mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1301, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017
Liz Cheney (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-3-8

I rise in support of House Resolution 174, which provides a closed rule for consideration of H.R. 1301, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2017. I would like to thank, in particular, Chairman Frelinghuysen, Chairman Granger, and Ranking Member Visclosky for their hard and dedicated work on this bill. prgtoken , we have no higher obligation as elected representatives of the people of this great Republic than ensuring for the security and defense of our Nation. We are gathered here at a tremendous time of action and achievement across an array of crucial policy areas, regulatory relief for the citizens and businesses of our Nation, restoration of authority to our States and local communities, tax reform, Care repeal and replacement, and the list goes on. prgtoken President is doing what he promised during his campaign, and it is an honor to serve the people of Wyoming at this historic moment. But, , it is no exaggeration to say that if we fail to provide the resources our military needs to defend our Nation, if we fail to do what is necessary to ensure America's Armed Forces remain superior to all others in the world, if we fail to provide the support our men and women in uniform need to recover from 8 years of devastating policies, nothing else we are doing in this body will matter. prgtoken , the need is urgent. As we meet today to debate the 2017 Defense appropriation, our Nation faces a more complex and grave threat environment than we have faced at anytime since World War II, and possibly, , more than at anytime in our history. For 8 years, our adversaries' strength has grown, while our relative capabilities have stagnated and, in some instances, declined. prgtoken North Korea continues its ballistic missile launches as it threatens our allies and interests. prgtoken The Iranian nuclear agreement has bought time for Iran to continue to advance its nuclear weapons program, as it reaps the windfall of at least $1 trillion of U.S. taxpayer funds provided to it by the administration. Iran continues to threaten U.S. naval vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, support terrorism across the Middle East, and test ballistic missiles despite its U.N. obligations. prgtoken China is rapidly building up its military, and it is targeting, in particular, technologies to try to level the playing field with our capabilities. It continues to threaten freedom of navigation and trade in the South China Sea, and to conduct cyber operations against the United States. prgtoken Russia has invaded Ukraine, threatens Eastern Europe and the Baltics, is violating INF Treaty obligations, and openly threatening the use of nuclear weapons. prgtoken Al-Qaida today exists in more counties than ever before, and ISIS continues to recruit and hold territory as it plans and launches attacks against the West. prgtoken Most of the actors I just mentioned are also responsible for cyber attacks against the Un
TRIBUTE TO MAURICE L. ``MAURI'' WILLIAMSON
Todd Rokita (Republican, IN) \u2014 2017-3-8

I rise today to honor a prominent Hoosier leader and my dear friend, Mr. Maurice L. (Mauri) Williamson who passed away on January 30, 2017 surrounded by his loving family. prgtoken Mauri was born in Economy, Indiana and spent his childhood participating in 4-H. He served in the Navy Medical Corps until 1946, after which he received his undergraduate degree from Purdue University in 1950. He was known throughout the state as the executive secretary of the Purdue University Ag Alumni Association, a position he held for 37 years. During his Purdue career, Mauri helped found the National Ag Alumni Development Association (NAADA) and started the Ag Alumni Fish Fry. prgtoken Mauri put a lot of care and dedication into his work. After graduating from Purdue, he returned to the family farm, but he soon found he was better suited spending his time with people rather than with plants and animals. In 1961, he founded the Pioneer Village at the Indiana State Fair to preserve and display the history of Indiana agriculture. Mauri held court there each summer, visiting with his ever-expanding legion of friends acquired through his lifetime commitment to Purdue and to agriculture. He had a deep love for the Indiana State Fair and only missed attending while serving in the Navy during World War II. prgtoken I was first introduced to Mauri when I served as Indiana's Secretary of State. He made it clear to me, in the way only he could do, the importance of farming and agriculture community to the past, present and future of Indiana. Even today, my family, and especially my two young sons, enjoys the fruit of his labor each August when we visit the Pioneer Village at the best State Fair in the nation. As a member of Congress, I continue to keep our past conversations in mind when voting on agriculture issues. prgtoken Mauri leaves June, his beloved wife of 68 years, two children, three grandchildren and five great grandchildren to carry on his legacy of service to fellow Hoosiers. I believe this world is a better place because of his compassionate service to our community, state and nation. Rest in peace, Mauri. He will not be forgotten.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Jeff Flake (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-3-8

