mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REDDING VA LEASE APPROVAL
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-3-1

my district is home to nearly 60,000 men and women who have served in our Nation's Armed Forces, and many more are still serving today. Yet for too long, veterans have had trouble receiving veterans medical care in our area, instead being forced to travel to Sacramento or farther from places like Redding, Chico, or Yreka. prgtoken So I am proud to announce that the Transportation Infrastructure Committee will authorize the VA to lease a new facility in Redding, California. This new lease will consolidate two buildings into one and will expand the regional VA square footage by over 50 percent in that consolidation, which will house an additional 17 mental health providers, a mammography division, and a second X-ray unit, significantly increasing the types of care available in Redding and in the north State. prgtoken Taxpayers will put up the money for the facility. Now it is time for the VA to ensure that this facility is properly staffed and these tax dollars are not wasted and instead respected, and, most importantly, that our veterans are respected with timely care.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2017-3-1

I applaud my colleagues for voting in favor of cloture on the nomination of Dr. Benjamin Carson to be the next Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. prgtoken On January 12, the Senate Banking Committee held its confirmation hearing, and Dr. Carson responded to questions and concerns thoroughly and thoughtfully. Dr. Benjamin Carson was unanimously reported out of the Senate Banking Committee on January 24. prgtoken To many Americans, Dr. Carson needs no introduction; however, his impressive resume bears repeating. Dr. Carson was raised by a single mother in an impoverished part of the city of Detroit. He attended Yale University and the University of Michigan Medical School and later became a highly accomplished and respected neurosurgeon. Dr. Carson was named director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1984, at the age of 33--the youngest such director in the Nation. prgtoken He gained national fame in the 1980s by becoming the first doctor to lead an operation that separated twins who were conjoined at the head-- one of many high-profile operations led by Dr. Carson. He also ran for President this past election and spent months traveling the country, listening to the American people about the problems and the issues they face with respect to housing. prgtoken During his testimony before our committee, Dr. Carson highlighted his commitment to carrying forth the prgtoken mandate of HUD and to learning more from the people who are directly affected by HUD policies. He has also received bipartisan letters of support from four former HUD Secretaries--Henry Cisneros, former Senator Mel Martinez, Alphonso Jackson, and Steven Preston--who served under both and ic administrations. prgtoken He has said he plans to continue his conversation with the American people and do a listening tour if confirmed. This is an encouraging sign that Dr. Carson wants to hear from stakeholders and, more importantly, from the American people. prgtoken There are many HUD issues to be addressed. Once confirmed, we can begin working on several important issues under HUD's jurisdiction. Streamlining requirements for local public housing authorities, revising certain public housing programs, and strengthening financing for small and rural affordable housing developments are areas that should be addressed. Tackling homelessness, especially among our Nation's veterans, is another issue that is important to me and should be addressed. prgtoken It is critical that HUD allow local communities to craft solutions that work best for their needs. There has been bipartisan interest in several of these reforms over the years, and I am confident we can make progress once Dr. Carson is confirmed. prgtoken Dr. Carson has consistently demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of his fellow Americans, and his intellect, leadership, and life experiences are unique, valuable assets
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1004, REGULATORY INTEGRITY ACT OF 2017, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1009, OIRA INSIGHT, REFORM, AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Pete Sessions (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-1

this morning the Rules Committee issued announcements outlining the process for amendments for three measures likely to be on the floor next week. prgtoken An amendment deadline has been set for Monday, March 6, at 3 p.m. for H.R. 725, the Innocent Party Protection Act. And a deadline has been set for Tuesday, March 7, at 10 a.m. for H.R. 720, the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act; and H.R. 985, the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act. prgtoken The text of these measures is available at the Rules Committee website, and feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions.
KEEPING OUR PROMISES
Jodey C. Arrington (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-1

. Madam , we have a new era that has dawned on American politics. Our citizens are demanding that we don't conduct our business as usual. prgtoken These are times that call for bold leadership and bold action. Over the last couple of years, my observation is that we don't need new solutions. We have reforms for immigration, reforms for regulations, reforms for our Tax Code. What we need is courage: courage to act, courage to keep our promises, as our President said last night, and finish what we started. prgtoken Care is a disaster, to repeat what the President said. The facts are undisputable. This isn't a situation where we have a leaky roof in need of repair. We are on faulty foundation, and it is shifting under our feet. If we don't act swiftly and decisively, the house will collapse. prgtoken Leadership is about courage. Leadership is about keeping our promises. We all owe it to the American people to act accordingly.
DISAPPROVING THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR RELATING TO ``CLARIFICATION OF EMPLOYER'S CONTINUING OBLIGATION TO MAKE AND MAINTAIN AN ACCURATE RECORD OF EACH RECORDABLE INJURY AND...
Bradley Byrne (Republican, AL) \u2014 2017-3-1

