. Please join me in congratulating him on his retirement and expressing our deep appreciation for his long and exceptional career and outstanding contributions to our legal system.
EPS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2017
Diana DeGette (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-1-23

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise today to urge the passage of H.R. 518, the EPS Improvement Act. prgtoken Last session of Congress, I cosponsored this bill with our former colleague Congresswoman Ellmers, and this year, Representatives Guthrie, Matsui, and Dent are joining me in this effort to strengthen the standards used to keep LED lighting safe and efficient. prgtoken By ensuring that our country's energy conservation standards are up to date with the latest developments in high-tech lighting, we can remove obstacles to innovation without sacrificing safety. And as we heard from the chairman, if there has ever been a bill in Congress that was vetted, it was this one. prgtoken We have been working on this bill for some years now, and, frankly, what it is doing is it is truly addressing unintended consequences that happened due to the Energy Policy Act of 2005. That act defined external power supplies in a way that just simply did not anticipate the rapid growth and use of LED and OLED light sources during the decade that followed. prgtoken Now, these lights are really energy efficient. They are up to 80 percent more efficient than traditional lights like fluorescent and incandescent lights, and 90 percent of the energy in LEDs is committed to illumination, while only 5 percent is heat; so it is no wonder they have become so popular in the last 10 years. Unfortunately, in the 2005 act, the standards did not allow for these types of lighting as their use continues to constitute an ever-growing share of our energy consumption. prgtoken What this bill does is it clarifies the definition of ``external power supplies'' and it amends the conditions under which the Energy Department can undertake a rulemaking process in the future. The bill will facilitate the continued growth of LED lighting, and it will help lower energy prices for businesses and households both in my home State of Colorado and across America. prgtoken Clean energy truly is the future. It can be safe, efficient, and affordable for all when it is properly regulated, and that is exactly what this legislation does. prgtoken I urge everybody to support this act, and I hope that the Senate will pass it this year. We are getting a good, early start. prgtoken , I have no one else to speak on this bill, so .
Welcoming A New Day In The Country (Executive Session)
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-1-23

I rise today in opposition to the nomination of Mike Pompeo to serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. prgtoken Representative Pompeo has been wrong on many critical intelligence issues during his 6 years in Congress. prgtoken He will not disavow his past support of torture. prgtoken He opposed the release of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's torture report. prgtoken He has advocated for reinstating mass surveillance of American citizens. prgtoken He recently left the door open to outsourcing surveillance of American citizens to foreign governments to circumvent existing laws. prgtoken He opposes the closure of Guantanamo. prgtoken He opposes the Iran nuclear agreement. prgtoken Congressman Pompeo is the wrong person to the lead the Central Intelligence Agency. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote no on his nomination.
ACA'S IMPACT ON HUNGER
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-1-23

2 weeks ago, this leadership brought to the floor a budget resolution that paves the way toward repealing the Affordable Care Act and taking health care away from millions and millions of American families. prgtoken Repealing the Affordable Care Act would cause over 30 million Americans to lose coverage, and millions to see an increase in healthcare costs. It would deny those with preexisting conditions access to quality health insurance. It would do away with Medicaid expansion, which is working to cover the most vulnerable people in 31 States and the District of Columbia, and would once again put insurance companies back in charge of our health care. prgtoken Repealing the Affordable Care Act would also have a detrimental effect on efforts to end hunger in our communities. Not only do we have a moral imperative to address food insecurity, but we have a financial incentive as well. Health costs attributable to hunger have been estimated at $160 billion annually. prgtoken As Catherine D'Amato, president and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank, pointed out in a recent piece in The Boston Globe, the community health needs assessments now required by the Affordable Care Act have led health centers across the country--from Massachusetts to Oregon--to develop partnerships with local food banks to address the food insecurity revealed in their assessments. prgtoken I am proud that Massachusetts has been a leader in addressing food insecurity and in treating hunger as the public health issue it is. Across the Commonwealth, health centers have used the community health needs assessment to identify challenges in accessing healthy foods for vulnerable populations. prgtoken UMass Memorial Medical Center, located in my hometown of Worcester, has identified access to healthy food as a community health need in its two most recent community health needs assessments. prgtoken In response to the findings, UMass Memorial worked with the city of Worcester and the Regional Environmental Council to establish an urban agricultural program within an underserved area of the city. The program employs kids from the neighborhood and teaches them how to grow produce. prgtoken The Veggie Mobile farmers' market then distributes the local produce to neighbors in food deserts across the city. Residents using SNAP dollars are given extra incentive to purchase the nutritious vegetables from these sites in the form of ``double up bucks''--they receive $2 worth of produce for every dollar spent. prgtoken The assessments have also led to the creation of another community garden project within a public housing development, and the creation of a backyard gardening program that teaches local residents how to grow food and eat healthy. prgtoken The Worcester County Food Bank has worked to sustain and expand these urban agriculture and anti-hunger measures in the city of Worcester, and has formed the Worcester Food Policy Council to support t
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION PROCESS REFORM ACT OF 2017
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-1-23

