mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-2-27

70 years ago this May, the Senate Appropriations Committee sent to the full Senate a constitutional amendment to require a balanced Federal budget. It had been proposed by Senator Millard Tydings, a from Maryland. In its report, the committee said this: ``In no other way except by an amendment to the Constitution can Congress be compelled to balance its budget in peacetime.'' prgtoken Seven decades of experience proved that the Appropriations Committee was right, and we have never been in a more serious, perilous situation than we are today. prgtoken Two essential facts compel me once again to introduce a constitutional amendment to require fiscal responsibility: the gravity of the national debt crisis and the fact that neither willpower nor legislation will solve it. prgtoken The greatest challenge in describing the gravity of the national debt crisis is deciding how much of the bad news to present at one time. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, one of the candidates criticized the outgoing President for adding $4 trillion to the national debt. That increase, said, was not only irresponsible but ``unpatriotic.'' The national debt on inauguration day 2009 was $10.6 trillion, and on inauguration day 2017 it was $19.9 trillion. If a $4 trillion increase was irresponsible and unpatriotic, what words describe a $9.3 trillion increase? prgtoken President won the 2008 election with the Government Accountability Office warning that the Nation's long-term fiscal outlook was unsustainable. In its January 2017 assessment of the Nation's fiscal health, GAO reports that the national debt as a share of GDP in 2016 was 75 percent higher than the average since World War II. As it had been before, GAO concluded that ``the federal government's fiscal path is unsustainable.'' prgtoken One way to understand the gravity of the national debt is to compare it to the size of the economy, or the gross domestic product. In other words, we can compare what we owe to our ability to pay. When President took office, the national debt was 82 percent of GDP and is now 105 percent of GDP today. Some economists prefer to evaluate the national debt as a percentage of tax revenue; that is, by comparing what we owe to what we earn. The national debt rose from approximately 350 percent of Federal revenue when President took office to 600 percent of Federal revenue today. prgtoken But neither numbers nor percentages tell the whole story because the national debt crisis is becoming not only a bigger crisis but a different kind of crisis. During the last several years of skyrocketing national debt, the interest rate on that debt has been nearly zero. If interest rates had been at the historical average, annual interest costs would be more than twice what they are today and on their way to consuming more than half of all Federal revenue. And now interest rates are starting to creep up. The
INDIAN EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING AND RELATED SERVICES CONSOLIDATION ACT OF 2017
Don Young (Republican, AK) \u2014 2017-2-27

I thank my chairman, Mr. McClintock, and the ranking member for her work on this legislation. Much has been explained about it. This is a good piece of legislation. prgtoken I am not going to take a great deal of time, but it shows that we can work together. The stakeholders got involved 4 years ago. We wanted to make this permanent. We worked it all out last year and we passed it, and it got bogged down on the other side. prgtoken It is a chance where we can show and take programs and put them together with tribes and have a better efficiency for the dollar we spend. If we do more of that in this Congress, we will have a lot better Congress and a better nation. prgtoken This is a small minority group that has done well under these programs, and it is not a new law. In 1992, I was here when we passed it. We would like to see to fruition the work put together by Mr. Goodlatte, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Brady, and Chairwoman Foxx. They all worked together with their staffs to put this, I think, excellent piece of legislation together to put to the voters on this floor, and I urge the passage of this legislation. prgtoken , my bill--the Indian Employment, Training, and Related Services Consolidation Act--enables tribes and tribal organizations to offer highly effective workforce development initiatives that uplift Native communities around the country. We passed this bipartisan legislation in the House by a voice vote at the end of last Congress, and the Senate simply ran out of time to secure final passage. prgtoken H.R. 228 makes the Tribal ``477 Program'' permanent and improves its administration. The 477 Program allows tribes to combine employment, childcare, and job training funding from a variety of federal sources and conduct consolidated, comprehensive reporting. Participants have leveraged these advantages to develop and run innovative programs that have had a meaningful impact on thousands of Alaska Native and American Indian families. In addition, the efficiencies of the 477 Program save both tribes and the federal government money, time, and resources. prgtoken Congress established the 477 Program in 1992 as a demonstration program. The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes in Southeast Alaska was actually the first in the nation to begin operating a 477 program and to this day continues to benefit from offering services through 477. prgtoken The 477 Program has a proven track record of success and allows for bold approaches to address significant education and training needs that exist in Indian country. This program is what tribal self- determination is all about. Tribes understand their members best and know how to use these tools for creating and expanding employment opportunities in their communities. prgtoken My bill improves accounting procedures and reporting mechanisms to uphold the original intent of the program, ensure that agencies treat tribes fairly, and set a foundation for participa
DENNY AND CAROLL YULE RECEIVE PRESIDENT'S AWARD FROM THE VVC FOUNDATION
Paul Cook (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-2-27

