mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING MS. MIRIAM MILLER
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-11-6

I rise today to recognize Ms. Miriam Miller of Woodland, California, who has spent many years serving her community and truly loves volunteering. In years past, Ms. Miller has worked to revitalize the Woodland Downtown area through a program called ``Main Street'' and helped facilitate renovations to the Woodland Opera House State Historic Park. While working to bring Woodland's facilities into the future, she also worked to ensure her community never lost sight of its history. Ms. Miller was instrumental in the running of the Yolo County Historical Museum, worked as a docent at the museum and historical Opera House, helped others research their own history, and to this day still helps put out the Woodland Historical Society newsletter. If there was an opportunity to serve the Woodland community, Miriam Miller seized it. Ms. Miller's service and volunteerism was not limited to her community of Woodland. She traveled the world with her husband as he served in the U.S. Navy and State Department, supporting him and caring for her family. During World War II, Ms. Miller became very aware of the injustice of Japanese internment camps, leading her to live a life in support of immigrants and social justice. Ms. Miller has housed refugees in her home and made them a part of her family. She continues to fight for immigrant and refugee rights. Ms. Miller is dedicated to the betterment of her community, locally, nationally, and internationally.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE DUFFY HEALTH CENTER
William R. Keating (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-11-6

I rise today in recognition of the 20th Anniversary of the Duffy Health Center. prgtoken The Duffy Health Center has been serving as Barnstable County's primary health care provider for homeless adults since 1997. What started as a small volunteer organization in 1988 has now turned into a major pillar of this community, working to serve the homeless men and women of Cape Cod. prgtoken This clinic is made up of an incredible group of people that are working tirelessly to better the Ninth Congressional District. Over the past twenty years they have helped those suffering from addiction, mental health issues, and other serious medical problems find their way to applying for master's degrees, retaining full-time employment, and building new lives. They have provided vital assistance to people trying to apply for benefits, receive counseling, or find a support group. prgtoken By treating people with dignity and respect, the hope they have restored in countless members of our community is unparalleled. prgtoken , I am proud to honor the 20th anniversary of the Duffy Health Center for their dedication to bettering their community. I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking them for their invaluable service and wishing them all the best in the many years to come.
MASS DEPORTATION WOULD DISRUPT OUR COUNTRY
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2017-11-6

mass deportation of Temporary Protected Status recipients today would disrupt our country and theirs. prgtoken More than 32,000 Salvadorans live in the District of Columbia metro area; and Salvadorans, at 200,000, are the largest group of TPS holders in the country today. prgtoken TPS designation requires the Attorney General to find ``extraordinary and temporary conditions preventing returning to the state in safety.'' prgtoken The most recent influx of Salvadorans, one-third of them unaccompanied minors, shows that these conditions have been met for TPS holders and others. With the breakdown of civil society in Central America today, forced return of anyone now would be inhumane.
Introductory Statement on S. 2076
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2017-11-6

I rise to thank my colleague from Maine, whose amazing work as chair of the Aging Committee continues to inspire me. prgtoken I also rise to share a story that is very personal to me. It is a story about one of the smartest people whom I have known, my grandmother Katherine, whom I was named after. She was the daughter of an Italian immigrant and his Italian-American wife. She was exactly the kind of person you think of when you think of an Italian grandmother. If you have ever had one, you know that she loves to feed people and invite the whole family--aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone--over to her house for dinner on Sunday nights. The other 6 days of the week, she worked on volunteer projects throughout Las Vegas with her sorority, Beta Sigma Phi. prgtoken She never graduated from college, but she was a leader in our community, and she was always reading. If you walked into her house, it was full of books. In fact, the first thing that you saw when you walked into her house was, on one wall, floor to ceiling, a bookcase with all of the books that she had read. prgtoken She was brilliant. She was one of my greatest inspirations. Her work in our community in Las Vegas is one of the reasons that I decided to pursue a career in public service. prgtoken Unfortunately, in the 1990s, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. At first, you could barely notice a difference. There were small things, things that could happen to anyone--lost keys, mismatched socks, books left in odd places. Then a woman who had spent her entire life loving to cook for her family and grandchildren had suddenly stopped cooking. prgtoken Over the next 10 years, she got progressively worse. We could see the changes in her every single day, but our lives changed too. My grandfather became her caregiver. My mother became her caregiver. My aunt became her caregiver. My cousins and I and my sister all became caregivers. That is what happens when someone is diagnosed. It does not affect just one person; it affects an entire family. prgtoken There is a common misconception that people who are suffering from Alzheimer's are not aware of what they are losing, that their memories are gone but not missed. That was not the case for my grandmother. I do not think it is the case for anyone who is struggling with this disease. My grandmother frequently had these moments of clarity when it was clear that the losses were just as painful for her as they were for all of us. prgtoken One thing that happens to many people with Alzheimer's is that they tend to wander. They wander away from home or they get lost. She had had one of those moments of clarity after she had wandered away from home one day, and the entire family had spent an afternoon looking for her in our neighborhood. My aunt and I had found her and had gone to pick her up in a car. I will never forget it, as I sat in the back seat while my aunt drove. prgtoken My grandm
Nomination of Peter Robb (Executive Session)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-11-6

