mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TECHNICAL SERGEANT VIRGIL POE, ONE OF THE GREATEST GENERATION
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-11-15

born in the 1920s, he grew up in the Depression of the 1930s poor, just like many American children in the rural areas. prgtoken Fresh vegetables were grown in the family garden behind the small frame house, and his mother made sandwiches for school out of homemade bread. Store-bought bread was for the rich. He grew up belonging to the Boy Scouts, playing the trumpet in high school band, raising rabbits and bees, and he went to church on most Sundays. prgtoken In 1944, this 18-year-old country boy who had never been more than 50 miles from home finally found himself going through basic training in the United States Army at Camp Wolters, Texas. After that, he rode the train with hundreds of other American GIs--mostly teenagers, really--to New York City for an ocean trip on a cramped Liberty ship to fight in the great World War II. prgtoken As a soldier in the Seventh Army, he went from France on to survive the Battle of the Bulge and through the cities of Aachen, Stuttgart, Cologne, and Bonn. prgtoken As a teenager, he saw the concentration camps and the victims of the Nazis. He saw incredible numbers of other teenage Americans buried in graves throughout France, a sobering monument to those soldiers at Normandy. prgtoken After Germany surrendered, Tech Sergeant Virgil Poe went back to Fort Hood, Texas, to be reequipped for the invasion of Japan. He was put on a train going to Seattle from where he was supposed to be sent to the South Pacific; but he learned when he arrived in Seattle that Japan had surrendered, so he was ordered back to Fort Hood, Texas. It was there that he met Mom at a Wednesday night prayer meeting service at the Church of Christ. prgtoken It has only been in the last 10 or 15 years that this GI, my father, began to talk about World War II. He still would not say much, except he does say that young Americans are still buried in France and they are the heroes. prgtoken After the war, he opened a DX service station, where he pumped gas, sold tires, fixed cars, and began a family. Deciding he needed to go to college, he moved to west Texas and enrolled in a small Christian college called Abilene Christian College. prgtoken He and his wife and two small children lived in an old converted Army barracks with other such families, and he supported us by working nights at KRBC Radio and climbing telephone poles for Ma Bell, later known as Southwestern Bell. prgtoken He finished college, became an engineer, and worked over 40 years at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in Houston, Texas. He turned down a promotion to transfer to New York City because it wasn't Texas, and he said ``it was no place to raise a family.'' prgtoken Dad instilled in my sister and me the values of being a neighbor, loving our country, loving our heritage, and trusting in the Good Lord. He still gets mad at the East Coast media. He flies the flag on holidays. He goes to church on Sunday, and he takes Mom out to eat almost eve
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 65
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-11-15

I want to thank the ranking member for his comments, his friendship, and welcome him back. I look forward to his leadership on foreign policy issues for many years. prgtoken I share his views. I have concerns about the trajectory that Saudi Arabia is on right now. I have concerns about the war in Yemen. We have had hearings. We have people on our committee who are trying to take steps to deal with the war in Yemen. prgtoken Obviously, we are very upset with what has happened with the journalist. I think a price needs to be paid. The administration today sent out notice that they were sanctioning 17 individuals who were involved. Hopefully, additional steps will be made. prgtoken I asked for a high-level briefing with Mattis, Pompeo, and Gina Haspel to come in as soon as we get back, to share with us what is happening with Saudi Arabia on both fronts, both Yemen and what is happening as it relates to the journalist who was assassinated, in my opinion, at the direction of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. I have a lot of concerns. prgtoken I think when you have concerns, though, you address those concerns to the people you have concerns with. Bahrain is not one of those. Bahrain certainly has had some issues with human rights, and we have dealt with those. It is a city state in the Persian Gulf where we have 7,800 men and women in uniform who are protecting our interests there, who are a buffer against Iran. prgtoken For us to block sales, offensive sales, to the country of Bahrain that is housing one of our most important naval bases over something that has nothing to do with them but has something to do with another country is not a pragmatic nor a sensible step. I hope we will oppose this. I think we will. prgtoken I understand the frustrations of the Senator from Kentucky. I do. He shared those many times in the Foreign Relations Committee. I do understand those, but it seems to me that taking something out on a country that is unrelated to what is happening is a very inappropriate and not a mature step for the U.S. Senate to take, and hopefully we will defeat this. prgtoken .
HONORING THE LIFE OF DAMON P. NELSON
Ken Calvert (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-11-15

