mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING FORMER CONGRESSMAN RAY KOGOVSEK
Scott R. Tipton (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-4-27

today I rise to honor former Congressman Ray Kogovsek, a dear friend who represented the Third Congressional District of Colorado before me. I ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he now faces a challenge far greater than any political race. prgtoken Ray is a native of Pueblo, Colorado, and but for his college years and his tenure here from 1979 to 1985, he never left his hometown and never wanted to. His commitment to his community spread to encompass the entire Third District, which he came to serve after 10 years in the Colorado Legislature where I first met him. prgtoken Ray won election to Congress in 1978 by 364 votes. In 1980, he faced the same challenger in a Reagan landslide year. He won by 22,000 votes. And in 1982, after redistricting changed half of his district, he handily won again. Ray won because of who Ray is. He is a man of gentle wisdom, wisdom about people, a man with a gut instinct to know what is right, a genuine man, a man who knows no anger. prgtoken His achievements in his short time here in Congress were many. From a vast wilderness bill painstakingly built through his outreach and development of a coalition of broad support, to funding to widen a beautiful highway through Glenwood Canyon to make it safer for road travel, to resolving a decades-old boundary dispute for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and his work on behalf of the Third District continued after he chose to leave Congress. prgtoken He is known for his work on Western water issues and was awarded the prestigious Wayne Aspinall Award by the Colorado Water Congress, an award named after another Colorado congressman who served as chairman of the House Interior Committee. prgtoken But I have a sense that what Ray values most about his career in public service, about his advocacy for his district and for the West, are his friendships, the friendships that he found and nurtured here in these halls and beyond. prgtoken I want to thank Ray Kogovsek on behalf of the House of Representatives and the Third District and wish him and his family comfort and strength during this difficult time.
UNCLE SAM IS GOING HUNTING FOR RUSSIAN BEAR
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-4-27

Uncle Sam is going hunting for Russian bear. World War II started with Nazi Germany invading Poland. Russia quickly prgtoken invaded for the West to take their chunk of Poland's freedom. prgtoken Years later, we won the Cold War, and Poland joined NATO. But Poland has never been truly free because Mr. Putin--mother Russia--has controlled Poland's energy. Mr. Putin has punished Poland in their desire to be free by slowing natural gas exports in a cold, Polish winter that became much colder. prgtoken Uncle Sam is about to put the Russian bear on permanent hibernation by exporting American liquid freedom. Our liquified natural gas will leave Sabine Pass in June heading to Poland. prgtoken The Russian bear is on the run. Let American liquid freedom reign.
FANNIE AND FREDDIE OPEN RECORDS ACT OF 2017
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2017-4-27

. Mr. Chair, I thank my friend from Florida for the opportunity to speak on this bill. And as a member of the House Financial Services Committee, I am grateful for the bipartisan leadership in the Oversight and Government Reform Committee in bringing H.R. 1694 to the floor, for it is high time that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be subject to the regimen of the Freedom of Information Act. This critical oversight tool is sorely past due for these government- sponsored agencies. prgtoken Over the past four decades, we have seen the waste and largess exhibited by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac embedded in their everyday operations. And while they got their start during the height of the Depression and performed an able task of setting high standards for the liquidity for mortgage credit, they have long outlived their original charter. prgtoken Oakley Hunter, the president and chairman of Fannie Mae back in the 1970s, described Fannie Mae as the world's largest floating crap game. Nothing has changed. prgtoken In the early 1980s, we found Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac dominating, as they do today, 9 out of 10 mortgages in the United States, and yet they were highly unprofitable and highly suspect in their management. During that time, Senator William Proxmire led the charge in the United States Senate seeking answers about the enterprises' executive compensation. prgtoken Flash-forward to the 1990s, we saw executive compensation at Fannie Mae run amok. prgtoken During the 2000s, their imprudence and desire for growth paved the way for the U.S. housing crisis and global economic collapse. prgtoken More recently, we have discovered that Fannie Mae is spending $171 million in taxpayer funds on a new Taj Mahal office in Washington, D.C to replace their already extraordinarily luxurious campus on Wisconsin Avenue, which one Washingtonian, , described as what Versailles would look like if Louis XIV had any money. According to the inspector general's report from last June, this 15-year cost of relocating Fannie Mae's headquarters and the construction of the new building now topped $770 million.
Tribute to John Straayer (Executive Session)
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-4-27

