mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Introductory Statement on S. 3155
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-6-28

I rise today to introduce the Protect Our Food From Phthalate Contamination Act. This bill would ban chemicals called ortho-phthalates from materials that come in contact with our food, because these phthalates have been found to actually leach into what we eat. prgtoken Phthalates have been known to interfere with the body's hormones, leading to a range of health concerns including reproductive harm. These chemicals have also been linked to learning and behavior problems in children and insulin resistance in adolescents and adults. prgtoken According to a recent study, individuals who regularly eat out had 30 percent higher phthalate levels. The findings for teenagers are particularly troubling, where testing showed phthalate levels 55 percent higher than people who ate at home. Enjoying a meal out or using packaged food to prepare meals on a busy schedule shouldn't come with the cost of chemical exposure that can cause harm. prgtoken We've already banned certain phthalates from children's toys due to serious health concerns, and now we need to remove the exposure through the food we eat. Phthalates can be found throughout the food supply chain, from the plastic gloves worn to handle food to the containers and wrappings used for packaging. prgtoken This legislation would specifically ban the type of phthalates, ortho-phthalates, currently being used in some food production and packaging, and require that any substance used as a replacement is also safe. The bill would implement the ban over the course of two years, so that companies have time to phase out these harmful chemicals. prgtoken This bill is supported by several health and consumer organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Earthjustice, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Health Strategy Center, Environmental Working Group, and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. prgtoken I appreciate the support of my colleague, Senator Blumenthal, who is an original cosponsor of the bill. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this important issue. Thank you and .
CELEBRATING THE 176TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARION MILITARY INSTITUTE
Terri A. Sewell (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2018-6-28

I rise today to congratulate Marion Military Institute on 176 years of service to our nation's Armed Forces. Located in the heart of Alabama's Black Belt, and only thirty minutes from my hometown of Selma, MMI is a pillar of the 7th Congressional District. Since its founding, MMI has achieved a national reputation for preparing young men and women for successful civilian and military careers. Marion Military Institute is one of only four military junior colleges in the United States, and is the nation's oldest military junior college, tracing its origin back to 1842 with the founding of Howard College in Marion, Alabama. MMI is also one of the first schools to establish a Student Government Association and a student honor system. Former President Howard Taft was the president of the board of trustees, and former president Woodrow Wilson was the keynote speaker of the convocation at MMI chapel in 1905. Marion Military Institute continued as a private high school and junior college until 2006, when the Alabama State Legislature incorporated the military institution into the Alabama Community College System. I was reminded of Marion Military Institute's legacy when I recently addressed the impressive Corps of 446 cadets. As our country's oldest military junior college, MMI has produced over 210 Generals and Admirals for our Armed Forces. I am also proud to say that there are 348 men and women MMI graduates in all five Service Academies. College students across the nation attend MMI to establish a strong foundation for their careers and to take advantage of its leadership development opportunities. Marion Military Institute teaches students to never give up, to push forward, and to excel in all of life's pursuits. In the student body, about 40 percent of the cadets will pursue a civilian career and are enrolled in the Leadership Education Program. Others are working toward receiving an appointment to one of the five U.S. Service Academies. Unique to the four military junior colleges is the Early Commissioning Program, which provides an opportunity for qualified students to earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant after receiving their associate's degree to serve in either the National Guard or the U.S. Army Reserve. Students also can enter the U.S. Marine Corps Program that allows students to work and train with a Selection Officer. Lastly, students can enter the Air Force ROTC, a program that is designed to give men and women the opportunity to become Air Force officers while completing their degrees. This summer, I was also pleased to have a wonderful Marion Military Institute graduate named Jordan Ceasar intern in my Washington, D.C. office. Jordan learned about a new side of public service as he assisted constituents, studied the legislative process, and learned how to advocate for policy reforms. Marion Military Institute has a strong history of developing our country's future lea
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTURE 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Democrat, MP) \u2014 2018-6-28

