mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2018-12-13

I am pleased to be here this morning to join my colleagues in saluting the public service of our friend Senator Jeff Flake. prgtoken In his remarkable book, ``The Conscience of a Conservative,'' Senator Jeff Flake offered these words that apply to both sides of the aisle and across the political spectrum. Rather than constantly pursuing partisan advantage, he wrote, ``the better path always is to break out of rigid ideological thinking, to listen to reasoned arguments on both sides, and to use your best judgment.'' prgtoken Reason and courage have defined Senator Flake's 18 years in Congress--12 in the House of Representatives and 6 here in the Senate. Throughout these years of service, he has always been knowledgeable, insightful, and dedicated to America and its values. prgtoken It has been a privilege to work closely with him on many vital issues. Senator Flake has always been willing to take on the most difficult challenges and offer constructive solutions, as his work on immigration reform demonstrates. As my colleague from Delaware has said, he is unafraid. He will take on any challenge, no matter the consequences. prgtoken As chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, I have appreciated his commitment to the well-being, safety, and security of seniors across the Nation and in his beloved home State of Arizona. Senator Flake was especially helpful in our committee's examination of international criminal cartels that were using unsuspecting American seniors as drug ``mules'' to smuggle narcotics across international borders, not realizing the cargo that they were carrying. prgtoken Senator Flake has been an outstanding leader on the Foreign Relations Committee as chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy. His firsthand knowledge of issues from his early mission work in South Africa and Zimbabwe has helped to guide his efforts. I was proud to have been a cosponsor of a bill he authored with Senator Coons to combat the wildlife trafficking crisis, which became law in 2016. In fact, it was on a congressional trip that I first met my friend Jeff Flake, and I remember thinking that he was so fascinating. He knew so many things of which I had very little knowledge. prgtoken He talked about his time in Africa, and I will always remember--and this will bring a smile to his lips as well--when he told me that the words for describing it being very cold outside were the equivalent of a phrase that sounded like ``buy a coat.'' I am sure I ruined the pronunciation, but he is nodding affirmatively. I always loved that and will remember that little vignette. prgtoken When Senator Flake announced last year that he would not seek re- election, he offered these words on the Senate floor: ``We must respect each other again in an atmosphere of shared facts and shared values, comity and good faith. We must argue our positions fervently and never be afraid to compromise. We must assume the best
HONORING DARLENE GUTHRIE
Jackie Walorski (Republican, IN) \u2014 2018-12-13

I rise today to honor retired Elkhart Police Officer Darlene Guthrie. Her acts of selflessness, sacrifice, and public service have distinguished her among her peers, and she is well-deserving of recognition. prgtoken For 20 years, Darlene served as a police officer with the Elkhart Police Department, displaying a dedication to public safety and commitment to service that have truly made northern Indiana a better place to live. Now Darlene is serving her fellow Hoosiers by joining the Indiana Reserve Guard. prgtoken Darlene has also spent countless hours rescuing animals, helping her neighbors get back on their feet, and volunteering in her community. She combined her experience in law enforcement with her passion for animals to become a nationally certified Animal Cruelty Investigator, eventually taking on the role of rewriting Elkhart County's Animal Ordinance and updating the Elkhart Police Department's animal law summary. And she served on the Elkhart County Humane Society's Board for four years and even became interim director. prgtoken She goes above and beyond in everything she does, and her drive to make a difference has not only shined light on the causes closest to her heart but has made her a local leader that organizations and institutions look to for guidance. Her distinguished leadership and love of family, community, and country are what brought her to her most recent accomplishment at the age of 52: graduating from the Indiana Guard Reserve Basic Training on December 15, 2018. prgtoken Darlene's determination to never give up no matter what life brings is an inspiration to us all and teaches a positive message of perseverance. We can all learn from someone who never shies away from a challenge and always strives to do what is right. It is a privilege to represent Hoosiers like Darlene who continue to strengthen our community. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Darlene Guthrie for her honorable service to the northern Indiana community, and congratulating her on her graduation to become a member of the Indiana Guard Reserve. Darlene is a role model, a leader, and a dedicated public servant who inspires us all.
EMERGENT BILINGUALS
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-12-13

too many students are being overlooked by our education system. These students are emergent bilinguals, a group that makes up 10 percent of the K-12 student population. prgtoken In the law, we refer to them as English learners, students whose native language is one other than English and who are not yet English proficient. But when we call students ELs day to day, we ignore the important fact that they are already proficient in another language, whether it is Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic. prgtoken As these students learn English, they become bilingual, and bilingualism is an incredible asset in our global society. We benefit, and we need to shift our view of emergent bilinguals and recognize their great potential. We must recognize that by investing in their success, we all benefit. prgtoken Sarah Hesson, a Rhode Island educator, introduced me to the term ``emergent bilinguals,'' and I encourage my colleagues to use it as well and to celebrate students' emerging bilingualism. prgtoken After all, it is a gift that will empower students to become more successful later in life.
IN RECOGNITION OF DAVID MURILLO
Doris O. Matsui (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-12-13

