mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING DALE ELDRIDGE KAYE
Eric Swalwell (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-19

I rise to recognize Dale Eldridge Kaye of Livermore, California on her retirement. Dale has lived in the Tri-Valley for 17 years and has worked tirelessly to develop our community. prgtoken Prior to moving to California, Dale was involved in the Florida state government. She utilized her keen marketing skills to develop media strategies, execute presidential advance work, and to help bring the Super Bowl to Jacksonville in 2005. As Head of the Jacksonville Public Relations Department, Dale's exceptional marketing work for the Jacksonville Jazz Festival was nationally recognized by PBS. She continued to cultivate her love of the arts after moving to California as Vice President of the film company Gold'N Hen Productions in Los Angeles before moving to the Tri-Valley. prgtoken Upon moving to the Tri-Valley, Dale became the President and CEO of the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce and Livermore Valley Film Commission. While at the Chamber, she helped promote Livermore businesses and began her work to attract top talent to the Tri-Valley area. One of her greatest accomplishments with the Chamber was the creation of the annual Innovation Forum. Each year this event attracts hundreds of business influencers and showcases innovative local companies. prgtoken After 12 years with the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce, Dale founded the Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group. Utilizing the industry relationships she cultivated with the Chamber and her passion for business development and marketing, Dale transformed the brand and perception of the Tri-Valley. She has brought together 60 partner organizations, 25 board members, and 90 committee members to work towards the common goal of expanding the national influence of Tri- Valley innovators. prgtoken With Innovation Tri-Valley Dale launched both the annual ``#GameChangers'' Awards for business leaders and the ``DreamMakers and RiskTakers'' Awards for youth. Both of these events engage civic leaders and award local innovators for their groundbreaking work. Additionally, she was instrumental in launching the landmark ``Tri- Valley Rising'' report, which highlights the region's economic strengths and promise. Her advocacy and marketing efforts have assisted the Tri-Valley in becoming recognized, as Innovation Tri-Valley calls it, as ``The Heart of California Innovation.'' prgtoken Dale has made an indelible mark on the Tri-Valley business community, and I am grateful to have worked with her to better California's 15th Congressional District. I want to congratulate Dale on a long and successful career. I also want to wish her and her husband Ted, who has been her faithful partner during her tremendous work for the Tri- Valley, all the best in Dale's retirement.
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT A CARBON TAX WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY
Judy Chu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-19

I rise in strong opposition to H. Con. Res. 119. This resolution is nothing more than an election year stunt by s to distract from the growing list of issues they failed to address this Congress. prgtoken Let me be clear: This vote is a sham. If s truly wanted to debate the merits of a carbon tax, they would allow the Ways and Means Committee to hold hearings with expert testimony and robust discussion. In fact, multiple members of our committee have already introduced bills that tackle the ever-pressing issue of climate change, which is impacting the health and well-being of American families and future generations more and more each day. prgtoken This is not just a ic concern either. There is even a carbon tax bill expected to be introduced in the coming days. prgtoken Instead, here we are, wasting what little time we have left this Congress, debating a pointless resolution while there are urgent problems waiting to be resolved. Congress should be passing legislation to address the double-digit increases in healthcare premiums caused by the repeal of the individual mandate by the GOP tax scam or reuniting immigrant children with their parents. prgtoken The fact is, , this vote is a wasted opportunity and just another example of s placing political expedience over regular order. prgtoken As a member of both the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition and the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, I would love to participate in a real debate about how we can address climate change. My constituents are clamoring for us to act. But if s are going to continue to ignore and deny the existence of this crisis, the least they can do here, in Congress, is to use this time to legislate, not electioneer.
SOVEREIGNTY OF TRIBES IN OUR NATION
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-19

the United States Constitution defines Tribes in our Nation as sovereign governments with a unique relationship with the United States Federal Government. Many treaties and Supreme Court cases show legal precedent that they are sovereign nations, and the United States has a trust responsibility to ensure they have Social Services like healthcare in exchange for taking their land. prgtoken The administration is not recognizing the legal right Tribes have. They are solely considering Tribes as a racial group as their justification to impose Medicaid work requirements that we know will disproportionately result in less healthcare for Native Americans. This is wrong, illegal, and a dangerous precedent. prgtoken What happened to the treaties our government signed? What happened to the Federal trust responsibility? And what other social and legal responsibility will they negate next? prgtoken I will not stand by and watch the sovereignty of our Nation's first people attacked, and neither should you, .
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Executive Session)
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-7-19