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise to honor my friend Damon Nelson, who led the House Intelligence Committee staff on the committee very well. He passed away unexpectedly, as mentioned by Congressman Nunes, this past Saturday at the age of 46. prgtoken As many have known, Damon was a long-time friend and staff member of Congressman Devin Nunes. Over time, Damon became close with many us here. I got to know Damon through my work on California water policy. prgtoken There is a saying, ``Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting,'' and that certainly was true when it comes to water in the West, and it continues to be. However, Damon showed a unique talent for mediating complex water issues, keeping the confidence of the stakeholders involved. prgtoken He became an expert on California water, mentoring staff and Members on the issue. Without a doubt, he was one of the most gifted, intelligent, articulate negotiators on a very complex issue that transcended political parties, regions, and, oftentimes, common sense. prgtoken He took this rare set of skills to his next role as staff director for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. As one of the appropriators assigned to HPSCI, I was fortunate to be able to continue to work with Damon. Just as he demonstrated on California water, Damon took the helm of the committee with ease and guided it through some of the most challenging times the committee has faced. He did all of this with a smile and the confidence that he was working toward something greater than himself. prgtoken His presence will be deeply missed on the committee and in Congress. I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, Dana, and to his entire family, including my good friend, Devin. prgtoken Damon served his country honorably in the United States Air Force, was a veteran of the Gulf War, and was an American patriot. He came to D.C. to make a difference, and he did. prgtoken Godspeed, Damon. We are grateful for your service, and we will honor your memory.
TRIBUTE TO DR. DOTTY MERRILL
Dean Heller (Republican, NV) \u2014 2018-11-15

today I wish to recognize Dr. Dotty Merrill for her work with the Nevada Association of School Boards. Dr. Merrill joined the association as executive director in October 2006, bringing more than 35 years of national, State, and local educational experience affecting K-12 schools and higher education. prgtoken Dr. Merrill provides executive leadership to the Nevada Association of School Boards, which represents and serves 107 elected and appointed members of the governing boards in Nevada's 17 school districts. Prior to joining the association, Merrill served as the superintendent of public policy, accountability, and assessment with the Washoe County School District, providing policy and fiscal representation on behalf of the district in the Nevada Legislature from 1999 to 2005. prgtoken Additionally, Dr. Merrill has dedicated her life and career to our State's education system and has extensive experience with charter schools, assessment to improve classroom instruction, accountability, State and Federal requirements, and molding collaborative and cooperative relationships among educational communities. prgtoken I also want to recognize that, before becoming a district-level administrator, Merrill taught high school English for 15 years and served for 10 years as a high school administrator. As the husband of a teacher and father of four who attended Nevada's public schools, I understand that our educators have one of the most challenging, important, and rewarding jobs, and I am extremely grateful for their work because I have seen firsthand the positive impact that high- caliber teachers have on their students. prgtoken Dr. Merrill's holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno, a master of arts in English from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a bachelor of arts from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She has also been published in several national education journals and currently serves on the editorial board for the National Association of Secondary School Principals. prgtoken We all know that a good education is the key to success and a better future, and as Nevada's senior U.S. Senator, I commend Dr. Merrill's dedication to our State's education and academic achievement.
Immigration (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-11-15

I wanted to come back to the floor after speaking a little earlier this morning about the so-called caravan of migrants coming from Central America up through Mexico and who are now located in Tijuana, many of whom will be seeking asylum here in the United States. Coming from Texas with a 1,200-mile common border with Mexico, caravans are not unheard of; in fact, we have many caravans showing up on a daily basis at Border Patrol stations, including unaccompanied children and families. prgtoken What has happened is that the cartels--these transnational criminal organizations--have figured out, as part of their business model, that they can make money by shipping migrants up through Mexico into the United States or they can ship drugs from Mexico into the United States or traffic in children and women for sex slavery. prgtoken They have figured out that they can make money because of the gaps in our border security, because of the characteristics of our law that make it impossible for us to deter many of the immigrants coming from Central America. prgtoken I know that during the recent midterm elections, there was some thought that President or others were just sort of making this issue up in order to energize voters leading up to the midterm elections. Well, I will not comment on the politics of this; I will just say that this is a phenomenon that has been occurring on a daily basis in the recent past. It is because of a glitch in our laws that our ic colleagues are well aware of, and that we have tried to fix, but they simply will not cooperate with us in order to fix it. prgtoken Basically, what we would do is treat somebody who enters the United States from noncontiguous countries the same way we would if they came into our country illegally from Mexico. That is the long and short of it. But they will not have any part of it because they feel as though this advantages them politically because by enforcing our laws, by securing our borders, they believe that somehow that could be portrayed as anti-immigrant, which is demonstrably false. prgtoken About 40 percent of my constituents in Texas are of Hispanic origin, many of whom live along that international border. They understand that the cartels that traffic in people and drugs and contraband are criminal organizations that threaten their security and safety. So I feel very strongly about this issue, and I think somebody needs to speak up and state the facts. prgtoken These caravans are bringing thousands of migrants coming from Central American countries, mostly women and children. But you can imagine, if one caravan of several thousand people is successful in breaching our border and entering the United States without regard to our immigration laws, what that will do to encourage further efforts. So this is not a one-off; this isn't just something that is going to happen one time. This will get worse and worse and worse. If you
CELEBRATING NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH DAY
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-11-15

