mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Climate Change (Executive Session)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2017-4-27

this afternoon, the President will be signing an Executive order to increase accountability within the Department of Veterans Affairs. For several years, I have been calling on the VA to hold bad actors within the VA accountable. In my view, in too many instances, that has not occurred. There are far too many examples of those who commit wrongdoing while working at the VA, and even crimes against veterans and other VA employees have occurred without any consequence. prgtoken On his first day in office, I wrote the President urging him to make accountability within the Department of Veterans Affairs one of his top priorities. We see too many examples, and unfortunately one of those examples--one of those egregious examples--is in my home State of Kansas, where we face a terrible example of a VA employee violating the trust of veterans. Yet the VA seems to have no real sense of urgency in holding this person accountable or committing to fix the process by which he got into the position that he could commit the acts he did. prgtoken In 2015, we learned from local newspaper reports--not from the VA-- that a physician's assistant at the Leavenworth VA hospital had been sexually abusing veterans. Shortly after that news broke, Leavenworth County prosecutors charged this individual with multiple counts of sexual assault and abuse against numerous veterans. He is currently awaiting trial. prgtoken The stories continue to come into our office and to the prosecutor about other victims. Veterans who sought services at the VA--the place they would expect to be cared for, respected, and the place they certainly should find safe--found something exactly the opposite. prgtoken As the story unfolded, we learned that Mr. Wisner--the person now charged with crimes--targeted vulnerable veterans suffering from PTSD, post-traumatic stress syndrome; he prescribed opioids that inhibited their thinking, and he used his position to deepen their wounds of war rather than to heal them. prgtoken Although Mr. Wisner is now beyond the reach of the VA, he and others like him who fail our veterans are not beyond the reach of Congress. It is ridiculous that taxpayers continue to fund pensions of VA senior executives and personnel convicted of crimes that harmed our Nation's veterans when they should have been serving and caring for them. prgtoken In the last Congress, we led significant efforts to develop, introduce, and pass legislation. Most of those efforts were with the Senator from Connecticut, Mr. Blumenthal, and we passed some legislation unanimously here in the Senate. That legislation increases the accountability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to make certain that senior VA executives and certain healthcare employees convicted of a felony do not receive the same benefits as those who diligently and honorably serve our Nation's veterans. prgtoken Not as an aside but as a separate sentence, let me take this moment t
CONGRATULATING DARLENE JOHNSON
Jaime Herrera Beutler (Republican, WA) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise today to congratulate Darlene Johnson of Woodland, Washington, on being nominated for two Women in Transport Awards of 2017 by Transport News International. She was given these well-deserved awards for Best Woman-Owned Land Logistics Company in the Pacific Northwest, and Most Inspirational Woman in Land Transport in the Northwestern U.S. prgtoken Throughout her distinguished career, Darlene has done everything in her power to serve her community. She currently sits on the Woodland Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors where she advocates for stronger environment for businesses in southwest Washington. Darlene's tenacity and dedication motivate and inspire those around her, me included. prgtoken Not only does she advocate for local businesses, but she is a local businessowner herself. Darlene, along with her husband, Jim, operate Woodland Truck Line, Inc. It is fitting that she is receiving this award for successfully running a business in an industry that is commonly thought to be male dominated. Those who know Darlene, like I do, know that if Darlene were to start a business in any other industry, she would go over, under, or right through any obstacles in her way. prgtoken Darlene's service to our community does not go unnoticed. There is not an issue affecting the Woodland community with which she is not actively involved. She currently is deserving of this prestigious award on behalf of southwest Washington. I congratulate her and wish her the best in her future endeavors and continued success in transportation.