this morning I drove from Cleveland to Youngstown. I was in Youngstown, OH--Mahoning Valley--at Teamsters Local 377 talking to workers. There were maybe 200 of them in the room, mostly retirees who are in danger of having their pensions cut-- pensions they earned over a lifetime of hard work. prgtoken To understand how that happens, when workers are at the bargaining table, whether it is Teamsters, electricians, Steelworkers or SCIU, they so often are willing to give up wages today in order to have a secure retirement in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years. prgtoken That is what these workers chose to do. They chose to give up wages. Whether they worked for Schwebel's in Youngstown, whether they worked for Roadway, over the road, whether they were working for any number of companies, they were willing, at the bargaining table, to give up higher wages today to have money to set aside that was then invested often in Wall Street. We will get to that in a minute. It is bad enough Wall Street squandered those workers' money. It is worse that the government that is supposed to look out for these workers simply isn't doing it. One of the retired workers, Ed Barker, told us: We did our part. Now it is time for Members of Congress to cross party lines and do theirs. prgtoken We talk a good game in this body about how we respect workers and respect their work, but I am not sure we always live that. If we really value a hard day's work in this country, we start by keeping our promise to these hard-working Ohioans, Virginians, Montanans, and all over this country. We keep our promise to those hard-working people in our country, but we can't end there. That is just the beginning of what we need to do to ensure that hard work pays off for ordinary Americans. prgtoken During his campaign, Candidate made a lot of big promises to workers in Ohio. He ran some of his big rallies across our State. He made big promises to workers in Ohio and across the country. He told them he would put American workers first. Well, the White House today looks like a retreat for Wall Street executives, and many of the people the President has put in charge have a record of doing the opposite of putting American workers first. prgtoken That is certainly true of Peter Robb, the nominee to serve as the general prgtoken counsel of the National Labor Relations Board. Mr. Robb has spent his career working to strip workers of their rights, defend corporations accused of mistreating workers, and he has tried to undermine the watchdog agency he is now seeking to join. He will be working at the National Labor Relations Board, which is supposed to strike a balance and advocate only for American workers. The President's nominee is someone who received a very high salary building his career defending corporations accused of mistreating workers, working to strip workers of their rights, and trying to undermine the NLRB's effort to get a f
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Jared Polis (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-11-6

I was unavoidably absent on October 31 and November 1, 2017. Had I been present for the following roll call votes: prgtoken H.R. 2521--South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017--I would have voted Yea on to allow South Carolina the ability to appoint members to the Peanut Standards Board. prgtoken Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2936--I would have voted no because this motion prevented proceeding to debate a problematic forestry bill, and allowed Congress to debate and vote on the Dream Act to protect DREAMers. prgtoken H. Res. 595--Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2936--Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017--I would have opposed this rule because it only allowed debate of seven amendments, and blocked the consideration of 10 germane amendments. This rule does not maintain regular order I strive for.
RECOGNIZING RICHARD SYNEK, U.S. NAVY VETERAN AND FOUNDER OF FEED OUR VETERANS
Claudia Tenney (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-11-6

I rise today to recognize Mr. Richard Synek, a veteran of the United States Navy and founder of Feed Our Vets. prgtoken Rich served in the Navy during the 1980s and was serving aboard the USS Peterson during combat operations against Libya in 1986. prgtoken After his military service, Rich worked for the United States Postal Service, serving as postmaster for several local post offices. During his time as postmaster of the Vernon Center Post Office, Rich encountered a World War II veteran who could only afford to buy one stamp and food for half the month. prgtoken After befriending this veteran, Rich bought him groceries so he and his wife could eat. Shortly after, Feed Our Veterans was formed. prgtoken Since 2008, Feed Our Veterans has served over 20,000 veterans and their families, providing over 445,000 pounds of food for those in need. prgtoken Our community is grateful to Rich for his service in the Navy, but especially for his continued compassionate service to our fellow veterans.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-11-6

