mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BONUSES FOR COST-CUTTERS ACT OF 2017
Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise in support of my bill, the Bonuses prgtoken for Cost-Cutters Act of 2017. I wish to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia. prgtoken , what we see today in my bill is what I think the American people want, s and working together with good, commonsense legislation that makes sense and saves the American taxpayer's money. prgtoken Let's face it: whether we are a family or a business, we have to manage our money in the private sector; and the Federal Government, for far too long, has been guilty of spending waste, fraud, and abuse. There have been so many problems, and the American people know it. prgtoken When we go home and we talk with our constituents, they want us to be very good stewards of their money, and they deserve that. That is exactly what this bill does, and it does it in a way that does a lot of different things that I think is great. prgtoken First of all, as my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have said, it incentivizes Federal employees to detect waste. We all know that government has a tendency, when they have a pool of money, to spend it, whether they need it or not. So if a Federal employee can go in there, find this problem out, tell the agency head, he or she now can get up to $20,000 of incentive pay. So we have incentivized fiscal responsibility in the Federal Government. That is great, and that is just good government. prgtoken In addition to that, , we look at the United States Constitution, and that is a document that our Founding Fathers gave us and is so important. Why is that so important with this bill? Because when that agency head goes to the President of the United States with this recommendation, the President of the United States has to come where? Back to the Congress, where he should have to come. prgtoken When Congress looks at that recommendation from the President, Congress then can make the final determination. So we have fiscal responsibility, we have constitutional sanctity, and we have good government. prgtoken Most of all, I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. We have s and working together, the way the American people want us to do, to be fiscally responsible. prgtoken , I urge colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this good government bill.
HONORING DR. DANIEL J. BRADLEY ON HIS RETIREMENT
Larry Bucshon (Republican, IN) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise today to honor a true champion for higher education, Dr. Daniel J. Bradley, the 11th president of Indiana State University. prgtoken During his 9-year tenure at Indiana State, Dr. Bradley has led ISU to achieve the highest enrollment in school history, added new degree programs to meet the demands of the 21st century workforce, and completed more than $300 million in capital projects on the campus. Most importantly, Dr. Bradley has improved student success by increasing the student retention rate and increasing the student graduation rate. prgtoken From his service to our country in the U.S. Army to his service to the students of Indiana State University, I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Bradley on his retirement at the end of this year.
NIST SMALL BUSINESS CYBERSECURITY ACT
Neal P. Dunn (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-10-11

today I rise in support of H.R. 2105, the National Institute of Standards and Technology Small Business Cybersecurity Act. This bipartisan legislation instructs the Director of NIST, in consultation with other Federal agencies, to disseminate guidance to help small businesses identify, assess, manage, and reduce their cybersecurity risks. As a small-business owner, I am honored to be a cosponsor of this bill. prgtoken We know the importance of keeping all records safe and secure from outside threats. With the recent hacking of Equifax and many others, there is clearly a growing risk of online hacking and cyber warfare in the world today. It is imperative that we ensure that the backbone of our economy, our small- and medium-size businesses, have the resources they need to stay safe. prgtoken I strongly believe that the businesses in Florida's Second District would benefit from this vital information, which will help them keep their data safe and secure. By increasing cybersecurity efforts, we are protecting both small businesses and their millions of customers across the country. prgtoken This bill doesn't cost the taxpayers anything, but it could potentially save small-business owners and consumers both their privacy and livelihoods.
CELEBRATING THE WORK OF TERESA LEWIS
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise today to celebrate the work of a very wonderful constituent of the Fifth District of North Carolina, Teresa Lewis. prgtoken Every September, we celebrate American Business Women's Day in order to recognize the many different backgrounds and diverse occupations of American businesswomen. However, it is my belief that we should celebrate American businesswomen like Teresa Lewis every day. prgtoken Teresa's success was born out of determination and the desire to provide a better life for her family. In 1986, Teresa founded WorkForce Carolina, a professional staffing service that includes recruitment, interview completion, and skills assessment. prgtoken As CEO of WorkForce Carolina, Teresa has employed thousands of people, and her company has served as a boon to the North Carolina economy. prgtoken Most importantly, Teresa serves as a role model to all women and men in our country. I commend Teresa Lewis on all of her many accomplishments and thank her for all she does for the community.
RECOGNIZING MS. DIONE BUONTO
Tom Rice (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise today to recognize Ms. Dione Buonto, CEO of the Grand Strand Boys and Girls Club, for being selected to win the 2017 Maytag Dependable Leadership Award. As one of only 10 recipients of this award nationwide, Ms. Buonto is among the best of the best and is truly deserving of this recognition. In order to receive this award, recipients must possess three key traits: dependability, reliability and leadership. Throughout her time at the Grand Strand Boys and Girls Club, Ms. Buonto has exemplified all of these traits and more. To see why she is so deserving, look no further than the success of the Club and the youth that are a part of it. Under the direction and leadership of Ms. Buonto, the Grand Strand Boys and Girls Club has become an award-winning program for students, with a dozen Club graduates currently attending college on scholarships made possible by their involvement in the Club. Ms. Buonto makes it her mission to invest in every student. She is a true credit to the youth she coaches and to the entire Grand Strand community. Because of her leadership and being honored with this award, the Grand Strand Boys and Girls Club will now have the opportunity to continue to invest in and change the lives of youth all across the Grand Strand. Congratulations to Dione, and I thank her for all she does.
BONUSES FOR COST-CUTTERS ACT OF 2017
Steve Russell (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-10-11

