mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO D.M. MILLER
John J. Duncan, Jr. (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-3-7

one of the finest men I have ever known, Mr. D.M. Miller, was the subject of a lengthy article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel. prgtoken The article told of his 48 years in education in my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. prgtoken Mr. Miller touched thousands of lives in good and positive ways during his career as a teacher, coach, principal, administrator, and school board member. prgtoken This country is in a better place today because of the life and service of D.M. Miller. prgtoken I include in the Record, the story about Mr. Miller in the Knoxville News-Sentinel from March 2, 2017. [From The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Mar. 2, 2017] (By Rebecca D. Williams) You might say D.M. Miller of Knoxville, 91, a longtime educator and coach, was in school most of his life. ``I remember seeing my first basketball game, at South Harriman School, where my aunt was playing. I was 6 or 7 years old,'' he said. ``I was born in Roane County on Oct. 22, 1925. My parents were Ben and Stella Schubert Miller. My dad had a fourth- grade education and my mom had a fifth,'' he said. By the time he was 10, the family moved to Knoxville and lived in Lonsdale. ``This was during the (Great) Depression, and everybody was poor. My dad was a machinist, a motor mechanic, an electrician and a carpenter. He was without work at times,'' Miller said. When he was a student at Lonsdale Elementary School, Miller remembers the marching band from Rule High School going on ``strike,'' and marching around Lonsdale, to protest the fact that Rule only had 10 grades. The kids wanted 12 grades so they wouldn't have to walk to Knox High School, Miller said. Rule High School had 12 grades by the time Miller got there. He lettered in basketball, track and baseball, and was captain of the football team and vice president of his senior class in 1944. Shortly after graduation, Miller joined the U.S. Navy, during World War II. ``Everybody wanted to join up,'' he said. ``My mom wouldn't let me drop out of high school to go in. I graduated from Rule High School on a Friday and went right in the Navy, a boatswain's mate.'' Miller served on the U.S.S. Gosper, an amphibious invasion and casualty evacuation ship in the Pacific. The ship was part of the Okinawa invasion. ``There were four of us boys from Rule High School over there, and two of them got killed at Okinawa. We thought we were going to invade Japan, but thank goodness (the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb) and the war ended,'' he said. ``Then, they sent us to Corregidor (Philippines), and we picked up 2,700 American, Canadian and British prisoners of war. None of them weighed a hundred pounds. They were skeletons,'' he remembered. After the war, Miller returne
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR-- Continued
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-3-7

irrespective of how the Presidential election came out last November, we would be having a conversation about how to fix Care. There are many reasons for that, but most importantly is that it has just skyrocketed costs for people in this country. Premiums have gone through the roof, deductibles have increased, copays have increased, and out-of-pocket costs have become so extensive for people that even if they have coverage, they can't use their plans in many cases. So when our colleagues across the aisle talk about the recently rolled out proposal coming from the House--which they will be discussing and we eventually will be discussing--to try to drive down the costs for people in this country, that is what this debate is really all about. prgtoken You can say what you want, but the fact is that this year, 2017, premium increases are 25 percent in the exchanges--25 percent. In six States, the premium increases were 50 percent in the exchanges. I don't know how anybody--any family in this country--can keep up with those kinds of skyrocketing premiums. If you are buying your insurance on the individual market, the roof is blown off. prgtoken I talk to people in my State of South Dakota all the time who share with me the excessive amount that it now costs for them to cover themselves and their families. I talked to a lady in Sioux Falls recently, and she told me they are now paying $22,000 a year for health insurance. That is not working. That is why what we had was an abysmal failure. prgtoken In terms of choices, the whole idea was that people were going to have options out there. In a third of the counties in America today-- one-third of the counties in America today--people have one option, one insurer. It is pretty hard to get a competitive rate when you only have one option. There is a virtual monopoly in a third of the counties in America today. prgtoken So we have markets collapsing, insurers pulling out, and we saw that last fall Blue Cross Blue Shield pulled out of the individual market in South Dakota and left 8,000 people wondering how they are going to continue to cover themselves with health insurance. The markets are collapsing, choices are dwindling, and costs are skyrocketing. prgtoken The Senator from Michigan was just on the floor talking about how terrible things are going to be under the proposal that is being considered and discussed in the House of Representatives, but the fact is, things are terrible today, and that is why we are having this conversation. Eight in ten Americans think Care either ought to be repealed entirely or dramatically changed, significantly changed. By any estimation, by any objective measurement or metric, it has been a failure, and that is why we are having this conversation, and that conversation would have occurred irrespective of what happened in the Presidential election last fall. prgtoken So let's be clear about why we are here and wh
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-3-7