within a matter of days, our national debt will top $20 trillion, notching another ominous milestone in our Nation's long-running addiction to spending. How did we get here? prgtoken A decade ago, taxpayers learned that many of their elected representatives were complicit in an insidious practice that rotted the legislative branch to its core, and that is congressional earmarking. Called a ``gateway drug'' by our distinguished former colleague from Oklahoma, Senator Tom Coburn, earmarks have long exacerbated the Federal Government's spending addiction. prgtoken As old as the Republic, earmarks have always been used by generations of politicians as currency to curry favor with well-connected special interests. After public outrage reached a critical mass, both the House and the Senate instituted bans on earmarking, ending what had been a corrupt pay-to-play culture in Congress. prgtoken In order to preserve this important check against the corrupting influence of earmarks, I recently sent a letter to President respectfully urging him to veto any legislation containing earmarks that reaches his desk. s, Senators John McCain, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, and Ben Sasse, for cosigning this letter. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the following letter.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017
Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-3-8

I rise in strong support of this bill. I want to first start by commending the chairman of the full committee and the former chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Frelinghuysen, for his unwavering commitment to the men and women in uniform, and also for bringing this great bill forward. prgtoken I also want to recognize the good work and leadership of the new subcommittee chairwoman, that titanium Texan, Ms. Granger. prgtoken , I have to also mention the ranking members, Mrs. Lowey and Mr. Visclosky, because this, frankly, is a partnership in allowing this bill to come forward. prgtoken , with this bill, Congress fulfills what I believe is an essential part of what we are here to do and what government's essential role is--to provide for the common defense. prgtoken This bill is essential for the men and women who serve our Nation with distinction in the military. prgtoken This bill funds a 2.1 percent pay raise for the military, something that they so deserve. prgtoken It also targets resources for the health care for our servicemembers and their family members. prgtoken Throughout the year--and you have already heard it--we have heard testimony time and time again from our service chiefs about the necessity to address our military's alarming readiness shortfalls. This bill, , addresses the readiness problems that are making it more and more difficult for our troops. We devote resources to prepare our troops both for combat and peacetime missions, including flight time and training, to ensure that we maintain our military superiority. prgtoken Lastly, this bill provides the necessary essential equipment, weapon systems, and platforms needed to prgtoken maintain and sustain our essential military superiority, whether it is in the air, in the sea, or on the ground. prgtoken , I would just end with what I mentioned before: I believe the principal job of the Federal Government is to defend and protect our country. The Defense Appropriations bill before us does just that, and it deserves all of our support.
HONORING CHIEF ALAN BRAGG: 45 YEARS IN EDUCATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-8

I rise today to pay tribute to my friend, Chief Alan Bragg, who is retiring after serving a distinguished 45 years in educational law enforcement. He is a lifetime member of what I referred to as the Poe-leece. It is an informal organization made up of long-time friends in Texas' law enforcement community. It is an honor to pay tribute to Chief Bragg as he retires on June 30, 2017 as Chief of Police at Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Police Department. prgtoken Alan Bragg was born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, and was destined to become a Texas Lawman. He attended Midwestern State University and worked for the university's police department at the beginning of his career. In 1981, Chief Bragg moved to Houston to take a position with the Houston Independent School District Police Department. prgtoken He gained nine years' experience with Houston ISD, all the while his pursuit to build safer schools grew. This passion led him to accept a job, in 1990, as Spring Independent School District's first ever Chief of Police. He was tasked to create a new police department from scratch. He started his force with 8 officers and it has grown to over 50 sworn officers. He was responsible for nearly 37,000 students, 5,000 employees and 38 campuses. His 21 year leadership and legacy at Spring ISD will not be forgotten. prgtoken Chief Bragg obtained additional police training along the way. He is a graduate of the FBI's National Academy 201 class and holds a Master Peace Officer Certificate. Throughout the years, he has assisted and been recognized by numerous boards and organizations. He is a member and past president of the Houston Area Police Chiefs Association, North County Criminal Justice Association, and he also served on the board of the Texas Association of School District Police. prgtoken For over 20 years, he has coordinated the annual ``Salute to Law Enforcement'' event, an event that was always held close to National Police Week. It allowed folks to meet local law enforcement officers from different agencies, see the resources used to protect them, and provide an overall positive experience between our law enforcement officers and citizens. prgtoken Chief Bragg is a dedicated family man, having been married to his wife Judy for 26 years. He met Judy after the 1979 Terrible Tuesday Tornado that hit Wichita Falls. They were both temporarily homeless, and met at church. They are the proud parents of two children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His retirement will provide time for them to serve in their church, travel on mission trips, and spend time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. prgtoken During those years with Spring, Chief Bragg distinguished himself as an educational law enforcement leader. He possesses a wealth of knowledge, and the entire law enforcement community views him with esteem and respect. His department served as a model for other school district police d
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION--Continued
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-3-8