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I would remind the gentleman that the experts on this, the American Society of Safety Engineers, have said that this regulation does not enhance workplace safety. So if we are about workplace safety, this regulation isn't it. Let's talk about something that will help with workplace safety, not something that is a lawless power grab by a Federal agency. prgtoken , .
HONORING THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF FORT COVINGTON
Elise M. Stefanik (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-3-1

I rise today to honor and recognize the 200th Anniversary of Fort Covington, New York. prgtoken Situated directly on the Canadian border, the town of Fort Covington serves as a proud reminder of the North Country's deep history and strong character. Before Fort Covington was formally signed into existence on February 28, 1817, men from the area had already fought for liberty in the American Revolution. It was not until the War of 1812 that the town gained its namesake by witnessing the death of General Leonard Covington, who had been fatally wounded in a nearby battle. The role that Fort Covington played in the Underground Railroad is also worthy of note, with the town harboring slaves along the last leg of their journey to freedom. prgtoken These stories have been brought forward by the newly-created Fort Covington Historical Society, which has made an effort to gather, store, and display the town's proud history. By encouraging historical exploration, the Fort Covington Historical Society has helped foster a community-wide celebration of the town's past, while also ensuring a bright and informed future. prgtoken Congratulations to Fort Covington as it celebrates its 200th Anniversary. I would like to wish its residents all the best as they celebrate this momentous occasion.
OIRA INSIGHT, REFORM, AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Paul Mitchell (Republican, MI) \u2014 2017-3-1

. Madam , s on both sides of the aisle for the robust process by which we considered this bill. prgtoken The bill came to the floor through regular order in the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. We had a full markup which allowed for Members on both sides of the aisle to offer amendments and insight. We had healthy debate on a number of amendments, and we just voted on some of them. prgtoken This bill codifies existing policy with changes only to include independent agencies and improve government transparency. prgtoken I oppose the motion to recommit. I urge my colleagues to oppose the motion and vote ``yes'' on final passage. prgtoken .
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-1

the Chamber is too slowly moving forward on the President's Cabinet nominees. So far, this Chamber has confirmed 16 Cabinet nominees since January 20. I would note that the most recent nominee, Secretary Zinke, was confirmed by a vote of 68 to 31 and that Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce, was confirmed by a vote of 72 to 27. prgtoken Why have we burned 5 weeks of this new administration and denied the President the staff and the help and the team he needs in order to lead the country? It makes no sense whatsoever. prgtoken I, once again, implore our friends on the other side of the aisle to stop the foot-dragging and the delay for delay's sake and to let the President have his Cabinet.
NITTANY THEATRE AT THE BARN
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-3-1

