mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Matt Gaetz (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-9-12

I offer this amendment on behalf of several of my colleagues from the Sunshine State who are still responding to the devastation from Hurricane Irma that made landfall earlier this week. The sponsor of this amendment, Congressman Deutch, and the cosponsors, Congressman Curbelo, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, Congressman Hastings, and Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, all represent districts that received significant damage from Hurricane Irma. Due to the damage in their districts, these Members--with strong interest in this amendment--were unable to return to D.C. in time to debate this issue on the House floor, so I am here pinch-hitting for them. prgtoken Recently there have been reports that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries headquarters, located on Virginia Key in south Florida, may move to another location. This amendment would prohibit that move. Such a move would be devastating to the longstanding research relationships that the NOAA facility on Virginia Key has with local universities, the local business community, and the marine industries of south Florida. prgtoken The NOAA research facility on Virginia Key has maintained a partnership with the University of Miami and the south Florida community since 1943. Over the years, the NOAA facility and their research teams have worked closely and collaborated on critical research projects and scientific breakthroughs with the University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University, NOVA Southeastern University, Florida International University, the Palm Beach County Business Development Board, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, the Beacon Council, the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, and other south Florida universities and business coalitions. prgtoken In fact, the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is located across the street from the NOAA facility on Virginia Key. These south Florida universities and business councils recently signed a formal memorandum of understanding that encourages collaboration among research, education, business, and economic development organizations. prgtoken Some research projects that the NOAA facility on Virginia Key has worked on with south Florida universities and business councils include the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, creating a storm surge database for Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and something near and dear to my heart, Everglades restoration projects. prgtoken Moving the NOAA facility from Virginia Key would sever the bonds between the facility and the research universities in the south Florida community that create so much progress and so many jobs. prgtoken Again, I am grateful, , for the opportunity to introduce this amendment on behalf of my colleagues, and .
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018.
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-9-12

I thank the gentlewoman. I do share her concern. That is why we are asking for $5 million of the $39.1 million be used to give expectant mothers the opportunity to learn fully and make a decision based on what they want to do. It is about education. It is about making them fully aware. prgtoken But this is about adoption. This is not about anything else. This is not about taking anything away from anybody. This is about giving them the opportunity to understand the options that they do have in an unplanned pregnancy. prgtoken , .
LITTLE ROCK CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE BOUNDARY MODIFICATION ACT
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2017-9-12

I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken , 60 years ago today, all eyes were on South Park Street that fronts the beautiful facade of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Just days before, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus had called out the National Guard to prevent nine Black students from entering the school on September 4. Central High and its beautiful neighborhood had become ground zero in the march to end the five-decade legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson, ``separate but equal,'' to bring it to reality. prgtoken Now, just over 3 years after the Brown decision, it was time for action. In a few days, on the 25th of this month, we will celebrate the successful integration of Central High School, when the Little Rock Nine entered the school escorted by the troops of the 101st Airborne. prgtoken It is fitting today, , that we pay tribute to the Little Rock Nine, their defenders, and the successful end to separate but equal. We recognize this important milestone today on this House floor by passing a bill on the suspension calendar that expands the park boundary of the national historic site at Little Rock Central High School. This is a historic and important touchstone for all of those modern-day history travelers retracing the steps of the civil rights movement. prgtoken The Little Rock National Historic Site Visitor Center was opened in 2007 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the integration of Central High. Today's measure, H.R. 2611, is a simple one: extending the park boundaries to take in the houses that fronted the school along beautiful South Park Street so that future generations will be able to picture this tranquil street, an architecturally significant facade of Central High, and reflect back on those 21 days of trauma in September 1957. prgtoken who is in our Chamber today, civil rights pioneer and courageous actor John Lewis, for his cosponsorship. prgtoken I thank our majority leader, Chairman Bishop, and the Natural Resources Committee for their expeditious treatment of this important measure, and I salute Senator Cotton for his leadership in advancing this important legislation in the United States Senate. prgtoken I look forward to President signing this bill and again recognizing that we have to embrace our past and learn from our history. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
VOTE EXPLANATION
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-9-12

in my absence today, I would like to note my support for the confirmation of Mr. Kevin Hassett to be Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Due to ongoing and urgent recovery efforts from Hurricane Irma, which finished its course through Florida only yesterday, and the lack of commercial air travel in the wake of this disaster, I am staying in my State to help coordinate and marshal the full capacity of recovery resources available to us. prgtoken Had I been able to attend today's vote, I would have voted in favor of Mr. Hassett's confirmation as Chairman. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Jeff Flake (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-9-12