Congratulating Snowflake Junior High School (Executive Session)
Jeff Flake (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-4-27

I have spoken a lot in recent years about how Arizona is quickly becoming one of our country's major tech hubs. From entrepreneurial startups to major technology companies, Arizona is supporting innovation like never before. In fact, it was just announced that Waymo, Google's self-driving car project, will be launching its first public trials of self-driving vehicles in the greater Phoenix area. prgtoken But, today, the biggest news in tech isn't coming from publicly traded Silicon Valley companies. No, today, the talk of the tech world is the students from my alma mater, Snowflake Junior High School. That is because these students from my small hometown of Snowflake, AZ, just won the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest. prgtoken This national contest tasks students from across the country with creating a solution to improve their local communities by using STEAM skills--Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. prgtoken The winning project from Mr. Eilertsen's students is something special. Snowflake students designed and constructed a low-cost animal detection system to prevent fatalities from vehicle collisions with wild animals. They were motivated by the fact that an estimated 200 people lose their lives each year in these collisions, which can be common around rural communities like Snowflake. prgtoken The winning design consists of a 10-inch, weather-resistant motion sensor that blinks to warn drivers when a large animal is near. These durable, affordable sensors can be placed atop existing fence posts like the thousands that line roads all over rural Arizona. prgtoken I had the opportunity to meet with these very bright students--2 of them from a class of, I believe, 23--and those 2 are in the Gallery today, along with their teacher Mr. Eilertsen. I had the opportunity to meet with them yesterday in my office and to hear all about this winning project. Let me tell my colleagues that they blew me away with their creativity, their knowledge, and, most of all, their desire to use the STEAM discipline to save lives. prgtoken Think about how remarkable this project is. Here is a device that can actually save hundreds of lives and prevent harm to wildlife and to livestock. With the grit and ingenuity of a great startup, these students at Snowflake Junior High have shown the country that big ideas come from small towns. prgtoken In recognition of their innovative project, the students won $150,000 in technology for their school and an additional $20,000 for having the most popular project on social media and with the public--not bad for some kids from Snowflake. prgtoken Before , I would like to thank Mr. Eilertsen for all that he has done to inspire his students to think big and for making a victory in this Samsung competition possible. prgtoken I would also like to thank all of the faculty and staff in Snowflake for their tireless work as educators. prgtoken Finally, I would
HONORING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED WAY OF MIDLAND
K. Michael Conaway (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise today to recognize the distinguished service of the United Way of Midland as they celebrate their 70th Anniversary. For the past 70 years, The United Way of Midland has been dedicated to enriching the Permian Basin through their various outreach programs. UWM works directly with program providers in supporting over 50 programs and services that target individual needs throughout the community. These initiatives focus on three building blocks to a better life, which are: promoting quality education that leads to stable employment; empowering individuals to achieve economic stability and financial security through proven methods like job training and financial planning courses; and vital health services that promote healthy lifestyles and choices. Through their work, UWM assists roughly 65,000 people annually and invests over $3 million back into the community. As a Lifetime Member of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Midland, I have been fortunate enough to see firsthand the great work that this organization does for the Permian Basin community. I wish them best of luck with their future endeavors.
Antiquities Act (Executive Session)
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise to commemorate an important day for Utah and the western way of life. Just yesterday, the President signed an Executive order calling for review of monument designations across the United States, with a specific focus on two national monuments that have caused significant damage in my home State of Utah: Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante. prgtoken Yesterday's Executive action is the culmination of countless hours of hard work and close coordination with the White House. When I first spoke with President in the Oval Office during his first week on the job, I asked for his help in addressing the Bears Ears debacle. From day one, our President has been committed to helping us fix this disaster and ensuring that our smallest counties get a fair shake. prgtoken Throughout my Senate service, I have fought to give voice to the needs of our rural communities in the debate over public lands. Too often, past Presidents have ignored the concerns of Utah's families in declaring massive monuments that threaten the western way of life. Too often, Presidents have abused the authority under the Antiquities Act to satisfy the demands of an extreme environmental agenda but no more. prgtoken Following yesterday's Executive order, I look forward to working with the administration to address past abuses and restore the original meaning of the Antiquities Act. The Executive order directs Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke to review dozens of national monuments. This is a welcomed opportunity to set a new precedent for the responsible use of the Antiquities Act--a precedent that will take into account the needs of locals and foster greater trust between the States and the Federal Government as we work toward a shared goal of preserving our cultural antiquities. prgtoken For decades, I have sought to rein in Executive abuse under the Antiquities Act. That is why I traveled to Bears Ears just last week to hear firsthand from the local residents and Tribal members who have been hurt most by this monument designation. That is why, in the opening days of his Presidency, I met personally with President in the Oval Office to discuss the public lands issue at length. I made clear to the President that Utahns have had enough of monument designations that come down unilaterally with zero support from locals, State officials, or Congress. Many of my own constituents have had their lives upended by this abuse of Executive power. prgtoken For too long, Utahns--many of whom depend on public lands for their very livelihood--have been at the mercy of out-of-touch bureaucrats who have little knowledge or personal connection to the land. President only made their situation worse when he spurned the men and women of San Juan County by declaring the Bears Ears National Monument last December. In doing so, he defied the will of the State legislature, the Governor, and the entire Utah congressional
PAYCHECK PROTECTION ACT
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-4-27

a labor union's purpose is simple: to represent its members and to bargain on their behalf. But for millions of Americans who are currently paying union dues, their money is sometimes being used for political advocacy that they may not support. prgtoken The First Amendment in our Constitution grants workers around the country the freedom to donate or not to donate to any political cause. As it currently stands, however, union members have to opt out of having their dues spent on certain political activity. This process can be burdensome, and it can be complicated and time consuming. prgtoken Instead of asking workers to go through a lengthy process just to avoid funding political causes they don't support, they should have the choice from the start whether to opt in to that spending or not. prgtoken Earlier this week, I introduced the National Paycheck Protection Act that would require an employee's consent before their labor organization dues are used for any purpose not directly related to collective bargaining. prgtoken , union members are Americans before they are s or , and this simple change would be the first step in the fight for more worker freedom.
