mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROTECTING OUR NATION'S VETERANS
John R. Carter (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-5-18

as chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, I am honored to fight for the veterans in my district and throughout the Nation. In return for their service and sacrifice, we owe them the best medical care that can be provided. prgtoken I am proud that the House of Representatives has passed the VA MISSION Act to address these critical concerns. I commend Chairman Roe, Ranking Member Walz, and the members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee for their work on this issue over the last year. prgtoken This legislation will provide better community-based care without detracting from the outstanding medical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, such as the Central Texas Veterans Health Care Center in Temple, Texas, in my district. prgtoken While I believe veterans are best served by the VA, there are also those who live too far from a VA facility, cannot afford a long wait period, or have very specific medical services that are best provided outside the VA system. prgtoken The VA MISSION Act provides this community-based care option, and it pays for it with discretionary spending, which means Congress has more control, more oversight, and more responsibility. prgtoken The VA MISSION Act includes a provision for a bill I authored, the Veterans Transplant Coverage Act, to ensure that no other American hero is denied organ transplant coverage again through the VA. prgtoken This was inspired by the Nelson family of Leander, Texas. Mr. Nelson, a veteran, required a transplant. His son was a matching live donor. However, the VA would not cover medical costs for the donor, Mr. Nelson's son, even though this was a lifesaving transplant for Mr. Nelson. I am sorry to say that Mr. Nelson had to liquidate almost everything he owned to pay for the medical expenses. We could not help Mr. Nelson's family, but his story inspired me to work towards changing the law. prgtoken When the VA MISSION Act is enacted, it will ensure future generations of veterans will have their transplant medical expenses, along with the donor's expenses, covered by the VA. We must do the right thing for our veterans who need these lifesaving procedures, and I am honored that the VA MISSION Act includes language I wrote to do just that. prgtoken I want to publicly thank several of my colleagues on the committee: Dr. Neal Dunn, Dr. Brad Wenstrup, and Gus Bilirakis, my neighbor, all of whom championed transplant care for veterans and worked extremely hard to ensure this language was included in the bill. prgtoken The VA MISSION Act is a step forward towards the goal of caring for our veterans. The Senate must pass this legislation, and I urge President to quickly sign it into law. I can think of no better way to celebrate Memorial Day than enact the VA MISSION Act, which will ensure our heroes receive the best medical care available.
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-5-18

I rise to recognize May 13 through 19 as National Police Week. This week is a special time to honor the law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty protecting our communities. prgtoken Last Sunday, 360 of those brave men and women were added to the number of fallen law enforcement heroes on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Their sacrifice is not forgotten, and their families remain in our prayers during this week of remembrance. prgtoken We are blessed to live in a country founded on the rule of law, and this cherished principle would not be preserved without our Nation's dedicated law enforcement officers. prgtoken This week, we also show our gratitude to the 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line daily for our safety. Thanks for all you do.
FARM BILL
Steve King (Republican, IA) \u2014 2018-5-18

it is my privilege to address you here on the floor of the House of Representatives, and I always appreciate that opportunity. prgtoken It is a right and a privilege of any Member of Congress to come down here and address you from this floor about whatever issues might be on our minds, and I have a couple of them on my mind here this afternoon, . One of them is the circumstance that brought about the loss of the farm bill here on the floor. prgtoken I come from the Fourth Congressional District of Iowa, and I will make the case with anyone in this Congress, out of all 435 districts, that we produce more agricultural products in the Fourth District than any other. There are some folks in the San Joaquin Valley who we have an interesting discussion with, and I tip my hat to their progress but still stand in defense of the Fourth District of Iowa. prgtoken The corn we raise, the soybeans we raise, the pork that we produce, the eggs that come out of there, all of that sets the standard for the rest of the country. And I am giving the credit to the producers, the families that raised the farmers that we have today who went off to school and came back with the technology in their brain and developed the technology to bring this kind of crop out of this ground. prgtoken I have two ears of corn down in my man cave, , and they are beside each other on a nail. I would say half the people in this Congress would guess wrong on which was which. One of them is an open- pollinated variety that they used to plant back in 1848, and the other one is a triple-stack hybrid that came out of the 2015 crop, neither one of them irrigated. God's rainfall raised them. prgtoken That one ear that is just as big as the other one and actually has got more rows around it is the open-pollinated from 1848, and it yielded between 15 and 25 bushels to the acre. prgtoken Then you look at the 2015 ear. It is roughly the same length, with fewer rows of kernels around it, and that yielded not 15 to 25 bushels, but 232 bushels to the acre, over the scales. That is how far we have come with agriculture technology. prgtoken You can divide your 15 or 20 to 25 bushels into the 230. It is almost 10 times. You might make the argument that we have got 10 times the yield today that we had back when the pioneers rolled across the prairie in their covered wagons and began to figure out how to bring crops out of this ground. That is an example of what has taken place. prgtoken We have tractors running around out in the field now. No markers. The markers used to always--there used to be planter wire and cross- checked. Then the markers would mark until we came back around, and you lined up on that mark from the last round so that all the rows were nice and beautiful and parallel and straight. Everybody took pride in having fields where they could look down those rows and see that wonderful crop of corn and soybeans and other crops coming out of the ground. <|p|
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Kristi L. Noem (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-5-18

