mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROTECTING AND SECURING FLORIDA'S COASTLINE ACT OF 2019
Raúl M. Grijalva (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2019-9-11

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 205, the Protecting and Securing Florida's Coastline Act, would permanently protect the eastern Gulf of Mexico from oil and gas drilling. prgtoken Nearly all of the eastern Gulf remains protected under a leasing moratorium until 2022 under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. This bill would permanently extend that moratorium and, in doing so, would safeguard Florida's marine resources, environment, and coastal tourism economy. prgtoken Some of Florida's more valuable assets are tied to its beaches and its coastal ecosystems. These drive a tourism economy in Florida that brings in billions of dollars each year and supports over 1.4 million jobs. prgtoken Over 2,000 Florida businesses, including restaurants, hotels, and outfitters, have expressed their strong support for permanently protecting the eastern Gulf because they know firsthand the economic consequences of an offshore oil spill. prgtoken Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, Florida suffered a $7.6 billion loss in tourism revenue, and bookings for hotels and for- hire fishing trips dropped significantly. Even for places that were left unscathed, the perception of oil-covered shores was enough to redirect vacationing tourists to other coastal States. That is why voters in the Sunshine State, and s alike, have made clear time and time again that offshore drilling has no place near Florida's shores. prgtoken The eastern Gulf of Mexico also has incredible value as a military test and training range, and enactment of H.R. 205 is critical for America's national security and military preparedness. prgtoken In 2015, the Department of Defense determined that offshore oil and gas in the eastern Gulf of Mexico would jeopardize the ability of the military to conduct operations in the region. prgtoken Even the administration, which bends over backwards to support the oil and gas industry, understands how deeply unpopular offshore drilling is in Florida and has manipulated the offshore leasing process for political reasons. prgtoken Five days after proposing to offer all of America's oceans to oil and gas companies, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke rushed down to Tallahassee to meet with then-Florida Governor Rick Scott. Understanding that Governor Scott was facing a tough Senate race but could never oppose anything from the administration, Secretary Zinke tweeted that he was ``removing Florida from the draft offshore plan'' at the Governor's behest. prgtoken However, Secretary Zinke was contradicted less than 2 weeks later when a top Interior Department official stated that Florida was, in fact, still under consideration for offshore leasing. Then, at one of our hearings in the Natural Resources Committee, Secretary Zinke seemed to say that Florida was both safe yet still being considered. prgtoken The problem for Secretary Zinke wa
COMMEMORATING THE 18TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-9-11

how familiar this day is. prgtoken As a Member of the United States Congress who was in this building on 9/11, it was a bright and shiny day in New York and Washington, D.C. as we fled this building, saw the billowing smoke in the Pentagon, and knew that the other towers had already fallen by someone telling us something had happened. Hearing rumors that planes were flying into the White House and the State Department, we wondered about the resilience and the freedom of this Nation. prgtoken How grateful I am to stand here, 18 years later, to remind Americans and those who were not yet born that that was a day that should be reminding us every day of the greatness of our freedom, the value of our democracy, and the power of our people. prgtoken We honor those who fell, those families who still do not know of their missing loved ones, those who went to war, those who have come back. prgtoken But most of all, this day is to remind us of the wonderment of the representation of this Nation, the diverse Nation that it is, people from all walks of life, that whatever we have to overcome, whatever divisiveness we may see yesterday, today, or tomorrow, it will never-- it will never--undermine the greatness of this country. prgtoken I will always, as one who was here, I will always remember and I will never forget. And I honor those whose lives were lost, pray for their families, but celebrate this country as we sang on the east steps, ``God Bless America.''
E-CIGARETTES
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-9-11