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I speak in support of H.R. 378, introduced by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann), the Bonuses for Cost- Cutters Act of 2017. prgtoken The people in the best position to identify waste throughout the Federal Government are the employees on the front lines at the Federal agencies. They are the ones on the ground who know when agencies waste money. It is in the taxpayers' best interest to encourage Federal employees to report waste when they see it. prgtoken H.R. 378 increases the incentive for Federal employees to report wasteful spending by authorizing a reward of up to $20,000 for blowing the whistle on waste. This incentive is especially necessary at the end of the fiscal year when too many agencies adopt a ``use it or lose it'' mentality regarding their budgets. prgtoken Some agencies fear that if they do not spend every last dollar in their budget, that Congress will somehow decrease their future funding. That dynamic leads to the most outrageous expenditures in the last week before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. prgtoken Under the structure put in place by H.R. 378, agency leadership will also be able to verify that spending identified by whistleblowers is actually wasteful. This was a concern raised by our colleagues in the minority. We are thankful for their constructive work in getting this bill to a mutually agreeable compromise. prgtoken The bill also maintains Congress' constitutional role in the appropriations process. As we know, Congress is responsible for authorizing spending by the Federal Government, and this bill is careful to respect that authority. prgtoken After the agency's chief financial officer affirms that the spending in question is indeed wasteful, the agency must submit a report to the President. The President may then submit a recommendation to Congress to eliminate the wasteful spending in question. prgtoken H.R. 378 is the result of a bipartisan process, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill as an example of what we can achieve when both sides put their minds to reform and husband the taxpayers' dollars. prgtoken , .
FITARA ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2017
Darrell Issa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-10-11

no one has ever had a better partner on a piece of prgtoken legislation than I have had. The best way I can describe Mr. Connolly is, like anyone else who came to a realization of something, he came to it with a great deal of zeal. This partnership, which began before the passage in 2014, to modernize a 1996 initiative that had fallen short, has been his passion and mine. prgtoken Normally, when you are chairman, people talk about what divides the committee. But nothing united us more than recognizing that over $80 billion was being spent--and much of it needlessly. We don't achieve what we want to because there is never enough. Part of it is how we procure. prgtoken Prior to the passage of this legislation, it certainly was possible to have major pieces of procurement have somebody in charge who could not, in fact, change or drop the expenditure and who could not simply say: This isn't working. On top of that, often the people who did have the authority lacked the expertise. This has been true in all sorts of areas. There is much more work to be done. prgtoken Unlike Clinger-Cohen, which went on for 18 years before being updated, we were just 3 years past the implementation of this bill. With Congressman Connolly's effort, we are coming back and making real changes--ones that can continue the process and speed it up. prgtoken Obviously, there are some areas like the IT dashboard and others that simply need to be continued to be renewed. This bill does it. prgtoken When I first talked to Mr. Connolly, he was the best known for absolutely wanting to consolidate processing centers; consolidate these server farms that had proliferated. The number he had at the time turned out to be, although exorbitant, less than a quarter of the number we found. So there is more work to be done. prgtoken Procurement has to be done smart and is often consolidated. With the help of my colleague and Senator Warner, the passage of the DATA Act allowed us to find, with greater detail, redundancy of expenditure. prgtoken So as we reauthorize FITARA, we also have the information to consolidate purchasing across vast numbers of agencies, eliminate redundancy, and, in fact, buy better. More needs to be done. prgtoken As Mr. Connolly said so accurately, more money is spent on legacy systems than is spent on new systems that will actually save money and provide better services both to government workers and to the public. prgtoken So as we reauthorize the bill, I look forward to the oversight that the Oversight Committee has done and is able to do, and I look forward to continuing to work with my partner from Virginia, Mr. Connolly. prgtoken , I urge passage of the bill.
PROTECTING OUR SENIOR CITIZENS
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-10-11