I join my colleague from Arizona in briefly remarking on my regret that our resolution was not adopted today. prgtoken It does call for the full implementation of mandatory sanctions as discussed at some length. It does not call for the reckless implementation of mandatory sanctions. prgtoken There is a significant range of sanctions already provided for in this law, adopted 98 to 2 by this body, that have not yet been adopted. I recognize that this resolution, standing strong behind the Department of Justice, the intelligence community, and its ongoing investigation is, as was referenced, a symbolic act, but there are moments when symbolism and standing together are important. prgtoken I look forward to continuing to work closely with my colleague and friend from Arizona to ensure that this resolution is adopted, that the American people and the men and women of our Federal law enforcement agencies and our intelligence community understand that this body strongly supports them and their work and sees clearly the ongoing and continuing threat to prgtoken our democracy posed by President Putin and Putin's Russia. prgtoken Thank you.
FREE WILLIAM NGUYEN
Jimmy Gomez (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-19

William Nguyen is a 32-year-old from my district. His graduation from graduate school was last week, but he missed it because he was jailed while vacationing in Vietnam, imprisoned after taking part in a peaceful demonstration. prgtoken I am here to stand up for my constituent and ask that he be treated humanely. This young man is a son, brother, and a friend to many. I see his passion for justice in the millennials I represent. Will is part of a generation that cares deeply about the world beyond our borders. They are advocates for the most vulnerable, voices for the voiceless, and now William needs our voices. He needs our collective resolve to help him through this difficult time. prgtoken Will's case has unified and s to work together on his behalf. For weeks, we have done everything to build diplomatic efforts needed to bring him home. Today, I am asking all Americans, regardless of their politics, to join us in supporting the Nguyen family. Keep them in your thoughts, in your hearts, and in your prayers.
HEALTHCARE
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-7-19

I am proud of the advancements we have made in healthcare in this country--advancements that have been made, including those in the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken At lunch today we had an opportunity to see one of the faces of the progress that we have made. Elena Hung brought her daughter to our caucus lunch today, and we had a chance to see how a young girl has been able to literally survive as a result of the coverage provided under our healthcare system. prgtoken Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, we have found that more and more Americans have not only been able to get health insurance but they have been able to get quality health insurance that covers their essential health benefits and provides them protection against discriminatory insurance company practices. We are clearly moving to where healthcare is a right, not a privilege. prgtoken I say that fully aware that President 's policies have reversed some of this progress and that he is trying to reverse even more of this progress. The President's policies have sabotaged the individual marketplace. As a result, we have seen significant premium increases caused by actions taken by the administration in eliminating the individual responsibility, not providing the cost-sharing, and making it difficult for reinsurance to take place. All those add to the instability within the individual marketplace, turning it into more of a high-risk pool, increasing premiums, and causing a lot of insurance companies to wonder whether they should be in that market at all. prgtoken Recently, the administration went one step further--and I would hope all Americans would be very much outraged--and that is the protection against preexisting conditions that were included in insurance policies prior to the adoption of the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken With regard to preexisting conditions, most of us have some form of preexisting condition. You may have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, heart condition, or diabetes. You may have had cancer, or you may have had behavioral health issues. All of those are preexisting conditions. prgtoken According to a recent study by Health and Human Services, there are as many as 133 million Americans, nonelderly, who would qualify for preexisting conditions and would be subject to discriminatory actions by private insurance companies if the protections under the Affordable Care Act were to vanish. prgtoken In my own State of Maryland, that number is about 2.5 million Americans, nonelderly, that could be subject to discriminatory practices by insurance companies--320,000 of whom are children. prgtoken In June 2018, President 's administration broke a longstanding tradition and practice in this country and announced that it would not defend the court challenge to the Affordable Care Act. In the case of Texas v. United States, not only did the administration say that they would not in
EULOGY FOR MARY ELLEN SHEA
John B. Larson (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-7-19