I rise today to recognize the outstanding service of Denny and Caroll Yule who will be presented the President's Award from the Victor Valley College Foundation on February 25, 2017. prgtoken Dennis and Carol were nominated for this award for their collaborative impact and contributions to Victor Valley College education and the Victor Valley Community. Dennis and Caroll have sponsored numerous college scholarships that have enabled students, who otherwise could not afford a degree, to pursue higher education. Without such generous donations from the Yules to the college foundation, some VVC students would not have received their associate degrees. Besides their monetary donations, Caroll has volunteered many hours of personal time to guest lecture at Victor Valley College. As described by Victor Valley College Foundation President, the Yules are ``irreplaceable members of our community.'' prgtoken On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank Denny and Caroll Yule for their tireless work and dedication to the students of the Victor Valley. I congratulate the Yules on receiving the President's Award from the Victor Valley College Foundation.
RECOGNIZING RARE DISEASE DAY
Erik Paulsen (Republican, MN) \u2014 2017-2-27

I rise today to recognize Rare Disease Day to bring widespread awareness to more than 7,000 rare diseases affecting 30 million Americans. These individual diseases may be rare, but their impact isn't. prgtoken On this particular occasion, I want to remember Chloe Barnes from Minnesota, who passed away at the age of 2 from metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD. Her family founded Chloe's Fight, a foundation that is dedicated to supporting research for rare diseases. prgtoken There is no better person to honor and remember Chloe than her older sister, Eva, who wrote an essay in Chloe's memory. Eva writes: ``My sister died when she was 2 and this is what happened. My parents were missing a part in their body. I was fine. But my sister Chloe didn't make it. I don't like talking about it. Because it makes me very sad. I only tell a few people that she died. She was very funny. I loved her so much. Her name was Chloe. She was very brave. My mom and dad are doing a foundation called Chloe's Fight. Because every kid should have a chance to fight.'' prgtoken , we should not only remember those suffering from rare diseases, but we should continue to support initiatives to find new cures and treatments on their behalf.
NOMINATION OF RYAN ZINKE
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2017-2-27