as we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the many contributions of our vibrant community throughout our country, I would like to bring attention to a bill that I have sponsored that would permanently showcase the history and stories of American Latinos. prgtoken H.R. 2911, the National Museum of the American Latino Act, will establish a world-class educational institution on The National Mall for the millions of visitors who come to our Nation's capital every year eager to learn about American history. prgtoken Latinos have served our great country in every war dating back to before the Revolutionary War and continue to proudly serve in our military. They are small-business owners, job creators, TV stars, athletes, and public servants. prgtoken An initiative over 20 years in the making, this museum would be a visual representation of the difficulties that Latinos have overcome leaving their home countries, whether to flee an oppressive communist regime in my native homeland of Cuba, or Venezuela, or for the opportunity to partake in the American Dream, as well as the prgtoken story of Hispanics who have made the U.S. their home for many generations. prgtoken As the first Hispanic woman elected to the U.S. Congress, I am proud to invite my colleagues to join me in this endeavor and cosponsor H.R. 2911, the National Museum of the American Latino Act.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-10-11

we had some interesting days here, but, over the weekend, being back in Texas, I am hearing the cries from people all over east Texas. There is a small number that say: Hey, I am not making much, and I am getting a subsidy from the government, so I am okay on my healthcare, I am young, I have no health problems, and that is fine. prgtoken But over and over, there is a cry going out around America that says: We elected s in the majority in the House and the majority in the Senate to help us with our healthcare--with really health insurance. Everybody can get healthcare. You can just go to the emergency room, whether you have money or not. prgtoken This is really more about health insurance. Some of us have not wanted health insurance to make our major decisions for us on our own healthcare. We haven't wanted the government to make major decisions on our healthcare, but both are making those decisions for people across the country today. prgtoken Unfortunately, there are people telling me they are paying $8,000, $10,000, $12,000. I heard one for $20,000 yesterday from Texas, $20,000 for the family's insurance, and they have a $12,000 deductible, and they can't afford either one. They expected help. prgtoken President is not the Congress. He has pushed, shoved, cajoled, done everything he could to try to get Congress moving in the House after a back and forth, wailing, gnashing of teeth. We got a bill. It wasn't perfect by any stretch. But at least it would have given people relief from high premiums, most Americans. Hopefully, s won't misrepresent the truth, as some did. prgtoken Actually, we know some people just flat lied about Care. People who said, ``If you like your insurance, you can keep it,'' they knew it was a lie. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. They knew that was a lie. prgtoken And now the people are suffering the consequences of trusting people in government who lied to them. They were deceived. But even with all the deception, most of the time it appeared that a clear majority of Americans did not want what was fraudulently called the Affordable Care Act. There was nothing affordable about it, unless you didn't have any healthcare problems at all. prgtoken People who are carrying the weight of the taxes in this country have needed help. They counted on us to provide legislative changes, repeal of Care, let's put a system in place where people can make their own healthcare decisions, and we sent the bill to the Senate, and I still believe we should have been demanding more of the Senate every day. prgtoken I know there are a lot of people who say: Well, s can't lose the majority in the Senate because there are a bunch more whose seats are up this time instead of s. Yes, we can lose the majority, even when there are more ic seats up for election. prgtoken That is what happens when people are sorely disappoint
HON. SAM OLENS TO BE INVESTED AS THE FOURTH PRESIDENT OF KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
Barry Loudermilk (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-10-11