I wish to thank the Senator from Virginia for his leadership on this issue. He has been at it a long time. The two of us have been at it for quite a while. I think this is the year. This is the time. We are well past time for an AUMF. prgtoken I wish to thank the Senator from Kentucky for focusing the Senate's attention on the 16-year-old authorization for use of military force. As a freshman Member of the House of Representatives, I voted in favor of the 2001 authorization on September 14, 2001--almost 16 years ago to the day--September 14, 2001. I can attest that when I voted for that law, I had no idea it would still be in effect 16 years later. prgtoken Since its passage, more than 300 Members of the House who took that vote that day, on September 14, 2001--more than 300 Members of the House are no longer in office. Of the Senators who voted, only 23 remain in the Senate today--23 out of 100. That comes out to about 70 percent of the Congress who has not voted to authorize force against terrorist groups abroad. prgtoken It is long past time for Congress to calibrate the legal underpinning of the war against terrorism to today's realities. ISIS, for example, did not exist when the 2001 law was approved. We have learned a number of things since we voted to go to war with the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks, and I think it is time to incorporate those lessons into a new AUMF. prgtoken For example, we have learned that no administration is ever going to want to have the powers granted to it under the 2001 law curtailed. The administration fought efforts to put an ISIS-specific AUMF in place, and the administration has signaled it believes the 2001 authorities are adequate, and it does not plan to seek a new AUMF. prgtoken We have also learned that crafting a new AUMF that garners bipartisan support is an especially difficult task. I know, because we have been trying for a while. prgtoken I think we can all agree, the only thing worse than having the 2001 statute in place is a partisan vote on a new AUMF. prgtoken Lastly, we have learned that America is strongest when we speak with one voice, which means Congress needs to have some buy-in. We have to have some skin in the game. Otherwise, we can simply blame the administration for any effort overseas. prgtoken We can't let wars against new terrorist groups like ISIS be waged only by the executive branch. We in Congress need to weigh in and we have to let our allies and our adversaries know we are serious and committed. prgtoken Taking these lessons into account, I think it is imperative for any future terrorism-related AUMF to include a sunset provision that requires Congress to put its skin in the game. That way, we can avoid being put in the position we are in today--having to vote on an amendment to repeal a law that authorizes force against groups that are actively planning attacks against American interests. prgtoken Ultimately, I can
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2017-9-12

I rise today to pay tribute to the legendary University of Arkansas football coach, Frank Broyles, who passed away August 14 at the age of 92. He spent his life in service to the university, its student athletes, and our great State. prgtoken I was fortunate to have been recruited by and played for Coach Broyles as an offensive tackle in the early 1970s. For a kid from Arkansas, this was a dream come true. Outside of family, the people who have had the greatest influences on my life were my coaches, teachers, pastors, friends, and certainly Coach Broyles is right at the top. He was an icon in Arkansas and a legend in collegiate athletics. prgtoken As head coach of the Razorback football team from 1958 to 1976, he turned the school's program into a national powerhouse. During his tenure, Coach Broyles led the Razorbacks to seven Southwest Conference titles, and a Football Association of America national championship. Coach Broyles had tremendous charisma and had a remarkable ability to attract and develop talent--both players and coaches. He wasn't afraid to seek out talent to support him, and he had an innate ability to see the strengths in people. He would turn them loose to use those strengths to help the team and those individuals succeed. His recipe was to get great people around him to help the program win while helping those individuals get to where they wanted to be in their own professional careers. prgtoken The roster of assistants under Coach Broyles reads like a Who's Who in NFL and college football: great coaches such as Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Johnny Majors, Joe Gibbs, Raymond Berry, and Hayden Fry--and the list goes on and on. They were once Coach Broyles' assistants. His legacy of producing great assistant coaches is recognized in an award named in his honor to recognize college football assistant coaches for the work they do. Since 1996, the Broyles Award has been given annually to the top assistant coach in college football. prgtoken Frank Broyles' impact on the University of Arkansas went well beyond the football field. He implemented his vision for Arkansas athletics as the athletic director for more than three decades, helping the university's men's program win 43 national championships during his tenure. When he retired from the position in 2007, he continued his devotion to the University of Arkansas working as a fundraiser at the Razorback Foundation. prgtoken Coach Broyles used his notoriety for his most important mission, which he undertook in his later years. He became a passionate advocate for finding a cure for Alzheimer's and educating Americans on caring for loved ones suffering from this disease when his wife Barbara lost her battle with Alzheimer's in 2004. He shared the experience of his family as caregivers to his beloved Barbara across Arkansas and brought his story to Capitol Hill, where he encouraged lawmakers to be passionate about Alzheimer's so we
JOINT COUNTERTERRORISM AWARENESS WORKSHOP SERIES ACT OF 2017
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-9-12

