mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE ROTARY FOUNDATION
Jared Huffman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to recognize The Rotary Foundation's 100th anniversary as the Rotary International District 5150 celebrates the occasion on March 18, 2017. Founded in 1917 by Rotary International's sixth president, Arch C. Klump, with an initial contribution of $26.50 as an endowment fund for the Rotary to support and grow community services throughout the world, The Rotary Foundation has grown to $4 billion in contributions from all over the world and now provides humanitarian services, encourages high ethical standards, and builds goodwill throughout the world. One of the world's largest nongovernmental organizations with 1.2 million members and activities in more than 200 countries, The Rotary Foundation has provided more than $3.8 billon focusing on six specific sustainable programs: promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, improving health care for mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies. Among its many contributions felt around the globe is its partnership with the Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, and other governments to eradicate 99.9 percent of Polio worldwide. Locally, The Rotary International District 5150 currently oversees 42 Rotary Clubs, serving Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo. The three county clubs consist of nearly 2,000 members who volunteer their time raising money and doing good in their communities and around the world. On Saturday, March 18, 2017, District 5150 will hold its annual Learning and Development Assembly at Redwood High School in Marin County to provide training opportunities for hundreds of Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors and guests in the District The Rotary Foundation's commitment to providing important services that enrich our community and beyond is exceptional. It is therefore fitting to honor and thank The Rotary Foundation for a century of success in adhering to its motto of ``doing good in the world'' and The Rotary International District 5150 for its important service, and to offer both best wishes on 100 more years of good work.
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Josh Gottheimer (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-3-17

I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and Representative Wenstrup for their work on this important bill. prgtoken This legislation empowers the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with the authority to hire the best and brightest employees. prgtoken We can all agree that you can't have a top-notch VA without employing young veterans who want to continue serving their country after they return from the front lines. Each and every day, our brave men and women in uniform put their lives on the line for us, and we owe it to them to ensure that, when they return home, they have the best care at the VA and that they also have the best career opportunities available to them. prgtoken This legislation is about veterans serving veterans. Young veterans in the Fifth District of New Jersey, where I live, tell me that they face significant challenges when they return home, even though many of them have a desire to help serve other veterans. prgtoken I was lucky enough to hire one such veteran on my team, Mike DeVilliers, who served in the U.S. Army. Mike is committed to helping other veterans and has, at a local community college, where he ran a program for student veterans. He now serves my constituents, including our veterans and across the four counties in the Fifth District. prgtoken We should be encouraging talented and qualified young veterans like Mike to put their skills to use and give back to their fellow servicemen and -women. The VA is one place those skills are sorely needed to best serve the 473,000 veterans who live in New Jersey and the many other veterans across our country. prgtoken , approximately 60 percent of VA employees are over the age of 45, and the Department has struggled to develop an adequate pipeline for younger employees and emerging leaders to fill crucial and critical roles. We have seen the negative effects of not having the right team in place to support our veterans. While programs like Pathways at the VA are a step in the right direction, we can do more to improve the process and give a leg up to all veterans who wish to bring their skills to the VA. prgtoken More than half of the post-9/11 veterans are 34 years of age or younger, and approximately 30 percent have bachelor's or advanced degrees; yet the Department of Labor reported that post-9/11 vets face a higher unemployment rate than other veterans. That is simply unacceptable. prgtoken The VA should draw from their excellent source of talent to strengthen the care all of our veterans receive by considering more young veterans for excepted service appointments. That is why my amendment would make sure that the VA Secretary includes recipients of the post-9/11 GI Bill and younger veterans who have recently graduated from college as a distinct category qualifying for excepted service appointments to the Department of Veterans Affairs. prgtoken , the mission stat
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Grace Meng (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-3-17

