mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION DAY
David E. Price (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2017-3-2

tomorrow, March 3, is Employee Appreciation Day; and since we prgtoken won't be in session, I rise today to register my appreciation for the staff members who allow me to serve the people of the Fourth District of North Carolina. prgtoken The current political and media environment is not always an easy one for congressional staff to operate in, yet, every year, the staffers working in my North Carolina district offices help thousands of constituents navigate Federal agencies. They reach out to local businesses, governments, and other organizations, and help constituents access needed support. prgtoken In Washington, D.C our office staff researches thousands of pieces of legislation. They help me communicate with hundreds of thousands of constituent communications, and help welcome constituents to Washington. And they join me in meetings with constituent groups and local and State representatives and universities and businesses--every imaginable group. prgtoken So the list of tasks is long, but all of them help ensure that the people of the Fourth District of North Carolina have a voice in the people's House. Simply put, these staff members that serve all of us represent the very best of public service. I and the people of North Carolina are grateful for their service. prgtoken , in recognition of their dedication and diligence, I would like to include in the Congressional Record the names of each of my staff currently employed in my office: prgtoken Nadia Alston, Katelynn Anderson, Sonia Barnes, Nora Blalock, Bayly Hassell, Asher Hildebrand, James Hunter, Lawrence Kluttz, Tracy Lovett, Sean Maxwell, Neel Mandavilli, Dave Russell, Samantha Schifrin, Anna Tilghman, Justin Wein, Leigh Whittaker, and Robyn Winneberger. prgtoken I am grateful, , for the effort that these staff members continue to put forth and for the opportunity that Employee Appreciation Day gives me and others to honor their service.
CALLING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A SPECIAL COUNSEL
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-3-2

America lost one of our best friends, well-known to us in the Washington, DC, area. prgtoken Doug Coe, a disciple of a fellow named Abraham Vereide, over a half century ago came from Oregon to minister the Gospel to the Government of the United States. He has been doing that for over a half a century. prgtoken Doug, well-known to us in the Congress for so many years, always was bringing other people to the fore, and he always stood in the back. He encouraged so many of us to have fellowship together, to meet with each other, especially to have a meal together, to enjoy each other, and to do this in the Spirit of the Lord, and particularly the Spirit of Jesus. Because of that, he made so many friends all over the world. prgtoken This was a man whose religion brought people together across religions, not dividing us, as is so often the case. In Doug's spirituality, he could bring people of all faiths together in unity and understanding through the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. prgtoken I have just come from the cemetery where Doug has been laid to rest. He is so well-known around here in the spirit of President Eisenhower's suddenly calling up a couple of his friends in the Senate and saying: Please come down here and visit with me; this is the loneliest house in America. That started the annual Prayer Breakfast, and, of course, that Prayer Breakfast has been held ever since, once a year, with the President, the Congress, the President's Cabinet, the Vice President, the Joint Chiefs, the diplomatic corps. Now over 150 nations attend that annual National Prayer Breakfast. It is really an international Prayer Breakfast. prgtoken Just this past one that was held in the first week of February indeed had a couple of heads of state, including His Majesty King Abdallah of Jordan. You wonder, how could a Muslim, who traces his roots all the way back--his lineage--to the Prophet Mohammed come to a group celebrating a Prayer Breakfast that generally identifies with the Christian faith? Well, that is the unique unity of all of these Prayer Breakfasts that are handled and held all over the world. prgtoken The Abrahamic faiths coming from the original single God, from which the seed of Abraham had not only the Jewish religion, the Muslim religion, and the Christian religion--in that, Doug Coe found unity. So all of these years he spent organizing the National Prayer Breakfast. prgtoken Doug lived through this last one. He wasn't able to attend, but he was holding court over in Northern Virginia as so many of the international guests came to Washington for that annual celebration. prgtoken We just laid Doug to rest today. Tomorrow, there will be a memorial service for him at a huge megachurch to try to accommodate the size of the audience that will be there out in Northern Virginia. prgtoken When this Senator first came to Congress many, many years ago, Doug Coe was the one who came to me and said: What I want you t
CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HON. ENI F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-2