I rise today in recognition of David Murillo, as he retires as Regional Director, and Mid-Pacific Regional Director for the United State Bureau of Reclamation. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Murillo for his leadership and commitment to water management throughout Northern California, Western Nevada and Southern Oregon. prgtoken Mr. Murillo has a long career in water management in the greater western region. In his prior roles, Mr. Murillo oversaw operations in five regions across 17 Western States. Under his role as the Power Manager for the Grand Coulee Power Office, he managed the Grand Coulee and Hungry Horse Dams. Throughout his many years, Mr. Murillo has gained great experience from managing multi-faceted projects, and overseeing flood control, irrigation, hydropower production, recreation and managed benefits for fish and wildlife. prgtoken Currently, Mr. Murillo has been responsible for one of the nation's most complex and highest-profile network of dams, reservoirs, canals and hydroelectric power plants--California's Central Valley Project. The work he has accomplished overseeing this impressive project will continue to impact the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, as well as our central coast region, and many more vital regions in our state. prgtoken , as family and friends join to celebrate Mr. Murillo's successful and impactful career, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring his exemplary leadership and contribution to our water management and policy.
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-12-13

I am proud to stand before you today to honor my dear friend and colleague, Senator Flake of Arizona, and to pay tribute to his remarkable work here in the Senate as this optimistic evangelist of democracy. prgtoken I have been asked a fair amount in recent weeks about my friendship with Jeff--with Senator Flake--whose political beliefs differ very widely from my own. Yes, Senator Flake is a staunch conservative, and if you took a score card of the things on which we have voted the same or believe the same, there would not be a ton of overlap. prgtoken But he is also a patriot. He is a patriot who deeply loves our country and is willing to work across the aisle to stand up for the values and principles that have made our Nation the greatest on this Earth. prgtoken Our friendship stems from a foundation in similar experiences and similar worldviews formed at the same time. We are almost exactly the same age. prgtoken As you heard in his remarkable farewell address, time spent in Namibia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa as a young man truly shaped him and his view of the United States and our place in the world. At just about the same time, I was spending time in Kenya and South Africa having very similar experiences. This period in our young lives shaped our sense that this democracy is special, is important, is worth fighting for, and requires greater sacrifice of us than might be obvious here in the comforts of the United States. prgtoken Because of these shared experiences, we understand the ways--when our democracy is dysfunctional, when the world sees gridlock, especially today, especially on the continent we have both come to know and love in Africa--that there are competing models for how to organize a society that is rising in their visibility and their confrontation and their competition with our own. We know democracy matters, and believe we have to fight for it. prgtoken We respect each other and listen to each other, and over the years, I have been blessed to have the chance for us to work together. In a time marked by division and partisanship, Senator Flake rightfully recognizes that we need to get back to a time when compromise was rewarded rather than punished, when we worked together to do what is right rather than what is politically expedient. prgtoken Senator Flake has spent his career doing just that, unafraid to stand up for what is right--even when it is hard, even when it is inconvenient, even when it might go against President or party. He deeply respects our rule of law and has been willing to take risks for it. prgtoken He worked toward broad bipartisan immigration reform and stood up for the independence of the Federal Reserve. He has helped to pass legislation prgtoken to promote free and fair elections and political and economic reforms in Zimbabwe, where we have both traveled together twice, as well as to a dozen other countries. prgtoken He has come and stood on this floor
RECOGNIZING THE INDEPENDENT TRANSPORTATION NETWORK OF AMERICA FOR PROVIDING ONE MILLION RIDES
Chellie Pingree (Democrat, ME) \u2014 2018-12-13