in Denver today, the Colorado General Assembly will gather to pay tribute to Colorado State University professor John Straayer, whose 50-year teaching career included 37 years of managing a legislative intern program during the spring semester. Every Tuesday and Thursday, rain or snow, Dr. Straayer, a van or two, and an over caffeinated, sleep-deprived, ambitious crew of college juniors and seniors would travel to Denver from Fort Collins under the tutelage of Dr. Straayer to learn the ``art of legislation.'' prgtoken After publishing several seminal books on Colorado politics, accumulating roughly 140,000 miles back and forth to the State capitol, and supervising over 1,000 interns over the years, he is retiring from his service as Colorado's legislative professor emeritus. prgtoken Dr. Straayer has a true love of politics--the process, the policy, the people, and the place. He has a passion for every ounce of it, the kind of healthy obsession with a place that means so much to the lives of its citizens. He has seen it all--the good and the bad, the fights and the endearing moments. He watched the impacts of constitutional battles, term limits, and reforms, and 50 years later, he has never lost his passion. prgtoken To be a part of his intern program, students were required to take his class on the legislative process. As a young CSU Ram myself, I remember his class vividly, absorbing his drive and drawn into the intrigue of policy. We talked about the cowboy coalition and the Sagebrush Rebellion; about Bev Bledsoe and Roy Romer; about Anne Burford, who served in the legislature as one of the self- identified ``House Crazies,'' who in the 1980s became known as Ronald Reagan's EPA Administrator but who this past month became known as Neil Gorsuch's mom. We talked about the high-water mark of rural power and the rise of the suburban legislator. prgtoken Dr. Straayer introduced new generations of students to oatmeal with vanilla ice cream and topped with maple syrup. prgtoken Dr. Straayer introduced people to public service, including congressional and legislative staffers and many members of my own staff. According to a recent article in the Denver Post, those staffers and interns included former ic Governor Bill Ritter, ic State Senator Matt Jones, and State Representative Dan Nordberg. They were all proteges of Dr. Straayer's. The article goes on to state that Straayer had arranged these internships, monitored them, and graded the reports of their experiences. Dozens of Straayer interns have risen to high electoral office or become key legislative lobbyists--and not just in Colorado; one of his former students is a city alderman in Chicago. prgtoken I remember visiting Dr. Straayer when I first joined the program and was getting ready to be assigned to a legislator. When I received the assignment, I was disappointed to learn that I hadn't been appointed to the legis
HONORING U.S. CHESS TEAM FOR ITS GOLD MEDAL VICTORY AT 42ND WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD
Blaine Luetkemeyer (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise today to honor the U.S. Chess Team for its historic victory in the 42nd Chess Olympiad held in Baku, Azerbaijan, this past September. prgtoken The last time the United States won this competition was 40 years ago at the 1976 Chess Olympiad in Haifa, Israel. At that time, the gold medal was determined by the outcome of a single game that lasted 14 hours and contained 111 moves, and eventually ended in our favor. prgtoken The final round in Baku was even more strategic, with the gold medal determined by a brilliant final move. The game was close, but the United States Chess Team took home the gold once again. prgtoken Today I would like to honor the six members of the winning chess team as well as their coach. This was a great accomplishment for the United States. I am honored to have the opportunity in Congress to recognize them. prgtoken For the next 2 years, the Olympiad trophy will rest and be on display at the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri. I look forward to recognizing the team's accomplishments in my home State.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-4-27

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
Foreign Policy (Executive Session)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-4-27