I rise today to honor the memory of Congressman Eni F. H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa's longest serving Delegate to the House of Representatives. prgtoken Congressman Eni F. H. Faleomavaega was a patriot and a leader who personified the highest ideals of our nation. prgtoken Eni dedicated his entire life to service. He was a proud Army veteran, and long before he held elected office, he worked as a staffer, including a time in the office of San Francisco Congressman Phil Burton. prgtoken For 26 years, Congressman Faleomavaega brought outspoken and effective leadership for American Samoa to the House of Representatives. prgtoken Eni was a relentless champion for the rights and advancement of his constituents. His life and leadership powerfully spotlighted the immense contributions of Americans from U.S. territories. May it comfort his family and friends that so many join in their sorrow at the passing of this extraordinary man.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-2

the highlight of the week, of course, is President 's speech to the joint session of Congress, the first major public speech he has given since his inauguration. The Chamber of the House of Representatives was filled with Members of both the House and Senate, the Supreme Court Justices, the Cabinet, and many other dignitaries for the speech. It went for about 60 minutes, which is reasonable under Presidential standards. Many have gone much longer, and I listened carefully to the statement by the new President to really glean his priorities, in terms of his administration and what he hopes to see happen in this country. prgtoken There were many issues that he touched on, but there was one he didn't. He didn't say a word--not one word--about the Russian intervention in our last Presidential campaign. This is not speculation. It is a reality that 17 different U.S. intelligence agencies have told us that Vladimir Putin and the Russian Government were attempting to subvert and undermine our Presidential election. To our knowledge, that has never happened at any time in the history of the United States. It is the first time a sovereign nation has tried to literally launch a cyber invasion of the United States of America to try to change the outcome of the most important electoral choice under the Constitution--the choice of President of the United States. It is a major issue. It is one President cannot ignore. prgtoken During the course of that speech, he never once mentioned the word ``Russia.'' He never raised this issue as to whether it was worthy of investigation. He described it as a ruse. He has dismissed it and basically has paid no attention to it whatsoever and wants the rest of America to forget it as well. prgtoken That is not going to happen because the investigation about this Russian cyber invasion continues. We know the Federal Bureau of Investigation is deep into an investigation. I don't know what it will find. I don't know if they will find any complicity with anyone in the United States, anyone in the campaign. It is only after we have an independent, complete, and credible investigation that we may know the facts. prgtoken We also have an investigation underway by many of our intelligence agencies, which are looking at the involvement of the Russians trying to change the outcome of our election. Those investigations are underway. prgtoken One element came up last night that has changed the conversation in Washington about this whole issue. Even before last night's news, we knew Attorney General Jeff Sessions needed to recuse himself from any Justice Department investigation into Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 election in support of the campaign. prgtoken The Department of Justice standard for recusal--that is, the removal of the Attorney General from an investigation--is pretty clear. It requires recusal by someone who has ``a personal or political
CALLING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A SPECIAL COUNSEL
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-3-2

from Washington State, who has made a really important case. I want to be here today to add my opinion, as well, because over the past 2 months we have heard a lot about President 's plan to drain the swamp, which is to reject special interests and the corporate elite and, instead, fight for workers across our country. prgtoken There are a whole lot of claims, a whole lot of promises--all great. Fighting for workers is what this Congress should be doing, but the President's actions speak a lot louder than his words. I find it telling that we are here again debating yet another Cabinet nominee sent over from the White House--this time Gov. Rick Perry--whose interests have been more closely aligned with those of Big Oil and corporations rather than advancing our country's energy challenges or fighting for the working families we represent. prgtoken So let me be clear. If confirmed to head up the Department of Energy, Governor Perry would join the ranks of other unqualified candidates chosen by this President to lead critically important agencies with very specific and complex functions. It is a big job. I believe that getting the top spot at the Department of Energy--or anywhere else in the President's Cabinet--should not simply be a prize for demonstrating loyalty during an election. prgtoken Getting the job should be borne of a solid understanding of the agency, a respect for the tens of thousands of workers they would lead, and, most importantly, a commitment to putting families across the country first. So as a voice from my home State of Washington, where DOE's presence is extremely important, I will vote no on Governor Perry's nomination. I urge my colleagues to do the same. prgtoken Washington State is home to the Hanford nuclear reservation near the Tri-Cities. Nearly 75 years ago, this region underwent a dramatic transformation, practically overnight and under top-secret conditions, to help the United States win World War II and later the Cold War. prgtoken Families and workers in this region of our State sacrificed immensely for the good of our country and the safety of our world. To this day, there is a massive environmental impact in the Tri-Cities created by decades of nuclear weapons production. Now this cleanup effort is vital, not only to the health and safety of families and workers and the economy in Central Washington but also for communities along the Colombia River. prgtoken As I have told anyone elected as President, whether or , it is the Federal Government's moral and legal obligation and responsibility to clean up Hanford. I know that is not an easy feat, but it is essential. It requires a very deep understanding of a very large and complex cleanup project and a great deal of respect for the workers who show up each day to make progress on this massive project. I remain deeply concerned that Governor Perry and this administrati
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-2

