mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONGRATULATING STACIE KONVICKA
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-3-3

I rise today to remember Marie Jordan Speer, who passed away at 98 years of age in Corpus Christi, Texas, on October 19, 2019. prgtoken Marie's kindness and compassion touched the lives of those around her, and through her various achievements, she served her community well. prgtoken In 1942, she married Mr. Edward Jordan, but 2 years later, he was drafted to fight in World War II and heroically, but tragically, died in combat. prgtoken Marie ultimately used her suffering and loss to help others. She founded the Gold Star Wives of America in order to comfort and create a community for other widows who had lost their husbands in the war. prgtoken The first meeting she organized was a lunch with other military widows from town. This lunch morphed into a small volunteer group, which, in time, grew into a national organization that today has 35 chapters throughout the United States. prgtoken The Gold Star Wives not only provide comfort and support for families who have lost loved ones; on Capitol Hill, they fight to secure victories for the spouses and children of fallen soldiers. prgtoken We owe these families a debt that we cannot repay. Their husbands and fathers have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our country. prgtoken Today, and every day, we pray for God's peace for these families. prgtoken Marie continued to work on behalf of the Gold Star Wives, eventually settling in Corpus Christi, Texas, where she started three local newspapers and became heavily involved in the Coastal Bend community. prgtoken South Texas is a better place because of Marie. Her life truly is a testament to the power of sacrificial love, determination, and compassion. prgtoken , I thank Marie's family for sharing Marie with our Nation. We are sorry for their loss.
S. 2657
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-3-3

this week, the Senate has a good opportunity to update the laws governing the way we harness and deploy America's tremendous domestic energy resources. It has been well over a decade since the last time comprehensive energy legislation was signed into Federal law. prgtoken Following our overwhelming vote yesterday to proceed to consideration of the American Energy Innovation Act, the Senate is on track to change that very soon. The American Energy Innovation Act put forward by Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Manchin is thoroughly bipartisan. It contains provisions sponsored or cosponsored by more than 60 of our colleagues. It has come to include 50 individual pieces of legislation that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee considered last year. prgtoken Over the past 3 years, the administration and this Congress have worked together to secure historic advances for both the producers and consumers of affordable domestic energy. We have opened access to new energy reserves, streamlined the regulation of liquid natural gas exports, and halted or reversed the most egregious -era regulatory burdens. The growing record is clear. We have helped to usher in a prosperous new era of U.S. energy independence. prgtoken The legislation we are considering this week is designed to build on those successes. It takes proactive steps to ensure the security, efficiency, and affordability of American energy for years to come. prgtoken First, it puts a strong tailwind behind programs, grants, and research efforts that are focused on energy innovation. That means significant investments in improving energy efficiency and grid storage technologies; new resources for the development of renewable geothermal, nuclear, and other energy sources to help sustain domestic energy independence; reauthorization for the Department of Energy's cutting-edge research at the Advanced Research Projects Agency; and a renewed commitment to carbon capture, utilization, and storage at coal production facilities. prgtoken In addition to energy innovation, the legislation also focuses on energy security. Since the last comprehensive update to the Federal energy laws in 2007, our Nation's critical infrastructure, including the electric grid, has changed significantly, and so have the threats it faces. Our colleagues' legislation tackles this head-on. It introduces incentives for electrical grid modernization and cyber security projects. It encourages utility providers to take proactive measures to protect ratepayers from the devastating effects of potential cyber attacks. It makes new technical cyber security assistance available to municipalities and rural utilities and authorizes grant funding for on-the-job workforce retraining. prgtoken Perhaps most importantly, the legislation before us is not only designed for continued advances in areas where the U.S. energy sector has seen success, it is also meant to take a
IN CELEBRATION OF BUTLER EAGLE'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-3-3

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Butler County's hometown newspaper, the Butler Eagle. prgtoken As a life-long resident of Butler, I am proud to celebrate a special milestone for our hometown paper. For 150 years, the Butler Eagle has provided residents of Butler County with national, state, and local news that we count on. prgtoken In the 60s, our family opened the Butler Eagle to see how many yards Terry Hanratty threw for or how many tackles the Saul brothers had for a loss on a Friday night. The Eagle, like many local newspapers across the country, is a big part of the community identity. These publications provide information that matters to us that larger, national news outlets do not. They tell us stories about friends and neighbors and their successes, new marriages, community events, high school sports, and so much more. We can count on the Eagle and papers like it across our great country to tell us what is happening close to home. prgtoken National publications cover what one might expect: national politics, Congress, the president, and foreign affairs. While it is important to know what's going on in Washington, D.C our system of government was designed to give local government a much larger direct impact on the lives of Americans. When local papers like the Butler Eagle cover mayors, city councils, county commissioners, and school boards, they perform a vital service that helps Americans oversee the elected officials who affect their lives far more personally than those in our nation's capital. prgtoken Think about it. Our local zoning commissioners decide what we can build on our own land, or what can be built next door to us. City councils decide how much to invest in our local roads. Reporting on their decisions is crucial to functioning municipalities. Without local papers like the Butler Eagle, we would face difficulty assessing the leadership of our locally elected government officials. We would also lose a great deal of connectivity with our surroundings. Local papers provide a knowledge of and bond with our neighbors. prgtoken So, as we celebrate the Butler Eagle's 150th anniversary, I thank the paper for its long record of service to the City and County of Butler, for informing us about important events in our neighborhoods, and holding elected officials accountable at all levels of government. We appreciate the many past and present reporters who take the pulse of our communities and convey their findings. In doing so, they have helped shape the identity of Butler and brought us together as a community. prgtoken Best wishes for the next 150 years.
STATE OF FLORIDA'S BIRTHDAY
Ross Spano (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-3-3