people around the country know the world continues to be a very dangerous place. It became more dangerous over the past 8 years. I believe that is particularly related to what I saw as unwise and unsound policies by the administration, certainly when it comes to foreign policy. prgtoken Every President's foreign policy should secure America's national interests and demonstrate America's leadership around the world. That was not the case under President . The last President and his team followed a policy, what has been called strategic patience--strategic patience--when dealing with hostile countries all around the world: Iran, North Korea. prgtoken Any time there was a belligerent, aggressive, cunning dictator on the move, President 's position was strategic patience. It was a terrible approach--a terrible approach for us in dealing with reckless regimes. prgtoken I always thought President was completely focused on signing a nuclear deal with Iran, not because it actually was a great deal but maybe because it might reflect well on his legacy. I thought he wanted a deal so badly that he ended up getting a deal that was a bad deal. Well, as part of the deal, the former President accepted Iranian demands--and he accepted all of them--to lift an arms embargo that the United Nations had put into place. prgtoken This was an embargo that said that Iran was not supposed to be selling weapons to other countries. The embargo was going to disappear in 5 years, whether Iran complied with it or not. We already know Iran has no intention of playing by the rules. They haven't played by the rules all the way through. Last week, the Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, said Iran has already been violating the embargo. That is why I believe they have no intention of playing by the rules. prgtoken The Secretary of Defense tells us they are not playing by the rules now. He said we have seen Iranian-supplied missiles--our Secretary of Defense said: We have seen Iranian-supplied missiles being fired into Saudi Arabia by the rebels in Yemen. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was even more clear. He said last week that Iran is ``the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.'' prgtoken He said that Iran is ``responsible for intensifying multiple conflicts''--``intensifying the conflicts and undermining U.S. interests in countries such as Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon.'' Now, this is a direct result of President spending 8 years being strategically patient. It is the result of sending the signal that Iran would be rewarded for its bad behavior. prgtoken So let's look at what happened last year when the administration was bragging about the nuclear deal--and they were high- fiving, bragging about the deal. prgtoken Just when the deal went into effect, President arranged to send to Iran $1.7 billion in cash--$1.7 billion is an astonishingly large amount of money. It is a million and
TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL VINCENT B. MYERS
Brad R. Wenstrup (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise today in gratitude for the hard work and commitment of Lieutenant Colonel Vincent B. Myers, who has served as the Medical Army Legislative Liaison to my office for the past two years. prgtoken A Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and an experienced health care provider, Vince has been essential to my office and the House Armed Services Committee, as we work toward the goal of enhancing medical readiness and providing top care for our service members. prgtoken On May 11, Vince will continue his committed service to the United States as he takes command of McDonald Army Health Center at Fort Eustis, Virginia. I know that in this role, Vince will serve with conviction and honor. prgtoken I congratulate Vince, and thank him for his work and friendship.
ANNOUNCEMENT BY COMMITTEE ON RULES REGARDING AMENDMENT PROCESS FOR H.R. 1180, WORKING FAMILIES FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 2017
Pete Sessions (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-4-27

this morning, the Rules Committee issued an announcement outlining the amendment process for H.R. 1180, the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2017, which will likely be before the Rules Committee next week. prgtoken An amendment deadline has been set for Monday, May 1, at 10 a.m. prgtoken The text of the bill is available on the Rules Committee website. prgtoken Feel free to contact me or my staff if you have any questions.
HONORING COACH DON DAVIDSON
Randy Hultgren (Republican, IL) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise to congratulate Don Davidson for 50 years of teaching and coaching at Yorkville High School, Aurora Christian, and Parkview Christian Academy. prgtoken Coach Davidson's ability to inspire and energize his students of all ages has led them to hundreds of victories on the basketball court, earning him a place in the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Not only does Don hold the second longest home winning streak in Illinois history, with 80 wins from February 1988 until February 1997, but his exceptional coaching has secured 677 career varsity wins, 10 IHSA regional titles, 5 IHSA sectional titles, and 3 ACSI Great Lakes championships. prgtoken More importantly, Don is a generous, compassionate mentor who cares deeply about the lives of his students off the court. prgtoken Don, thank you for your 50 years of service to our community and, most importantly, for embodying the life of Christ to your students and to their parents, like me.
HONORING CAPTAIN JOSHUA TODD BYERS
Mark E. Amodei (Republican, NV) \u2014 2017-4-27

today I would like to honor Captain Joshua Byers, a fallen soldier, son, husband, brother, and friend. prgtoken In Sparks, Nevada, Captain Byers lives on as a legacy. His kind heart, patriotic soul, and strong ideals of servant leadership have left a strong and lasting impact on everyone who knew him. prgtoken Captain Byers attended Edward C. Reed High School in Sparks, the home of the Raiders. Although not originally from Sparks, Captain Byers moved with his mother, father, and two younger brothers to chase a dream and God's calling in Nevada. prgtoken While at Reed High School, he joined the Naval Junior ROTC program and various other clubs, all while maintaining excellent grades. prgtoken When he reached his senior year, he was student body president, the battalion commander of the Junior ROTC prgtoken unit, and in line to be valedictorian on graduation. prgtoken One of his biggest dreams was to attend one of the Nation's service academies. After he completed his 4 years at Reed High School, he accepted an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, Hudson High. prgtoken Upon graduating from West Point, he earned an Army Ranger tab and was deployed to Iraq in 2003, where he was killed in action due to an IED explosion. prgtoken His legacy lives on at Reed High School, especially in the NJROTC program. Through an award given there by one of the past instructors as well, there is now being more done in order to memorialize a hero who left such a profound impact on those who knew him and were around him. prgtoken The NJROTC hallway at Reed High is going to be completely dedicated to Captain Byers, being named the Captain Joshua T. Byers Leadership Memorial Hallway. prgtoken In this hall you can find Captain Byers' uniform, awards, military decorations, and various pictures and stories to help capture the essence of this hero in our hearts and minds. prgtoken , I ask today that we keep the Byers family and Joshua in our prayers and thoughts.
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEWISTON-AUBURN ROTARY CLUB
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2017-4-27