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , as we gather this week and mark the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we remember the nearly 3,000 innocent people lost in that heinous act--including 18 from my home of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. prgtoken Additionally, we honor the more than 400 first responders who perished and the countless more whose long-term health was impacted because of their courageous action. Each of us in this Chamber has heard stories of those brave firefighters, police officers, and EMTs who ran toward the danger and chaos on that Tuesday morning and made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their community and their country. Today we remember them, and we recommit to recognize their efforts and those efforts of all first responders around our Nation. prgtoken , since 9/11, we have seen the devastating impact of coordinated terrorist attacks on civilian targets. In these cases, first responders--including local police, fire, and emergency medical personnel--are the main response force. It is critical that these men and women have the training and tools to operate in these planned attacks. prgtoken That is why I have introduced H.R. 3284, the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017, to authorize a vital workshop series allowing State and local jurisdictions to prepare for coordinated terrorist attacks. prgtoken H.R. 3284, as amended, authorizes the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series for 5 years and delineates the activities that are required to be part of each workshop, including a review of current plans, policies and procedures, and an examination of the roles and responsibilities of each participating agency. prgtoken H.R. 3284 ensures that the whole community--from government officials, law enforcement, fire, EMS, and public health officials to the private sector--participates in the workshop. prgtoken Additionally, , this bill allows the FEMA Administrator to select jurisdictions to participate in such workshops from jurisdictions that currently receive, or previously received, Urban Area Security Initiative funding and have requested to host a workshop. prgtoken Finally, H.R. 3284 requires the participants to develop a summary report after each workshop that includes the key findings and strategies to mitigate the identified gaps. prgtoken I introduced this bill with bipartisan support, and I am proud to have the backing of two first responder organizations that I trust when working on this type of legislation. prgtoken , I include in the Record a letter of support from the International Association of Fire Chiefs and a letter of support from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. International Association of Fire Chiefs, Fairfax, VA, July 21, 2017. Hon. Brian
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Lee M. Zeldin (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-9-12

I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 3354 on behalf of the hardworking fishermen of Long Island and our entire region who are suffering more than ever under confusing and unfair regulations that are threatening to put them out of business. prgtoken This amendment is nearly identical to one I offered to the DHS division of this bill that unanimously passed by voice vote last week that related to the Coast Guard. prgtoken Today's amendment would bar the National Marine Fisheries Service from enforcing the ban on striped bass fishing in the Block Island Sound Transit Zone, a 15-mile stretch of water between Montauk Point, New York, and Block Island, Rhode Island. prgtoken No other species of fish are subject to an arbitrary ban in this section of Block Island Sound, famous for fishing and recreational boating. prgtoken The fact that the transit zone is considered a part of the EEZ means the ban on striped bass fishing extends into this local waterway. This means hardworking commercial fishermen, charter boat captains, and recreational anglers enjoying a day on the water with their family can suddenly go from fishing for striped bass legally to committing a Federal crime because they are drifted over the 3-mile line. prgtoken This ban was meant for the high seas, not a local waterway, arbitrarily declared to be part of the EEZ due to a boundary drawn on a map by a bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. prgtoken Every other species of fish popular in this area--scup; eel; squid; bluefish; even striped bass' cousin, black sea bass--are not subject to an unfair ban in this area. Just like they can legally with proper permits and allocations in adjacent State waters, local fishermen should be able to legally fish for striped bass in this area after State waters end and the transit zone begins. prgtoken , on the East End of Long Island, the coastal economy is our economy. So when unfair regulations impact fishermen, it also hurts the other local businesses like tackle shops, restaurants, gas stations, and hotels. prgtoken No one is more invested in protecting this important fishery to ensure it is there for the next season and the next generation than the hardworking men and women from my district who rely on fishing as a way of life. prgtoken This amendment does not create open season on stripers or lift the need for quota allocations or permits. In addition to a nearly identical amendment passing on a voice vote last week, last Congress, my standalone bill to address this issue, H.R. 3070, the EEZ Clarification Act, passed the House with another unanimous voice vote. prgtoken This amendment is supported by the Recreational Fishing Alliance, the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, and the Montauk Boatmen and Captains Association. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment, and .
FIREFIGHTER CANCER REGISTRY ACT OF 2017
Leonard Lance (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2017-9-12

