mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PREVENTING CRIMES AGAINST VETERANS ACT OF 2019
Theodore E. Deutch (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2019-2-7

I thank my friend from California for the time and for her support of this legislation, and I thank Mr. Collins from Georgia for his service and for his support of this legislation. prgtoken , I rise today in support of our Nation's veterans. Our veterans distinguish themselves in service to our country, but that distinction is too often recognized and preyed upon by scam artists. prgtoken H.R. 450, the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act, will close a loophole in our criminal law and will give Federal law enforcement the tools they need to crack down on financial fraud schemes that target our veterans. prgtoken My friend, veteran, and former Congressman Tom Rooney introduced this bill with me in the past two Congresses. It passed by a voice vote in the 115th Congress and passed unanimously 411-0 in the 114th. prgtoken It is time to pass it again and to finally make it law to help our veterans. prgtoken , I am grateful to Representative Meadows for continuing this important bipartisan work to protect America's veterans. prgtoken In a 2017 survey, AARP found that 78 percent of veterans receive scam pitches specifically targeted to their military service. They also found that 16 percent of veterans lost money to financial fraud over the past 5 years, double the rate of nonveterans. prgtoken , I thank Greg Dover of Palm Beach County Veterans Services, who sounded the alarm and helped fight for this important legislation. prgtoken I have heard too many stories from south Floridians--veterans, survivors, families, and their veterans service officers--who have been taken advantage of through so-called pension poaching scams that target the supplemental aid and attendance pension benefit. prgtoken In one case, a veteran responded to a solicitation with the hope of securing additional pension benefits. He was met with a high-pressure sales tactic in his own home. The sales representative tried to convince him to apply for benefits that he didn't want and that he wasn't eligible for. prgtoken In addition to filing an improper claim on the veteran's behalf, the scammer lied and told the veteran that he was required to enter into a long-term healthcare contract in order to receive the benefits. prgtoken Pension poachers comb through south Florida's senior communities to look for targets. They gather residents for high-pressure sales pitches to convince them to file inaccurate claims. prgtoken In one case, a scammer intentionally withheld spousal income from a veteran's application to illegally unlock additional benefits. The veteran paid excessive filing fees of over $600, but that wasn't the worst of it. The VA eventually learned about the additional unreported income. They learned that the veteran was not eligible, and they sought to claw back nearly $50,000 in overpayments. prgtoken By the time the veteran faced financial ruin, the scammer had disappeared and couldn't be found. prgtoken As our senior population continues
REMEMBERING LAURA EILEEN ORR
Kyrsten Sinema (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2019-2-7

today I wish to honor the life and legacy of Laura Eileen Orr, who passed away on January 16, 2019, at the age of 68. Mrs. Orr was born in Missouri on October 2, 1950. She served as a dedicated adviser to the students of Arizona State University for 50 years. Our State will miss her dearly. prgtoken Mrs. Orr began her career at ASU in 1968 and later went on to become the academic and student services manager at the College of Public Programs School of Social Work. She was a fierce advocate for students facing adversities and was renowned by her pupils and colleagues alike for her unwavering patience, encouragement, and magnanimity toward everyone she encountered. I was privileged to work with Laura for over 10 years, first as a student in the master of social work program and later as a part-time professor in the school of social work. She was a joy to work with over the years. prgtoken An avid sports fan, Mrs. Orr enjoyed supporting both the Sun Devils and the Cardinals at football games. She also enjoyed theaters and frequently attended performances and listened to Broadway play recordings. prgtoken Mrs. Orr is survived by her husband of 45 years, Karl Orr, her two sisters Barbra Voelker and Nancee VanderPluyn; her two sons, Christopher and Michael and their wives, Danielle and Amanda; as well as four grandchildren; Brayden, Benjamin, Isabella, and Joseph. Please join me in honoring her memory.
CONDEMNING THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN VENEZUELA
Alcee L. Hastings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2019-2-7