on May 1, 1917, the International Association of Rotary Clubs welcomed a new member into its growing global network of neighbors, friends, and leaders working together for positive change in their communities and around the world. I rise today to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Lewiston- Auburn in my home State of Maine. prgtoken There are more than 35,000 Rotary Clubs worldwide. The Lewiston- Auburn club was the 291st to be chartered and is part of the first great wave of expansion that took the Rotary movement from major American cities to smaller communities and to Canada and Europe. prgtoken It is remarkable that what began as a small group of civic leaders in Chicago in 1905 has grown to a service organization of 1.2 million dedicated members in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. In any language, Rotarians live up to their motto of ``Service Above Self.'' prgtoken Rotary International is a powerful force for good around the world. The global effort to eradicate polio is considered to be the most successful public health campaign in human history, one that would not be possible without Rotary's commitment. When Rotary launched its PolioPlus program back in 1985, it was described as a ``gift from the 20th century to the 21st.'' It has been just that. prgtoken In addition to its strong support for PolioPlus, the Lewiston-Auburn Club is part of a Rotary International effort to make affordable and safe water more widely available in Haiti. As a result of this effort, a tanker truck was purchased to address this great humanitarian need. prgtoken Locally, the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club has a special focus on families and children. The club has been a leader in the creation of Lewiston's Universally Accessible Playground, which will provide recreation for all, regardless of physical or developmental limitations. The club also sponsors an annual event to benefit the Autism Society of Maine and awards scholarships to area high-school graduates pursuing higher education. ``Service Above Self'' has a special meaning to the members of the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary. The application for membership in Rotary International was signed on March, 21, 1917, by Frank W. Hulett of Lewiston. On June 6, 1918, Captain Hulett gave his life in the defense of freedom during the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood in France. Hulett Square in Lewiston, the Frank W. Hulett VFW Post, and the Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club all help to preserve the memory of this great hero. prgtoken When Paul led the way in founding Rotary International 112 years ago, he said this: ``Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves.'' The results are inspiring and the world is grateful. The Rotary Club of Lewiston- Auburn, ME, is part of that effort, and I congratulate its members for this accomplishments and contributions.
REMEMBERING YOM HASHOAH--HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-4-27

this week we commemorated Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. People around the world gathered together in their communities to remember and to reflect, to mourn the dead, to pay tribute to the survivors, and to honor the sacrifices of the rescuers and liberators. prgtoken As a Member of Congress who represents south Florida, Yom HaShoah is particularly meaningful for me and for my constituents as so many Holocaust survivors call our south Florida community home. prgtoken I have had both the honor and the privilege to come to know many survivors over the years and be able to call them my friends. You know, you can only learn so much about the Holocaust from history books because the human toll, that is told by survivors. prgtoken What is truly eye opening and what really brings things into perspective is sitting down with survivors or family members of survivors and hearing their stories. It is as heartbreaking as it is unimaginable to think that humanity could inflict this kind of hatred, this kind of evil upon fellow human beings, and it is as shameful as it is unconscionable that the indifference of mankind could allow such atrocities to occur. prgtoken This is why it is incumbent upon us, all of us, , to mark Yom HaShoah each and every year and to rededicate ourselves to learning from the lessons of the past so we can ensure a better future free of such hatred, free of such intolerance. prgtoken On Tuesday, we marked the Days of Remembrance with a beautiful and moving candle-lighting ceremony here in the Capitol rotunda where survivors lit six candles representing the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis. It was the first such commemoration since the passing of Elie Wiesel. prgtoken Elie Wiesel made it his life mission to share the memories of what had occurred so that the world would know the truth. Elie Wiesel would not let anyone forget the horrors of the past because, as he said in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech: ``If we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices.'' prgtoken Elie was only 15 years old when he and his family were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp facing near certain death. It was at Auschwitz where nearly 1 million Jews were murdered. Almost one out of every six Jews who were killed during the Holocaust were killed at Auschwitz. prgtoken Today, Auschwitz serves as a stark reminder of the sins of the past, of the evil, of the indifference of mankind, but it also serves as an educational opportunity, an opportunity to bear witness. prgtoken As Elie Wiesel said at the dedication ceremony of our United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1993: ``For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.'' prgtoken For not only are we responsible for the memories of the dead, Mr we are also responsible for what we are doing with those memories. That is why, since 1988, the International March of the Living has brought over 250,000 participants together from over 50 countri