mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE
Hakeem S. Jeffries (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-4-5

under rule IX, clause 1, questions of the privileges of the House are ``those affecting the rights of the House collectively, its safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings.'' prgtoken This resolution is privileged based on two issues of institutional integrity, both anchored in the United States Constitution. prgtoken Upon adoption of the Constitution, Senators were elected by State legislative bodies; justices were appointed by the executive branch; Presidents were placed into office indirectly through the electoral college. prgtoken The House was the only institution where Members were directly elected by the people. We were given 2-year terms to stay close to the people. Our integrity as a separate and coequal branch of government flows directly from our ability to vigilantly represent their interests. prgtoken We don't work for the executive branch. We don't work for President . We work for the people of this great Nation, and the American people overwhelmingly want the President's tax returns released. prgtoken Secondarily, this House should exercise its prerogative as a separate and coequal branch of government, vigilantly represent the people, and act as a check and balance against Presidential obstruction. Our integrity hangs in the balance. prgtoken The integrity of this House also hinges, lastly, on our willingness to properly legislate changes to the Tax Code. The American people have, in many cases, lost faith in our institutions of government, in part because they believe that we are out of touch and that we do not act in the best interests of hardworking Americans. prgtoken Pursuant to Article I, section 7, clause 1 of the Constitution, often referred to as the Origination Clause, the House of Representatives has the sole authority to initiate legislation that raises revenue for the national government. prgtoken According to a 2011 Heritage Foundation report, the taxation power was intentionally placed with the body closest to the people as part of the Great Compromise. The Heritage Foundation report urges Members of this House to ``be more zealous in protecting this exclusive prerogative.'' prgtoken President has expressed an interest in working with the House to take on the most significant legislative reform of our Tax Code in 30 years. How can we work with him on this legislation if we do not know how the proposed reforms might financially benefit him or the companies or countries to which he has business entanglements? prgtoken How can we ascertain whether suggestions made by the executive branch are aimed to help the American people or aimed to help the President or his allies in business or throughout the world? prgtoken The Founders of this great Nation made it so that we, as representatives of the people, have the constitutional duty to check and balance the executive branch, not the other way around. prgtoken The integrity of this body is at risk if we choose to follow
MAKE IT IN AMERICA
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-4-5

in the 20th century, good-paying manufacturing jobs built the middle class in Rhode Island and across our country. But in recent decades, millions of these jobs have disappeared. Factories have been shuttered. Bad trade deals have moved American jobs to other countries. prgtoken It is time to rebuild American manufacturing. It is time to support making things in America again. That is why I have introduced H.R. 1672, the Make It In America Manufacturing Communities Act, a bipartisan bill that will help revitalize American manufacturing and promote the creation of good-paying jobs in our country. prgtoken This is a commonsense bill that incentivizes communities, together with the private sector, higher education, and other key stakeholders to work together to strengthen their manufacturing economies. It provides targeted investments and support to make regions and local communities competitive in manufacturing again--communities like those in my home State of Rhode Island, the birthplace of the American industrial revolution. prgtoken , let's put America back to work at good-paying jobs. Let's get this done and pass H.R. 1672. Let's work to export great American goods and not great American jobs.
RECOGNIZING THE PASSING OF DOROTHY A. SMITH
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-4-5

it is with a heavy heart that I recognize the significant and rich life of a beloved woman, Dorothy A. Smith. Mrs. Smith was a religious woman, whose dedication to the many churches and communities she was a part of in her life was outweighed only by her constant warmth. prgtoken She was born on August 11, 1930 in Meridian, Mississippi to her parents, Otis and Maggie. Dorothy was one of eight children. She married Edward in Meridian, MS on February 8, 1948 and they had 6 children from this union. She was educated in the public schools in New Orleans, LA. She worked for the Department of the Army for 40+ years when she retired as a Hospital Medical Records Specialist in 1993. She spent the last 15 years as a resident of Wylie, Texas. Dorothy was a member of Secondary Missionary Baptist Church in Junction City, KS, Fifth Street Baptist Church in Meridian, MS; Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Farmersville, TX; and at the time of her death a member of Christ Unveiled Ministries, Garland, TX. Dorothy enjoyed working as a Deaconess, Trustee, Choir Member, and an Usher in the churches she attended. She spent most of her time encouraging Senior citizens and young people to have a better quality of life. prgtoken Dorothy was preceded in death by her loving husband, Edward. She will be remembered by her loving children Gloria Richardson of Manhattan, KS; Mae Smith of Bossier City, LA; Edward R. Smith, Jr Cedar Hill, TX; Audray Lincoln (Charles) of Rowlett, TX; and James Foster, Sr. of Colorado Springs. She is also survived by 20 grandchildren, 63 great grandchildren, 2 great, great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and many ``adopted kids'' of all ages. She was preceded in death by her son Joseph F. Smith; her daughter Lue E. Foster; her grandchildren Joseph Smith and Tiphanie Lincoln, her sisters Pauline Phillips and Josephine Smith, and her brother Robert Gordon. prgtoken Dorothy passed away peacefully on April 1, 2017, and will be missed dearly.
HONORING JOSEPH KOLB
Mike Quigley (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-4-5