. Madam , I rise today to draw attention to the human rights atrocities that are occurring in Venezuela. Under the leadership of Nicolas Madura, Venezuela has reverted from one of the most prosperous nations in South America to a country into severe crisis. prgtoken Venezuela's economy, once the envy of South America, currently faces one of the worst cases of hyperinflation in modern history. The International Monetary Fund expects the inflation rate to reach an astounding 10 million percent this year. Across the country Venezuelans are struggling to survive, facing immense difficulties putting food on the table or affording basic necessities such as fuel and medicine. More than 80 percent of Venezuelan households have insufficient access to food. As grocery stores become increasingly bare, hospitals too are running dangerously low on supplies as the medical system continues to crumble. Even though the Ministry of Health has stopped reporting national health data, we know that rates of malnutrition are rising, as are outbreaks of preventable diseases and the rate of infant mortality. prgtoken Madam , more than three million Venezuelan citizens have fled their home to nearby nations, including nearly 300,000 who have come to the United States seeking refuge in 2018. As the situation continues to deteriorate, tens of thousands of protestors have taken to he street to protest the economic and humanitarian crises and demand change. We must stand with those who are putting their lives on the line to ensure that future generations of Venezuelans live in a peaceful and prosperous country.
IN RECOGNITION OF CHIEF TOMMY PAYNE
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-2-8

. Madam , I rise today to honor an exemplary public servant, Police Chief Tommy Payne, upon his retirement from the Aubrey, Texas Police Department. During his more than four decades in law enforcement, Chief Payne has endeavored to provide safety and security for those he has served. prgtoken Chief Payne's career began in his hometown of Dublin, Texas in 1977. He spent many years serving in various jurisdictions across Texas, including Stephenville, Llano, Brady, and Somervell County. He has been a Master Peace Officer since 1994, and was first named Police Chief in 2003 while serving the City of Brady. prgtoken Chief Payne began serving the citizens and businesses covered by the Aubrey Police Department in April of 2010. For the past nine years, he has been a well-respected leader by his peers and colleagues and beloved by his community. prgtoken After 42 years of dedicated service, Police Chief Tommy Payne has more than earned his retirement. He has put strangers' safety above his own, and we are indebted to him. I wish Chief Payne and his family all the best in the years to come.
VETERANS' ACCESS TO CHILD CARE ACT
Andy Barr (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-2-8

just a few minutes ago, we adopted, by a recorded vote, a commonsense amendment offered by Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill from New Jersey. Congresswoman Sherrill's amendment would prohibit a childcare center, agency, or provider from caring for the children of our Nation's veterans as authorized by this bill if they employ an individual who has been convicted of a sex crime, a violent crime, a drug felony, or another offense the VA considers appropriate. prgtoken , I applaud Congresswoman Sherrill for offering her amendment, which I was pleased to join my colleagues in supporting on a bipartisan basis. However, Ms. Sherrill's amendment failed to address another troubling situation, a situation that, if this bill had gone through regular order, may have been identified. prgtoken Specifically, Federal law allows but does not require a childcare facility operated by a Federal agency or under contract with a Federal agency to suspend a childcare worker if they have been charged with a sex crime, an offense involving a child victim, a violent crime, or a drug felony, but whose charge is still pending. prgtoken My motion to recommit, , is very simple. It would remove that discretion and affirmatively prohibit the VA from paying a childcare provider if they employ an individual who has been charged with a sex offense, an offense involving a child victim, a violent crime, a drug felony, or other offense that the Secretary determines appropriate unless the childcare provider has suspended that individual from having any contact with any children while on the job until the case has been resolved. prgtoken It can take a considerable amount of time for some cases to proceed through our criminal justice system. For example, in 2013, a nursing assistant at the Alexandria VA Healthcare System in prgtoken Pineville, Louisiana, was charged with negligent homicide after a physical altercation with a veteran patient who later died. In 2018, 5 years later, that case finally came to a resolution when the nursing assistant pleaded no contest. prgtoken During those intervening 5 years, that nursing assistant remained as a VA employee. He was suspended for some time, but eventually was brought back to work while the charge was still pending. Imagine if this individual had been caring for children. prgtoken This case illustrates the length of time the judicial process can take and, regrettably, the need to remove the manager's discretion in these situations. prgtoken Let me be clear, . This motion does not presuppose the guilt of anyone who is charged with one of these crimes; rather, it acknowledges, like we all did with Ms. Sherrill's amendment, that we have an obligation to ensure the safety and the well-being of children who will be cared for under this program. prgtoken Congress creates and oversees Federal agencies and the rules by which they and their employees operate. Just as Congress created existing guidelines giving agenci
HOUSE MUST VOTE ON BORN-ALIVE ABORTION SURVIVORS PROTECTION ACT
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-2-8