today I wish to honor an Iowan who served bravely during the Vietnam war as an Active-Duty nurse and spent nearly three decades in the Army Reserves. prgtoken LTC Marta Ford grew up in the small town of Killduff in Iowa's Jasper County. Her father was a World War II veteran who served as a bombardier, flying missions over Europe. She decided to join the Army Nurse Corps at the age of 19, while still in nursing school. Ford underwent basic training in 1966 at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Then, she was stationed at Fort Lee in Virginia. Ford served as an Active Duty member of the Army Nurse Corps until 1969 and remained in the Army Reserves until 1975. She rejoined the Reserves in 1980 and served until retirement in 2004. prgtoken Currently, Ford serves her local community as chair of the Jasper County Commission of Veterans Affairs. In 2013, Ford became the first female commander at the American Legion Post 111 in Newton, IA. prgtoken She is just one of the many women and Iowans who served our Nation during the Vietnam war era. All those who honorably served deserve our thanks for their service to our country. I ask my colleagues to join me as I proudly recognize LTC Marta Ford, an Iowan who dedicated her life to service and sacrifice on behalf of this great Nation.
EXTENDING TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR CENTRAL AMERICANS AND HAITIANS
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-11-6

the lives of over 300,000 legal immigrants are at stake. Central Americans and Haitians, many of whom are my constituents, could be facing deportation if their temporary protected status, known as TPS, were to end. This vital program, signed into law by President George Herbert Walker , has allowed individuals fleeing instability and chaos in their home countries to legally live and work here in the United States. prgtoken Reports indicate that the administration is considering eliminating TPS for these populations, a decision that will have negative humanitarian, economic, and national security concerns, and that could undermine U.S. investment in the region. prgtoken , as a longtime supporter of TPS, I urge the administration to continue to extend this program and provide a safe haven for Central Americans and Haitians unable to securely return to their home countries. My heart aches at the thought of massive deportations of good, hardworking people from my hometown. prgtoken , TPS beneficiaries are important and integral members of our community, and it would be a mistake to turn our backs on them.
IN RECOGNITION OF RUSSELL COBLE
Mark Walker (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-11-6

I rise today to recognize an outstanding constituent, Russell Coble from Guilford County. I am honored to acknowledge constituents who selflessly answered the call to serve and defend our freedom. A United States Army veteran of World War II and member of the Greatest Generation, Mr. Coble served his country with honor. Self-sacrifice, personal responsibility, and humility are traits this generation embodied. The tremendous strides our country has made since World War II are a direct result of these great Americans. North Carolina is truly fortunate to have Mr. Coble, an outstanding representative of our community and country. I join with his family, friends, and the Sixth District in thanking Russell Coble for his dedicated service to the United States of America.
Texas Church Mass shooting (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-11-6

today we join the stunned community of Sutherland Springs, TX--a small town near San Antonio--in mourning the loss of too many innocent lives. One innocent life is too many. prgtoken I listened to the impassioned comments of our colleague from New York asking us to do something, but I actually think it is important we understand exactly what did happen, and once the fog of this terrible tragic event lifts, after the law enforcement agencies can do the appropriate investigation, then I think it is appropriate for us to ask: What can we do, consistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States--what can we do to make something like this less likely? prgtoken I wish I was optimistic there was some magic wand we could wave and that we could prevent terrible tragedies like this, but in a free and open society, unfortunately, we don't have that magic wand. prgtoken On the other hand, we have arrived at a consensus, I think, in this country, that background checks, for example, are appropriate for people suffering from mental illness, people who committed previous felonies. Those people are banned from possessing or purchasing firearms, and there is a consensus that they should be banned. prgtoken There are some early reports--and, again, the fog of this terrible tragedy has not yet lifted. We need clarity in order to know what did and did not happen and where we might be able to act to make a difference. There is some indication by some news reports that this individual had committed domestic violence and had been convicted of that by a court-martial. That, too, would likely have been a disqualifying factor in his ability to possess or purchase firearms. So we need to know exactly what the facts are. prgtoken I appreciate the passion of our colleague from New York. We are all stunned by what happened, but I think being rational people, we ought to want to know exactly what the facts are before we decide what the best course of action might be. It may be that, like we saw a few years back at Virginia Tech, an individual who had previously been adjudicated mentally ill, that determination, that judgment was not entered into the National Instant Background Checks System run by the FBI, and because it wasn't--because of a failure of communication between the State and Federal authorities--he was able to purchase a firearm when he was legally disqualified from being able to do so. prgtoken So those are the sorts of things I think we could work together on. I know, for example, after the terrible shooting in Las Vegas, I was shocked, like so many others were, that somebody could essentially bypass the prohibition against making a semiautomatic weapon into an automatic weapon by the use of the so-called bump stock. As somebody who enjoys the outdoors and is a hunter and enjoys recreational shooting, I can tell you I know of no sportsman, no hunter, who uses a bump stock. It seems to me the sole purpo
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2017-11-6