I rise today to honor a constituent of mine, Joseph Kolb, a native Chicagoan, who is set to retire after a lengthy and illustrious career in law enforcement. prgtoken Mr. Kolb began his career in 1983 as a Deputy Sheriff with the Cook County Sheriff's Department. In 1987, Mr. Kolb began his federal government service career with the former United States Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) and during his tenure was promoted to the rank of the Assistant Port Director for INS at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. prgtoken When Congress created the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in March of 2003, Mr. Kolb was selected by the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) Assistant Commissioner in Washington, D.C. as the interim Assistant Director for Immigration Policy and Programs at the Chicago Field Office. His vast knowledge of immigration law and policies combined with experienced leadership skills proved invaluable during the creation and implementation of the newly created agency. prgtoken Assigned as the Chief CBP Officer Program Manager for Admissibility Passenger and Programs, Mr. Kolb served as a subject matter expert, administering admissibility and immigration policy, managing and developing admissibility programs for the Chicago Field Office 12 state area. prgtoken He also performed the important role of liaison to the Foreign Consular Corp, Immigration Law Advocate groups, Community Based Organizations, U.S. Department of State, FBI, City of Chicago and Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. prgtoken Later, Mr. Kolb was assigned to Washington, D.C. for CBP and DHS Headquarters to author and administer national immigration policy, as well as provide guidance to the field. This latter task involved contributing to a number of national programs along with writing recommendations to Congress regarding special projects. prgtoken Mr. Kolb's long career took him to international posts throughout the world, working with the U.S. Department of State and DHS Headquarters in London, Amsterdam, Rome, Dublin, Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia. prgtoken For his outstanding service, Mr. Kolb was nominated in 2016 by the Chicago Federal Executive Board as Employee of the Year. prgtoken Mr. Kolb graduated from Gordon Technical High School and holds a Law Enforcement degree from Oakton College. In 2001, he received the Alumni of the Year Award from Oakton College. prgtoken , I ask you to join me in recognizing Mr. Kolb's distinguished service to our country and his exemplary career as a law enforcement official.
TRUMP DIRTY ENERGY EXECUTIVE ORDER
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-4-5

after the hottest recorded year in history, and his Environmental Destruction Agency under Administrator Scott Pruitt will undo more than a decade's worth of progress fighting climate change and protecting public health by seeking to eliminate the Clean Power Plan as we know it. The Clean Power Plan which seeks to reduce carbon pollution from fossil-fueled power plants by more than 30 percent, was the biggest action the United States had ever taken to reduce carbon pollution, the main source driving climate change. It was also the lynchpin of the Paris Climate Agreement which brought countries from all over the world together for the first time to combat climate change. By weakening the Clean Power Plan and retreating as the world's leader in combating climate change, the Administration is giving away the ever-growing clean energy economy to China. Contrary to President 's assertions, these actions will not bring back coal-mining jobs in Appalachia as natural gas continues to be more economically competitive than coal, the main reason for coal's demise. The climate gap, the sometimes hidden and often-unequal impact of climate change on people of color and the poor, is real and only getting worse. Climate change disproportionately impacts minority and low-income communities like those in my district, especially with respect to heat waves, air quality and extreme weather events. Low-income and minority communities in the inner city are more susceptible to the ``heat island'' effect where temperatures are magnified by concrete and asphalt. Reports have shown that African Americans living in Los Angeles are twice as likely to die as other Angelenos during a heat wave. One of my top priorities is the issue of environmental justice-- people should not breathe dirtier air simply because of their income or what they look like. As a United States Congresswoman for California's 44th congressional district, I will do everything I can to ensure clean air, water and lands for vulnerable populations.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Bobby L. Rush (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-4-5