. I thank the gentleman for his comment. It is, therefore, extraordinarily sad that we have spent 6 years with only one option that the majority would pursue: repeal. Not fix, not make it work better, not ensure that people can afford their care, not make sure that insurance companies had the competence to stay in the market because the market was destabilized for all of its lifetime to date by the s saying all we are going to do is repeal. prgtoken The gentleman talks about the cost. The gentleman cannot tell me some 4 prgtoken days before he suggests passing a piece of legislation that will affect 18 percent of our gross domestic product what it will cost. Why? Because he has no score from the CBO. He can tell me all he wants about 6 years of waiting and listening. He has no score on this bill. My judgment is he will have no score when he marks it up. By the way, he will give no access, contrary to Ryan saying that we are going to go regular order. I reject, with all due respect, Mr. Majority Leader, the fact that we had a hearing a year ago or 2 years ago or 3 years ago, that the opinion that was given at those times by various witnesses who differed on their conclusions, that we can apply that to the bill that you have introduced now. prgtoken I don't know what the bill you have introduced is. I don't know whether you have introduced it or somebody else has introduced it. I don't even know whether it exists. I told the gentleman what I am told. He has not disabused me of any of the assertions I made. He has not disabused me that it is not available publicly. He has not disabused me of the fact that we can't see it. He has not disabused me of Dr. Burgess saying it ought to be seen by everybody and considered, it should not be in a secret room someplace that people have to go to, like it is a secret document. We have to go down to the Capitol Visitor Center in the secure facilities of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to see secret documents. Surely that is not the standard that we are giving to a bill that will have such, in my view, catastrophic effect on individuals, on jobs, and on businesses. prgtoken , I want to tell the majority leader that I do not accept the proposition that a hearing over 6 years about repeal only--and I am not sure how many hearings there were. Maybe the majority leader knows. But I know for a fact that proponents of the bill were very difficult to get on the list of witnesses that we wanted to testify at some of those hearings. The American people, the Tea Party, all those people for and against who came to these town meetings should really lament. And, frankly, I think that the 's representation is not being followed. The assertion that it was done last year, the year before, we have a lot of new Members in this Congress who weren't here. Frankly, when we have bills introduced in Congress, we usually have hearings on them. That is the regular order.
CALLING FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A SPECIAL COUNSEL
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-2

I oppose the nomination of Governor Rick Perry to be Secretary of the Department of Energy, a Department that he called for eliminating in 2011. After briefings on the Department's mission and programs, Governor Perry came to ``regret'' that position, but his short education on his prospective job is not enough to prepare him for its complexity and importance. prgtoken The Department of Energy is a home of innovation and, critically, the Federal agency that manages the safety and reliability of our nuclear arsenal. The last two Secretaries of Energy were physicists. prgtoken According to the Dallas Morning News: ``In all of the department's missions, science is front and center. But during his 14 years as governor, Perry built a questionable record when it comes to science. He has a pattern of supporting offbeat medical theories while dismissing the established science on climate change. And his record of using public funds to boost technology and research in Texas is littered with poor management and allegations of cronyism.'' prgtoken In one example, a 2010 Dallas Morning News investigation discovered mismanagement and political influence in the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, which Governor Perry established to provide funding to high-tech startups. The Dallas Morning News reported that the fund awarded more than $16 million to companies with connections to large campaign donors. A company in which an old college friend and donor invested received $2.75 million. Another company, where an investor had given more than $400,000 to Governor Perry's campaigns, received $1.5 million. A company founded by a former Perry appointee got $4.5 million. prgtoken The Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Texas House made the Emerging Technology Fund's decisions based on input from an advisory committee that operated in secret and did not take minutes. Its recommendations to the Governor were not public. This unusual decisionmaking process, with ultimate power vested in elected officials rather than technical experts, is deeply troubling. As Secretary of Energy, Governor Perry would be charged with managing a number of grant and loan programs aimed at developing the next generation of energy technologies. prgtoken Governor Perry has also failed to commit to funding for ARPA-E and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. These programs are essential to ensuring that the United States is a leader in the 21st century energy economy and confronts the critical challenge of climate change. prgtoken I am deeply concerned by Governor Perry's limited experience with our Nation's nuclear program. While he did advocate a low-level nuclear waste repository in his State, he has no experience with nuclear weapons. His inexperience is particularly problematic when the President he would serve has also appeared confused by issues surrounding the nuclear triad and has inaccurately said that the United
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO FIX THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Cheri Bustos (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-2