I rise today in very strong support of the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act sponsored by my close friends, Congressman Collins and Congressman Pascrell. prgtoken Congressman Collins has been involved in this issue for many years, including as an Erie County executive in western New York. Congressman Pascrell has spent his entire public career in defense of firefighters as mayor of Paterson, as a member of the State legislature, and for more than two decades as a Member of Congress. prgtoken This bill will direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect data on cancer incidence among firefighters. We need this data to help save the lives of the brave heroes who put their lives on the line every day. prgtoken The CDC will compile critical information like risk factors and the dangers to which firefighters are exposed. This information collected on a voluntary basis will help develop better protective equipment and prevention techniques that can be disseminated across the country. prgtoken It is fitting that we consider this legislation this week as our Nation mourns the somber anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This country can never forget the images of firefighters, police, EMS, and other first responders initiating rescues and putting themselves in grave danger, both during and after the attacks. prgtoken Many lives were lost that day and, in the years that have followed, from the rescue and recovery work. Let's do all we can to make sure this information and best practices are shared so that we can protect as many lives as possible. prgtoken , I urge a ``yes'' vote.
MEDIA IGNORES FACTS ON DACA
Lamar Smith (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-9-12

President 's recent decision to end the unconstitutional DACA program has received unfair criticism by the liberal media. prgtoken When reporting on President 's decision to end the DACA program, outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CBS all included former President 's criticism of the announcement. What is not being reported is that then-President stated over 20 times before issuing DACA that executive amnesty is an overstep of executive authority and is unconstitutional. prgtoken To use former President 's criticism of the termination of DACA without also noting that he, himself, considered DACA unconstitutional is biased reporting designed to promote a pro-amnesty agenda. It is no wonder that the media's credibility with the American people is now at a record low.
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BUFFALO BILL CENTER OF THE WEST
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-9-12

today I wish to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, WY. On January 10, 1917, William F. ``Buffalo Bill'' Cody passed away, resulting in the creation of the Buffalo Bill Memorial Association on March 1, 1917. This association became known as the Buffalo Bill Center of the West on February 8, 2013, and has since performed the task of preserving the great legacy and historical significance of Buffalo Bill Cody. He came to symbolize the American West and lived the tale like no other as an explorer, frontiersman, soldier, scout, actor, entrepreneur, and civic leader. prgtoken In 1867, Cody received his nickname of ``Buffalo Bill'' as he hunted buffalo for the Kansas Pacific Railroad, where he became known as an expert shot. He soon became a civilian scout for the U.S. Army, and in that capacity, he was awarded the U.S Congressional Medal of Honor. In 1883, Cody created Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, in which he gained fame and notoriety for the show's dramatic recreations of life on the frontier. The performances highlighted Cody's knowledge of the American West. Cody was an important source of information regarding the West for American Presidents from Ulysses S. Grant to Woodrow Wilson. prgtoken After his death, the Buffalo Bill museum opened on July 4, 1927, to tell the story of Col. William F. ``Buffalo Bill'' Cody. Since this opening, the Buffalo Bill Center has expanded and become known as one of America's finest Western museums. The center actually features four museums: the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian museum, and the Cody Firearms Museum. prgtoken Thanks to the overwhelming support and dedicated staff and board of trustees, there is always something new to see and explore from the days of the Wild West. It represents a story of a time when people who were larger than life dominated the national stage, and thanks to the historical center, they will never be forgotten. I encourage folks to come to Wyoming and explore the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. It will be an experience they will never forget. It is an opportunity to see firsthand what inspired Buffalo Bill to take the story of the West and tell it all over the world. I am pleased to be a part of this tradition and express my continuing support for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and its inspiring education of the American West. Congratulations on 100 years and my best wishes for the next 100. prgtoken Thank you.