I rise today to speak about bipartisan legislation designed to strengthen our Nation's nuclear energy capacity. It is called the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act. I am a strong supporter of American nuclear energy. It is a vital component of our ``all of the above'' American energy plan. My home State of Wyoming plays a key role in American nuclear energy supply. In Wyoming, we produce more uranium than any other State. prgtoken Nuclear energy is clean, safe, reliable, and affordable. It also provides a major boost to the economy. American nuclear plants provide thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in benefits to local communities. U.S. nuclear powerplants have run safely for decades, and many of them will serve our country for years and decades to come. But after decades of reliable power from our traditional nuclear powerplants, these nuclear powerplants are experiencing innovation with opportunities that are now taking shape in the nuclear industry. Increased private investment is occurring in nuclear energy, and it has led to improvements in safety, security, and in cost. prgtoken This is no longer a traditional nuclear industry. There are nuclear startups which are being backed by American entrepreneurs. Research and work are being done by Bill Gates, of all people. These folks envision fundamentally transforming nuclear energy technology. I believe the advances are exciting. The biggest challenges these innovators face, however, are the costs and delays from regulatory redtape. Many of these delays come from trying to navigate a regulatory system that was developed around one specific technology, which is water-cooled reactors. The traditional water-cooled reactors have powered our Navy and our electricity grid and have done it successfully for decades, but today's entrepreneurs are pursuing very different designs. They are using high-temperature gases, molten salts, and other high-tech materials to advance the safety, efficiency, and reliability of nuclear energy. prgtoken The nuclear regulatory system needs to be updated to enable this innovation. That is why I join with my colleagues in introducing the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization prgtoken Act. Cosponsors include Senators Whitehouse, Inhofe, Booker, Fischer, Capito, and Manchin. We come together having introduced S. 512. Our bipartisan bill seeks to modernize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by providing a flexible regulatory framework for licensing advanced nuclear reactors. The NRC needs a modern regulatory framework that is predictable and efficient. Reactor operators for both traditional and advanced reactors need timely decisionmaking from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. At the same time, the Commission needs to maintain its ability to assess a variety of technologies and meet its mission of administering safety and security to the American people. Additionally, our legislation will update
HONORING CONNERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL SPARTANS BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM
Luke Messer (Republican, IN) \u2014 2017-3-7

I rise today to honor Connersville High School on its 2017 IHSAA Class 4A Sectional 9 championship in boys' basketball. The Spartans faced off against the New Castle Trojans, with a standing room only crowd watching, at historic New Castle Fieldhouse, the world's largest high school gymnasium. I am proud of these young men for not only their remarkable win, but also for the Hoosier sportsmanship that they displayed throughout this exciting season. I want to commend Coach Kerry Brown as well as all of the assistant coaches who led these young men to victory. Congrats, Spartans.
REPEALING AND REPLACING OBAMACARE
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-3-7