REMEMBERING PAUL LEVENTHAL
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-4-27

this year we mark the 10th anniversary of the untimely passing of our friend Paul Leventhal. Paul was a trailblazer when it came to addressing the dangers of nuclear power and nuclear weapons. I personally relied on Paul's insight to craft my approach to preventing the spread of dangerous nuclear technology and nuclear weapons. prgtoken As a Senate staffer during the 1970s, Paul made major contributions to our Nation's security by working on two landmark laws. prgtoken The first was the Energy Reorganization Act, which created the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the agency that later became the Department of Energy. Before this legislation, a single agency, the Atomic Energy Commission, was responsible for both promoting nuclear energy and regulating the nuclear industry, to the detriment of public safety. prgtoken Paul was also instrumental for passage of the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Act, which required countries to adopt full-scope safeguards from the International Atomic Energy Agency before they could receive civilian nuclear technology from the United States. This requirement later became an international standard when the Nuclear Suppliers Group adopted it. prgtoken During the 1980s, Paul played an important role in helping to kill the Clinch River Breeder reactor, which shut down U.S. efforts to develop a full plutonium fuel cycle. Throughout this time, he was also a strong proponent of my efforts to close loopholes in U.S. nuclear nonproliferation law, including tightening nuclear export controls affecting China following Tiananmen Square. He actively worked to ensure House passage of the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act, which imposed sanctions on those who knowingly contribute to efforts to acquire unsafeguarded fissile material or nuclear weapons. prgtoken Paul was ahead of his time in raising alarms about the threat of nuclear terrorism. His warnings about the need to reduce reliance on highly enriched uranium and to limit the use of plutonium for commercial nuclear power later formed the core of the global nuclear security agenda. His warnings about the flaws in nuclear cooperation agreements continue to reverberate in today's debates over the export of nuclear technology. prgtoken Today's ongoing nuclear challenges remind me of our solemn responsibility to carry out Paul's legacy. prgtoken The nuclear industry continues to push against stringent safety standards. The administration wants to promote the export of nuclear technology and walk away from the administration's nuclear security mission. The India nuclear deal continues to increase the risk of a nuclear clash in South Asia. Plans for commercial-scale plutonium reprocessing in East Asia threaten to create a new nuclear arms race in the region. prgtoken All of these challenges will require us to take inspiration from Paul's work to promote nuclear security and nonproliferation. To honor Paul, we must rededic
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TAX PLAN
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-4-27

this Special Order is for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and I am so proud to be a vice chair of that caucus and to lead the Special Order hour with my colleague, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin). prgtoken We do this once a week, and we try to take up topics that we think are of great interest across the country to our constituency. So I am very proud to have the Congressional Progressive Caucus leading the way on so many issues that are important, from education to transportation, infrastructure to, of course, today's topic, which is the tax plan that was released yesterday by President . prgtoken The tax plan that was released yesterday--and I have to start by saying I am not sure this is actually the plan. I am not sure that a one-page document constitutes a plan. This is not even a two-sided document. It is a one-sided document. This is what we are reacting to. And it is similar to the tax plan that candidate spoke about during the campaign. prgtoken So we will do our best with what has been put forward as a plan, but this plan, in our estimation, when you look at what it contains, really amounts to nothing more than a one-page document full of handouts to the rich. prgtoken The Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin, yesterday said, during a press conference, that one thing that this President has done very well--this is a quote: ``One thing this President has done very well is listen.'' prgtoken , I have to disagree with that. Two weekends ago, there were 190,000 Americans in red States and blue States across the country who were on the streets asking for the President to release his tax returns in the same way that every other President of the United States has done in modern history. Unfortunately, this President has not listened. As a candidate, he said he would release his tax returns. As a President, he has refused to do