mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO DARRIN SCHRADER
Edward R. Royce (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-12-20

I rise to recognize and thank Darrin Schrader, who has served this House proudly for over 25 years. He began his career in the office of Representative Bill Baker (R-CA), and then transitioned to my office in 1997. Darrin has been by my side, as my aide-de-camp, for the last 22 years, and I would have it no other way. prgtoken His loyalty and dedication to the job of serving the people of Southern California is unsurpassed. As my special assistant, Darrin personally oversaw millions of constituent correspondence; a task that grew exponentially with the advent of email. He also helped secure millions in funding for important infrastructure and homeland security projects. prgtoken My office has been served well by Darrin's encyclopedic memory and masterful research skills. He has often known the answer to my question before I even ask it. Few can match his resourcefulness or reliability. prgtoken While sometimes presenting a stoic facade, Darrin's subtle charm and hidden humor have permeated my office for the last two decades. He has earned the respect of his peers and become an integral and irreplaceable member of Team Royce. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Darrin Schrader for his selfless sacrifice to public service.
THANKING PERRY FINZEL
David G. Valadao (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-12-20

I rise today to thank Perry Finzel for his service to my office and the 21st Congressional District of California over the past year. prgtoken Mr. Finzel was born in El Paso, Texas on May 18, 1979. Soon after graduating high school in 1997, Mr. Finzel joined the United States Marine Corps. In his seventeen years of service, Mr. Finzel was involved in enlistment recruitment, military operations, and the supervision of components crucial to the success of personnel. He was known as a hard-worker, adept multitasker, efficient manager, and dedicated soldier. Perry was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant, after participating in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). We are forever grateful for his service to our nation. prgtoken Perry's commitment to excellence extended far beyond his military career. He was successful in obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Business, concentration in Management, from the University of Phoenix. Beginning a new chapter in Bakersfield, California, Perry also worked as a supervisor for a solar company and customer service associate for a hardware store. prgtoken Perry became a member of my Congressional Team in 2017, serving as our Wounded Warrior Fellow and Kern County Field Representative. He proved to be a strong asset in Kern County, creating meaningful connections with community leaders and representing my team with charisma and professionalism. Local leaders consistently praised Perry for his genuine care for the community and willingness to show up to countless meetings and events. His dependability in field representation combined with his powerful ability to connect with people made Mr. Finzel an invaluable member of my team and a true public servant to the people of California's Central Valley. prgtoken Outside of work, Perry enjoys staying involved in veteran service organizations. He also loves spending time with his family. Perry and his wife, Julie, have two beautiful children: Cadence and Nate. Raising his children with his wife has become one of the greatest joys in his life. This January, Mr. Finzel will be moving on to new ventures. Knowing Perry, his character and worth ethic, I have no doubt he will achieve many great things in his future. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in commending Perry Finzel for his public service to the people of the Central Valley and wishing him the very best in this next chapter of his life.
CHILD PROTECTION IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2017
Keith J. Rothfus (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-12-20

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in support of this legislation, which will continue operations for several Federal agencies and, importantly, appropriate funds to be used in securing the southern border. prgtoken We have talked for years about securing our border. This is important for the entire Nation. My perspective comes from representing a district hard-hit with the opioid epidemic. Mexico and the United States have a mutual interest in securing our border. prgtoken Heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamines, and other narcotics flow northbound while, importantly, illicit cash is flowing southbound. This illicit cash is fueling a reign of terror by Mexican drug cartels that have murdered more than 200,000 Mexico citizens over the last 10 years, and only 5 percent of them have been prosecuted. prgtoken They have killed priests. They have killed journalists. They have killed students. And they have killed each other. There are mass graves all over Mexico. prgtoken , we need to secure that border for the benefit of both countries. It is past time we do this, and I ask support for this legislation.
THE BUDGET DEFICIT
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-12-20