last night, the committees of jurisdiction in the House released a proposal to repeal Care and begin the process of replacing it with commonsense reforms to preserve access and lower costs. The plan builds upon the 2015 repeal bill, which was vetoed by President . I am happy to hear the committees will begin consideration this week. I encourage every Member to review it because I hope to call it up when we receive it from the House. prgtoken It is clear to just about everyone that Care is failing. Costs are soaring. Choices are diminishing. Insurance markets are teetering. prgtoken It would be easy to sit back and watch this partisan law collapse under its own weight. Pass the buck to the next guy. That seems to be the ' strategy. prgtoken s think the middle class actually deserves better. In election after election, Americans have called for relief. In election after election, Americans have called for an end to this partisan law. We promised to do both things. We are. prgtoken The legislation the House introduced last night represents the next step along that path. It is the result of a long conversation with many voices, and it is supported by the one person who can actually sign a bill into law--the President of the United States. prgtoken I want to recognize everyone for their contributions and hard work. Given last night's announcement, I especially want to commend our colleagues in the House. The policy conversation that led to what we saw last night continues. The policy process moves forward today. prgtoken We have come a long way. We have a lot further to go, but we are making significant progress. Working arm in arm with the House and the new administration, we are going to keep our promise to the American people because Care is a direct attack on the middle class. We all know it. We all get letters and phone calls. We hear the heartbreak and the frustration nearly every day. prgtoken Consider this letter from one of my constituents in Goshen, who wrote about the Care plan available to his family: I am extremely displeased with the limited choices available. While 16 plans are listed for me at the Healthcare.gov website, they are all inferior to my 2016 plan. Neither our primary care physician nor my rheumatologist is in network of any offered 2017 plan. The cost is another problem. The 2017 plan that I will probably choose will have a 20% higher premium than my 2016 plan with a lower level of benefits. prgtoken Pay more; pay more for less. That is Care for you right there. Look, in so many different ways, we have seen the evidence for years that Care simply isn't working. This isn't a law that can be fixed. This isn't a law that can be saved. It has to be repealed and replaced. We promised the American people we would do that. We are going to keep our promise.
FAIRNESS FOR BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS ACT OF 2017
Barbara Comstock (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-3-7

I rise to support H.R. 1174, the Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act. for introducing it. It was unanimously supported--thank you, --in committee and in full committee. As expected, it is going through because people understand this is a commonsense bill, so I am happy to support this once again. prgtoken I know you were discussing H.R. 375 earlier. I did want to return to the bill to designate the Federal building and courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee, to my good friend, Fred D. Thompson. That building will now be named after him appropriately. prgtoken Fred Thompson was a larger-than-life character, a true patriot, and a great wit who believed in and lived the American Dream in starring roles on stage, screen, and national politics. He served as a Senator for 8 years, and then later he ran for President. Originally he was here in Congress serving as a counsel where, of course, we had that famous line: ``What did the President know, and when did he know it?'' That was a line that he was well known for. prgtoken What he was also often not given credit for was what a profoundly good lawyer he was. He had come to the attention of people in Tennessee by Lamar Alexander when Howard Baker came and asked now-Senator Lamar Alexander to take a role in the Watergate hearings, he said: No; you want to have Fred Thompson there. He asked his friend Fred Thompson to come and serve in that role. prgtoken Fred then became an actor because when they went to write a movie about a woman who had been dealing with corruption in Tennessee politics, and Fred had been her lawyer, they couldn't find someone to play Fred, and they came and asked him: Could you play yourself? He said: Well, I guess I could. That is how he became a character actor and a larger-than-life character there. Some of his famous lines there: ``Stack `em, pack `em, and rack `em.'' In ``Die Hard'' I believe that one was. prgtoken In movies, he starred with Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Bruce Willis, Sissy Spacek, and so many others. After he came here to the Senate, he humorously said: ``I often long for the realism and sincerity of Hollywood.'' So this is somebody who took his job very seriously but never took himself seriously and continued to have that great wit. prgtoken My husband and I were very privileged to know him and learn from him and spend many a good day and delightful time and evening with him and his wife, Jeri, his family, his children, and his many friends and admirers. We are so grateful for and appreciate his celebrated service and justly celebrated service to our country. This building will be a great memorial in a State that still very much reveres him. prgtoken I was privileged to be able to attend his service where hundreds and hundreds of people from Tennessee came to honor him, from country singers to people who stood by the side of the road as we drove to hi
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2017-3-7