I rise today in support of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. prgtoken I applaud my colleague Congresswoman Ann Wagner for reintroducing this bill, and I am proud to be a cosponsor. prgtoken This bill penalizes the intentional killing of a child who is born alive. To be clear, I cannot believe I even have to state those words. prgtoken , we have seen horrific actions in New York and Virginia to allow late-term abortion. This is essentially the execution of a defenseless child after birth. It is unconscionable. prgtoken The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require a child who is born after an attempted abortion to receive treatment and be transferred to a hospital. prgtoken , this is a sad day in America when we have to discuss such a reprehensible act. prgtoken Any doctor who would leave a child to die should face the full extent of the law. This bill would ensure that. prgtoken We must protect the most vulnerable, and I urge the House to take action on this bill.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-2-8

. Madam , I appreciate my dear friend and, actually, college friend for these many years, since we were in school together at Texas A&M, and the great tribute. prgtoken There was another superb tribute today paid to a giant of a man in more recent days. John Dingell had been reduced to a wheelchair, but having visited with him when his health was great and when he was in his wheelchair, Madam , I can confirm either way he was a giant of a man. prgtoken Now, make no mistake, we had some significant political differences of opinion, but I never, ever had to wonder about the integrity, the honesty, just the greatness of John Dingell. He shot straight. Sometimes they were things you didn't want to hear. prgtoken I loved his mischievous sense of humor, his way of making his point. I had no problem with the way he sometimes went after witnesses that he felt were being less than candid. He was a great man. He was a great Member of Congress. prgtoken One of the things that has brought prior comments of his back to mind, prior activity here, was the proposed Green New Deal. I disagreed with John Dingell's effort for some type of government-run or universal-type health insurance, but we both--and I know the man's heart. He wanted what he believed was best for the American people. prgtoken He was a man that staunch conservatives like me could talk to and could trust. He, as was pointed out by the majority leader earlier today and others, loved the Energy and Commerce Committee; and it was humorous, earlier, when it was mentioned the times when he thought that was the only committee here. prgtoken But after decades and decades of service and wanting to do something about the problem with healthcare--it certainly has problems. He was so looking forward, as chairman of the Energy prgtoken and Commerce Committee, the committee of jurisdiction over such a healthcare bill as the ACA, Care, whatever you want to call it, he was looking forward to shepherding that through as the great chairman, as the great Member of Congress that he was. prgtoken At the time--this was between 2007 and January of 2011 when s took back over the majority here in the House--he had appropriately become chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. He couldn't wait to shepherd through what he believed would fix so many of the ills with the healthcare system, health insurance system. prgtoken And I would certainly agree that the health insurance companies are not really in the insurance business; they are more in health management. I would love to see them back in the insurance business instead of the management, where we either have the government or the insurance companies telling us what healthcare we can have and not have. prgtoken But John Dingell wanted what was best for the American people. And Pelosi made it very clear, there were two important bills that she wanted coming out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and one of them w
HONORING JUDGE MICHAEL L. KARPF
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-2-8

I rise today to recognize Chatham County Superior Court Judge Michael L. Karpf for 40 years of exceptional service to our area's justice system. prgtoken Judge Karpf has shown an unwavering commitment to fairness and wisdom during his tenure as a judge. prgtoken He has served on the Chatham County State court since 1993, where he has had an enormous impact. Namely, he created the major crimes division, rotating judges and significantly increasing the efficiency in our court system. prgtoken His colleagues remember him as a consensus builder who could lead a bench that works well together, an oftentimes unique accomplishment. prgtoken Earlier this month, he retired to senior judge status, meaning that he will take cases on an as-needed basis. prgtoken I wish Judge Karpf the best of luck and know that the court will be in good hands as his son, Benjamin, takes the role his father had as superior court judge.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-2-8