tonight the Senate took a long overdue step forward in finally confirming Congressman Ryan Zinke to be our next Secretary of the Interior. You know, we could have done this on January 20. You see, Ryan Zinke is not a controversial nominee. He is a westerner. He is a Montanan whom we need serving as our next Secretary. prgtoken Back on January 17, when the Energy and Natural Resources Committee had a hearing on Ryan Zinke's nomination, I detailed for the committee exactly why he is a good fit for this job. prgtoken Frankly, it is shameful that it took this body this long to move forward on Ryan Zinke's nomination. You see, this is a historic moment for Montana, as Congressman Zinke will be the first Montanan ever to serve in a President's Cabinet. That dates back to statehood in 1889. prgtoken Back in 1979, there was a junior from Bozeman High School and another junior from Whitefish High School who prgtoken were both headed to Dillon, MT, for Boys State. They were both Boys State delegates. In fact, the keynote speaker that year was a newly elected U.S. Senator. He had been elected in the fall of 1978. This was June of 1979, at Boys State, and this Senator was named Max Baucus. prgtoken So 38 years later, that kid from Bozeman was serving on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and that kid from Whitefish was testifying before that very same committee to be the next Secretary of the Interior. prgtoken You see, Ryan Zinke was also captain of the soon-to-be undefeated State champion Whitefish Bulldogs football team. He was also president of his class. prgtoken After high school Ryan went on to the University of Oregon, where he was a full-scholarship, starting athlete for the Oregon Ducks football team, where he won numerous awards for both outstanding academic and athletic performance. He majored in geology, a subject matter that I know has served him well in serving the people of Montana. prgtoken Ryan Zinke was a U.S. Navy SEAL commander whose assignments included the elite SEAL Team Six. In fact, part of that tenure was serving under General Mattis--now Secretary Mattis--as the commander of Joint Special Forces in Iraq at the very height of insurgent activity. prgtoken During his 23 years as a U.S. Navy SEAL, Ryan conducted special operations on four continents. Ryan Zinke earned two Bronze Stars and many other awards for his service to our Nation. We should all be thankful to him, to his wife Lola, and their children for his service. prgtoken Following his retirement from the Navy, after more than two decades of honorable service to our Nation, Ryan came back home to Montana, and he continued to serve again, this time in our State government. Ryan ran for and won a seat in the State senate and then as Montana's sole Representative in the U.S. House. prgtoken For the past couple of years, Ryan has been a strong supporter of conservation, of responsible natural resources development, o
IN RECOGNITION OF JUAN ORTIZ' PUBLIC SERVICE
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-2-27

I rise today to honor Juan Ortiz, who is leaving the City of Fort Worth after 18 years of service to assume a new position with the City of Austin. After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in Emergency Administration and Disaster Planning, he began his career as a Fort Worth Emergency Management Officer. After four years, he was hired as Emergency Management Coordinator with the City of Corpus Christi. Ortiz returned to Fort Worth in 2003 as Emergency Management Coordinator where he coordinates and supervises emergency management and homeland security operations during natural or man-made emergencies and disasters. One of his primary duties is overseeing a joint city and county Emergency Operations Center (EOC). He coordinated EOC operations in response to multiple natural disasters and large scale public events including Huricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, 2011's record setting winter storm and Super Bowl XLV. In addition to EOC operations, Mr. Ortiz coordinated all of the City of Fort Worth's operations in response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008. In his position, Mr. Ortiz has demonstrated a level of professionalism and expertise in emergency management that he has graciously shared with colleagues across the State of Texas and nationally. In 2001, he was recognized by the University of North Texas as a distinguished alumni for his contributions to the emergency management profession. Mr. Ortiz also faithfully served his country for 28 years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves, retiring in 2015 as a Chief Petty Officer. Mr. Ortiz has served on several committees and advisory groups including the National Academy of Science Earth and Life Studies Disaster Roundtable, National Research Council's Committee on Disaster Research in the Social Sciences, Center for Biosecurity of UPMC Nuclear Resilience Expert Advisory Group, the North Central Texas Council of Government Regional Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee, the Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington Urban Area Security Initiative, Texas Coastal Advisory Team, and as Co-Chair of the Dallas-Fort Worth Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere Radar Test Bed. He served as Chair of the Tarrant County Local Emergency Planning Committee for the last 6 years. He currently serves as a member of the State of Texas Emergency Management Performance Grant Steering Committee and as chair of the State of Texas Evacuation Transportation Network Working Group. I would like to express my appreciation to Juan Ortiz for his many years of exemplary public service and extend best wishes as he begins a new chapter in his profession.
RECOGNIZING JAYLA WILLIAMS
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-2-27