this week is Rural Health Week in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and today is National Rural Health Day. prgtoken It is a time to promote awareness of the full range of issues that impact approximately 60 million rural Americans. Pennsylvania ranks as one of the States with the highest number of rural residents, with 23 percent of Pennsylvanians residing in rural areas. prgtoken Rural communities face unique healthcare concerns, such as a lack of providers; accessibility issues, particularly in terms of transportation and technology; affordability issues as a result of larger percentages of uninsured and underinsured citizens; and greater out-of-pocket health costs. prgtoken , before I was elected to the House of Representatives, I spent nearly 30 years in the nonprofit healthcare field assisting those facing life-changing diseases and disabilities. I am acutely aware of the challenges many face when it comes to obtaining reasonably priced healthcare. It is especially critical for rural America, like much of my congressional district. prgtoken We are facing a healthcare crisis in our Nation's rural areas. These often disadvantaged populations are still struggling to access affordable quality care. Many remain uninsured; most are underinsured. However, access to quality care remains the largest challenge. prgtoken Even when people gain access to health insurance, it does not equal access to care. Rural hospitals across the country are closing, leaving patients without access to their emergency rooms and their long-term care facilities. prgtoken , 90 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, and nearly 700 are at risk. One in three rural hospitals is financially vulnerable. At the current closure rate, more than 25 percent of rural hospitals will close in less than a decade. prgtoken Continued cuts in hospital payments have taken their toll, forcing hospitals to operate in the red until they finally make the painful decision to stop providing care. Between 2017 and 2018, the number of rural hospitals operating at a loss rose from 40 to 44 percent. prgtoken In addition to hospital closures, a workforce shortage plagues rural America 77 percent of prgtoken more than 2,000 rural communities in the United States are designated as having a shortage of healthcare professionals. Recruitment and retention of experienced professionals, including primary care physicians, is an ongoing challenge. prgtoken That is why I am a proud sponsor of H.R. 5641, the State Offices of Rural Health Reauthorization Bill of 2018. This legislation benefits States by increasing annual funding and reauthorizing vital programs for rural Americans for the first time since the 1990s. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this piece of legislation today. prgtoken Another issue that has ravaged our rural communities is the opioid epidemic. It continues to leave even more rural Americans in need of crucial health services. prgtoken Adolescents and y
Immigration (Executive Session)
Pat Roberts (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-11-15

I rise today in support of confirming Michelle Bowman to fill the community bank specialist seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. prgtoken Miki is the perfect choice to be the first occupant of this seat on the Fed's Board. She comes from a long line of community bankers. prgtoken In 1882, Miki's great-great-grandfather helped start her family-owned bank, Farmers and Drovers, in Council Grove, KS. prgtoken She worked at Farmers and Drovers Bank from 2010 until January 2017, when she assumed her current position as the State Bank Commissioner of Kansas. prgtoken Prior to moving back to Kansas in 2010, Miki worked in Washington, DC, for Kansas' native son, Senator Bob Dole. prgtoken Miki also has experience working in the executive branch. prgtoken She was appointed by President to positions at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and at the Department of Homeland Security. prgtoken This diversity of experience will serve her well in her upcoming role with the Federal Reserve. prgtoken While we have made progress in providing regulatory relief to our Nation's community banks, it is critical that we keep it up and build on that work. prgtoken Community banks did not cause the financial crisis and should not be regulated as if they did. prgtoken Miki understands where the pain points are for community banks and will be a strong advocate for commonsense, risk-based regulation. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of her nomination when she comes to the floor for a final vote this afternoon. prgtoken Thank you.
RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE GREG NORRIS ON HIS RETIREMENT
Bradley Byrne (Republican, AL) \u2014 2018-11-15