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for those comments. I would just ask if the gentleman would urge the chairman of the Judiciary Committee to move swiftly to bring this bill up for a vote as we continue to use every legislative tool we have available to, hopefully, try to get a unanimous consent agreement to bring the bill to the floor. But ultimately, if that is not allowed, and if the committee process doesn't work and actually take attention to this in a quick way, then we will go a different route and use the discharge petition route. prgtoken So we have continued to try to make the point that this issue needs to be addressed by this Congress. The President, in his State of the Union Tuesday night, was very clear that Congress ought to address this issue. And the President, in his speech--and I thought it was an incredibly eloquent speech, confronting the challenges we face, but also talking about the greatness of this country and highlighting some of the people who achieved greatness, the three men who stormed the beaches of Normandy, and the challenges they faced to liberate Europe, to keep America free. prgtoken Ultimately, one of those gentlemen actually went on to help liberate Dachau; and to see the Holocaust survivor who was at Dachau, and liberated by that very gentleman, to both be on the same row of the gallery, was a special moment, a special moment that reminds us of the greatness of this country. prgtoken And as the President talked about that at the end, he challenged us, he challenged Congress to reach for greatness, not gridlock, but for that same greatness as we confront the challenges that this great Nation faces today. prgtoken This action, the fact that, in many States of this Nation, it is allowed to kill a baby after it has been born, is a moral wrong that we need to fix. That is another act of greatness that we need to rise up to; and I hope we do in the quickest way possible. prgtoken Madam , .
IN HONOR OF BILLY MARTIN
Lance Gooden (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-2-8

. Madam , Billy Martin joined the National Guard while a senior in high school and subsequently applied for active duty in the United States Army receiving his first permanent duty station in Idar Oberstine, Germany from 1956 to 1959. Over the next 16 years he went to the Seventh Army NCO Academy, Officer Candidate School and Fixed Wing Flight School attaining the rank of Major. After his first 12-month tour in Vietnam, Billy transitioned into CH-47 (Chinook) helicopters returning to Vietnam as Executive Officer of the 178th Aviation Company and as the Combat Operations Officer (S3) of the 123rd Aviation Battalion in support of the American Division. During Billy's two tours in Vietnam he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross twice, the Bronze Star 3 times (one for Valor), the Air Medal thirteen times (one for Valor), the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross. In 1971 he was transferred to the University of Nebraska at Omaha for one year so he could complete requirements for his Bachelor's degree. In June of 1972, Billy became an Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN. He retired from Military Service on December 31, 1975. prgtoken In retirement Mr. Martin worked as a business consultant eventually moving to Dallas. But Billy had always believed he had a calling to be a missionary. He taught Sunday school and Bible study, but grew to believe he was meant to be a preacher. Due to his age he faced roadblocks. Not to be deterred, however, he started taking seminary courses and achieved his Master's in Theology degree in 1994. prgtoken In 1998 Billy was told there was a church in Terrell in need of a pastor. He went to Terrell and spoke with the Director of Missions, Brother Jerry Griffin. Brother Jerry recommended Billy give his resume to Emmanuel Baptist Church instead of Grace Temple. Emmanuel called him as its pastor that August. More than 20 years as pastor of Emmanuel, prgtoken the church has thrived, increasing attendance and adding a new education building. prgtoken Pastor Martin has been married to his high school sweetheart Nancy for 64 years.
HAPPY 87TH BIRTHDAY, VERA MORRIS
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-2-8

. Madam , I rise today to honor an extraordinary constituent of mine, Mrs. Vera M. Morris of Yuma, Arizona who today is celebrating her 87th birthday. Vera has been a resident of Yuma for most of her life, proudly serving her community in many distinguished ways. Most notably, Mrs. Morris served as the first librarian at Gadsden Elementary in Yuma County. She taught at Gadsden for over two decades, inspiring hundreds of children and showing them the importance of reading at an early age. Mrs. Morris is the proud mother of three children and has 25 grandchildren, and more than 30 great- grandchildren. prgtoken I hope the whole House will join me in wishing Vera a very happy 87th birthday surrounded by her loving family and her many friends. We also wish her many more happy birthdays in the future.
MARGARET MASEK CELEBRATES 105TH BIRTHDAY
Adrian Smith (Republican, NE) \u2014 2019-2-8

today I rise to celebrate the 105th birthday of western Nebraska native Margaret Masek. prgtoken A graduate of Gering High School, Margaret has 7 children, 21 grandchildren, and 46 great-grandchildren. prgtoken In her 105 years, she has experienced the Great Depression, both World Wars, and the landing on the Moon. prgtoken After more than a century of life, Margaret says her greatest accomplishment is her children's education and prgtoken enabling them to live their lives to the fullest. prgtoken She spent her birthday this year opening birthday greetings from her family living all over the world, including Hong Kong, Fiji, London, Paris, Costa Rica, South Korea, and, of course, Nebraska. prgtoken Born on June 11, 1914, she begins each day by thanking God for giving her another day, as we all should. prgtoken Please join me in congratulating Margaret on her 105th birthday.