mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONGRATULATING THE STERLING HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN WARRIORS FOR WINNING THE CLASS 3A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN VOLLEYBALL
Cheri Bustos (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-11-16

I rise today to congratulate the Sterling High School Golden Warriors for earning the Class 3A title for the Illinois State Championship in volleyball. prgtoken Claiming a state title is something to be proud of and I would like to recognize them for their tremendous accomplishment. Their dedication and passion for their sport meant that they were determined to win gold. As a former athlete, I understand the amount of hard work and commitment to be awarded such a title. They are an example of the importance of dedication and a strong work ethic. I am proud there is such young talent in our community, and to see them represent Sterling throughout the state. prgtoken , I would like to again formally congratulate the Sterling High School Golden Warriors Volleyball Team on their title, and I join the rest of the community in wishing them every success in the future.
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION AWARENESS MONTH
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-11-16

I rise today in recognition of Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Awareness Month and the outstanding work of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in the fight against this rare and debilitating disease. prgtoken PH is a type of high blood pressure that occurs in the arteries of the lungs. It reflects the pressure the heart must apply to pump blood from the heart through the arteries of the lungs. As with a tangled hose, pressure builds up and backs up, forcing the heart to work harder and less oxygen to reach the body. PH symptoms generally include fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath with the severity of the disease correlating with its progression. If left undiagnosed or untreated it can lead to heat failure and death. prgtoken When individuals are diagnosed with PH quickly and begin appropriate therapy, their prognosis and life-expectancy improve dramatically. However, it currently takes an average of 2.5 years to receive a diagnosis and three quarters of patients have severe PH when they are finally diagnosed. Without treatment, historical studies have shown a mean survival time of 2.8 years after diagnosis for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Patients with advanced PH cannot benefit as greatly from available therapies and often face dramatic and costly medical interventions, including 24-hour IV infused medication, increased risk for hospitalization and in some cases heart-lung transplantation. prgtoken I am proud to represent the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, which is headquartered in my district in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Association is dedicated to extending and improving the life of those affected by PH and was the first organization in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive PH patient and caregiver support, medical education, specialty care services that improve patients' quality of life, and research funding. Thanks in large part to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association's advocacy for continued investment in medical research and sustained scientific progress, there are 14 Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted treatment options for two forms of PH. Additionally, their efforts to establish a PH Program at the CDC focusing on education, awareness, and epidemiology activities that promote early and accurate diagnosis and quality care for PH are to be commended. prgtoken , I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing November as Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and to continue supporting federal activities that improve the lives of those with PH, including research programs at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
MANAGE OUR WOLVES ACT
Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2018-11-16

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in strong opposition to the bill today. prgtoken In a world full of lions and tigers entertaining the masses, have you ever seen a wolf in the circus? If you love your dog, thank a wolf. prgtoken There is a line of poetry that says: ``A wolf eats sheep but now and then; Ten thousands are devour'd by men.'' prgtoken Wolves are historic and vital keystone predators that have been hunted to near extinction in the contiguous United States. After being formerly designated as endangered and protected under the Endangered Species Act, wolf populations began to rise. However, they still inhabit just a fraction of their historic range, and continued protection under the Endangered Species Act is necessary. Instead, H.R. 6784 strips the protections that have allowed the species to begin to recover. prgtoken Prior to widespread human settlement, hundreds of thousands of gray wolves roamed North America. They could be found from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast. Today, sadly, the farthest east they can be found is in Michigan. prgtoken Some of my colleagues might know that I would love to see the gray wolves in Virginia some day, but for now, it is important that we continue to protect the fewer than 6,000 that we have left in the lower 48. prgtoken How did we get to only 6,000? As the human population grew in the 19th and 20th centuries, gray wolves were poisoned, trapped, shot, gassed--every possible way to kill them--and their population decline was exacerbated by habitat destruction. Removing Federal protection opens the doors to further baiting, hunting, and trapping of wolves. prgtoken The war on wolves is based, in part, on a myth that wolves are dangerous to humans and livestock. The reality, of course, is that humans are far more dangerous to wolves than wolves are either to humans or wolves are to livestock. Wolves cause less than 1 percent of all livestock losses in the United States, which is a mino threat compared to health issues, weather, and even other predators. In fact, domestic dogs cause more cattle losses than wolves do. But no one is talking about trapping or poisoning dogs. prgtoken Ironically, researchers at Washington State University have found that killing wolves leads to an increase in livestock losses caused by wolves. Wolves generally avoid people. There are only two known deaths from wolves in the entire contiguous United States in the 21st century. Far more Americans are killed by bees, dogs, or deer-car collisions than by wolves. prgtoken It has also been proven that State agencies cannot successfully manage these species. We have to look at what happened when they were delisted in Idaho and Montana in 2011. In just those two States, hostile State management practices have caused more than 3,200 wolves to be killed through hunting and trapping. That is half the known wolves in the lower 48. prgtoken Furthermore, we know th
HONORING DISTRICT ATTORNEY DEAN FLIPPO
Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-11-16