. Mr. Chair, I thank Representative Wenstrup for his thoughtful amendment, and I thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for bringing it to the floor today. prgtoken Clearly, there are staffing shortages within the Department of Veterans Affairs, and, clearly, something must be done. Personally, I think this legislation is a good first step toward improving the VA's ability to identify staffing shortages, recruit and retain high-quality employees, and onboard new hires. prgtoken The amendment I am offering today speaks to the identification of staffing shortages portion of this bill. Under current law, 38 U.S.C. 7412 to be exact, the inspector general of the VA is required to submit a report to the VA Secretary annually highlighting the five personnel occupations with the largest staffing shortages throughout the Department. After receiving this report, the Secretary is then permitted to recruit and directly appoint qualified individuals to fill those vacancies. prgtoken Section 2 of the bill before us does something important to current law. It will require the IG to report on not just the five occupations with the largest staffing shortages, it will require the IG to report on the five clinical and five nonclinical occupations with the largest shortages in the VA. Additionally, it will require this reporting to be done for each medical center. Mr. Chair, I think this is a wonderful change, one that is sorely needed. prgtoken What my amendment would do is add to this expanded reporting requirement a simple clarification: the IG must report on, at minimum, the five clinical and nonclinical occupations with the largest staffing shortages at each facility. It would allow the IG to report on more than the five occupations with the largest shortages, should his findings require it. prgtoken This amendment is not an additional reporting requirement. It simply makes clear that should the IG find additional staffing shortages, he may highlight those so that the Secretary may fill them more quickly. It is a simple attempt to avoid the necessity of passing similar legislation 2, 3, or even 4 years from now. prgtoken Our veterans need the care that they have earned and that they deserve. They need it now. The first step in that endeavor is making sure that the VA staffing levels are adequate. prgtoken Again, Mr. Chair, I am pleased to see this amendment on the floor today and to do my small part in ensuring that veterans get the care they need. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, which would allow the VA inspector general to highlight additional staffing shortages within the Department. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF MERCED COUNTY FARM BUREAU
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Merced County Farm Bureau, an organization that is dedicated to supporting and advocating for Merced County's agriculture industry. prgtoken The organization first began as the Merced County Farmers and later became known as the Merced County Farm Bureau in 1917. The high demand for food production during World War I urged the University of California to help in funding farmers around the Central Valley in their efforts to produce agricultural products faster, sending their advisers to local farms in Merced County. On March 7, 1917, the Merced County Farmers, signed a petition requesting a farm advisor from the University of California for Merced County, through the University of California Cooperative Extension program. However, in order to obtain an advisor, the organization needed to become a Farm Bureau first. And so, after changing the name of the organization and complying with necessary requirements to become a farm bureau, the Merced County Farm Bureau had its first meeting on May 17, 1917. prgtoken As a result of having an advisor, scientific innovations began to take form in the production of food, dairy, research support and Labor management, and the positive impacts were experienced throughout the county. It began by supporting policies and legislation that protected the natural resources required for the production of agriculture. prgtoken As a non-profit organization, the Merced County Farm Bureau contributes to the community by providing scholarship opportunities to the children of farmers who are pursuing higher education. It also provides a program to young adults in Merced County that facilitate professional development and social networking to farmers, ranchers and individuals who work in agriculture between the ages of 18-35. Additionally the Merced County Farm Bureau keeps their farmers and community informed about local agricultural issues as well as state and national legislation through their Merced County Farm Newspaper. Furthermore, the Merced County Farm Bureau hosts local farmers markets to help support farmers around the Central Valley. prgtoken Now 100 years after the Merced County Farm Bureau was created, it has become the 6th largest producing agricultural county in California, greatly contributing in the overall economy of our state and making 90% of California's Sweet Potatoes. Thanks to organizations like the Merced County Farm Bureau, the San Joaquin Valley's agriculture industry has become a significant economic contributor to the state. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to join me in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Merced County Farm Bureau. The last 100 years have been a testament of their strong commitment and continued support of our community and agricultural producers.