I rise today to discuss H.R. 290, the FCC Process Reform Act of 2017. prgtoken I'm particularly proud of a bipartisan provision I first authored in the 112th Congress that I'm pleased is included in this legislation today. This provision would modify current FCC rules to allow three or more Commissioners to hold non-public collaborative discussions, as long as no agency action is taken. prgtoken Today, under the FCC's ``Sunshine Rule,'' three Commissioners or more are prohibited from talking to each other outside of an official public meeting. The FCC oversees industries representing approximately one- sixth of the American economy. It must be able to collaborate freely and deliberate on our nation's most pressing communications issues, from enhancing universal service and public safety, to making more spectrum available for mobile broadband. prgtoken As Congress looks at ways to help modernize the FCC, this bipartisan, commonsense provision will help to promote greater discussion among the five FCC Commissioners and ensure they can benefit from each other's expertise and experience. Through greater collaboration, the FCC will be better positioned to respond to a fast-paced and rapidly growing telecommunications industry in the 21st century. prgtoken I thank Chairman Walden for including this provision in the bill the House has passed today.
IMPROVING RURAL CALL QUALITY AND RELIABILITY ACT OF 2017
Peter Welch (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-1-23

I thank Mr. Young for being a great partner in the presentation of this bill. Many of us worked together on rural telecommunications issues, from getting broadband to all Vermonters and folks in rural parts of your districts to improving our wireless infrastructure to ensuring we have adequate choice and competition in cable markets. That is because it is our desire, and mine especially, to ensure that rural America has comparable telecom services to urban and suburban America, just as the 1996 Telecommunications Act requires. Making that happen requires constant effort and focus. prgtoken We often focus on rural broadband accessibility and affordability so that the next generation of technological innovation does not skip rural America and leave it behind. The promise of innovation, like the Internet of things, should not be earmarked just for urban and suburban America, which is why it is backwards and unfortunate that we are still talking about finding ways to ensure that traditional landline telephone calls can be completed without interruption on a consistent basis, but that is exactly what this bill that I worked on with Representative Young is getting at. prgtoken Our bill would require the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission, to establish rules that require third-party providers--or least cost routers, as they are called, which is the problem in the call chain--to register their companies, for the first time, with the FCC and, therefore, have to comply with FCC service quality regulations, just like other companies. prgtoken This legislation would make it easier for the FCC to hold accountable third-party providers. The FCC will finally know who they are and make them comply with those quality standards. prgtoken This is really important in rural areas because we have got companies that do business with urban America. In Vermont, Dakin Farm had rural call completion problems during their busiest times in 2012. That was the Thanksgiving to Christmas holiday period. prgtoken It really hurt their bottom line. It put them at a competitive disadvantage. When people call in and the call is dropped, they think it is bad service from Dakin Farm or the company that they are calling, when it is not. Those folks have to then deal with the reputational harm that is caused. prgtoken It is important in rural school districts like Camels Hump in Vermont that rely on these calls when there is a snowstorm or ice storm--and there is one coming tonight--to check whether, in fact, they have got to get their kids to school or not. So it is a big deal when they need it. prgtoken I appreciate, by the way, the work that Representative Young has done on this. I look forward to this bill passing both Chambers and being signed into law so we can, hopefully, make rural call completion issues a thing of the past.
Welcoming A New Day In The Country (Executive Session)
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-1-23