I rise today to honor and thank Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo. At the end of this year, Dean will retire after 40 years of service to our home on the central coast of California. DA Flippo is the longest-serving DA in Monterey County history, and the longest current serving DA in California. prgtoken During his tenure, he presided over pivotal cases. He fought the rise and he led the fall of our gang problem in our community. He enforced environmental policy. He established the consumer fraud unit. He created an early intervention anti-truancy program to keep kids in school and off the streets by getting their families involved. And he was a master at keeping a balanced budget. prgtoken I will always be grateful to Dean for giving me a chance and a job as a prosecutor when I moved back home to Monterey County. During that time, I was able to learn from him as I served under him. Now I count myself lucky to have continued to work with him over these last 2 years on criminal justice issues. prgtoken I hope Dean enjoys his retirement watching PG High School football games, except when they are playing Carmel High, of course. prgtoken As we know, Dean leaves big shoes to fill, but he has left a long legacy of public service and safety in our community. prgtoken We honor him. We congratulate him. And I thank Dean Flippo for his service.
MANAGE OUR WOLVES ACT
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-11-16

I really have appreciated sitting on the floor and listening to this dialogue because I think that there are some lessons here about getting things right. My friend from Virginia, my friend from Oregon have dealt with the ecological benefits of having apex predators to be able to restore ecological balance. prgtoken I heard the notion of, ``Well, how would you feel if you were reintroducing wolves in metropolitan areas?'' and I just thought for a moment of listening in the past to people who are overrun with deer in Virginia suburbs, in Maryland suburbs. It is not just messing up their yards; it is killing people. We have several hundred people a year who are killed in collisions with deer. There are problems with chronic wasting disease that having an apex predator helps provide health benefits where you have healthier herds. prgtoken I have watched the dynamic in Oregon, and it is complex because there are people who are ranching interests, there are people who are involved with hunting, and they want to short-circuit it, even in a State as ecologically and animal friendly as Oregon. It is a struggle. prgtoken To take a step back, weakening the endangered species protections, substituting political judgments, I think, is inappropriate. prgtoken I would also note no small amount of irony that, in addition to the notion that we should be here reauthorizing the Land and Water and Conservation Fund, if we want to deal with animals in the closing hours of this session of Congress, why aren't we dealing with a half dozen bills that s have refused to allow us to vote on that are overwhelmingly supported by the public and are supported by a majority of our Members? prgtoken It is, I think, doubly ironic that we are concluding where we have had leadership forcing some of the worst animal welfare records. We lost two incumbents with 50 years of service in districts who had the worst animal records in Congress. prgtoken I fought really hard to have animal welfare be a bipartisan issue. Taking issues like this, forcing people to make false choices that are bad for animals, bad for the environment--frankly, they are bad politics. prgtoken I hope that we go through this charade, it goes nowhere, but deal with the underlying debate here about what we want in terms of ecological balance, animal protection, and rule of law. We will be better off if we do that; the species will be better off if we do that; and I think the politics will be cleaner and more productive. prgtoken , I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in allowing me to speak on this.
MANAGE OUR WOLVES ACT
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-11-16