this year the Northern Mariana Islands Museum of History and Culture celebrates its 20th anniversary. prgtoken Our islands' only, locally-run museum is as much a tribute to the story of the people of the Marianas as it is to the resilience and determination of those who have led the Museum's operation. They have kept the Museum alive despite many years of inadequate funding, understaffing, and a destructive typhoon that could well have shut it down permanently. prgtoken The Museum is located in a 92-year-old hospital built during the time the Northern Marianas were under the administration of Japan. The structure itself is an artifact of our history, and before its renovation looked the part. Its concrete, paint-less exterior told the story of war and every typhoon that has passed through our islands in the last century. prgtoken Today, within the Museum a visitor can view artifacts from the time of the ancient Chamorro people, and of the Spanish, German, and Japanese occupations that descended upon us. prgtoken These artifacts, and the paintings and photographs that are part of the displays, tell the story of how our people survived, adapted, and thrived throughout our history. They--and other objects stored away in the Museum--are lovingly preserved by their local conservators, who exhibit a profound dedication to keeping the memories of our people alive. prgtoken The NMI Museum of History and Culture is an independent program of our Governor's Office. Sadly, the facility fell on hard times in the mid-2000s, when massive budget cuts forced the lay-off of most staff. At this low point, the Museum had only one employee, whose availability determined when the museum would open and close. As a result, many a visitor was turned away who could have experienced the history of the Chamorro people. prgtoken In 2015, the Marianas were hit by Typhoon Soudelor, the most devastating typhoon in decades. That terrible storm could well have meant the end for our Museum. The typhoon left many artifacts damaged, the roof leaking, mold along the walls, floors flooded, and much of the plumbing a wreck. And the museum was forced to close its doors to visitors--indefinitely. prgtoken Into this scene of destruction a new energy arrived in the person of Mr. Danny Aquino. Appointed Executive Director last year, Mr. Aquino was tasked with the grueling repair of the museum. prgtoken And more help was on the way. An outpouring of financial and material support from IT&E, Saipan Stevedore, Saipan Shipping, CMS Trucking, Soudelor Corporation, Tropical Gardens, Tan Holdings, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, McDonald's of Saipan, Tasi Tours and other local businesses, a $55,000 appropriation from the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation, and $50,000 from the Marianas Visitors Authority gave Aquino and his team the funds to start repairs. prgtoken Help from the staff of the Mayor of Saipan also moved the work along at a faster pace. Th
INSISTING DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COMPLY WITH REQUESTS AND SUBPOENAS
Adam B. Schiff (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-6-28

I rise in opposition to this resolution. If this was oversight, I would be in strong support of any effort to seek production, but it is not. prgtoken This is not oversight. It is collaboration with the Executive masquerading as oversight. Or if this is oversight, it is oversight of the most obsequious kind. prgtoken It is oversight in the nature of: How may we serve you, dear President? It is oversight that asks: What is your will, dear President? It is oversight that says: We are not worthy, dear President. prgtoken It is oversight that says: We shall seek, but you shall find, , because what we obtained we shall provide to your legal defense team, or we shall selectively leak or misrepresent in your service. prgtoken It is oversight in the nature of not desiring an outcome, not desiring the production of documents, but, rather, the production of a fight, the production of a pretext to give the dear President a pretext to fire Rod Rosenstein or Bob Mueller. prgtoken I have served on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence now for almost a decade, and while I cannot disclose the number of FISA applications during the course of those 10 years, I can tell you the number of times that my colleagues have sought the underlying investigatory materials behind a specific FISA application, and that number is one. That case is this case, and that case just happens to implicate our dear President. prgtoken It is not that there are no areas that call out for oversight right now. There are too many to count. Why is it that after sanctioning ZTE for violating Iran sanctions and violating North Korea sanctions, the President abruptly changed course out of an ostensible concern for Chinese jobs? Is it because the Chinese invested $500 million in a -branded property? That is worthy of oversight. prgtoken Is the First Family seeking to do business with Gulf or other allies while making U.S. policy? Is U.S. policy for sale? That is worthy of oversight. prgtoken Is the President seeking to raise postal rates on Amazon to punish The Washington Post and suppress the freedom of press? That is worthy of oversight. prgtoken But none of this is oversight. Boehner recently said that the Party was off taking a nap somewhere. If that is so, then despite the best efforts of our capable ranking member, Elijah Cummings, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee that should be doing this oversight is in the midst of the deepest slumber. prgtoken Wake up, my colleagues, and do your jobs. Wake up and end this duplicitous attack on the Department of Justice and the FBI and our special counsel because this is surely not oversight. It is not what oversight looks like. But it is what an attack on the rule of law looks like. It is what happens when we whittle away our democracy one piece by terrible piece. prgtoken When this chapter of our history is written, it will condemn the actions of a Presid
LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH RESOLUTION
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-6-28