so. prgtoken He didn't listen when women and their allies took to the streets in the biggest march in American history to demand that he respect women, protect Planned Parenthood, and support equal rights for women. prgtoken And this President certainly didn't listen to the millions of Americans who were outspoken in their opposition to the healthcare plan that essentially took $1 trillion off of the backs of working people and folks who need health care across this country and transferred it to the wealthiest in our country. prgtoken The reality is this President, unfortunately, has not been listening to the American people. If you look at that healthcare plan, just as an example, only 17 percent of the American public actually supported Care. This President has not been listening, to now put forward another plan on health care that again suggests that we should actually take away essential health benefits from people, take away the opportunity for people to have preexisting conditions covered, and, once again, leaving an additional 2
TRIBUTE TO FORMER CONGRESSMAN EARL E. HILLIARD
James E. Clyburn (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend, former Congressman Earl Hilliard, who will celebrate his 75th birthday this weekend, at a gathering of his family and friends in Birmingham, Alabama. prgtoken While a Member of this body, Earl and I worked very closely together, preserving the integrity of historically black colleges and universities and supporting the preservation and restoration of historic sites and buildings. At his weekend gathering they will establish a scholarship in his honor in order to help more rural Alabama young men and women have opportunities to further their education. prgtoken I want to congratulate my friend for reaching this milestone in his life, a place I got to more than a year ago, and wish him a happy birthday and further success in establishing more benefits for young men and women throughout Alabama. prgtoken Family: Former Congressman Earl Frederick Hilliard was born in Birmingham, Alabama on April 9, 1942 to Iola Frazier and William Hilliard. In 1967, Earl Hilliard married Mary Franklin. Both were the first person on both sides of their families to attend and graduate from college. They have two children: Alesia Hilliard-Smith (R. J. Smith) and Earl Hilliard, Jr. (Janine Hunt-Hilliard) and four grandchildren: Roderick Smith, Jr Reginald Smith, Earl Hilliard, III and Nya Hilliard. In June 2016, the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. prgtoken Education: Earl graduated from Western-Olin High School in 1960. Because of his experiences growing up in segregated Birmingham, he chose to attend historically black colleges and universities. He received a B.A. from Morehouse College in 1964, a J.D. from Howard University School of Law in 1967, and an M.B.A. in 1970 from Atlanta University (now Clark-Atlanta University) School of Business. He was awarded an Honorary Degree--Doctor of Humane Letters--in 2000 from Talladega College. prgtoken Civil Rights/Black History: While a student at Morehouse College, in Atlanta, Georgia, Hilliard met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The meeting had a powerful effect on him, and he became ``one of King's foot soldiers in the war for racial equality. He worked with voter- registration drives and participated in many protest marches. He continued his work when he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives where he chaired the first Alabama Black Legislative Caucus. prgtoken Political Career: In 1974, Earl F. Hilliard was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives where he chaired the Alabama Black Legislative Caucus. In 1980, he was elected to the Alabama State Senate and chaired the Alabama State Judiciary, Commerce, Transportation and Utility Committees. His Senate career focused on helping the urban poor, who constituted the bulk of his Birmingham-area constituents. He earned a reputation as a hard-fighting, tactical legislator. prgtoken In 1992, Hilliard won a seat in the U.S. Congress, becoming the first black Re
BIGGER AND BIGGER SWAMP
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-4-27

promised American voters he would drain the swamp of special interests in Washington. Instead, he is swimming in it. prgtoken He has filled his administration with billionaires, Wall Street operatives, special interest lobbyists, lawyers, and consultants who are drafting policies for the very industries they came from, and he refuses to release the White House visitor log so we have no idea what special interest lobbyists he is meeting with. prgtoken has refused to release his tax returns or divest his business interests. prgtoken Can you believe the State Department posted a blog advertising his exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort? Since becoming President, he increased the fees for that resort from $100,000 to $200,000. prgtoken He has both close allies, Cabinet appointees, and other appointees with questionable ties to Putin and Russia. prgtoken His swamp is getting bigger and bigger.