. Madam Chair, many States in which agriculture is important are also home to Native Americans Tribes. South Dakota, for example, has nine federally recognized Tribes. Many of these communities are poor. They lack basic services and have high rates of unemployment. prgtoken No one suffers from these conditions more than the youth: the children, high school students, and hopeful college students who live there. That is why it is so important to ensure that native youth have the opportunity to obtain a higher education; to attend college; and that they are given the tools that they need to succeed. prgtoken So my amendment is designed to work in concert with programs that assist native students, like the Wokini Initiative. It was designed by my alma mater, South Dakota State University. In the Lakota language, Wokini means ``new beginnings.'' It is the title of the program that this amendment establishes. This amendment simply authorizes USDA to match funds spent by land-grant universities on efforts to help native students succeed and ultimately graduate. prgtoken Madam Chairwoman, .
ALEX KANE
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2018-5-18

I rise today to recognize and applaud Alex Kane for receiving the Adams County Mayors and Commissioners Youth Award. Alex Kane received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities. The dedication demonstrated by Alex Kane is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives. prgtoken I extend my deepest congratulations to Alex Kane for winning the Adams County Mayors and Commissioners Youth Award. I have no doubt he will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of his future accomplishments.
SUPPORTING THE PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY, COMMUNITY
Josh Gottheimer (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-5-18

I rise today for the Paramus community and those who lost their lives in the Route 80 bus accident in Mt. Olive, New Jersey, and to all those who were injured. My heart breaks for the 38 fifth grade students and seven adults involved in yesterday's horrific bus accident. prgtoken On a day when students from East Brook Middle School should have been enjoying their class trip, instead, they experienced every parent's worst nightmare. As a father, I am praying for every parent, child, teacher, friend, and administrator; and I know I will be hugging my kids extra tight this evening. prgtoken I join the Paramus community as they come together to support all those affected in this tragedy, especially the family of the student who lost their life and the family of Jennifer Williamson, the fifth grade social studies teacher chaperoning the trip, who lost her life. prgtoken May God rest their souls. prgtoken Savannah Clark, an East Brook Middle School sixth grader, remembered her teacher saying: She made things really, really fun for us kids, but now she can't anymore. prgtoken Mrs. Williamson, your care for our community will never be forgotten. prgtoken I also want to thank the first responders, doctors, and nurses who responded so quickly to help students, care for the victims, and investigate how such a horrible tragedy could ever have happened.
CHANGE IN TENNESSEE LAW
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2018-5-18

Tennessee has a law that is about 160 years old. The legislature changed it some, but the Governor needs to sign a bill to do it. It is a law that allows juveniles, before they are convicted, be sent for ``safekeeping'' in an adult penitentiary or prison. prgtoken This occurred recently in two cases. The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights group took one of those cases. A girl was charged with a crime and had a $30,000 bond assigned to her. She couldn't make that bond and the court sent her to an adult penitentiary where she and one other girl were isolated in a wing of the adult penitentiary for 40 days. prgtoken The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights group got an attorney, Josh Spickler, who got the girl's bond set at a higher figure, but one that they were willing to make to get her out of jail. prgtoken Juveniles should not be put in adult facilities before they are convicted, and nobody should be put in safekeeping and put away like that when they don't need to be, and they can be incarcerated in a juvenile facility. I hope the Governor signs the bill and makes our Tennessee law more current.
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF KENNETH H. HOFMANN
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-5-18