I rise today with my colleague from Nevada, Senator Cortez Masto, to introduce the Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure for Alzheimer's--or BOLD--Act. I am pleased that Senator Capito and Senator Kaine are also joining us as original cosponsors. prgtoken Our legislation would create a public health infrastructure aimed at combating Alzheimer's disease and preserving brain health. Alzheimer's disease is one of the greatest and most under-recognized public health threats of our time. Former Surgeon General David Satcher has said that it is the most under-recognized public health threat of the 21st century. Five and a half million Americans are living with the disease, and that number will soar as our population continues to grow older and lives longer. prgtoken In addition to the human suffering it causes, Alzheimer's is our Nation's most costly disease. The United States spends more than $259 billion per year, including $175 billion in Medicare and Medicaid costs. The financial impact of this dreadful disease will only continue to grow. In fact, it is estimated that by the year 2050, Alzheimer's will cost our country $1 trillion and afflict 16 million Americans. prgtoken While Alzheimer's is the only one of our Nation's most deadly diseases without an effective treatment or cure, tantalizing new research suggests that there are steps we can take to promote prevention and improve treatment. prgtoken The first step we should take is to recognize Alzheimer's as a public health crisis. It is because of public health advancements that we have safe water to drink, vaccines to prevent deadly diseases, interventions to quit smoking, and emergency preparedness tools to save lives. The effort to combat Alzheimer's disease requires a similar unified, national public health effort. That effort is gaining steam. prgtoken In 1999, when I founded the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's, there was virtually no focus in Washington on this devastating disease. In fact, people were afraid to even refer to the disease, just as years ago people did not talk about cancer. prgtoken Seven years ago, I coauthored with then-Senator Evan Bayh the bipartisan National Alzheimer's Project Act, which set the primary goal of preventing and effectively treating the disease by the year 2025. That bill created an expert council, which has calculated that $2 billion in Federal funding per year is needed to achieve that goal. prgtoken On the Appropriations Committee, I have worked hard with Senator Blunt and others to turn the words of that recommendation into action. The funding bill for this year provides another $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health, and that includes a $414 million increase for Alzheimer's research--the largest in history. That brings the total for Alzheimer's research to $1.8 billion--well within reach of the $2 billion goal, which the experts tell us is necessary for b
TRIBUTE TO DR. JOHN LOGAN
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-11-6

today I wish to congratulate a dear friend whom I have known for more than 30 years, Dr. John Logan III, of Henderson, KY. John was recently honored by his community for a lifetime of servant leadership. The city dedicated a plaque on the Henderson Riverwalk, which is one of the many landmarks that John had an indispensable hand in building and one I was proud to work with him to help secure. In a surprise ceremony--John thought he was simply going to lunch with a friend--they honored him for decades of philanthropy and service to his community. prgtoken The plaque includes a quote from author Margaret Mead, which reads, ``Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'' These words perfectly encapsulate the impact of my friend John. prgtoken John serves as the chief medical officer of the Methodist Hospital in Henderson, where he started working in 1962 specializing in family medicine. A number of years ago, John embarked on a mission to highlight the extraordinary history of the hospital. Because of his tireless work, the successes of this Henderson institution will continue to be remembered for years to come. In addition to his work caring for patients and leading the administration of the hospital, John gives of himself to other aspects of the community. prgtoken In 1971, John joined the Family YMCA's capital campaign, working to help the group move from its old home downtown to a much larger facility on 5 acres of land. He has continued to work with the YMCA, making sure that young people in Henderson have a well-equipped facility to enjoy and grow. John also helped establish other community initiatives, including Henderson's Depot Welcome Center and the Methodist Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. prgtoken In 2012, the Henderson Community College board of directors presented John with an award recognizing his substantial service to the school. Through the years, John has taken a keen interest in the students. He worked with State legislators and community leaders to raise $1 million to support scholarships to the college and to build a fine arts center. His impact will be felt by students for years to come. prgtoken John has spent his life giving to others--his community, the Methodist Hospital, and his friends. So many of the projects in Henderson would not have been possible without John's dedicated leadership, and I am immensely proud to call him my friend. His decades of service have truly made Henderson and Kentucky a better place. prgtoken I ask all of my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the selfless work of Dr. John Logan, a remarkable Kentuckian and a wonderful friend. prgtoken , The Gleaner in Henderson recently published an article on John's career of service. I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the article be printed in the Record.