as we come to a close of the 115th Congress, this will be my last speech in this Congress. It is an honor to be in this body. It is a privilege that I take very seriously, as I know the Presiding Officer does as well. prgtoken Today, I come to talk about a topic that I told this body in my maiden speech was the reason I ran for the Senate, and at the end of each year, I try to remind us all of where we are on this topic--the financial crisis that the United States faces today. It is intertwined with the global security crisis that we heard about in a speech just a minute ago. They are very much interrelated. prgtoken Today, we have $21 trillion in debt. What makes that so important is that just this week, just recently, the Federal Reserve increased the Fed fund rate one-quarter point. To most people, that really doesn't sound like a big deal, but this is the ninth increase in just the last couple of years. Just this one-quarter point increase means $50 billion of new interest that the Federal Government is obligated to pay each year, every year. Over the last couple of years, those nine increases together represent a 2.25-percent increase. So that 2.25 percent increase in the interest rate means an additional $450 billion of new interest expense liability the Federal Government has incurred over the last couple of years. To put that in perspective, we only raise about $2.2 trillion in total Federal income tax. We spent about $700 billion on our military and only $200 billion on our veterans. prgtoken This is a train wreck, and it is a crisis of full proportion. Yet here we were just last night passing our 186th continuing resolution since 1974 when the Budget Act of 1974 passed. That is one of our problems. Combine that with 8 years of lethargic economic productivity, and you end up with a burgeoning debt crisis. prgtoken It is projected by the Congressional Budget Office that, at current interest rates, with no other interest rate increases, the interest on the debt will grow--by 2023, just 5 short years, we will be spending more on just interest than we will on national defense. That cannot happen. The world bond markets probably won't let that happen. And here we are in 2018. prgtoken How did we get here? In 2000, at the end of the Clinton administration, this country had $6 trillion of debt. In 2008, at the end of President 's administration, we had $10 trillion of debt. In 2016, at the end of President 's tenure, we had $20 trillion of debt. In that 8 years, America added more to the debt than all other Presidents combined prior to 2008. prgtoken Today, the rate of growth continues. We are at $21 trillion. In my office, we have a debt clock that actually shows real time how this debt clicks forward every day, every minute. It is a sobering thing to watch because this is a legacy we are giving to our children and our grandchildren, and there is no reason to let this go forward. We
ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2018
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-12-20

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Friday, December 21; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be prgtoken deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
CHILD PROTECTION IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 2017
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2018-12-20

I appreciate the chairman's leadership on this. prgtoken , this is about keeping America safe. This is not a complicated vote, but it is an important vote that really defines whether or not we are going to stand for border security in this country. prgtoken For decades it has been promised. There have been bills going back to the 1980s where we were promised that we were going to get a secure border, and it never happened. prgtoken So now we have a President who ran on this issue. This isn't something that just popped up. It was front and center during the campaign. prgtoken He said: I am going to secure the border. I am going to build a wall. prgtoken The people on the other side, our friends, said they didn't want that. Some of them actually said they want open borders. Some on the other side, , have said they want to abolish ICE, the very border patrol agents that are keeping the interior of America safe. prgtoken Who are ICE? Who are the people they want to get rid of, ? Those ICE agents, last year alone, saved over 900 kids from human trafficking. That is stuff that came across our border. prgtoken We are a Nation of immigrants and a Nation of laws. My great- grandparents prgtoken came here from Italy, and I am proud of that. prgtoken We, by the way, , let more than a million people into this country legally every single year. The most generous country in the world. We should be proud of that. prgtoken For those people who want to say it is a country of closed borders, this is about getting back to rule of law. This is about keeping America safe and saying there is a legal way to come here. prgtoken President has said that. Even on asylum, he said, if you want to seek asylum, there is a legal way to do it. But it is pretty hard to claim asylum, , when you came through Mexico and you forced yourself across that border and Mexico said: We will offer you asylum. We will even offer you work permits and a job--and you said ``no.'' So it is really hard to say you are claiming asylum here in America when you turned down asylum in Mexico when you were coming across their border. prgtoken So it is not about asylum. It is about rule of law. What do you say, , to the millions of people from other countries all around the world who are waiting--in some cases 10 years, 15 years, 20 years-- to come to America legally? They are waiting in these theoretical lines, and they are doing it the right way. prgtoken Then you have got a few thousand people who say: We are just going to storm across your border regardless. And the President stands up and says: You know what, I want to secure this border. prgtoken We have a choice to make, . Are we going to stand with the President and say we are going to give you the tools to secure the border or not? It is a straight-up vote. You are either for border security or you are against border security. prgtoken Let's not hide behind it. When you saw that meeting at the White
RECOGNIZING SPECIAL CONSTITUENTS
Claudia Tenney (Republican, NY) \u2014 2018-12-20