this week there was a significant development when it came to public health and our children in America. By way of preface to what I am about to say, I want to make clear that I have, during the course of my service in the House and the Senate, focused a great deal of my efforts on tobacco, the addiction that people have to tobacco cigarettes, and the deadly consequences of that addiction. My family has been touched by it, as most have in America. I lost my father when I was in high school. He smoked two packs a day and was a lung cancer victim. We buried him at the age of 53. I remember it to this day. prgtoken I am not alone. Literally, thousands of Americans--millions, perhaps--have a similar story to tell. So from the beginning of my service in the House of Representatives, I started looking for ways to deal with this scourge of tobacco cigarette addiction. Many years ago-- over 25 years ago--I introduced a measure that banned smoking on airplanes, and to my great surprise it managed to pass the House of Representatives. Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey was on the Appropriations subcommittee with the responsibility. He took it on in the Senate, passed it, and we made it the law of the land, banning smoking in airplanes. prgtoken I didn't realize--and I am sure Senator Lautenberg didn't--that we had triggered a tipping point or reaction that led to banning smoking in so many other venues. Ultimately, we have now reached a point where no one would consider walking into my office and lighting up a cigarette or even asking for permission to light a cigarette. It is just unthinkable. But 25 years ago it was common. So things have changed. prgtoken But what has happened is that Big Tobacco, having lost its marketplace position and lost its profitability, has moved to a new product--e-cigarettes and vaping. This company, JUUL, which is the largest provider of e-cigarette devices in the United States, has a huge stock ownership in tobacco companies. This is their new venue, their new approach. But much as with tobacco cigarettes, the vaping industry is counting on addicting children so that they can build their ranks, addicting teenagers. Tobacco cigarettes did the same with Joe Camel and the Marlboro cowboy, and now we see the same thing occurring when it comes to e-cigarettes and vaping. prgtoken The previous Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, Dr. Gottlieb, characterized it properly when he called it an epidemic. We now have 3 percent of American adults who are using vaping devices, 20 percent of America's teenagers and children using vaping devices. It is a new school year, and many of these students are heading off to middle schools and high schools prgtoken with new backpacks and maybe new laptops and new lockers and new teachers and new classrooms and new friends and a new addiction--the addiction of vaping. prgtoken Vaping targets kids. They are introducing flavors that can b
COASTAL AND MARINE ECONOMIES PROTECTION ACT
Harley Rouda (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-9-11

the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act requires existing offshore oil and gas operations to undergo inspections and make payments into the Ocean Energy Safety Fund. My amendment would make this information available to the public. prgtoken The administration's 2018 proposed opening of more than 90 percent of U.S. Federal waters to offshore oil could endanger at least 42,000 miles of our Atlantic and Pacific coasts to the extreme risks posed by offshore drilling and spilling. prgtoken I came to Congress to advocate on behalf of the people living in my coastal district. The American people have a vested interest in the health of their environment and the wealth of their local communities. It is essential that the public is aware of the companies who are extracting oil from our shores so that we can hold them accountable in the event of a disaster or an accident. prgtoken Offshore drilling impacts more than just coastal communities; it impacts future generations of Americans. Transparency is a key democratic principle. Citizens deserve to know which companies are drilling off our shores, the location of their facilities, and the safety and state of their operations. prgtoken In Orange County, this critical legislation helps make sure generations can come and continue to sail Newport Harbor, become junior lifeguards, surf the Wedge, catch halibut, and enjoy our pristine breaches. prgtoken This legislation is essential to maintaining our quality of life, and from South Carolina for his leadership. prgtoken I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support my amendment and passage of this bill. prgtoken , .
Remembering September 11th (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-9-11

I join the leader. Eighteen years ago, on a cloudless Tuesday morning, my city, our country, and our world changed forever. In the span of a few hours, the Twin Towers fell, the Pentagon was hit, and smoke rose from an empty field in Pennsylvania. prgtoken More than 3,000 souls were taken from us that day. I knew some of them: a guy I played basketball with in high school, a businessman who helped me on the way up, and a firefighter whom I went around the city doing blood drives with. It was one of the bloodiest days on American soil since the Civil War. prgtoken Each year we correctly and appropriately pause to remember that awful day. We mourn those whom we lost and think of them. The day after 9/11, I called for every American to wear the flag. I wear this flag every day. I have worn it every day since then in memory of them. prgtoken We also remember our resiliency and the resiliency of New Yorkers, the brave firefighters, police officers, and prgtoken ordinary citizens who rushed to the Towers. prgtoken The generosity--I will never forget a man who had a shoe store about two blocks north of the Towers who just gave shoes to all the people. Some men and women who had to run 90 flight of stairs left their shoes behind. prgtoken I remember the next day, when President sent us back up to New York, and the empty skies, a bunch of F-16s around our plane going down there, smelling the smell of burnt flesh and death in the air, and seeing over 1,000 people lined up with little signs, because we didn't know who was gone and who might be found: Have you seen my sister Mary? Have you seen my son Bob? prgtoken It was an awful day and a day we live with, but we know our resilience. Many predicted that Lower Manhattan would be a ghost town forevermore. It has more people, more jobs, and more business than before 9/11. Many thought that America would succumb to the evil brutality of the terrorists. We have fought back very successfully. prgtoken We think, finally, of those who are dying now as a result of their rushing to the Towers into the hours and days after, and we are also grateful that this body has now fully funded both the health fund and the fund to see that the families are taken care of. prgtoken It is an amazing moment. I live with it all the time. I ride my bike around the city, and every seventh or eighth block has the name of a street commemorating someone who died--firefighter this and police officer that. prgtoken But America, New York, and all of us have not been beaten by the terrorists and have not been beaten by adversity. On this issue, we have come together, and we will prevail. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that there be a minute of silence in memory of those who were lost both that day and who are still being lost because of their heroism a few days after. prgtoken Moment of Silence in Remembrance of the Lives Lost in the Attacks of September 11, 2001
IN HONOR OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF GLENDI
Chris Pappas (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-9-11