I rise today to recognize Jayla Williams, an exceptional young woman from my hometown of Gainesville, Georgia. Jayla has been named the Boys & Girls Club of Hall County's Youth of the Year for the third consecutive time. prgtoken Jayla's motto in life is ``failure is feedback,'' and she has made it a point to never give up on her endeavors. Even at her young age, Jayla is heavily involved in Hall County, dedicating more than 200 hours to community service and other local organizations, such as National Honor Society, Beta Club, and National Spanish Honors Society. Jayla is also the President of the Boys and Girls Keystone Club, which promotes community service. prgtoken Jayla has excelled in the classroom, boasting an impressive 4.1 GPA. She is also on both the softball team and varsity cheerleading squad. prgtoken Winning Youth of the Year for Hall County qualifies Jayla for the Georgia Youth of the Year title. From there, she could be eligible for National Youth of the Year, where she could earn $100,000 worth of scholarships and a chance to meet the President of the United States. prgtoken , I am honored to recognize Jayla Williams and her many accomplishments and contributions to Hall County. She has been a role model for children and young adults, and we are excited to see what is in store for her bright future.
Repealing and Replacing ObamaCare (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-2-27

2 weeks ago, major health insurer Humana announced its decision to completely withdraw from Care exchanges for 2018. The company decision was not particularly surprising. Humana had already sharply reduced its participation in the exchanges for 2017, but the decision did confirm yet again that President 's healthcare law is on its last legs. prgtoken Choices on the exchanges declined sharply for 2017 as insurer after insurer cut back on participation. Nearly one-third of U.S. counties have just one choice of insurer on their exchange for 2017. Meanwhile premiums on the exchanges are soaring. Exchange premiums increased a staggering 25 percent on average for 2017. That is a 25-percent premium increase for just 1 year. How many working families can afford a 25- percent increase in their healthcare premiums for 1 year? prgtoken Things are even worse in some States. Seven States saw an average premium increase of more than 50 percent for 1 year. It is no surprise that many people who have Care insurance have found they can't afford to actually use their plan. Well, can talk about coverage all they want, but coverage doesn't mean much if you can't afford to actually take advantage of it. prgtoken It is time to give the American people some relief. Over the next few weeks, Congress will continue with the process of repealing and replacing Care. Our priority is replacing Care with personalized, patient-centered healthcare that is affordable for every American. Care was supposed to lower healthcare costs for Americans, but it has spectacularly failed to do so. Our reform efforts will focus on keeping healthcare affordable, including increasing competition, expanding innovation, and increasing flexibility. prgtoken Care has defaulted to a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to healthcare. That means that many Americans have found themselves paying for healthcare that they don't need or want. prgtoken We need much more flexibility in insurance plans. A thriving healthcare system would offer a wide variety of choices that would allow Americans to pick a plan that is tailored to their needs. We also need to give Americans the tools to better manage their healthcare and to control costs. Along with keeping healthcare affordable, we are going to focus on restoring decisionmaking power to the American people. prgtoken Care has put Washington bureaucrats in charge of healthcare decisions that should be made by individuals in consultation with their doctor. We are going to move control away from Washington and give it back to individuals. We are also going to ensure that States have the power to innovate and embrace healthcare solutions that work for individuals and employers in their States. prgtoken Our healthcare system wasn't perfect before Care--nobody is denying that--but Care has just made things worse. The American people are ready for heal
Cabinet Nominations (Executive Session)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-2-27

since Inauguration Day, the Senate has been slow making its way through confirming Cabinet Secretaries it seems, have used just about every trick in the book to try to slow down the process. There are in the Senate who are delaying things even when other in the Senate support the person who has actually been nominated by the President. (Mr. YOUNG assumed the Chair.) prgtoken Remember when President took office, s were far more willing to let the President have the team he wanted. He had won the election and was entitled to his Cabinet. prgtoken We are now 39 days into President 's term, and the Senate has confirmed now 17 of his nominees--17 over 39 days. President got 20 of his people confirmed in the first 9 days. It does seem the more the delay, the more the American people will see the are just being childish and spiteful.
TRIBUTE TO ALL-TIME SCORING LEADER FOR MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TORI JANKOSKA
John R. Moolenaar (Republican, MI) \u2014 2017-2-27