next, I would like to recognize another really terrific person, a dear friend of my family. I would like to honor the incredible life of a man named James VanSlyke of New Hartford, New York. prgtoken Jim VanSlyke passed away on June 6, 2018, 1 day before his 89th birthday. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Virginia, whom we all know as Ginny; his children, Matt, Patrice, Andy, and Mary; his grandchildren, great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. prgtoken Hailing from Hamilton, New York, Jim stayed in his hometown after high school, attending Colgate University, also in Hamilton. He received a full academic scholarship and graduated in 1952 with a master's degree in science. prgtoken My mother's hometown also happens to be Hamilton, where she and Jim attended high school together. At Colgate, Jim also met my father, who was a college classmate of his. prgtoken Immediately following Jim's graduation from Colgate, Jim went on to serve in the United States Army. After honorably serving our Nation, Jim continued his lifelong journey of service and moved back to Mohawk Valley, where he dedicated 66 years of his life in the town of New Hartford. prgtoken Upon his return, James began his 31-year career in New Hartford School District, serving as a math and science teacher, a coach, a guidance counselor, and a principal for both the junior high and senior high school. prgtoken I had a the honor of attending New Hartford High School during his tenure as principal. Back to Mr. VanSlyke, as I always called him. He was respected, sometimes feared, but always a person with common sense and someone who could be relied on for sage advice for many high school students, including me. prgtoken Later in his life, Jim ventured into another form of public service, where he served seven terms as the town and village justice for the town of New Hartford. prgtoken Jim was regarded as a knowledgeable, fair, and hardworking man, always making sure that he knew each aspect of the law relevant to the case at hand. prgtoken If Jim didn't know the answer to something, he was quick to admit it and also quick to find the answer. He was willing always to listen to another's perspective, including other attorneys. His intelligence was self-evident but humbly portrayed. prgtoken As an attorney, I appeared before Jim on many occasions in court. He always asked me about my family, and especially my mother's sister, whom he was quite fond of, my Aunt Polly, who was also a classmate at Hamilton High School. prgtoken Jim was also a very talented high school athlete and a college athlete, as I learned from my mother kind of the hard way. I am always going to remember, there was an article written by someone I actually went to Colgate with, I believe, and it was in Sports Illustrated. It described Jim's famous son, who is a professional baseball player and also my classmate in high school. He used to sit right behind me, a baseball pl
TRIBUTE TO BILL NELSON
Pat Roberts (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-12-20

I thank Senator Nelson for that touching story. prgtoken That would be a Christmas present for not only you but for anybody who has heard the circumstances. prgtoken I, too, remember having the privilege of being in public service with President Reagan. He had a human quality that was second to none. prgtoken I thank you, Bill, for your service--we used to be on Armed Services together, fighting the battles--but more especially for being a friend. You always had a smile on your face. I probably didn't when we got on the elevators together. prgtoken You would say: Pat, what is wrong? prgtoken I wouldn't want to go into anything, but I would think, why am I so glum if Bill Nelson is stuck on ``happy'' all the time? prgtoken It was the Florida sunshine, I guess. prgtoken I thank you for the privilege of being in public service with you, sir. Best wishes for your future, which I know will be very good and very bright, and thank you for that story, which is a great Christmas story. Repeat it often, sir. Thank you.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 3764
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2018-12-20

in reserving the right to object, Tribal recognition is a very serious matter. It is not one that should be undertaken lightly. Given the sacred nature of Tribal recognition and the significant impact it has both on the Tribe in question and on the U.S. Government, as well as on surrounding communities, we have an orderly process by which this needs to be done. prgtoken In 2009, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, having considered the argument by the Little Shell, concluded it had failed to meet three of the seven categories that are typically considered for Tribal recognition, and on that basis, the Bureau turned down its application. It has been suggested that there is still an appeal pending--a challenge to that finding--by the Little Shell. prgtoken I am not aware of any legal analysis suggesting that the Bureau of Indian Affairs got it wrong. This is not to say that Congress cannot or should not or could not decide on its own to recognize it. Yes, this is a power that Congress has. Yet, as I see it, those seven criteria ought to be considered and considered carefully. I am aware of no prgtoken legal analysis indicating that the conclusion by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2009 was inadequate or flawed. prgtoken For that reason, I object.
TRIBUTE TO MARK V. BOZIGIAN
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-12-20