I rise today to celebrate a true treasure in central Pennsylvania, actually in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, the Nittany Theatre at the Barn. This one-of-a-kind theater has a storied history which started in the late 1800s as the service barn on a working farm. prgtoken The Boal family settled the region for which the town Boalsburg is named. This town was on the main road for travelers from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. The Boal Mansion estate, which dates to 1789, is a national registered landmark. prgtoken The fourth generation of the Boal family, Colonel Theodore Davis Boal, married a descendant of Christopher Columbus and brought the Columbus Chapel to the Boal Mansion from Spain in 1909. This included an admiral's desk said to belong to Columbus himself. By the 1930s, the estate's aging barn was retired from farm use, but it would eventually take on a whole new life. prgtoken Pierre Boal retired from the diplomatic service for the country following World War II. He wanted to make the family's estate into a regional museum to display the family's vast collection of treasures and artifacts. Mr. Boal hired Lillian Dickson-Major, an English stage and film actress and lover of history, to be the first curator of the new Boal Mansion Museum. She arrived in 1953 and immediately began preparing the estate for museum service. Lillian looked at the emptied barn and saw its potential as the site for a ``most unusual theatre.'' prgtoken At the same time, theater professionals throughout the country and at nearby Penn State University wondered how theater would continue to survive in a world that was captivated by television and Technicolor motion pictures. Pierre and Lillian invited several Penn State professors and theater specialists to make their plans. To close the deal, Pierre Boal leased the old barn to the newly formed Centre County Theatre Association for the generous sum of zero dollars as a means to invite and encourage culture and theater in Centre County. Entrusted to oversee the construction of a state-of-the-art arena theater, the Centre County Theatre Association brought life to Lillian's vision of the barn as a ``most unusual theatre.'' prgtoken After several years of preparations and construction, the theater opened at the barn in the summer of 1959 and was a tremendous success. Many audiences enjoyed the summer performances in the old barn for decades. After a long run, the community theater company let the old barn go dark, but it was only for a brief time before Nittany Theatre at the Barn took up the cause to breathe new life once again into the historic community treasure. State-of-the-art advancements were made at the barn, merging the latest technologies with good, old-fashioned summer stock theater. prgtoken The house is stocked with 99 seats, retaining all the charm and intimacy that made the barn legendary. In addition, to enhance audiences' experiences, brand-new, state-of-the-art LED lighti
CLOTURE MOTION
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2017-3-1

back in 1979, there was a junior from Bozeman High School and another junior from Whitefish High School, both headed to Dillon, MT, as Boys State delegates. The keynote speaker that year was a newly elected U.S. Senator named Max Baucus. Who knew that 38 years later the kid from Bozeman would serve as a U.S. Senator and the kid from Whitefish would be our next Secretary of the Interior. prgtoken Congratulations to Ryan Zinke, our new Secretary of the Interior, who was confirmed with very strong bipartisan support. He is the first Montanan to serve in a President's Cabinet since our statehood in 1889. prgtoken Ryan, it is truly an honor to be one of the very first to call you Secretary Zinke. On behalf of the people of Montana and our country, well done, sir. prgtoken .
HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ST. CLAIR COUNTY (WEST) ROTARY CLUB
Mike Bost (Republican, IL) \u2014 2017-3-1

I rise today in recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of St. Clair County (West). prgtoken On March 1, 1917, the Rotary Club of St. Clair County (West) received its first charter with 30 members in attendance, becoming the first Rotary Club activated in Southern Illinois. These members represented real estate agents, bankers, lawyers, lumber and livestock workers, farmers, and many other professions that make up the fabric of Southern Illinois. prgtoken Since its activation, the Rotary Club has been a support group to countless business owners through the Great Depression, World War II, and beyond. Not only do its members focus on strengthening businesses, but they also focus on enriching the community through charitable work. prgtoken The Red Cross, Salvation Army, Boys and Girl Scouts of America, and YMCA are only a few of the organizations with which St. Clair County (West) has been instrumental in strengthening Southern Illinois, including creating the Edgemont YMCA facility and a college scholarship program for high school seniors. prgtoken We are grateful for the contributions that Rotary Clubs around the nation are making on a daily basis. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the St. Clair County (West) Rotary Club.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FULFILLS PROMISES
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-3-1

. Madam , last night President spoke to a joint session of Congress and to the American people in a powerful and positive address. prgtoken From day one, President committed himself to fulfilling the promises he made to the American people, and last night he outlined his bold agenda. I was grateful to hear his plans to repeal regulations, reduce taxes, create jobs, repeal and replace Care, and promote veterans. prgtoken As the chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, I appreciated his determination to rebuild our military by providing them with the resources they need to promote peace through strength. prgtoken The President's speech received an overwhelmingly optimistic response, with nearly 60 percent of viewers having a positive reaction. Additionally, 70 percent of the viewers said the President's policies would move the country in the right direction. prgtoken I look forward to working with the President and Paul Ryan to achieve the bold, positive vision for American families. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism. prgtoken Congratulations to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and his wife, Lola, a great team for America.
President's Address to Congress (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-3-1