before my friend, the Senator from Texas, leaves, I am sure he understands that I am rising now in support of the nomination of Congressman Mike Pompeo to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. But before I speak on the nominee, I do want to take a moment to address the criticism that has been leveled against my colleagues who asked for time to debate the nomination. prgtoken As Members of the U.S. Senate, we are responsible to the American people to make measured, thoughtful decisions. I will support this nomination, but, again, I fully respect the right of my colleagues to ask for time to debate the nomination on its merits. I know Senator Wyden and others will be coming to the floor later today to address their issues. prgtoken To be clear at the outset, I do not agree with some of the views that Congressman Pompeo has expressed, and our personal and political views are wildly divergent. While Congressman Pompeo and I disagree on many issues, I believe he can be an effective leader of the CIA. prgtoken In our private discussions, and in the open and closed hearings, he has convinced me that he will follow the law banning torture. And let me be clear. As the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, I will oppose any effort to change law or policy to once again torture detainees, and I will keep a careful watch to ensure that no one ever tries to do so again. prgtoken I have also received public and private assurances from Congressman Pompeo that he will accurately represent the unvarnished views of the analysts and folks who work for the CIA and that he will relay those views no matter what the President or others want to hear. prgtoken One of the most important jobs of the Intelligence Committee is speaking truth to power. prgtoken Congressman Pompeo has also given me assurances that he will support those who work for the CIA and not discriminate against anyone based on their personal views and, not in the least, that he will cooperate with Congress, particularly as we look into Russia's efforts to interfere with our election system. prgtoken I heard my friend, the Senator from Texas, call out the former Director of National Intelligence, General Clapper, who has over 50 years in the intelligence business. And again, Mr. Clapper, along with all the other leaders of the intelligence community, basically has said that the Russian efforts to interfere in our elections in this past year were unprecedented. prgtoken We all know that President has said some unacceptable things about the intelligence community, accusing them of leaks and of politicizing intelligence. Those of us who serve on the Select Committee on Intelligence--indeed, all of us in Congress, and I know I see my friend, the chairman of the committee, is sitting here on the floor--know that those attacks were unwarranted and should not be continued. prgtoken Congressman Pompeo did not participate in those attacks. Inst
Welcoming A New Day In The Country (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-1-23

I want to be very brief. I know colleagues are facing tough weather and are trying to deal with the logistics of all that. I just want to close with a couple of points. prgtoken The first is that I have heard several of my colleagues say to me that a central reason for voting for Congressman Pompeo this afternoon is that they have said that he voted for the USA FREEDOM Act. That is correct. The problem is that just a few months after he cast that vote, the Congressman turned around and said he wanted to reestablish the bulk phone record program in a way that was vastly more encompassing and way more intrusive than the USA FREEDOM Act abolished. What he was proposing after he voted for the USA FREEDOM Act, which says that Congress says you ought to have limits, was a bulk metadata program that was way beyond anything that the - administration ever imagined. prgtoken I have been on the Senate Intelligence Committee since before September 11. I have been in the middle of countless debates about the appropriate scope of government surveillance, but I have never heard-- not from anyone--an idea that was so extreme and so overreaching and so intrusive of Americans' privacy. I bring this up only by way of saying that, if confirmed, the nominee is going to be dealing with a whole host of issues that, if we really think it through carefully and thoughtfully, we can find a way to ensure that Americans have security and liberty and that the two are not mutually exclusive. If we do it wrong, which would certainly happen if one were to weaken strong encryption, we will end up with less of both--less security and less liberty. prgtoken With respect to the process, I would only say that this matter of the way the Congressman handled his views with respect to surveillance and torture and Russia really reflect how his views change on a major issue, whether it is surveillance or torture or Russia, depending on the time and who he is talking to. I just don't think that ought to be the standard for winning support to head an agency as important as the CIA. prgtoken I know my colleagues are on a very tight time schedule. I appreciate the fact that we have had a chance to have this debate. I urge my colleagues to oppose this nomination. prgtoken .
HONORING AMBASSADOR KAIRAT UMAROV FOR HIS SERVICE AND FRIENDSHIP TO THE UNITED STATES
Alcee L. Hastings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-1-23