I had the privilege and honor of working with Mary Ellen Shea over the years. She was an extraordinary woman, loved by all at the Connecticut State Capitol. I include in the Record this obituary, written by her daughter, Mary Frances Shea. My mom loved my dad. And he loved her. But before that she was born in 1932 in Hartford, to a single young mother. It was a bit unconventional for the times . . . but with the help of her grandfather she found, in her school and friends, something she was good at. She used her ample personality, unique style and insightful vision to draw people to her and with these gifts and she gave her life some structure. She loved the friends she would gather throughout her high school and college years. She was drawn to people with fun, outgoing and stable lives. She was nothing if not practical, easy to entertain and driven to make something happen. It was in this atmosphere that she met my dad, Bob. She was even-handed and spirited. He was a planner and a ``don't sweat the small stuff'' guy. He really made her laugh . . . always. Even this week in the hospital. He was always going for the laugh with her and he got it . . . often. Her laugh and ``Oh Bob'' was a constant in their home and our lives. First they were a good team. And then team leaders. There are 5 of us. The starting 5. Tom is smart like her. She was captured by Tommy. As a little boy he charmed her, he made her think. She was always listening for that thing he was going to say that was smarter and funnier and really sly. He is clever enough to savagely mimic her and get away with it while she laughed and laughed. She lit up when Tommy came into the room. None of the rest of us had that. He was the first and that was something. When I was 6 she took me out to the back yard where we had a huge lilac bush. She cut a big bunch of them and I can smell the sumptuous smell right now. You can too. She wrapped them in wet paper towels and put a string around them. She gave them to me to bring to my teacher for the last day. Many of you know my mom spent years as a teacher. She told me to say ``thank you for teaching me''. I love that memory because it comes with an aroma. It is the aroma of love and gratitude. What a lesson. Tim is her middle child. He is so much like her in that he takes care to make sure that everything is running smoothly, that everyone is okay, that the trains are running on time. He is a planner and, he, too is practical. He is the perfect combination of my dad and my mom. The middle. She counted on him. She felt great pride in his success as a family man. She loved his wife, Laura. She was awestruck and amazed by his charity and his kind
Trump-Putin Summit (Executive Session)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-7-19

I rise today to discuss what is on so many Americans' minds today and the last couple of days--President 's recent trip to Europe, his meeting with Vladimir Putin, and his comments about Russia's interference in our elections. prgtoken So many Pennsylvanians--and I am sure this is true in every other State--have called or written to our office this week in complete disbelief asking: What is next? Where do we go from here? prgtoken These are good questions. They are critically important questions. prgtoken This President's views on Russia's past actions and the way forward have seemed to change every day this week. prgtoken Rather than focus on the news cycle following the Helsinki summit, I want to take a minute to review where things stood before--before--the President went to Europe. prgtoken Relations between the United States and Russia have been deteriorating for some time. We know that. The Russian Federation is clearly and unequivocally our adversary. Vladimir Putin envisions a world more closely resembling the Cold War era, certainly, than compared to today's realities, and he works toward a resurgence of Russian power and influence every day. prgtoken Just take a few examples. Russia attacked, annexed, and continues to illegally occupy Crimea. Russian-backed forces continue to violate cease-fire agreements in Ukraine and destabilize other parts of that country, preventing the Ukrainian people from fulfilling their dream of a secure and prosperous nation. prgtoken Russia is backing and enabling the murderous Assad regime in Syria. The conflict has emboldened terrorist groups, had dramatic humanitarian impacts, and has threatened the region's stability. As many as a half million people have been killed, and half the country has been displaced. prgtoken Just imagine if half of our population, say 150 million people, were displaced from their homes, sometimes to another part of the country and sometimes to a completely different country. That is the reality in Syria since prgtoken 2011, and Russia has prolonged and exacerbated the Syrian people's suffering for its own power projection. prgtoken No. 4, Russia is also developing a stronger relationship with the Iranian regime and is reportedly considering arms sales and boosting their economic relationship. This threatens not only our national security interests in the Middle East but also those security interests of our staunchest ally, Israel. prgtoken Finally, Russia continues to have a substantial nuclear arsenal. It has violated the INF Treaty, and according to the Defense Department, is developing low-yield, nonstrategic nuclear weapons that could threaten our allies and partners. prgtoken Russia uses any number of tools, from manipulation of the energy supply to arms sales, to loans and aid to promote its brand of corrupt authoritarian governance around the world. It also employs nefarious means like hacking, espionage, and sowing false in
60TH ANNIVERSARY OF CORDOVA RECREATION AND PARK DISTRICT
Ami Bera (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-19