this bill sets several incredibly damaging precedents, fundamentally weakening the protections of our Nation's threatened and endangered species. prgtoken The Endangered Species Act is one of the most effective and important conservation laws ever passed by Congress. The success is due, in large part, to a careful scrutiny of scientific evidence and the critical analysis of all factors when making decisions on the status of a species. prgtoken The Manage Our Wolves Act would remove protections under the ESA for one of the Nation's iconic wildlife species, without an opportunity for public participation in the rulemaking process for delisting. Even more troubling, this bill would explicitly ban any judicial review of the delisting of gray wolves in both the Great Lakes and nationwide. prgtoken No judicial oversight will be allowed for the removal of the science- based protections established under the Endangered Species Act. A species is only listed as endangered or threatened, or delisted upon its successful recovery, after a rigorous assessment of its extinction. prgtoken By eliminating judicial review of ESA delisting actions, this legislation removes the ability of the public and the scientific community to participate in the process. Access to a court of law is a cornerstone of American democracy and a fundamental part of our government. prgtoken The judicial branch is also where the American people can have their voices heard and they can have a say in our system of checks and balances. Stopping our independent Federal courts from reviewing the actions of Federal agencies, or of Congress, violates this access to justice principle. It is simply undemocratic. It undermines the necessary oversight of government decisions. prgtoken For years, the courts have served as an important forum for addressing disputes over ESA-related decisions. This legislation's attempt to remove judicial review from the ESA decision has no scientific or legal basis. It is simply a politically expedient move. prgtoken By prioritizing politics over conservation, this bill would cause irreparable damage to the integrity of the Endangered Species Act and sets a dangerous precedent of overriding the careful deliberations of the court. prgtoken , we should not support legislatively mandating decisions about vulnerable species. We should not circumvent the established process for making ESA determinations. prgtoken For this reason, I would urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' prgtoken , may I inquire how much time I have remaining?
HONORING HENRY W. COIL, JR.
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-11-16

I rise today to honor the life of Henry W. Coil, Jr a Riverside native and a champion of education in the arts. prgtoken Henry has left an indelible legacy as a visionary and as a philanthropist who loved and supported his community. Through his generous and highly successful construction work, he helped build and restore schools and infrastructure throughout the Inland Empire in southern California. prgtoken I knew Henry through his love for Riverside Community College, which he attended before moving on to UC Berkeley. At RCC, we worked to establish a new school for the arts, and it was Henry's philanthropy that helped turn this vision into a reality. prgtoken For most of his life, Henry was a successful businessman, but his dedication to his community set him apart. He served briefly on the Riverside City Council, and he was a devoted supporter of the Boy Scouts. In fact, he even went on to earn the Boy Scouts' Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, recognizing 50 years of his continued service to the Boy Scouts. prgtoken Above all, what made Henry special was his character. He stood up to bigotry and prejudice. I recall him saying to me how misguided he thought it was that a local politician was running a homophobic campaign. This was a bold position to take at the time, but this statement has stuck with me, throughout my life and career, as a mark of his character. prgtoken While Henry may no longer be with us, the positive change he created will never be forgotten.
MANAGE OUR WOLVES ACT
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-11-16

to H.R. 6784, the Manage our Wolves Act. prgtoken Despite the claims made by our colleagues across the aisle, gray wolves play a critical role in keeping ecosystems healthy and balanced, including across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. prgtoken At one time, gray wolves roamed in the hundreds of thousands. Today, there are fewer than 6,000 gray wolves in existence. Just this week, the National Park Service announced that a gray wolf died after being relocated from Minnesota to Michigan's Isle Royale National Park. prgtoken The threat to gray wolves is still real, and they must be protected. The bill before us would remove all protections for gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act, including reissuing a 2011 rule by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that delisted the gray wolf in the western Great Lakes. prgtoken H.R. 6784 also seriously undermines scientific integrity, which is one of the foundations of the Endangered Species Act. It would remove scientists from the decision-making process to delist gray wolves. Scientists, not Congress, should be making listing or delisting decisions. prgtoken As a keystone species, these iconic animals are vital to the structure of the ecological communities in which we live. Two decades ago, the lush landscape of Yellowstone National Park was not as we see it today. Instead, it was riddled with defoliation, erosion, and an unbalanced ecosystem. prgtoken Due to the absence of predators, deer and elk populations were out of control. Despite efforts to manage them, they overgrazed the park's vegetation. That all changed when gray wolves were reintroduced into the park in 1995. prgtoken As a top predator in the food chain, wolves hold together that delicate balance of the ecosystem. Once wolves were brought back to the park, the natural balance of the ecosystem was restored. The regenerated forests stabilized the riverbanks, leading to less erosion and more suitable wildlife habitat. And not to mention, wolves reduce the coyote population by as much as 50 percent. The whole landscape was dramatically transformed with the reintroduction of just a few gray wolves, and their presence can similarly be felt across the Great Lakes region. prgtoken Finally, gray wolves not only benefit the ecosystem, but they provide significant economic benefits as well. Just 10 years after reintroduction, wolf-related tourism generated more than $35 million for communities in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. prgtoken , we have seen what the absence of gray wolves can do to the ecosystem. We have seen how wildlife and plant populations suffer, from our national parks to the Great Lakes, without a proper predator- prey balance. prgtoken Yes, good progress has been made to revive the gray wolf population, but there is more work to do. H.R. 6784 would halt and potentially reverse the progress that has been made. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
RECOGNIZING THE GARY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE 11TH ANNUAL LAKESHORE CLASSIC
Peter J. Visclosky (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2018-11-16