I rise today to honor the life of Kenneth Harry Hofmann. I join his family and friends to celebrate his life and service to the community. prgtoken Born and raised in the Bay Area, Ken attended Fremont High School in Oakland, and went on to graduate from Merchant Marine Academy. He would later be known as a dynamic builder, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. prgtoken In 1957, Ken started the Hofmann Company, which by the mid-1980s had built more than 30,000 homes and apartments throughout the Bay Area. He was also a two-time president of the Building Industry Association, and co-owner of the A's and Seattle Seahawks. prgtoken A philanthropist in the community, Ken opened the De La Salle Academy, which provides a program--food, books, tutors--for underprivileged youth to help prepare them for high school. Ken was passionate about early childhood education and highlighted the importance of outdoor educational studies on nature, wetlands, and waterfowl protection in K-12 curriculums. prgtoken As a conservationist, Ken operated a ranch in the Sacramento Valley where he converted farmland to wetlands to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl and songbirds. He also proposed the Pacific Flyway Center, a major educational facility that will introduce the public to bird flight patterns and inspire environmental stewardship. prgtoken Ken will be remembered for his dedication to the Bay Area. He is survived by his wife, Jean, two daughters, and will be sincerely missed by everyone who knew him.
SHARING STUDENTS' ``MARCH FOR OUR LIVES'' REMARKS
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-5-18

on May 9, I came to the Floor and spoke about the March For Our Lives on March 24 and the nine extraordinarily poised students in Morristown, New Jersey, who spoke at the rally there, which I attended. I included in the Record remarks by Nile Burch. I hope my colleagues will read them and internalize the sense of fear in which our nation's students are living every day--and our responsibility as Members of Congress to do something to address this crisis of gun violence. March for Our Lives' Remarks (By Nile Burch) Hello and good morning! My name is Nile Birch and I am from Morristown High School. I would like to begin by thanking Ms. Bosrock for this incredible opportunity. I appreciate all of her support and help in making this possible. I am so proud to be representing my African-American and social activism club, Melanin Minds, at the march today. Melanin Minds consists of a group of united and ethnically diverse individuals dedicated towards raising awareness within our communities. Encouraging change is exactly what our club is about, and I am honored to speak to everyone today about the issue of gun violence on behalf of our president, Bella Simon. So why should I take such a vested interest in this issue? I can understand how it is a Constitutional right for people to own guns. But, as we've all come to realize, there is a lot of gray area in that. Nevertheless, that area should never include questioning public safety. If people choose to own guns, that is their prerogative, but in no way shape or form should their interest threaten the lives of anyone or anything else. Yet, the trouble I think we all experience is that the current laws we haveare nowhere strict enough to make people feel at ease. Then again, there is a fine line between feeling `at ease' and feeling `safe.' We do not need politicians to acknowledge what happened in past and recent school shootings. We need them to look at Columbine, Sandy Hook, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and countless others as an incentive to want to prevent more shootings from ever happening again. In simpler terms, we need to emphasize that it's okay to recognize what happened in the past as long as we use those events to carve out a pathway towards our future! To truly understand what it feels like to be safe, we must first realize what it is like to live in fear. As an African-American male, living in fear means wearing a hoodie and being scared to walk to the store for some skittles or an Arizona Iced Tea, or wanting to sell CDs. What I am saying is that having this angst festering inside of me every day is my reality, but it does not have to be yours too. School shootings? Children in school. A place wher
TRIBUTE TO THE JONES FAMILY, TRIPLE J ENTERPRISES, INC.
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Democrat, MP) \u2014 2018-5-18

Robert H. Jones, his wife Margaret A. Jones, and their family are known in the Marianas and throughout the Western Pacific for their successes in business. They are also known for the vision and heart with which they have used their personal successes for the benefit of the communities where they live and do business. prgtoken Born in North Carolina, Robert (``Bob'') Jones moved to Guam in 1957 to work for the company his brother Kenneth had started--Jones & Guerrero, Incorporated. Bob would work alongside Ken for the next 24 years, rising to be Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the company. prgtoken In 1984, though, he struck out on his own and established Triple J Enterprises on Guam, a reference to the Jones' three children--Julie, Jeff and Jay. Starting with a Subaru distributorship he bought from Ken the company did well, later venturing up two years later to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. prgtoken From the inception, it was a family business: Margaret did the buying, handled advertising and public relations, and was the company treasurer. Sister Georgia J. Stafford also lent prgtoken a hand when needed; and the children helped out cleaning cars and working in the parts and service departments. prgtoken At first, Triple J distributed Subaru automobiles, Hino heavy trucks and buses, and Bluebird school buses. As business grew they added the Ford, Mazda, Lincoln, Hyundai, Isuzu, Suzuki, Volvo, Honda, Acura, Kia and Mitsubishi brands to the company's automobile business portfolio. And when the children returned from college the business began expanding beyond automobiles and beyond Guam and the Northern Marianas. prgtoken In 1987, in alignment with Bob's visionary persona, Triple J began working in wholesale foods and retail grocery with a business on Ebeye in the Marshall Islands. Further expansion years later added nearby Majuro, where the company today continues to operate similar businesses. In 1998, the wholesale business would expand west to Palau along with a bakery, convenience store, and Shell service station. prgtoken Triple J would further diversify into the restaurant business beginning in the mid-1990s with the purchase of an Outback Steakhouse franchise on Guam and, later, Tony Roma's, Capricciosa, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and Great Harvest Bakery franchises on Saipan. Scheduled to open in 2019, a Red Lobster franchise restaurant now under development on Guam will be a new addition to the restaurant group. prgtoken In 1994, Triple J had a hand in negotiating the arrival of K-Mart on Guam. That store, bucking a national trend of closures, remains to this day one of the most successful K-Marts anywhere. prgtoken Into the new millennium, by 2005 Triple J had grown to be the fourth largest business in Micronesia, as ranked by the Guam Business Magazine. The Guam Chamber of Commerce named the company Business Laureate of the Year and inducted Triple J into the Guam Busi
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Matt Cartwright (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-5-18