in December of 2015, President signed the Every Student Succeeds Act after it passed this body with overwhelming bipartisan support--85 of 100 Senators supported the bill. The Wall Street Journal called the Every Student Succeeds Act ``the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter- century.'' It also had the support of Governors, State legislators, chief State school officers, school district superintendents, local school boards, principals, and teachers unions, who all agreed on the need to replace No Child Left Behind. prgtoken The core of the education reform in the Every Student Succeeds Act was to restore local control to the States--not just control for them but that they would have the responsibility and the authority for things such as school accountability, teacher evaluation, student evaluation. It is very clear. In fact, the Every Student Succeeds Act says things very specifically. States are solely responsible for choosing which standards to adopt. The Secretary cannot mandate, direct, or control State standards. The Secretary of Education cannot require, coerce, or incentivize States to adopt common core State standards. States are responsible for choosing which assessments to adopt. The Secretary of Education cannot mandate, direct, or control State assessments for education. States design their own system for holding schools accountable and decide which schools to identify for school intervention and support. The Secretary cannot add new requirements or criteria on State accountability systems that are not in the law. States and local school districts decide what strategies they will implement to help fix identified schools without Federal interference. The Secretary of Education cannot prescribe how States and local school districts improve those schools. prgtoken Congress passed that clear education law to take power out of Washington, DC, and from the Department of Education and the Secretary of Education and hand it back to the States. prgtoken Five months after the bill was signed, the administration changed their mind and released regulations to take back school decisionmaking and accountability, in direct violation of the law. prgtoken Eighty-five of one hundred of us agreed that our passion is for every school district, every parent, every State to take care of every child; that no child would be left behind by switching to local control rather than Federal centralized control. But when this new rule was put out by the administration, they reinterpreted that clear law. Let me tell you what they said in the rule. prgtoken In the rule, they dictate to States the consequences for schools that don't annually test at least 95 percent of their students. prgtoken They prescribe to the States and school districts how they would intervene and improve schools that don't exit from this identification process of being an underperforming school.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017
Mac Thornberry (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-8

I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding time and commend him for his continuing leadership on national security. I also thank the chairwoman of this subcommittee, Ms. Granger, and the ranking member, Mr. Visclosky, for their continuing work on national security. prgtoken , it is important that we pass this bill now. The Department of Defense is currently operating under a continuing resolution, which means you have got to spend the same money this year that you spent last year, and you have to spend it on the same things. Even if you don't need to spend money on something this year that you spent last year, you have to. So it is wasteful. But you also can't spend money on new things, even though new threats arise. It is not good for any part of government. It is particularly bad for the Department of Defense. It is important to pass this bill now to remove this continuing resolution and have a regular appropriation bill. prgtoken Secondly, this bill is consistent with the Defense Authorization Conference Report which passed this House in December. All but four s and all but 30 in the House voted for that measure in December. This is very consistent with that, and I hope it gets at least as much support as that bill did in December. prgtoken There are a few differences. We are further into the fiscal year, so the committee was able to fund some additional priorities that were in the House-passed authorization bill that we were not able to put in the conference report. I just think it is important for all of us to remember, , that the only answer to some of the readiness problems we are facing is modernization. We have had testimony that it takes twice as long to maintain an old F-18 aircraft, for example, as it does a new one. Well, this bill has some additional F-18s, and that is good for the pilots, good for the services that receive them. It also frees up maintenance to work on other things. prgtoken Finally, it is important also to remember that this bill is just a first step in repairing and rebuilding the military. I am afraid all of us have underestimated the deep damage that has been done through sequestration, budget cuts, and a high tempo of operations. Just yesterday, I was out at Fort Campbell to see some of this and hear about some of this firsthand from the Army. prgtoken This is an important essential first step, but shortly we should receive a supplemental appropriation to do more of the work of repair, and then we need to move toward an FY18 bill that really begins the rebuilding that, I think, on a bipartisan basis, most all of us in this Chamber would support. Remember, , the first job of the Federal Government is to defend the country. This is an important first step to help us fulfill that responsibility.
FAIRNESS IN CLASS ACTION LITIGATION ACT OF 2017
Adriano Espaillat (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-3-9