I want to recite this prayer: prgtoken Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. prgtoken In Jesus' name, Amen.
PUTIN'S ATTEMPT TO HIJACK DEMOCRACY NEEDS INVESTIGATION
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-4-5

from the North Atlantic to the North Pacific, to the Baltic Seas, the Russian people are standing up to Vladimir Putin and his decades of egregious corruption. The protests in Moscow are punctuated with chants that Putin is a thief. And, of course, the anticorruption protest leaders have been jailed. And our President, the United States President, the leader of the free world, says that he admires Putin's strongman ways. prgtoken Here is the rub that every American of every political persuasion should be concerned with, and that every American family, millions of whom have lost a soldier in defense of our democracy, should be concerned with: Putin is trying to discredit the exact democracy that millions of our brothers and sisters have died for. Putin is a thug and a street punk. His attempt to hijack our democracy needs an aggressive and honest, independent investigation.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET PROPOSED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-4-5

I rise today in opposition to the draconian 31 percent cut to the international affairs budget proposed by the Administration. prgtoken President 's budget would starve our nation's diplomacy and development efforts at a time of increased challenges to global security and stability. prgtoken Strategic investments in development and diplomacy, alongside a strong defense, are essential to fight terrorism, support our allies, and uphold America's leadership role in the world. prgtoken If the United States retreats from our global commitments, then we cede ground to countries that do not share American interests and pose a risk to American values. prgtoken You do not make America great again by unilaterally withdrawing from the world. prgtoken Since World War II, we have been and we remain the essential nation. Ronald Reagan used to talk about making America that shining city upon a hill. prgtoken What he meant was a beacon, a place people could look to for succor, human rights advocacy, and protection. That is who we are. prgtoken Yesterday, the Administration announced that it was ending all funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which works to provide access to contraceptives, prevent unsafe abortions, and stop maternal deaths around the world. prgtoken Cutting these funds threatens the lives of millions of girls and women. prgtoken Throughout U.S. development operations, we are fostering American values through support for civil society, free markets, independent media, and democratic institutions. prgtoken At a time when countries like Russia and China are undermining democratic institutions and the post-WWII international order, we need robust diplomatic and development operations more than ever. prgtoken Foreign assistance is not just a nice thing to do. It opens foreign markets for American businesses and creates enduring partnerships abroad. prgtoken For example, what began as a donor-recipient relationship between the United States and South Korea in the wake of the Korean War has since blossomed into an unbreakable alliance bound by shared military, diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties. South Korea is now our sixth largest trading partner. prgtoken We turn to diplomacy to solve our most intractable national security challenges. prgtoken It is a political solution we seek in Syria, not a military one. It is the JCPOA, a multilateral diplomatic effort, that has effectively reversed the Iranian nuclear threat. prgtoken It is our aid and reconstruction efforts that will eliminate terrorists' sanctuaries in Afghanistan, not a permanent military presence. prgtoken Pulling out the rug beneath our nation's diplomats not only makes their efforts less effective, but it also further exposes our military by shifting the entire burden to them. prgtoken More than 120 retired generals and admirals recently wrote a letter to Congress on this matter saying ``the State Department, USAID, Millenn
RECENT CHEMICAL ATTACKS IN SYRIA
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-4-5

yesterday, dozens of Syrians suffered yet again at the hands of Bashar al-Assad when he employed chemical weapons in an attack that left children gasping for air and suffering in the middle of the streets. In the deadliest chemical attack in Syria since 2013, the death toll has now surpassed 70 and continues to rise. prgtoken This attack was morally reprehensible, but let's be clear: this attack is the fault of President Assad, and it is a war crime. He must be held accountable for his actions, as must the Russian regime that continues to enable his acts of carnage. prgtoken Such barbarism is an attack on our collective humanity, and a chemical attack of this nature must never happen again in Syria or anywhere else in the world, and the world must not look the other way. prgtoken , I condemn this attack and these actions in the strongest possible terms. I am grateful to the humanitarian groups and the medical personnel who are tending to these wounds today. My heart breaks for the victims who were injured and killed in Syria. prgtoken Let us speak out as a world with one voice to condemn this attack and say: Never again.
JEANNETTE RANKIN AND 100 YEARS OF WOMEN IN CONGRESS
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-4-5