I rise today in recognition of Greg Norris on the occasion of his retirement as Probate Judge for Monroe County, Alabama. Throughout his career, Judge Norris displayed deep devotion to Monroe County, where he has had an immeasurable impact on economic development and quality of life improvements. prgtoken Locally educated at Alabama Southern Community College, and then at Troy University, Judge Norris has a rich understanding of what matters to the people of Southwest Alabama and how to improve the local economy. Judge Norris began his term in office as Probate Judge in 2006. From the start, he was dedicated to the cause of Monroe County's economic future. In his role, Judge Norris also served as the Chairman of the Monroe County Commission, allowing him to provide an even greater service to the community. prgtoken During his term in office, Judge Norris created a renewed emphasis on serving the people of our area. He digitized all deed and marriage records, created an online renewal process for tags and driver's licenses, and oversaw 22 fair elections in the county. prgtoken As Chairman of the Monroe County Commission, he was able to secure roughly $33,000,000 in federal and state funds for the betterment of Monroe County. This included funds for road and bridge projects, airport improvement projects, a VA outpatient clinic, and many other projects that impacted the lives of countless residents. prgtoken His economic development achievements speak for themselves: the unemployment rate dropped from well over 20 percent during the recession to less than 6 percent today, he created the Monroeville/ Monroe County Economic Development Authority, brought critical new businesses to the community, and oversaw 6 industry expansions. prgtoken Judge Norris is also involved in the Kiwanis Club, Pilots for Christ, member of the first Leadership Now class of Monroe County, served on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Delta Regional Authority Delta Leadership Institute Class of 2014-15, and the Association of County Commissions of Alabama. prgtoken In his free time, Judge Norris serves as a Sunday School teacher and Deacon at Excel Baptist Church. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with his wife, Terry, two children, and six grandchildren. prgtoken From the start, Judge Norris made a name for himself in reshaping the modern economy in Monroe County. Monroe County is better off thanks to his service, guidance, and direction. prgtoken On behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, we honor Judge Norris for his incredible service and simply say: thank you.
55TH ANNIVERSARY OF DADE COUNTY POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-11-15

I am pleased to congratulate the Dade County Police Benevolent Association on the celebration of its 55th anniversary. prgtoken Since its founding in 1963, the Dade County PBA has worked to protect the rights of Miami-Dade's finest, working tirelessly to serve as a voice of reason, of guidance, and of professionalism. From providing legal assistance to members in times of need, to assisting members and their families who may be struggling with PTSD, this organization is committed to serving those who protect and serve us. prgtoken I represent some of the finest police officers that our Nation has to offer, and the Dade County Police Benevolent Association will always have their back. prgtoken , I thank the Dade County Police Benevolent Association for its extraordinary work in our community, and I wish this organization the utmost congratulations on this extraordinary milestone. prgtoken Here is to the next 55 years, PBA.
RECOGNIZING ELDON ``TWIRP'' WILLIAMS
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-11-15

I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of Eldon ``Twirp'' Williams, whose life was tragically ended last month at the age of 87. prgtoken Endearingly known as ``Twirp'' by those throughout the Riverbend community, he had been involved in local government for more than 60 years. prgtoken In 1957, Twirp was appointed as Godfrey Township assessor, a position he held until 1997. In 1999, he was elected prgtoken as a trustee to the Godfrey Village Board, where he served until his untimely death. prgtoken In addition to his decades of service to Madison County, Twirp was also an Air Force Veteran. prgtoken Outside of his public service, Twirp worked as a Realtor for more than 50 years and was even out on a real estate call at the time of his passing. prgtoken Twirp leaves a long-lasting legacy of service that will never be replaced. He is survived by his wife, 6 daughters, 11 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. prgtoken Please join me in keeping the Williams family and the Godfrey community in your thoughts and prayers.
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 65
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-11-15

if I may, through the Chair, say to the Senator, No. 1, there was nobody on the floor when the Senator made a motion to ultimately reserve all the time in opposition to the end. Had I been on the floor, had I known such a motion was going to be made, I would have objected to that. There was a certain lack of courtesy in that regard. prgtoken I say to the Senator, an opposition now will be remembered as an opposition in the future when the Senator is seeking an opportunity. All we are asking for is 5 minutes. If the Senator needs more time to make a final comment----