I am proud to stand in the House of Representatives today to announce the reintroduction of the LGBTQ Pride prgtoken Month resolution. This resolution encourages the celebration of the month of June as LGBTQ Pride Month. prgtoken I am very proud to say that we are introducing this resolution because we want to commemorate the historic Stonewall uprising that took place at the Stonewall Inn in New York City on June 28, 1969. prgtoken The resolution has 95 original cosponsors, and I would dearly like to call each name; but, of course, time doesn't permit, and I might omit a name. So, , please know that it is well supported, and I am proud to have talked to a good many of the cosponsors who are very proud to be associated with this resolution. prgtoken , this resolution celebrates the accomplishments of many persons in the LGBTQ community, among them, Mayor Annise Parker, who was the first lesbian elected as mayor of the City of Houston--and who did an outstanding job, I might add. prgtoken It also celebrates the hard work of the transgender community and what it has done to spread awareness about tolerance and inclusion to make sure all people are celebrated in this great country. prgtoken It recognizes the protesters who stood for human rights and dignity at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969. It recognizes them as some of the pioneers of the movement. prgtoken The resolution celebrates the creation of gay rights organizations in major cities in the aftermath of the Stonewall uprising. It highlights the importance of the American Psychiatric Association removing homosexuality from its list of mental illnesses in December of 1973. prgtoken I want to pause and just say a word about this this was a significant accomplishment. It might seem like a small thing to a good many people, but when your very being is defined as a mental illness, and that is removed, it means something to people. It means that people can be themselves and not thought to be ill. So I am very proud to highlight this and the importance of it. prgtoken It recognizes Elaine Noble as the first LGBTQ candidate elected to a State legislature in 1974, and Barney Frank, whom I had the honor of serving with in the House of Representatives on the Financial Services Committee, as the first Representative to come out as an openly gay Member of the Congress of the United States in 1987. prgtoken It highlights the importance of the Civil Service Commission eliminating the ban on hiring homosexuals in most Federal jobs in 1975. Imagine not being hired simply because of who you are. prgtoken It celebrates Harvey Milk having made national headlines when he was sworn in as an openly gay member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. prgtoken It also highlights the importance of 1980, the ic Convention, where took a stance in support of gay rights. prgtoken It celebrates Vermont becoming the first State to legally recognize civil unions betwe
INSISTING DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COMPLY WITH REQUESTS AND SUBPOENAS
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-6-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , this so-called resolution of insistence is being rushed to the floor as an emergency measure. prgtoken There are many emergencies facing the United States at this hour. The subject matter of this resolution is not among them. prgtoken This resolution is wrong on the facts, wrong on the law, wrong on the rules, and a dangerous precedent to set for the House of Representatives. prgtoken First, the resolution is riddled with inaccuracies. Taking this document at face value, you might think that the Department of Justice had not already sent us hundreds of thousands of documents, many of which the sponsors of this resolution delight in leaking to the public. prgtoken It also relies heavily on the March 22 subpoena issued by Chairman Goodlatte, a subpoena that was not issued in compliance with House rules, and that, according to past House counselors with whom we have consulted, likely cannot be enforced. prgtoken Second, this resolution is premised on a demand for documents to which Congress is not entitled and which the Justice Department cannot give. prgtoken To be clear, I firmly believe that when the House Judiciary Committee asks the executive branch for information, our committee is entitled to that information in almost every case. But we are not entitled to information that goes to the core of an ongoing criminal investigation. prgtoken This prohibition is both a matter of constitutional law, as it falls to the executive branch to enforce the law, and a matter of basic fairness. It is wrong to inject politics into criminal proceedings. prgtoken I suspect that the sponsors of this resolution already know this. They are asking for documents that they know they will probably never receive, and they likely view this impossible request as a win-win proposition. prgtoken If they somehow bully the Department of Justice into turning over materials that go to the core of Special Counsel Mueller's investigation, that information could be and probably would be shared with the subject of the investigation, namely, President . Indeed, Mayor Giuliani has hinted exactly that. Based on past precedent, that information would next be shared with anybody watching FOX News. prgtoken If they do not pry these documents from the Department, they will use that fact to further smear the special counsel, the Deputy Attorney General, and anyone else investigating the President. They have even suggested impeaching the Deputy Attorney General, a proposal that is both without historical precedent and patently ridiculous. prgtoken The real purpose of this resolution, and of this whole attempt, is to cast aspersions, is to defame the special prosecutor, the special counsel, and the people associated with him, the Deputy Attorney General. prgtoken Finally, voting on this resolution today sets a dangerous precedent. The majority will, in effect, have shown the American people that pure
RECOGNIZING AND COMMENDING JON TAITANO ON BEING CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE'S TWELVE OUTSTANDING AIRMEN OF THE YEAR
Madeleine Z. Bordallo (Democrat, GU) \u2014 2018-6-28