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Glendi, a Greek festival held annually in my hometown of Manchester, NH. Over the past four decades, St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral has hosted this event, which celebrates Greek culture, crafts, music, and, of course, food prgtoken Every year, Glendi brings together thousands of people from across New Hampshire and the region to celebrate the contributions and traditions of Greek culture in America. I grew up and remain a member of the St. George's family, which for over 100 years has welcomed the faithful to gather and be part of this tight-knit community. Now as a member of Congress I could not be more proud to mark this milestone. prgtoken My great-grandfather Arthur Papathanasiou left Livadi, Elassona, a tiny hilltop town in Turkish-occupied northern Greece, to start a better life in 1906, and like many Greek immigrants, his family brought their culture and food and traditions with them. prgtoken As a life-long resident of Manchester, Glendi was always a highlight and the chance to see those traditions and culture on display was particularly special. There is truly no better celebration of the many contributions the Greek community have made in the greater Manchester area than Glendi. prgtoken By sharing our Greek traditions with the broader Manchester community, the festival makes our city more inclusive and open. prgtoken On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I want to thank George Copadis--President of the Board of Directors, Father Mike, and the St. George's community for their decades of dedication to our community. I congratulate them on this milestone and thank them for all that they do to make our state such a wonderful place to learn, live, and eat.
PROTECTING AND SECURING FLORIDA'S COASTLINE ACT OF 2019
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-9-11

. Madam Chair, the bottom line is this administration cannot be trusted when it comes to protecting the coastline. prgtoken This administration already issued a stop order and changed its mind. Again, there is nothing to prevent this administration from changing its mind again or, as I mentioned, from taking it away from the National Academy of Sciences. prgtoken This amendment just ensures that the study remains operational and in the hands of the National Academy of Sciences so that there can't be a change. This is a protection we need for the coast. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
COMMEMORATING THE 18TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11
Madeleine Dean (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-9-11

I thank the chairwoman, Representative Maloney, for all her dedication, and I thank her for naming me to share a few remarks. prgtoken I am a new Representative from Pennsylvania, neighbor to New Jersey, but I spend an awful lot of time in New Jersey, and our whole area was affected. prgtoken Eighteen years ago, planes crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field near Shanksville. September 11 slammed into our national consciousness and has reverberated ever since. prgtoken We lost family, friends, neighbors, coworkers--losses that are immeasurable. We might have lost more, but on that day, our first responders rushed toward danger, rescued survivors, and then spent months cleaning up the wreckage. prgtoken That blend of sorrow and courage was on display again in June, when first responders encouraged Congress to reauthorize the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. prgtoken Detective Luis Alvarez told me: ``I'm doing okay, but there are others out there who aren't doing okay.'' Before Detective Alvarez died a few weeks later, he said: ``The government has to act like first responders . . . put politics aside and let's get this bill done.'' prgtoken Ultimately, we did so--through the might and strength of Carolyn Maloney, I might add--naming our bill for him, Luis Alvarez, and other heroes. prgtoken In the spirit of Detective Alvarez, let us continue to do so, working together with decency and respect. That is how we will honor those we lost; that is how we will honor those we continue to lose; and that is how we will honor all of those who continue to grieve.
Nomination of Dale Cabaniss (Executive Calendar)
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-9-11