I rise today to extend my heartfelt thanks to Ambassador prgtoken Kairat Umarov for his service and friendship to our country, while serving as Kazakhstan's Ambassador to the United States. prgtoken For the past 25 years, Kazakhstan and the United States have developed an enduring relationship built on nuclear nonproliferation and security. This association has evolved to include a strong relationship on trade, economic integration, and the support of democracy. Since its independence, Kazakhstan has been a strategic partner to the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The diplomatic cooperation between our two countries has contributed to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and strengthened security in the Central Asia region--accomplishments that were greatly served by Ambassador Umarov's dedicated work. prgtoken Mr. Umarov has served as Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the United States since 2013, and his steady leadership over the past four years has enhanced ties between our two countries. Ambassador Umarov's focus on commercial and technological cooperation has solidified Kazakhstan's path as a future trade hub for the entire New Silk Road region. His significant contributions to the upcoming EXPO 2017 event will prove to be essential to its success. Ambassador Umarov's time in Washington has shown him to be a gracious and gifted diplomat, and although I am sad to see him leave, I am confident that he will remain a true champion for the people of Kazakhstan as he assumes his new duties on behalf of his country at the United Nations. prgtoken , I once again want to thank Ambassador Umarov for his hard work and friendship as Kazakhstan's Ambassador to the United States, and I wish him the best of luck on all his future endeavors.
THE WOMEN'S MARCH WAS DEMOCRACY IN ACTION
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-1-23

7,000 in Rhode Island, over 500,000 in Washington, and millions across the country, the Women's March was democracy in action this past Saturday, and it filled me with hope, hope for a better future and hope that we can withstand whatever challenges lie ahead as a nation. prgtoken The scene in Rhode Island was incredible, replicated around the world. I joined millions who gathered and marched to remind us that women's rights are human rights and to support inclusion and equality for all--immigrants, the LGBT community, people of color, people with disabilities, and people of differing faiths and backgrounds. This is the diversity that makes us stronger as a nation, and this is the diversity that President must now represent in a way that is befitting of the honor and dignity of his office. prgtoken Together, , we must hold him accountable to protect opportunity for all Americans, not just a select few, because it is by working together, treating people with dignity and respect that we move America forward. A rising tide lifts all boats, . I believe that the rising tide of engagement and passion that we saw on Saturday will lift all Americans.
A RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS AND NEW DEAL FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-1-23

on Friday, President addressed the nation during his inaugural address by laying out his priorities for the new administration and his future vision for our country. Among his priorities is to incentivize private investments in infrastructure through tax incentives and public-private partnerships. prgtoken Tax incentives and public-private partnerships are simply two elements that I believe should be part of a larger, more comprehensive infrastructure plan. A truly comprehensive plan will include direct spending and invests real dollars in both rural and urban communities So far, the only portions of President 's infrastructure plan that have been made public include $100 billion in tax breaks to private investors. I believe that President is deeply misguided in relying solely on tax breaks to miraculously spur investments in our decaying transportation network. We need to include a healthy mix of direct spending, tax incentives, public-private partnerships, and sensible public policies if we are to sufficiently address the infrastructure needs across the country. prgtoken Our highways, railways, and airways serve as the arteries that drive the U.S. economy. As our nation's population continues to grow and become more diverse, the growth of our transportation infrastructure needs to keep pace. Texas is projected to account for nearly fifteen percent of all the national population growth through 2030. Yet, it has become increasingly difficult to make the investments that we need to properly maintain and build up the state's infrastructure due to dwindling federal funding for transportation projects. President 's plan in its current form falls drastically short of the necessary steps that we must take in order to modernize our crumbling infrastructure. prgtoken , it has been and continues to be my intention to give President a fair chance at proving to the American people that he is serious about bringing real solutions to our nation's problems to the table. I strongly encourage this administration to present a well- rounded infrastructure plan that goes beyond merely hand-outs to corporations, and also includes the direct spending that is so desperately needed.