IMPROVING AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO HIRE AND RETAIN PHYSICIANS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES
Peter Welch (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-3-17

. Mr. Chair, my amendment has one goal: to ensure that rural America is very much a part of the conversation on improving the Veterans Administration. prgtoken This very good, bipartisan bill that is before us will help the VA improve its ability to recruit, hire, train, promote, and retain physicians and other employees at the VA, but it could be slightly changed to help veterans in rural America. And, by the way, a significant number of veterans are in rural America, including Vermont. prgtoken My amendment would add two provisions. First, the underlying bill requires the GAO to conduct a study on succession planning at the VA. That is intended to try to better understand the problem the agency has to have a pipeline of qualified candidates to assume critical roles that are open. prgtoken My amendment would require the GAO to study and analyze succession planning and hiring in rural areas. The vast majority of our country is rural, so we have got to put an emphasis on that. The challenges in rural America are different than in the urban areas. prgtoken Second, the underlying bill also requires the VA to collect information on prgtoken hiring effectiveness: the time it takes to fill a vacant position, the attrition rate, the reason staff leaves, investment in training and development, and other barriers to recruitment and training. My amendment would require that study to focus on the rural challenges that are different, significantly, than in the urban areas. prgtoken The lack of qualified candidates that the VA can recruit and, ultimately, fill open positions with is a real problem. But we have to recognize that that is even more difficult in rural America. prgtoken In Vermont, we have 50,000 veterans living in the State and only nine VA facilities to help them. These are some of the satellite facilities that are quite small. Our largest facility is White River Junction, the VA Medical Center there that we are very proud of. It provided medical care for over 26,000 of those veterans in 2016. The director there has indicated to me that it is a real struggle to find qualified candidates to fill mission-critical positions. prgtoken We had, at that facility, a wonderful neuropsychologist--desperately needed--but that person was married, had children, and due to the inability of her husband to find a job within his field of work, they have left the VA there to go to an urban area. This is one variation of the problem we face--to recruit, to hire, and to retain critical personnel--that needs to be addressed in rural areas. prgtoken My amendment will help us better understand the unique challenges rural America faces dealing with the critical staff shortages at our veterans facilities and sets the stage for us to fix the problem. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I ask Members to support my amendment, and .
SUPPORTING VT HALTER MARINE, INC. OF PASCAGOULA, MS
Steven M. Palazzo (Republican, MS) \u2014 2017-3-17

I would like to bring to the attention of the House an injustice served upon a Mississippi shipbuilding company in my district by a number of ic senators on March 7, 2017 during the Senate debate over H.J. Res. 37, the Congressional Review Act repeal of OSHA's rule implementing the Administration's Fair Play and Safe Workplaces executive order. During the debate, these senators accused VT Halter Marine, Inc. of Pascagoula, MS of disregarding the safety of its workers, citing examples of long-past accidents. I know for a fact that this couldn't be further from the truth. prgtoken The company has enlisted the services of safety experts to develop a new safety management system to improve upon its culture of safety. Since 2011, VT Halter has been guided by its 5-Year Safety Strategic Plan. The plan promotes a comprehensive, all hazards management approach to every aspect of the shipbuilding process. Activities include a safety stand-down at all facilities for a full day of re- training; Safety Leadership Training and an OSHA 30-Hour Maritime Course for all key personnel; specific training for new employees; weekly safety meetings; tool tracking systems to ensure proper safety equipment is issued to employees; Confined Space rescue training; safety teams which conduct daily inspection of production areas; and Safety Director attendance at the OSHA 2090 Shipyard Employment, Fall Prevention, and Competent Person Training program. The company has complied with all OSHA safety directives and reporting requirements, and is in good standing with the agency. prgtoken V. Halter has worked diligently to obtain both government and commercial shipbuilding and repair work to maintain jobs for more than 900 working class families in my district. The economic impact of Halter's work ripples throughout the local economy through suppliers and other small businesses, and the company is considered a key player is the shipbuilding industrial base. prgtoken The accusations made on the Senate floor appear to be motivated by the desire to embarrass Senate s and the President over the decision to repeal the Administration OSHA regulations. In singling out VT Halter as political cannon fodder, the senators making the accusations have unfairly damaged the reputation of the company and have put its Mississippi workers in a state of confusion and anxiety over their future. The commercial shipbuilding market is in a major down cycle, and the Gulf Coast shipbuilding industry is struggling to find enough work to keep their people employed. By professing to speak on behalf of the workers, these senators have in fact jeopardized the company's ability to sustain these good, high-paying jobs. I've been told that the workers have actually approached Halter's CEO to see if they should circulate a petition to correct the record about Halter's treatment of its workforce. Unlike the Senators in question, I have be
IN RECOGNITION OF REGINALD SIMMS