I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 985, the Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2017. prgtoken My amendment would exempt a claimant who is or has been living in public housing or any dwelling unit for which rental assistance was provided under the Section 8 housing program. While I firmly believe that every individual should be exempt from this outrageous provision, my amendment recognizes that we, the Federal Government, are the landlords, the owners, if you may, of public housing. prgtoken Ryan is a landlord of public housing. Our leader, the gentlewoman from California, is a landlord of public housing. The President is a tenant of public housing. The White House is public housing. While the White House has hot water, a nice roof, and likely no asbestos, it is still public housing. We, the taxpayers, pay the rent. We, as the Federal Government on both sides of the aisle, are the owners and the landlords of public housing. prgtoken As the owners of public housing, we have a unique obligation to the people living in these units. We are responsible for the dilapidated conditions of prgtoken our public housing units, and we are responsible for the health and well-being of low-income tenants living in them. prgtoken Much of our public housing was built in the 1950s and 1960s, coinciding with what was perhaps the peak time for the use of asbestos- containing products in building and construction materials. This has left thousands of our most vulnerable citizens at risk of exposure to asbestos, which has killed as many as 15,000 Americans each year. prgtoken People who have a legitimate claim and have been exposed to asbestos while living in either public housing or Section 8 housing should be afforded the due process they deserve and given the opportunity to bring their claims in a timely manner. I think this entire bill is a misnomer and should be renamed the unfairness in class action litigation act. prgtoken No one--no one--should have their due process rights delayed or denied. There is no doubt that the consequences of this legislation will be especially and uniquely detrimental to low-income individuals. This legislation will completely upend privacy and bankruptcy laws. prgtoken As it stands today, our laws guarantee that a claimant's information is protected. This bill, however, will require that an individual claimant's personal information and the amount they have received from the trust be made available on a public website. Not only is this a complete and total disregard for the individual's privacy, but it makes the most vulnerable in our society prey for financial predators. prgtoken My amendment will guarantee that tenants living in public housing and Section 8 housing are not subjected to such an outrageous shift in privacy rights. The bill sends trusts on a wild goose chase for information that may not even be there, while they sho
FAIRNESS IN CLASS ACTION LITIGATION ACT OF 2017
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-3-9

I rise in opposition to H.R. 985, the Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2017. prgtoken , there can be no doubt that this legislation is an assault on the civil justice system. By effectively banning class actions, H.R. 985 would give wrongdoers a permission slip to avoid public scrutiny or liability for their unlawful conduct. Worse still, this legislation also contains the text of the so-called FACT Act, which is designed to delay justice for asbestos victims and deny accountability for corporate defendants. prgtoken As the ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee that exercises jurisdiction over this bill, I am strongly opposed to this dangerous and offensive measure. prgtoken For decades, medical experts have closely linked asbestos exposure with mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer, and other forms of lung disease. Asbestos manufacturers have also known about the deadly effects of asbestos exposure; but, as a Federal judge noted in 1991, there is compelling evidence that these companies sought to conceal this information from workers and the general public. Instead of sharing this critical information, which could have saved countless lives through exposure prevention, asbestos companies ``continued to manufacture one of the most widely used asbestos products without informing workers or the public,'' as the nonprofit Environmental Working Group has reported. prgtoken Real examples of this widespread corporate deception are legion, but one in particular stands out. In 1966, the senior executive of a corporation that currently operates as a subsidiary of Honeywell wrote that, if asbestos victims ``enjoyed a good life while working with asbestos products, why not die from it.'' prgtoken In the wake of numerous lawsuits related to asbestos-related deaths, Congress amended the bankruptcy code in 1994 to authorize the use of trusts for the settlement of asbestos liability. prgtoken In 2001, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office conducted an exhaustive study of these trusts but did not find a single example of fraudulent conduct. Despite this finding, proponents of H.R. 985 now make the outrageous and totally unsupported claim that victims of asbestos exposure have committed fraud--more alternative facts. prgtoken In the name of what they describe as transparency, the bill would force trusts to publicly disclose asbestos victims' sensitive personal information, including their names, partial Social Security numbers, and the like. Beyond the obvious consequences these requirements would have in the form of hacking and identity theft, this information is already available to relevant parties on a confidential basis through the discovery process, as both the GAO and the RAND Corporation have reported. prgtoken I agree with the majority that asbestos trusts must be accountable and transparent to both present and future cl