I rise today to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Cordova Recreation and Park District. Established by popular vote of the residents in 1958, the Cordova Recreation and Park District (CRPD) now serves approximately 120,000 residents in Sacramento County. In 1962, the CRPD opened Cordova Community Center within Cordova Community Park, one of its first three parks. Both the park and the center were renamed after Paul Hagan, the first Administrator of the CRPD. It was Mr. Hagan's idea to open a community center located close to schools in the area so that the center could be mutually supportive of the schools with their programs and facilities. Under Mr. Hagan's leadership, the CRPD expanded from three parks to six, doubling in size. The co-location of schools and parks became a model for California and the rest of the country. The CRPD currently operates over 40 parks and facilities and they most recently opened Heron Landing Community Park in 2017 I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Cordova Recreation and Park District on 60 years of outstanding contributions to our community, and wish them luck as they continue to grow and provide safe spaces for future generations of Sacramento County residents.
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT A CARBON TAX WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-19

I thank the ranking member for yielding. prgtoken , let's be real clear. There is not a carbon tax bill before us today. This is a political stunt, and this stunt comes at the same time that the majority is undermining access to affordable healthcare for all our constituents. prgtoken They are working with this administration to sabotage the healthcare marketplaces and drive up prices, legislating away coverage and protections for our constituents. They have gutted resources that help people enroll in the plans that are best for them. They are expanding junk healthcare plans that don't provide care if you are sick or injured, that can charge more for preexisting conditions, that charge more for older people. prgtoken Their scam of a tax bill eliminated the individual mandate, driving healthier folks away from coverage. That means risk can't be spread and prices go up. Kids born with heart problems or young adults diagnosed with cancer will pay a penalty for the rest of their lives. prgtoken On top of all of that, the administration has frozen the risk adjustment payments, which prevent insurance companies from cherry- picking only the healthiest people to cover. prgtoken According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, sabotage efforts will increase the cost of health insurance by as much as 24 percent this year alone. prgtoken These are some of the issues that are hurting the middle class now, and these are some of the issues that we should be focusing on. We should be holding hearings on these issues. prgtoken If you have concerns with other issues, have hearings on them. But don't bring some political malarkey on the floor and pretend that we are doing something for the American people. prgtoken This is a failure by the majority party. We should be working for our constituents on real bills that are before us now.
CONCLUSION OF MORNING BUSINESS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2018-7-23

today this Chamber will take an important step to ensure that we have leadership in the Department of Veterans Affairs to oversee the implementation of historic reforms that we passed in May to improve the VA's healthcare delivery system and provide veterans with more choices and fewer barriers to care. prgtoken We will vote on the nomination of Robert Wilkie to serve as Secretary of the VA. Having served our Nation in uniform, as well as experiencing military life as the son of a wounded combat soldier, Robert Wilkie's extensive career in a wide range of defense and veterans issues makes him uniquely qualified to serve as the next Secretary of the VA. He clearly understands the complexities associated with serving our Nation and the importance of taking care of veterans. prgtoken I am grateful for Robert Wilkie's willingness to serve as the next Secretary of the VA. I urge my colleagues to follow the example of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, which overwhelmingly advanced his nomination to the Senate in a bipartisan way. Having served as Acting Secretary of the VA, Robert Wilkie is well aware of the challenges facing the Department. prgtoken Accepting responsibility to oversee the implementation of reforms passed by Congress, including the VA MISSION Act, to update its medical records system, to expand support for our women veterans, and to reduce the disability claims backlog, are just a few of those issues that he will need to tackle. prgtoken To accomplish all of this, he will have to change the culture at the VA. Serving as the Secretary of the VA is a huge undertaking, but one that he has committed to me that he wholeheartedly accepts. The Senate VA Committee and my office are ready and willing to help him and the VA succeed in their mission. prgtoken Congress has given the VA the tools to provide our veterans with quality care and to improve the benefits they have earned. Now the Department needs his leadership to implement and to carry out these changes. Under the leadership of future Secretary Wilkie, the VA can reestablish a nonpartisan approach to serving veterans. prgtoken Our veterans must be our top priority. I am confident that Robert Wilkie will provide the leadership the VA needs to better serve our veterans. prgtoken .
TRIBUTE TO BETHANY RAVER
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-7-23

I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Bethany for her hard work as an intern at the Senate Policy Committee. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming. prgtoken Bethany is a native of Casper. She is a student at Casper College, where she is studying business administration. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. prgtoken I want to thank Bethany for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.