I rise in opposition to this amendment, the Banks/Gosar amendment, as a clear threat to a bedrock protection of the American people of the Clean Water Rule. The Clean Water Rule guarantees clean drinking water for 117 million Americans. My constituents rely on the Clean Water Rule, which protects critical waterways like the Chesapeake Bay. prgtoken By eliminating this rule, we jeopardize the streams, headwaters, wetlands, and other bodies of water supporting critical wildlife ecosystems that naturally filter out pollution and provide essential, clean drinking water to a third of our Nation. prgtoken , the farm bill should be a tool for protecting Americans. It must not be used to poison their water. A vote for this amendment is a vote against clean water, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it.
HONORING THE LIFE OF LAWRENCE ``LARRY'' CLARK
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-5-18

I rise to celebrate the life of Lawrence ``Larry'' Clark--a beloved husband and former mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes--who passed away on May 2, 2018 at the age of 69. It was an honor for me to have known Larry. prgtoken Larry was born on January 19, 1949 in Orange, California. Larry double majored in both psychology and sociology at California State University, Fullerton. Later, Larry also received an MBA from California State University, Dominguez Hills. After graduating, Larry began a 40-year career with the federal government where he was able to work with several agencies such as the Air Force, the Department of Defense, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the communications and information systems field. Before being elected to the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council in 2001, Larry served on the View Commission and Planning Commission. Due to his passion to serve the public and his perseverance seen through his dedication and hard work, Larry was elected for a second term. While in his second term, he was appointed twice to the California State Coastal Commission. Larry was elected as mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes in 2008, and served for two years. prgtoken After retiring from the federal government in 2012, Larry was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Despite his diagnosis, Larry went on to volunteer with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), create the PanCAN Survivor Council, and serve on the Executive Committee for PurpleStride Los Angeles. In 2013, Larry received the Spirit of Hope award at the PanCAN's Evening with the Stars gala for his advocacy on behalf of the nonprofit organization and was shortly appointed one of five national ambassadors for PanCAN. Larry fought cancer with tremendous courage, grace and dignity. prgtoken Larry is survived by his wife of 24 years, Becky, and their two corgis Milo and Katie, whom I hope take comfort in the way Larry lived his life as a deeply thoughtful, compassionate and moral citizen. May his memory be a blessing to us all.
A BETTER DEAL: INFRASTRUCTURE
Paul Tonko (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-5-18

1 year ago this June, President announced that it was Infrastructure Week. He declared it again last August, and then again in February, when he rolled out a proposal that was about 15 percent the size of what he promised. And this week, well, you won't be surprised that it is Infrastructure Week again. prgtoken In a year and a half of the Presidency, we have had four Infrastructure Weeks, but no real infrastructure bill, no solution, and no problem solving. Many of our roads, bridges, pipes, electric lines, railroads, ports and airports need our help. They are crumbling, structurally unsound, or simply out of date. prgtoken Instead of being bold and proposing a plan like President Eisenhower did, our current President proposed selling off these critical public systems to the highest bidder and sticking local taxpayers with the rest of the bill. That is a bad deal. prgtoken have A Better Deal to rebuild America by putting our money where our mouth is, investing $1 trillion in helping to jump-start 16 million middle class construction jobs. That is a better deal. That is what America deserves.