I rise today to congratulate Senior Airman Jon Taitano, a combat communications specialist and client systems technician at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. Senior Airman Taitano was recognized this weekend as one of the U.S. Air Force's Twelve Outstanding Airmen of the Year. prgtoken Airman Taitano was nominated by his unit, the 644th Combat Communications Squadron, for his superior leadership, job performance, and personal achievements. The 644th CCS is part of the 36th Contingency Response Group in Andersen Air Force Base's 36th Wing and is positioned to rapidly deploy combat ready Airmen and communications in support of Pacific Theater contingencies. prgtoken Senior Airman Taitano's work maintaining and troubleshooting classified and unclassified combat communications systems is critical to our national defense and the protection of Guam and the strategic military assets based there. I speak on behalf of the people of Guam when I say we are immensely proud to see a University of Guam graduate like Senior Airman Taitano recognized as one of the top performers in the U.S. Air Force.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-6-28

. Mr. Chair, today, I will vote against H.R. 6157, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019. prgtoken The legislation includes several provisions that I strongly support, including giving servicemen and women a well-deserved raise of 2.6 percent. Those who serve in uniform have made extraordinary sacrifices for our country and have earned and deserve a pay raise. It also includes funding for Ukraine and Eastern Europe security initiatives to counter Russia's heightened military provocations and annexation of Crimea. prgtoken Despite these important initiatives, I have strong concerns with H.R. 6157. This legislation authorizes more than $674 billion, including $68 billion to the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund, an account which is not counted in the budget and is not paid for. It adds to the deficit and is used as a slush fund by the Pentagon. prgtoken Unlike every other federal agency, the Department of Defense (DOD) has yet to complete a financial audit; taxpayers deserve to know how the biggest bureaucracy in the federal government spends their money. In fact, a shocking report released in December 2016 exposed $125 billion in waste that the Pentagon tried to hide from the public. prgtoken I refuse to support increased bureaucratic waste at the expense of American taxpayers and our men and women in uniform. A more accountable and transparent department would ensure taxpayer dollars are directed towards the needs of our troops and the benefits they deserve, rather than buying unnecessary weapon systems and giving the president a blank check to fund wars Congress hasn't authorized. prgtoken I have always advocated for maintaining Congress's constitutionally- confirmed prerogative to declare war under the War Powers Act and limiting the President's authority to engage in armed conflict without the consent of Congress. I strongly oppose this legislation's continued funding for armed conflicts and wars that are not congressionally approved. The Pentagon uses the 2001 Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF) to continue to justify the 17 years our troops have been fighting in the Middle East. President has sent troops to Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere without seeking a new AUMF, a violation of the War Powers Act. prgtoken Additionally, the bill prohibits the closing of Guantanamo Bay, which costs more than $100 million each year to house 41 prisoners and has been used as a top recruiting tool by terrorists. The prison at Guantanamo Bay has been a black eye for the United States, has eroded relationships with our allies, undermined U.S. missions abroad, and put U.S. citizens and our troops at risk of retaliation. prgtoken Congress can make responsible cuts to our defense budget without jeopardizing the safety of our troops or undermining our national security. Fiscal responsibility and accountability at the Pentagon would allow for funds to be better spent supporting the basic needs of our
SUBSTANCE USE-DISORDER PREVENTION THAT PROMOTES OPIOID RECOVERY AND TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACT
Keith Ellison (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-6-28

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the bipartisan legislation, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6). This legislation includes several provisions which would improve access to health care and treatment services for low-income and at-risk Minnesotans. prgtoken In particular, I support allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe treatment for opioid use disorder, and increasing providers who can prescribe buprenorphine. These policies are particularly important for those living with addiction in Greater Minnesota and urban areas facing shortages or lack in treatment facilities and physicians. The legislation also includes provisions that ensure foster and incarcerated youth are covered under Medicaid and do not experience gaps in coverage and care. prgtoken I am committed to ensuring prevention and substance use treatment programs are properly funded, and all Americans have access to the services they need to live a sustainable and healthy life. We need solutions to these problems facing some of the most vulnerable Americans, and although H.R. 6 doesn't address all the issues we face in this crisis, it is a step in the right direction. However, Congress must continue to fund programs to support all communities impacted by the opioid epidemic.
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CORRECTIVE ORDER
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2018-6-28

's ``corrective'' order no longer separating children from parents takes families out of the fire of separation and throws them into the inferno of unlimited detention on military bases. Thus 's zero tolerance policy stands, costing the government untold millions required to be spent for meals, air conditioning, libraries, private showers, medical, dental, and mental health. prgtoken There are no good options when families enter the country seeking asylum, but herding them together in internment camps is the worst of those available. prgtoken That is why past administrations have released the detainees with ankle bracelets and frequent contacts, with the overwhelming majority of detainees reporting back. The courts are likely to order a similar remedy. prgtoken It is time for the administration to look at practices that have worked instead of inventing inhumane ones that don't.