I rise today to recognize Mark V. Bozigian on his retirement after a long distinguished career in public service, serving most recently as City Manager for the City of Lancaster, California. prgtoken While he is best known for his extensive career in public service, Mark cultivated his business and managerial acumen in the private sector after graduating from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Business Administration. It was during his time in the private sector that Mark developed the tireless work ethic that would define his tenure at the City of Lancaster. For ten years, Mark worked for Hughes Aircraft, where he held a variety of management positions, most notably as Business Manager for two of Hughes Aircraft's laser production programs. Mark also gained experience as a realtor and as a small business partner, forging pivotal personal and business relationships that he carried with him into his career in the public sector. prgtoken Mark has served the City of Lancaster for 24 years, building a portfolio of accomplishments across his roles as Lancaster's Transportation Programs Coordinator, Redevelopment Director, Assistant City Manager, and City Manager. During his eleven years as Lancaster's City Manager, Mark has dedicated his time and energy to bolstering public safety, economic development, transportation, neighborhood revitalization, and obtaining Federal and state grant funding for city projects. Most notably, Mark has overseen Lancaster's impressive development in renewable energies, working to make the city the solar capital of California and courting companies to bring jobs and clean energy technology to our community. Mark's efforts have been a great success--Lancaster's economy has grown under his guidance, and the city now produces more solar power per capita than any other city in California. Mark also worked to revitalize Lancaster's downtown BLVD district and has been a key player in the recent, rapid growth of Lancaster's booming aerospace industry. prgtoken More than anything else, Mark routinely demonstrates a love for his city and the people he represents, working around the clock to better Lancaster without ever seeking credit or commendation for his service. Once, following heavy rains that caused flooding on Lancaster's east side, Mark was among the first on the scene. Knee-deep in water in his suit, he walked door-to-door informing and reassuring citizens that help was on the way. During a Fourth of July celebration, city traffic was so heavy that it reached a standstill, but Mark was there acting as a traffic guide, doing his best to ensure that Lancaster's citizens could get home a little more easily. Mark always took responsibility, and always put the interests of the people of Lancaster first. prgtoken I have known Mark as a tireless advocate for the needs of his city. Over the years, it has been an honor to work with him to improve the <|
SHILOH NATIONAL MILITARY PARK BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT AND PARKER'S CROSSROADS BATTLEFIELD DESIGNATION
Erik Paulsen (Republican, MN) \u2014 2018-12-20

I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken , I want to first speak, in general, in support of this tax package overall, which includes some very, very good tax policy. But I want to highlight and specifically draw attention to one very important provision, a bipartisan provision, and that is a further delay of the medical device tax for a 5-year period. prgtoken My preference, , would have been to have a permanent repeal of the device tax, but I understand you have to compromise on things, and that is a good compromise, so 5 years is what we get. prgtoken And look, during a period of time when there are very few issues that a lot of policymakers, unfortunately, in Congress can agree upon, there is no doubt that there has been strong, bipartisan, broad-based support to repeal and eliminate a very bad policy that was put in place as a part of Care and repealing this device tax. prgtoken This is about making sure that our Nation, our country, America, continues to lead the world in this important ecosystem that is central to improving patient care and also creating high-quality jobs. prgtoken We all know the medical device industry in America is truly an American success story. It is a Minnesota success story. I can speak to the 400,000 people around the country who are directly employed. I can speak to the 35,000 folks who are employed in Minnesota in this industry. prgtoken And these are hundreds and hundreds of companies, by the way, Mr that I have had the chance to visit and tour, companies you may have never heard of. They may have 5 employees or 10 employees, but every single one of them has that doctor, that engineer, that entrepreneur who is working to improve or help save lives for patients. prgtoken The device tax, however, unfortunately, caused the loss of about 29,000 jobs as it was put in place. Back this last July, Members will recall that the House voted, overwhelmingly--bipartisan support--to permanently repeal this device tax with historic levels of support, both s and . Nearly 300 Members voted together to get rid of it. prgtoken It is really about protecting innovation, and it is about protecting small businesses. Eighty percent of medical device companies have less than 50 employees, and 93 percent of these companies have less than 500 employees who have good, high-paying jobs. prgtoken We are also a net exporter, exporting around the world in this industry. The Affordable Care Act, , imposed a new 2.3 percent excise tax on all medical devices. prgtoken It doesn't sound like much, but keep in mind, this is not a tax on profits. It is a tax on your sales; it is a tax on your revenue; and that is where we saw the negative impact, because it already takes 8 to 10 years for these companies to become profitable in the first place. They deal with FDA regulation, and they deal with reimbursement issues. This raised the bar. This raised the hurdle. It made it much more di
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 3764
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-12-20

I have great respect for the objection by my friend and my colleague from Utah. prgtoken I do feel the need to point out that the Little Shell Tribe meets all of the necessary qualifications for recognition, including its having a long history that predates 1940. Let me enumerate on this. prgtoken Little Shell is the only Tribe in the country that has funds held in trust by the Department of the Interior but yet lacks Federal recognition. The Little Shell Tribe is the only Tribe that has had a favorable determination by the Department of the Interior and has had it reversed by a bureaucrat with zero negative comments. That decision, however, was remanded by the previous Secretary, and Secretary Zinke strongly supports our efforts here today. The Little Shell has, indeed, existed as a distinct community--recorded as early as 1863 in the Pembina Treaty with the U.S. Government. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that this treaty, with Chief Little Shell's name on it, be printed in the Record.