earlier this week, I welcomed Emily Carlson to the Capitol as my guest to President 's address to Congress. prgtoken Emily comes from a rural town called Abingdon, Illinois. She is the co-owner of a small family-owned business, and her husband, Kevin, is a farmer. Like a lot of hardworking Midwesterners, they don't want a handout; they just want a fair shot at success. prgtoken But 17 years ago, all of that was put at risk when Emily was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which is a chronic and expensive disease to treat, and she will have this the rest of her life. They could barely afford the most basic care for Emily because she was in the high-risk pool in the State of Illinois. prgtoken Too often the Carlsons literally had to vacillate between affording Emily's medication or going deeper into debt. However, since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, life has been much better for the Carlsons. Today their family of four has much better coverage, and it costs much less. prgtoken , President 's repeal wouldn't just undermine Emily's health; it would devastate their family's economic security, along with those of many families throughout our Nation. Instead, let's work together to keep what is working and fix what is not.
WE NEED A BUDGET THAT SERVES THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-3-2

as we begin the process that comes as a responsibility of this House, and that is, overseeing the President's budget and designing a budget to serve the American people, I am raising the question of the baffling budget that seems to be emerging from the White House. prgtoken The plus-up and elimination of sequester on the defense spending may be worth considering. I, frankly, believe we should remove the sequester on discretionary spending. But what is being proposed is that the plus-up of $54 billion will be taken out of the needs, the hearts, and minds of the American people. prgtoken The EPA will be gutted, so there will be no staff to oversee clean water and clean air, of which so many counties and cities, like Flint and my own community of County, are in desperate need of. prgtoken What will happen to housing for senior citizens and young families? prgtoken Gutted because the Department of Housing and Urban Development will see a drastic cut. Or Health and Human Services that helps to sponsor federally qualified health clinics and the complete elimination of the Affordable Care Act, which will bust the budget. Medicaid, civil rights, and the prevention of hate crimes; the Justice Department gutted and, as well, as Attorney General Sessions has already done, not preventing voter fraud or voter discrimination. prgtoken , we need a budget that serves the American people. That is the kind of budget that I will be looking to support.
REGULATORY INTEGRITY ACT OF 2017
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-2

I include in the Record several letters opposing the bill. Coaltion for Sensible Safeguards, February 28, 2017. Re House floor vote of H.R. 1004, the Regulatory Integrity Act. Dear Representative: The Coalition for Sensible Safeguards (CSS), an alliance of over 150 labor, scientific, research, good government, faith, community, health, environmental, and public interest groups, strongly oppose H.R. 1004, the Regulatory Integrity Act. The bill is a brazen attack on the public's right to know by micro-managing the type of information that agencies are allowed to communicate to all of us when taking actions to protect the public, our economy, and the environment. An open government that prioritizes democratic public participation requires agencies to be able to effectively convey information to the public and make agency policy positions clear to the public. This bill will make our government less open and less democratic and should therefore be rejected. H.R. 1004 will significantly inhibit federal agencies' ability to engage and inform the public in a meaningful and transparent way regarding its work on important science-based rulemakings that will greatly benefit the public. As a result, the bill will lead to decreased public awareness and participation in the rulemaking process in direct contradiction of the Administrative Procedure Act and agencies' authorizing statutes, which specifically provide for broad stakeholder engagement. Substantial ambiguities in the bill threaten to create uncertainty and confusion among agencies about what public communications are permissible, and thus risks discouraging them from keeping the public apprised of the important work that they do on its behalf. In an era when agencies should be increasingly embracing innovative 21st century communications technologies needed to reach the public, including social media, H.R. 1004 sends exactly the wrong message. The legislation strictly prohibits agencies from issuing ``public communications'' that ``emphasize the importance'' of a particular agency action unless the communication has the ``clear purpose of informing the public of the substance or status'' of the particular action. The legislation applies to a wide swath of regulatory actions including rulemakings, guidance, policy statements, directives and adjudications. While H.R. 1004 assumes that the distinction between informing the public of an agency action and emphasizing the importance of that action is self-evident, in practice the distinction is anything but clear. A