I stand today to recognize the Independent Transportation Network of America (ITN) for the selfless feat of providing one million rides to elderly and visually challenged people across the United States. This House Resolution commends ITN, a nonprofit, for serving the common good and making it possible for people to continue to be active participants in their communities after they can no longer drive safely. prgtoken ITN America founder Katherine Freund and her son were in a near fatal car accident. Rather than blame the other driver, an elderly man, Katherine realized that there were too few public transportation options available for elderly or visually impaired individuals to navigate their communities. In 1995 the Independent Transportation Network of America was born to respond to this critical community need. Because of Ms. Freund and her colleagues' passionate study of resources, logistics and technology, ITN to grow into a national consortium of thirteen affiliates in twelve states. prgtoken In my district, ITN America is much more than a taxi service. Drivers go above and beyond to ensure clients have a positive door-to-door experience while accommodating for luggage and other needs. ITN is constantly lauded for their outstanding customer service and prompt availability around the clock. In a letter to the editor of the Portland Press Herald, an ITN client effused her relief that she no longer has to worry about how she would make it to appointments or simply drive to the ocean on the weekend. ITN has restored the dignity of countless persons who have retired from driving or never had the privilege to drive--granting them agency over the life they deserve. prgtoken I was pleased to introduce H. Res. 851 earlier this year, which further recognizes the substantial achievements of ITN America and its valuable contributions to countless communities. Again, I congratulate the Independent Transportation Network of America and their incredible team for their exemplary leadership in achieving the milestone of one million rides. Remarkably, this marker hardly quantifies the transformative impact they have had on so many lives and I look forward to supporting ITN' s continued advocacy for the elderly and those unable to drive in Maine and across our nation.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-12-13

I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures. If I were present for roll call votes, I would have voted ``No'' for the following vote: prgtoken Roll No. 423, November 29, 2018: On Agreeing to the Resolution, H. Res. 1160, Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 88) to modify the boundary of the Shiloh National Military Park located in Tennessee and Mississippi, to establish Parker's Crossroads Battlefield as an affiliated area of the National Park System, and for other purposes. prgtoken If I were present for roll call votes, I would have voted ``Aye'' for the following votes: prgtoken Roll No. 424, November 29, 2018: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 7187, the National Flood Insurance Program Further Extension Act; and prgtoken Roll No. 425, November 30, 2018: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 6901, the Federal CIO Authorization Act of 2018.
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Claire McCaskill (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2018-12-13

it is probably no surprise for my colleagues to know that I don't like much the idea of a farewell speech. I haven't spent a great deal of time contemplating it over the years I have been here. I am not a big fan of the concept. But I want to respect the tradition, especially since I have witnessed so many Senate traditions crumble over the last 12 years. So I will do my best to get through this without breaking up. prgtoken A traditional farewell speech in the U.S. Senate is full of accomplishments and thanks. I am going to skip half of that. I am extremely proud of my body of work over 34 years of public service, but it is for others to judge, and I won't dwell on it today, other than to say it is a long list and a tangible demonstration of the value of hard work. prgtoken The wonderful Barbara said: ``Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people--your family, friends, and coworkers, and even strangers you meet along the way.'' prgtoken So rather than talk about what I have done, I want to speak a few moments about my family, and I have three different families I want to talk about today: my actual family, my family I like to call Missouri, or ``Missouri''--we argue about it a lot--and my family here in the Senate. prgtoken First, my actual family--because they are the most important. In the words of author Andre Maurois, ``without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold.'' I have been very warm my whole life. I have not ``trembled'' in the cold because I have always had my family. prgtoken My parents taught me that caring about the community around us was noble and good and that holding public office was an honorable endeavor, even though my parents were largely spectators and supporters and not candidates or officeholders. They just cared, and they wanted me to care too. prgtoken At the risk of going down the road of too many family stories, it may explain a lot that my dad fell in love with my mom when he saw her smoking a cigar and belting out, ``Won't you come home, Bill Bailey,'' at a party; that my mother said I must say ``trick or treat'' and vote for JFK when I was 7; and that my father insisted that I not only learn the rules of football but that I also learn to tell a good joke and learn to laugh at myself. prgtoken My siblings. My two sisters and my brother have simply been the port in every storm. prgtoken My children. We have a large, blended family of many children and grandchildren that is close and loving. I adore them all, but I need to specifically mention my three children--Austin, Maddie, and Lily-- because they were there from the beginning--infants in car seats going to political events, toddlers sitting sometimes not so quietly as I gave a speech, and, then, amazing troopers in the almost decade of my career when I was a single working mom, hauling them all over the State on camp
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2018-12-13