today, I, along with Representative Bishop pay tribute to Tori Jankoska, the all-time scoring leader for Michigan State University Women's Basketball. prgtoken Tori was born and raised in Freeland, where she grew up with a passion for competition. As a young girl, Tori was unable to compete with her peers. She grew up with asthma and other illnesses that kept her from playing with the other kids. Through her own perseverance, she was able to play with her siblings and her passion for sports started to grow. As a student at Freeland High School, Tori raised the bar for her own team and her competitors. It wasn't long before her talent was noticed by the coaches at MSU. prgtoken When starting her basketball career at MSU, Tori knew that was where she wanted to be. She also knew that she had a chance to do something great. Regarded by her coaches as having the highest basketball IQ on the court, Tori has proven her acumen time and again. Now, as the all- time point leader for MSU, she has written her own legacy into the record book as one of the best college women's basketball players of all time. prgtoken Tori has overcome obstacles and excelled at the highest level of competition. On behalf prgtoken of the Fourth & Eighth Congressional Districts of Michigan, we are honored today to recognize Tori Jankoska for her lifetime of work on and off the court and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
MOUNT HOOD COOPER SPUR LAND EXCHANGE CLARIFICATION ACT
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2017-2-27

. and Ranking Member Torres, thank you for bringing this legislation to the floor once again. prgtoken I want to elaborate a little bit on what my friend and colleague from Portland talked about. It was more than just a camping trip. It was 3 nights with backpacks, 4 days, 41 miles, and 9,000 feet of gain and loss in elevation. We went all the way around Mt. Hood, which is an extraordinary piece of Oregon, and we had a wonderful time. prgtoken Along the way, we had our ornithologist there; we had geologists there; we had biologists; we had advocates for wilderness and advocates for recreation. We were met by, I think it was, the Mazamas with watermelons. One afternoon, they hiked them up I don't know how many thousand feet to share with us. It was really a kind of Oregon-way experience, because we all care deeply about the watersheds, the jobs, the recreation, the beauty, the incredible piece of the world we live in around Mt. Hood. prgtoken It is my home area. I grew up around the Hood River. This land exchange has been a battle since the 1970s, in a sense, in that my community long ago said: We don't want a lot of development up in this Crystal Springs watershed and in this very pristine area around the Hood River upper valley. It really belongs around the corner of Mt. Hood, up in Government Camp where there already is development. prgtoken This fight has gone on for years; and all sides came together, as we did in our legislation, and said: We agree. And so we said: Fine, we will put that in the bill. They worked it out with the Forest Service and everybody else, and then we said: Okay. They have done the heavy lift for the last, I don't know, 30 years. Forest Service, you just make this transfer and do it in 16 months. That is what the law said. prgtoken We are nearly 8 years later and this is still languishing; and, unfortunately, we are back trying again, because we are never going to quit until we are done. We are getting much closer. prgtoken In fact, the law we passed back in 2009, Public Law 111-11, deals with this Public Lands Act. It said: ``Deadline for completion of land exchange. It is the intent of the Congress that the land exchange under this subsection shall be completed not later than 16 months after the date of enactment of this Act.'' prgtoken Again, that was back in 2009. It is important to protect this watershed. It is important that where development occurs, it occurs in the right places. We have always felt that way in Oregon. And, indeed, facilitating this exchange resolves a decades-long controversy and puts development where it belongs, protects a special area in the upper Hood River Valley that needs protection, and finally brings certainty and resolution. prgtoken I hope you all will come out and see it, or you can come over to the Energy and Commerce Mt. Hood Room which soon will have a beautiful photograph there of Mt. Hood at Lost Lake, and I encourage you to come over. When you