the people spoke loudly last fall. For too long, the administration ignored the common sense of those who managed the lands and our natural resources. Now is the time for that power to be put back into the hands of the folks who know it best; that is, the people of Montana, not Washington, DC. And the Bureau of Land Management's Planning 2.0 rule is no different. prgtoken The resolution we are debating today, H.J. Res. 44, would block the implementation of a rule that would fundamentally change the land planning process at the BLM. It would be for the worst. prgtoken During the administration's final days in office, they put through many midnight rules costing a total of $157 billion, including this rule shift which was issued on December 12, 2016, which fundamentally changes the land planning process. The rule shifts the planning and decisionmaking away from those who know the land best, away from BLM regional field offices, and back to BLM Headquarters in Washington, DC. That is the exact opposite direction that land management should be going, and that is why this rule must go also. prgtoken This rule limits the voice of our local and State governments, and it strengthens the voice of folks who are living far away from the lands that are impacted. prgtoken Montana farmers, Montana ranchers, Montana miners, the Montana electric co-ops, Montana conservation districts, and Montana county commissioners have all expressed a concern for this rule and have urged congressional action. And there can't be a more commonsense list of Montanans than that list I just mentioned. In fact, even the western Governors are concerned. As recently as February 10, 2017, our own Governor of Montana, Steve Bullock, and Governor Daugaard from South Dakota urged Congress to direct BLM to reexamine the rule. ``Governors are concerned that BLM's emphasis on landscape-scale planning may lead to a resulting emphasis on national objectives over state and local objectives.'' ``Collectively, these changes severely limit the deference Governors were previously afforded with respect to RMP development.'' That is what our Governors are saying. I am quoting our Governors from the West. prgtoken There needs to be more balance in Federal land management. For the last 8 years, we have been out of balance. Oil and natural gas development on Federal lands dropped significantly under President . In fact, for natural gas, we have seen an 18-percent decrease, while oil production on private and State lands doubled, versus the same on Federal land. prgtoken Montana has nearly 2 million acres of public land that are inaccessible to the public. Our farmers and ranchers in Montana need a more balanced partnership with the Federal land managers. They deserve more input in the development of land management policies, not less. By the way, our Federal forests in Montana are in dire need of more active management. prgtoken So wh
FRED D. THOMPSON FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
Lou Barletta (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-3-7

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 375 would designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located in Nashville, Tennessee, as the Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and United States Courthouse. prgtoken I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) for her leadership on this legislation. prgtoken Senator Thompson was respected for his work as a lawyer, an actor, and as a United States Senator. This legislation is a fitting tribute that I am honored to bring to the floor today. prgtoken Fred Thompson first made a name for himself as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972. That experience brought him to the national stage in his subsequent position as special counsel on a number of Senate committees, most notably as minority counsel with the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, better known as the Watergate Committee. prgtoken It was then-Counsel Thompson who helped frame Senator Howard Baker's now famous question, ``What did the President know, and when did he know it?'' in regards to the Watergate controversy. Thompson himself asked an even more important question related to the existence of taped conversations in the Oval Office--tapes that led to President Nixon's eventual resignation. prgtoken After returning to the private practice of law in Nashville, Thompson represented the chairperson of the State Parole Board who unearthed a cash-for-clemency scheme involving the then-Governor of Tennessee. This case was eventually made into a book and into the film ``Marie.'' Fred Thompson was cast to play himself, which launched his acting career. Throughout the 1990s, Fred Thompson appeared in supporting roles in some of the decade's biggest movies, including ``Days of Thunder,'' ``The Hunt for Red October,'' and ``Die Hard 2.'' prgtoken In 1994, Fred Thompson ran for political office for the first time and was elected to fill the remaining 2 years of Vice President Al Gore's Senate term. He was re-elected in 1996 to a full 6-year term and served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs until his retirement in 2002. prgtoken That didn't slow Senator Thompson down. He returned to acting and won the role of New York District Attorney Arthur Branch on the hit NBC show ``Law & Order'' between 2002 and 2007. It was in 2007 that Senator Thompson returned to politics by announcing his candidacy for the United States Presidency. Although his return to the political realm was unsuccessful, Senator Thompson's popularity did not wane. He returned to acting on screen and on TV, wrote a memoir, and appeared often to comment on politics. Tragically, in 2015, Senator Thompson died from a recurrence of lymphoma. prgtoken Senator Thompson was a man of many talents. Through it all, he never lost his roots as a Tennessean. Given Senator Thompson's dedication to the law and public service, I believe it is more than fitting