just a little bit earlier today, the Senate voted to confirm President 's nomination of Dale Cabaniss to lead the Office of Personnel Management. prgtoken I voted against this nominee, but now that she is confirmed, it is more important than ever for the Senate and the House to fulfill our oversight duties to protect our civil servants from political interference. I know the Presiding Officer has a keen interest in this subject as well, in his capacity as chairman of the Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, overseeing Federal civil service, and I appreciate his work on that front. prgtoken In order to do their jobs for the American people, our Federal employees must be able to perform their duties free of politics. They must be judged on the merits of their work, not political favoritism or cronyism. They must be able to present factual information and analysis without fear of retribution. Yet time and again, we prgtoken have seen that this President, President , views civil servants as his adversaries. prgtoken The President has sought to silence those whose work or words contradict him, even when the facts are clear. We saw that most recently when the National Weather Service tried to calm residents in the State of Alabama after President falsely stated that Hurricane Dorian would put them at severe risk. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross reportedly threatened to fire the agency's leadership after they corrected the President's false statements about Hurricane Dorian and Alabama. Just within the last hour, the New York Times is reporting that the order to change the statements at NOAA came directly from the White House in the form of a directive from the Acting Chief of Staff to the President, Mick Mulvaney. prgtoken We have also seen this pattern at other times. We saw President standing side by side with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, while President sided with Putin's claims about noninterference in the 2016 Presidential elections, and where President threw our own U.S. intelligence agency experts under the bus. prgtoken These assaults on the Federal civil service and the efforts to undermine the integrity of the Federal civil service have also included an assault on Federal employees. This administration knows that workers are stronger when they are organized and have representatives who can speak on their behalf. Many--not all, but many--of the agency heads have repeatedly refused to comply with the law and to bargain in good faith with their workers. Instead of trying to negotiate, they have tried to impose contracts and terms unilaterally. This has already happened at the Social Security Administration, where agency management has shown particular hostility to the unions representing their workforce. Some of these issues are now tied up in the courts, but I would hope we could work on a bipartisan basis to address these challen
COASTAL AND MARINE ECONOMIES PROTECTION ACT
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-9-11

. Mr. Chair, I thank Representative Lowenthal for his leadership. prgtoken Today, I rise in support of this legislation by Representative Cunningham to ban offshore oil drilling in both the Atlantic and Pacific. This would apply to new offshore oil drilling. Such oil drilling is both dangerous and harms coastal economies. prgtoken My congressional district spans the coast of Los Angeles from Palos Verdes to Malibu. Its natural beauty is rivaled by few, and the tourism, recreation, and other ocean-related industries flourish because of it. prgtoken Just a few years ago, in 2015, an oil pipeline ruptured in Santa Barbara to the north of my district, spilling 100,000 gallons of oil into the ocean, killing wildlife, and forcing closure of beaches in my district as their oil flowed down. This oil spill can affect large pieces of land and our environment, and our economy suffered. prgtoken H.R. 1941 is a forward-thinking bill that will protect California's coast and help turn us away from fossil fuels. At a time when tackling the climate crisis is absolutely critical, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
IN RECOGNITION OF ROBERT BARBIERI ON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE LUZERNE COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Matt Cartwright (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-9-11

. Madam , I rise today to honor former athlete and Northeastern Pennsylvania native, Robert Barbieri. This year, Bob was inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame at the 35th annual dinner on August 11, 2019 for his distinct athletic achievements in the sport of football. prgtoken Each year, the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame honors those who have brought recognition to the state of Pennsylvania through their outstanding achievements and contributions in athletic endeavors. prgtoken Bob started his athletic career at Old Forge High School where he was All-Scholastic in football and basketball. Bob played as an offensive lineman, linebacker, and place kicker, once converting 21 straight placements. prgtoken After high school, Bob continued playing football at The George Washington University. He was a starting offensive lineman and linebacker from his sophomore year on. During his time at GW, Bob was asked to play in the North-South College All-Star game. prgtoken When his college playing days were over, Bob first tried out for the Baltimore Colts. He then moved back to Northeastern Pennsylvania to pursue his passion in a different way. Bob coached the Pittston High School football team where he was highly regarded. During his coaching career from 1966 to 1998, he had a record of 159 wins, 100 losses, and 4 ties. His Patriots won 5 Wyoming Valley Conference A Division Championships and tied for one Eastern Conference Championship with Shikellamy in 1967. The 1967 team was undefeated, with a 10-0 record during the season before facing Shikellamy in a hard-fought championship game that ended in a scoreless tie. Bob was a two-time Coach of the Year (1974 and 1981), and he also coached the UNICO team twice (1970 and 1985). prgtoken While at Pittston Area, he also coached girls' basketball, boys' basketball, junior high basketball, swimming, and junior high track. For his outstanding efforts and career, the athletic field house located in Charlie Tippi Stadium was named the Robert ``Bob'' Barbieri Field House in 2014. prgtoken It is an honor to recognize Bob on his induction into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. May his story and athletic career serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Pennsylvania athletes striving for excellence.