on Thursday, October 19, the Honorable Sam Olens will be invested as the fourth President of Kennesaw State University in my home state of Georgia. I congratulate my friend Sam, the University, and the Kennesaw State community on this historic day. KSU, as it is known, has been at the forefront of educational opportunities for students across Georgia and has grown to be the third largest institution of higher learning in the state. With an enrollment of nearly 40,000 students, it represents one of the most geographically and culturally diverse institutions in the region and I am proud to have this school in my district, and to recognize this historic moment. Before joining Kennesaw State, Sam served as Georgia's 53rd Attorney General, Vice President of the National Association of Attorneys General, and Chairman of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. He received his juris doctorate from Emory University School of Law, and holds a Bachelors and Masters degree from American University in International Politics. As Dr. Olens and the University look to the future, I wish them continued success in their efforts on behalf of KSU students and faculty, the Kennesaw community, and the state of Georgia.
CONGRATULATING DR. R.W. BOBBY MARTIN ON A LIFETIME OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Kenny Marchant (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-10-11

I rise today to recognize Dr. Bobby Martin on his retirement from the Dallas Baptist Association. For the past 48 years, Dr. Martin has devoted his time and efforts to providing Christian leadership and education to churches. prgtoken Dr. Martin has demonstrated a lifetime of passion for Christian education, including his own. Dr. Martin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Lamar University in 1972 and went on to earn his Master of Religious Education and Doctor of Educational Ministry both from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1976, Dr. Martin married prgtoken Jennifer Langston, and together they have two children, Todd and Brandon, a daughter-in-law, Casey, and a grandchild, Kate. prgtoken In 1969, at the age of 19, Dr. Martin answered God's call to ministry by joining Rosedale Baptist Church in Beaumont, Texas as a part-time Minister of Music and Youth. By 1974, Dr. Martin joined Fletcher Emanuel Baptist Church in Lumberton, Texas as the full-time Minister of Education and Youth. In 1982, Dr. Martin moved to South Main Baptist Church in Houston, Texas as the Church Business Administrator. Soon after, Dr. Martin moved his young family to North Texas to start his service at First Baptist Church of Carrollton. prgtoken For 16 years, Dr. Martin served as the Associate Pastor of Education at First Baptist Church of Carrollton. During Dr. Martin's tenure at First Baptist Carrollton, the church was one of the largest and fastest growing congregations in the nation. He guided the total education program including Sunday School, discipleship training, missions and weekday education. prgtoken In 1999, Dr. Martin joined the Dallas Baptist Association as the Director of Leadership Development. Dallas Baptist Association serves over 500 churches in 40 different languages with the mission of multiplying disciples, ministries, and churches throughout Dallas and Rockwall Counties. Over the last 18 years, Dr. Martin has been charged with equipping Christian leaders with the tools they need for Bible study and discipleship. Dr. Martin's years of service at the Dallas Baptist Association have helped the organization grow and prosper. Throughout his tenure, he earned the reputation as a steadfast spiritual leader and an effective advocate who is dedicated to Christian education and spiritual advancement. prgtoken Dr. Martin has committed his time and energy to service in his community in different ministry outreach positions. Since 1997, Dr. Martin has served as the Lead Chaplain for the Carrollton Police Department. From 2001 to 2010, Dr. Martin served on the Board of Directors of the DFW Airport Interfaith Chaplaincy. He participated in organizing chaplaincy programs for military members returning home for ``rest and relief'' from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. In 2008, Dr. Martin joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Division as Chaplain. He has been a vis
FREDERICK DOUGLASS BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION ACT
Andy Harris (Republican, MD) \u2014 2017-10-11

I want to thank the committee for promptly reporting H.R. 2989 to the floor for consideration. prgtoken I rise today in support of a bill I have cosponsored with Delegate Norton, the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission Act. As we approach the 200th anniversary of Frederick Douglass' birth, I urge my colleagues in the House to support this legislation. prgtoken The purpose of this bill is more than just honoring the birth of one great civil rights leader. Its purpose is to recognize his lasting impact on American Government, culture, and values. Frederick Douglass' work stretched far beyond the fight for legal freedom into the equally important fight for social and cultural equality. prgtoken Born on Maryland's beautiful Eastern Shore, Douglass escaped slavery to become an author, abolitionist, and true American hero. Frederick Douglass is a model for the values that make our Nation great: equality, liberty, and a commitment to working hard and helping others. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to honor Frederick Douglass and the resounding impact his work has had on modern American culture by passing this legislation.