I rise in support of Dr. Carson for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. However, I just can't resist, as I listened to my friend Senator Cornyn--and I do like and respect Senator Cornyn, and I do mean that. It is always said here, but I actually do. I am just amused by the term ``obstructionism.'' This President was 100 yards down the hall speaking last night and still hasn't put any legislative proposals forward--nothing on immigration except Executive orders; nothing on infrastructure even though have followed the four corners, if you will, of his proposal, $1 trillion over 10 years--put ink to paper and actually written a real plan that includes public transit, that includes highways and bridges and water and sewer and housing and airports and ports and all of the things we do in doing it right on infrastructure, on public works. So we are all still waiting. prgtoken The President has made a lot of speeches. Last night he was not as combative as usual. That was welcome. I think we all, as Senator Cornyn said, applauded that. But we are still looking for substance. We are looking for one bill. Repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act--what does that mean? He still hasn't given us anything specific. They have been voting on replacing and repealing the Affordable Care Act for more than a decade, but they still don't have a plan. prgtoken If we listen to the Governor from my home State, the State where the Presiding Officer grew up--they should listen to our Governor, who admonishes colleagues here: Don't repeal the Affordable Care Act unless you have a way to take care of 700,000 Ohioans who have lost their insurance under Medicaid; not to mention 100,000 who will lose their insurance who are on their parents' health plan; not to mention 100,000 who are on the exchanges; not to mention 100,000 seniors who are saving $1,100 on their prescription drugs a year; not to mention 1 million Ohio seniors who get free, no copay, no deductible osteoporosis and diabetes screenings and physicals and all the things the Affordable Care Act gives them. They offer no proposals to replace any of those services. They talk about State lines, and they talk about health savings accounts, and they talk about tort reform. That is like this many people compared to this many people. They know that. Yet I still hear this talk of obstructionism. Give us stuff. Give us legislative proposals. prgtoken The assistant majority leader started off by talking about I guess a slow-walk of nominees. Now, I am the ranking , and my friend Senator Crapo is now the chairman of the committee. He was not chairman then, and he is not mostly responsible for this. But I am on the Banking Committee, and last year, with a ic President--I don't want to look back and do tit-for-tat. It is not about that. It is about moving the country forward. But last year--what was it--25 to 30 nominees came
HONORING FRANCIS ``DANNY'' MALCOLM
Judy Chu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-1

I rise today to honor Francis ``Danny'' Malcolm, an outstanding citizen who has done so much for his country and his community. prgtoken Danny Malcolm was born on August 2, 1946 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was one of six siblings who grew up and went to school in Boston until the outbreak of the Vietnam War. Not one to stand idly by during times of trouble, Danny chose to join the United States Marine Corps on November 8, 1963. He was only 17 years old at the time but he quickly proved to be a highly capable young man that was more than willing to serve his country. prgtoken Danny was assigned to the 3rd Battalion 9th Marine Regiment that was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; a unit that was part of the first amphibious landing in Vietnam. Danny was a proud Marine but he also had the distinction of serving as part of Force Recon, an elite Special Forces unit within the Marine Corps. prgtoken As part of this unit, Danny served three tours in Vietnam and was engaged in some of the most important battles of the war including the Defense of Airfields Saigon and Chu Lai in 1965, as well as Operation Kansas, Operation Teton, Operation Madison, and Operation Glenn in 1966. Many of these missions were extremely dangerous and required Danny to engage enemy combatants behind enemy lines, obtain crucial enemy intelligence, provide support to other military units and save fellow service members who had become prisoners of war. His courage and commitment to the United States did not go unnoticed and earned him several medals, including the Sharp Shooter Medal, National Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and Vietnam Special Campaign Medal. prgtoken Once the war came to a close, Danny returned home to the United States and earned a degree in Biomedical Engineering and Design from California State University, Long Beach. After graduating from college he joined Kaiser Permanente and committed thirty-four years of his life to the organization. During his tenure at Kaiser he played an important role in opening up the Kaiser facility in Baldwin Park, CA. He was highly respected among his colleagues and considered to be a problem solver that could always be depended on to get the job done. prgtoken Despite the many demands of life, Danny always went out of his way to make family a priority. He was a loving husband of thirty-four years to Carol Facciponti-Malcolm, a dedicated father of seven children, a caring grandfather of thirteen and an admiring great grandfather of three. Over the years, Danny became an important part of the community and was seen by friends and family as a wonderful and trustworthy human being who loved his husky dogs, cherished the outdoors and enjoyed to ride his motorcycles. prgtoken Above all, Danny was a Marine and as with most service members who fought in Vietnam, the war left a huge impact on him. After having served during one of the most tumultuous times in Americ