Barbara Comstock (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to commend my constituent, Reginald ``Reggie'' Simms, on his exhibit in the Purcellville Art Council's Black History Month Celebration, located at the historic Purcellville Train Station. Mr. Simms, now retired, dedicated his career to the arts, while also maintaining a deep love for African American history, and is deserving of this unique recognition. prgtoken As a child and teenager, Mr. Simms attended Carver Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia and Douglas High School in Leesburg, Virginia, both historic African American schools in Northern Virginia. During his youth, segregation prevented him from using public libraries and local resources, but he was able to obtain copies of National Geographic magazines. These magazines created a new lens through which Mr. Simms understood and viewed the world around him and also sparked his interest in art--specifically photo realism. prgtoken After attending the National Art School in Washington, D.C he entered the Air Force at the age of 21 where he was stationed in Korea. After his time in the Air Force, Mr. Simms moved to New York where he took classes at Newark Fine Industrial Arts and also worked for a slew of graphic design and silkscreen companies. Finally, it was a position in the graphics department of the Washington Metro that brought Mr. Simms and his wife, Marion, back to Loudoun County, and he has lived at his home in Purcellville, Virginia ever since. prgtoken It is important to note that throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Simms never lost sight of his love for art or appreciation for history. At his home, his finished basement, which doubles as his studio, is filled with water color paintings, oil paintings, sculptures, refurbished toys, and more, which he has painted, sculpted, and collected for years. Last month's exhibit was a compilation of his artistic works, books, and memorabilia which he and his brother, Larry, have obtained over the years. To this day, Mr. Simms enjoys painting his favorite National Geographic covers. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding Reginald Simms for his impressive career, dedication to the African American community, and his most recent exhibit in Purcellville, Virginia. I wish him, his wife, Marion, and their family the best in all of their future endeavors.
RECOGNIZING TODD ZOBRIST
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to recognize Todd Zobrist, a paramedic with Highland EMS in Highland, Illinois. prgtoken Yesterday afternoon, Todd was the first to arrive on the scene after receiving a call of a vehicle in Silver Lake with a person possibly inside. When he saw the vehicle partially submerged, he swam out in the cold water to search for anyone inside. He found an unresponsive baby boy, rescued him from the vehicle, and immediately began CPR on the roof of the vehicle. Todd was able to revive the 3-month-old at the scene and the baby was transported to a St. Louis hospital where he is expected to make a full recovery. prgtoken I would like to commend Todd for his heroic and lifesaving actions. It is a great tribute to a southern Illinoisan.
TRIBUTE TO TYLER COONEY
David Young (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise today to recognize and congratulate Tyler Cooney and his teammate Adam Koch, both students at Dallas Center Grimes High School in Grimes, Iowa, for winning second prize in C-SPAN's national 2017 StudentCam competition. prgtoken Since 2006, C-SPAN has been partnering with local cable affiliates across the country to work with middle school and high school students to create documentaries on issues important to the nation. For this year's competition, students were asked to address the question: ``What is the most urgent issue for the new President and Congress to address?'' prgtoken Tyler and Adam decided to focus on energy issues and made a documentary titled, ``Powerhouse of the Prairie. `` The short film zeroed in on the important role that wind energy and ethanol production plays, not only in Iowa's economy, but the economy throughout the entire country. I was fortunate enough to contribute to their project by discussing the importance of energy independence as it pertains to our country's national security. Their documentary will premiere on C- SPAN at 6:50 a.m. E.T. on April 7 and will play throughout the day. prgtoken , I applaud and congratulate Tyler and Adam for earning this outstanding award. The experience and knowledge they gained working on this project will be invaluable for years to come as they move forward with their education. It is because of young Iowans like them that I'm proud to represent our great state in Congress. I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in congratulating Tyler and Adam and in wishing them nothing but continued success.
REMEMBERING CAPTAIN ANDREW BECKER AND FIRST LIEUTENANT FREDERICK ``DREW'' DELLECKER
Ron DeSantis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-3-17

I rise to express my condolences to the families of the three Air Force officers who were killed in a plane crash earlier this week in New Mexico. Two of these officers had strong ties to the Sixth Congressional District in Florida, and particularly Volusia County. prgtoken Captain Andrew Becker graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach in 2007. He was a great student, a real world beater. He did what many graduates of Riddle do. He served our country with honor and distinction, and we are thankful for his service to this country. We send our condolences to his wife. prgtoken First Lieutenant Drew Dellecker graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2013 after growing up in Volusia County. This special guy dedicated his life to serving our country and defending our freedoms. The Volusia County community is saddened by his loss; and his parents, Bill and Karen, are in our thoughts and prayers. prgtoken May God bless these fine young men, and may God bless their memory in the United States of America.