it is with great respect that I recognize the Gary Chamber of Commerce as the organization celebrates the 11th annual Lakeshore Classic basketball invitational. In observance of this special event, the Gary Chamber of Commerce will host a celebratory corporate luncheon at the Diamond Center in Gary, Indiana, on Tuesday, November 20, 2018, followed by the basketball invitational at West Side Leadership Academy on Friday, November 23, 2018, and Saturday, November 24, 2018. prgtoken The theme for this year's Lakeshore Classic, ``Step Up for Education,'' aims to support the importance of fostering education for the continued success of student athletes throughout the region. The Gary Chamber of Commerce has chosen Mr. LaTroy Hawkins, a Gary native and retired professional baseball player, as the keynote speaker for the luncheon. Born and raised in Gary, LaTroy graduated from West Side High School in 1991 and was drafted straight out of high school. In 1995, he made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut, playing for the Minnesota Twins. Throughout his outstanding twenty-one-year big league career, LaTroy played for several teams and established an impressive resume. A testament to his preparation, determination, and talent, Mr. Hawkins became only the 13th pitcher in the history of the league to record a save against every team in baseball. He also ranks 10th on the all-time appearances list having pitched in 1,042 games, placing him in special company among baseball's greats. LaTroy Hawkins retired from baseball on October 25, 2015. For his truly impressive career, Mr. Hawkins was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame earlier this year. prgtoken Mr. Hawkins and his beloved family consistently devote much of their time to charitable efforts throughout the community of Northwest Indiana and beyond by feeding the homeless, helping students attend college, assisting victims of domestic violence, and supplying uniforms and equipment to the athletic program at LaTroy's high school alma mater, West Side High School. LaTroy Hawkins has improved the lives of the youth in our communities, and his legacy will continue to have an unforgettable impact for generations to come. prgtoken At this time, I would like to recognize the schools participating in the Lakeshore Classic basketball tournament. These schools are dedicated to positively impacting Northwest Indiana through academic excellence and sportsmanship, and they are successful in their efforts. The participating schools include West Side Leadership Academy, John Marshall Metropolitan High School, Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, George Washington High School, Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy, Calumet New Tech High School, and Michigan City Marquette Catholic High School. prgtoken , at this time, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing the Gary Chamber of Commerce, the organizers and sponsors of the 11th
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (Republican, WI) \u2014 2018-11-20

due to unavoidable circumstances relating to my health, I was physically absent from the House of Representatives on November 16, 2018. On that day, I missed two recorded votes. prgtoken On Roll Call No. 419, on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 5787, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.'' prgtoken On Roll Call No. 420, on Passage of H.R. 6784, had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye.''
RECOGNIZING THE ASIAN PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Mike Coffman (Republican, CO) \u2014 2018-11-20

I rise today to recognize the Asian Pacific Development Center, a community based non-profit organization that was founded to serve Asian American Pacific Islanders, but now extends its services to all immigrant and refugee communities in the Aurora/Denver metro area. The Asian Pacific Development Center has done so now for nearly four decades. prgtoken The influx of refugees and immigrants from the Asia Pacific region into Colorado shortly after the end of the Vietnam War was the impetus for the creation of the Asian Pacific Development Center. These new arrivals in Colorado faced challenges overcoming language barriers and mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. To address these challenges, the Asian Pacific Development Center was founded in 1980, staffed with social workers, attorneys, psychologists and psychiatrists. prgtoken Today the Asian Pacific Development Center does much more. In fact, it serves as a ``one-stop'' shop offering compassionate care and an array of other services to immigrants and refugees such as English as a second language instruction. The Asian Pacific Development Center strives to provide all these services in a culturally appropriate manner. These support services strengthen the health and wellbeing of immigrants who are transitioning into life in Colorado. prgtoken A key factor in the effective delivery of all these services is the Asian Pacific Development Center's Executive Director Harry Budisidharta. He has done a remarkable job and has become a very well- respected leader, not only for the Asian Pacific Development Center, but of our entire community. I am proud that the Asian Pacific Development Center is located in my hometown of Aurora, Colorado.