I rise today, as we all are, to recognize a marvelous person in Claire McCaskill. I am going to go back to 2006, when Claire was running for the U.S. Senate and I was too. The first time I saw Claire McCaskill on TV was on C-SPAN. She was in a debate. I thought to myself: My, oh my. This lady has skills--because it is something I do, I study people who are good and I try to steal as much as I can from them and there was plenty to steal in her ability to get to the truth. prgtoken Then, Claire and Jim Webb and I all won close elections in 2006 and showed up in this body. Those of you who know Webb, Webb was maybe the most intense person I ever have met in my life--an incredible human being in his own right--and I became good friends with Jim. prgtoken Claire, I can't tell you the first time we met, but I can tell you when we met, it was like we had known one another our whole lives. Claire had this ability to instill--and still has this ability. I want to talk in the future, not in the past. Claire has the ability to welcome you and make you feel as good about yourself as you feel about her. prgtoken We got to be fast friends. She and Joseph are Sharla and my best friends in this body. In fact, when I got on the train a few weeks ago--and I probably shouldn't have done this, but it just happened--I happened to get on the train with Senator-elect Hawley. I didn't know him. I never met him. I never looked at the debates this time around when I was campaigning. He introduced himself to me. I will probably owe him an apology for this, but I said: prgtoken Yes, you just beat my best friend in the U.S. Senate--because she has been. prgtoken She is one of the reasons I have been able to come to this body and really enjoy it. As everybody said before, she is smart, she is very articulate, and she has a heart. Those three things are qualities that serve one well in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken And I, for one, am going to miss her presence here and her ability to tell the truth in a way that you have to be hard of hearing not to understand what she says because she has been a great Senator over the lasts 12 years. She has represented Missouri, and because we all have those two letters in from of our names--``U.S.'' Senator--she has represented this country in an amazing way. I, for one, will miss her but will make a point to make sure the relationship we have developed in this body continues for the rest of our lives.
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-12-13

I just wanted to address the Senator from Missouri to tell her that she has been a wonderful colleague for this Senator. prgtoken As someone of more moderation in her politics who comes from a -dominated State, she has negotiated the political winds so well and has always kept her eye on representing her State. This Senator from Florida particularly appreciates that, because being a in a State is not an easy task, and she has done it with such dignity, looking out for her people, looking out for the people who are voiceless. I just want her to know she has the appreciation of this Senator from Florida. prgtoken .
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS-- Continues
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2018-12-13

like my colleagues, I, too, want to honor and express my gratitude to my friend and colleague, Senator Dean Heller. prgtoken Most people don't know that he has spent 30 years serving the great State of Nevada. I have heard everyone talk about how Dean loves Nevada. There is no doubt that if you just have an initial conversation with Dean Heller, you will learn about Nevada and his love for Nevada and why it is a wonderful place to live. prgtoken He has advocated for the people of Carson City as a member of our Nevada State Assembly. He served as Nevada's secretary of state, where he made Nevada the first State in the Nation to adopt paper records for electronic voting machines. prgtoken In Congress, Dean has fought tirelessly on behalf of our Nation's veterans, as we have heard, first as a Representative for Nevada's Second Congressional District and then as a United States Senator. I have watched Dean and have had the honor to work with him now across the aisle. prgtoken When I first came to the Senate as a junior Senator, he warmly welcomed me. We had a conversation about how we could work together-- although we don't see eye to eye on everything, but how we could work together for the best interests of the State of Nevada. He made a commitment then, and he followed through on that commitment. prgtoken So together we have worked to do so many things on behalf of the great people of the State of Nevada. We worked on critical infrastructure. He has worked to support our local law enforcement and fund programs, as you have heard, for veterans and seniors and low- income families. prgtoken We also found common ground, just as Nevadans expected us to do, and introduced bipartisan legislation to protect our public lands in eastern Nevada while also prioritizing long-term economic growth in our rural communities. I have also worked with him and watched Dean as he worked on domestic violence prevention and human trafficking prevention in the State of Nevada. prgtoken We have had the opportunity, not just here in Washington but in our home State, to work side by side to stop any attempts to revive Yucca Mountain. We introduced bipartisan legislation requiring the Secretary of Energy to obtain the written consent of the Governor and impacted local Tribal communities before building a nuclear waste repository. prgtoken As you have heard, Dean and I also shared an unfortunate, horrific incident on October 1--the deadly shooting in Las Vegas. He and I were on the ground, along with our entire delegation, to do everything we could in our community, and Dean was everywhere. He was talking to so many people, thanking the first responders, stopping by the hospitals, talking with the families. It truly was his commitment to his home State to do everything he could to help that community heal, and he continues to do so today. prgtoken The one thing I do know as a Nevadan born and raised, just like Dean, is that whe