I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for creating this opportunity for us to celebrate 100 years of women serving in Congress. prgtoken It is remarkable that we are still trying to see our numbers inch upwards and continue to be at something like 19 percent when women represent over 50 percent of the voting population. prgtoken I thought it would be interesting to highlight one of these women in Congress, a great woman, and one that I have long admired. Her name is Helen Gahagan Douglas. She was the first California woman elected to Congress in her own right--in that case, not succeeding a deceased husband. prgtoken Helen Gahagan was an actress and an opera singer who did not consider herself political until a chance conversation she had over coffee while performing in Vienna, Austria, in 1938. The man was a Nazi sympathizer, and the things she heard truly sickened her. prgtoken She returned to the United States intent on destroying Nazism. She and her husband, Oscar-winning actor Melvyn Douglas, joined the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League and called for a boycott of products made in Nazi Germany. prgtoken The release of John Steinbeck's seminal novel, ``The Grapes of Wrath,'' consumed her. She began studying the plight of migrant farmworkers coming to California from the Dust Bowl States. prgtoken After meeting the author, Helen was named president of the John Steinbeck Committee and became the national spokesperson for the rights of migrants. prgtoken That work attracted the attention of President and First Lady Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and Eleanor became a mentor to Helen. prgtoken Helen Gahagan Douglas won the open congressional seat in California's 14th District in 1944. She was in the Hollywood area, and that was her district. prgtoken She served three terms in Congress, earning a reputation as a deep thinker, voice for the downtrodden, and skilled orator. prgtoken In 1950, she ran for the United States Senate, facing fellow southern California Congressman Richard Nixon. prgtoken In the campaign, Nixon conflated her anti-Nazi views and work for migrant workers with being a communist fellow traveler. prgtoken He also employed anti-Semitic surrogates who attacked her for marrying a Jewish man. prgtoken These and other low-campaign tactics spurred Douglas to call Nixon ``Tricky Dicky,'' a moniker that stuck with him his entire career. prgtoken During the Watergate scandal, more than two decades after the 1950 Senate race, a popular bumper sticker in California read, ``Don't blame me, I voted for Helen Gahagan Douglas.'' prgtoken After her death in 1980, California State Senator Alan Cranston delivered a stirring eulogy on the Senate floor. He said: ``I believe Helen Gahagan Douglas was one of the grandest, most eloquent, and deepest-thinking people we have had in American politics. She stands among the best of our 20th century leaders, rivaling even Eleanor Roosevelt in stature, compassion, and simple greatness.'' <
THE RETIREMENT OF PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF MARC BASHOOR
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-4-5

I rise to offer my gratitude and congratulations to an outstanding public servant and firefighter, who prgtoken has been truly a gift to the people of Prince George's County, Maryland. Chief Marc Bashoor retired in February after leading the Prince George's County Fire Department for the past six years and following a career in the fire service that has lasted more than three decades. Throughout that time, he has won well-deserved praise from county, state, and national officials for his skill at management and his efforts to streamline operations and provide steady leadership. Chief Bashoor has also received high marks from residents across the county, grateful for the peace of mind that comes with a well-run fire department. prgtoken Chief Bashoor, a native of Bowie in Prince George's County, came to the fire service at the young age of sixteen, when he began as a volunteer firefighter there. It was there at Station No. 39 that he met his wife, Laura, a fellow volunteer firefighter. Their wedding celebration prominently included a County fire truck, naturally. Chief Bashoor became a paid firefighter with the Prince George's County Fire Department in 1987 and served until 2004, when he retired and took a job as Director of Homeland Security for Mineral County in West Virginia. Thankfully, Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker was able to convince him to return in 2010 as Fire Chief. I, and so many in my district, am very glad that he did. prgtoken During his tenure in office, Chief Bashoor oversaw a major expansion to meet the needs of the growing county. He hired more paid firefighters, recruited more volunteers, purchased more vehicles and equipment, and worked to bring new fire stations online. He advocated for the Department to have a budget increase of 30 percent. It paid off, with response times to emergency calls going down measurably. We cannot even begin to speculate how many lives and properties were saved as a result. prgtoken I've been fortunate to work closely with Chief Bashoor throughout his tenure. As a Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I've worked to increase F.I.R.E. and S.A.F.E.R. grants and ensure that the Prince George's County Fire Department and departments all across the country have the resources they need to keep their communities and their personnel safe. I've also joined with him to advance the work of ensuring that the families of fallen firefighters receive the benefits they deserve as well as the honor and gratitude they are owed. prgtoken , our nation counts on dedicated fire service leaders like Chief Bashoor every day, and I join in thanking him and all who work or volunteer on the fire line. I hope my colleagues will join me in wishing Chief Bashoor well in his retirement and in thanking him for his extraordinary service to Prince George's County, the State of Maryland, and our nation.