I rise today to celebrate the great State of Florida. prgtoken On this day in 1845, Florida became the 27th State to join our Union and has had a strong impact on our Nation ever since. prgtoken From producing 70 percent of our Nation's citrus, to ranking number 2 in vegetables harvested, Florida, as an agricultural powerhouse, has long been critical in feeding hungry Americans. Our State's importance to our national security also can't be understated. prgtoken Florida is home to 3 of 11 unified combatant commands--Central Command, Southern Command, and Special Operations Command. I am so honored to represent a district home to 57,000 veterans, part of the 1.5 million who call the Sunshine State home. prgtoken Florida is also a major tourism destination as millions from around the world flock to our shores to enjoy our beaches, food, culture, and theme parks. prgtoken I am grateful to have been born and raised in Florida and to represent the 15th District. I look forward to working with the Florida delegation to continue bettering the lives of all our State residents for generations to come.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-3-3

I want to talk for a few moments about where we are with the coronavirus response and the supplemental. I think all Senators will have an opportunity to be updated again today. prgtoken This is not a new place for us to be. This time last year, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing on emerging threats, and at that point we were experiencing the second largest outbreak of Ebola in the ic Republic of the Congo, antibiotic resistance was a global danger, and there was a flu outbreak bigger than we had seen in a long time. So 1 year later, we are still fighting the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, antibiotic resistance continues to be a global problem, and, according to Dr. Tony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the flu we are seeing this year is shaping up to be one of the worst in decades. prgtoken Several thousand Americans die every year from the flu--usually, at least 35,000, sometimes as high as 75,000. I think about 350,000 Americans have died from the flu in the last decade. prgtoken We are now facing a new danger--the COVID-19 danger. That is the new coronavirus that we hadn't seen before. As we learned with Ebola, patient zero, who doesn't know they even have this yet, can board a plane or a cruise ship, and they can be in another country or even in another continent in a matter of hours. This lesson is, once again, reinforced. prgtoken This is like all other diseases. It doesn't know any boundaries. We are no longer living in a world where our health can be separated from the health of other countries. Last week, the number of new coronavirus infections outside of China outpaced those inside China for the first time. Maybe the good news is that China is beginning to see something headed in a different direction, but the bad news is the infections in Iran, Italy, South Korea, Japan, and other places. This has moved into Europe now, and in South America a case was just announced in Brazil. prgtoken This is kind of that moment where we have some opportunity to do everything we can to prepare for the worst, but we still have the option of hoping for the best. That is what happened with SARS. That is what happened with H1N1. To some extent, it is what happened with Zika. It turned out to be bad for the people who had it but not as bad as we anticipated at one point it might be. prgtoken It is disturbing to see the first deaths in the State of Washington, but, certainly, the message to us is to be more vigilant and be better prepared. prgtoken The Congress, in the last 5 years, has increased money--that doesn't count whatever we do this week and next week--for preparedness by 44 percent. A year ago, we created for the first time an infectious disease fund--our colleague in the House, Tom Cole, was one of the major proponents of this--to let the Health and Human Service
CRISIS AT THE BORDER
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2020-3-3

. Madam , first of all, I will let you know, so we break the suspense, I will probably be more like 5 minutes, so it is easier for everybody. prgtoken Madam , I rise today to talk one more time about the crisis at the border. prgtoken One more week has gone by, and for 1 more week, is out there alone fighting to preserve the integrity of our border and who the future citizens of the United States of America are. prgtoken is a fan of immigration, that is why, on his watch, we are now up to around 750,000 people being sworn in legally in this country every year, and there has been no effort made to really substantially reduce that number. prgtoken Nevertheless, we do want to pick our immigrants. We want our immigrants to be people who have come here legally and are appropriately vetted, and is doing what he can--without any help from Congress, I might add--to make sure that that happens. prgtoken The first thing that Congress has to do is to make permanent the Public Charge rule. has correctly said, even for legal immigrants, we are not going to take people in this country if we expect they would be permanently, or close to permanently, taking advantage of the programs our government has to offer. prgtoken Right now, 63 percent of the noncitizens, compared to 35 percent of the native-born, are on some sort of government program. We have a hard enough time at this time of trillion-dollar deficits taking care of our own citizens who have fallen on hard times without taking the people who are on hard times from all around the world. prgtoken is putting his finger in the spigot, but we know the day will come when we have a different President. When we have a different President, I am scared to death the new President will go back to the old method of anybody can come here, and, if they come to our country for free Pell grants, if they come to our country for free food, if they come to our country for free medical care, if they come to our country for free housing, we will let them back in. prgtoken Madam , I wish President would always be able to prevent that, and I am sure he is going to continue to prevent that as long as he is President; but, if you look at the other people running for the job, I wouldn't bet that even by this time next year, and certainly within 5 years, we won't be back to the days of being the welfare magnet for the Western Hemisphere or the entire world. prgtoken Madam , I call on Congress to step up and pass legislation that a future President cannot undue, stating that we are not going to have more people here as a public charge. prgtoken Secondly, a couple weeks ago, I went down to the border one more time and had a chance to talk to local law enforcement, some of the citizens on the border, as well as the Border Patrol. They are appreciative of the things that the current administration is doing. prgtoken I saw 12 miles of
ADVANCED GEOTHERMAL INNOVATION LEADERSHIP ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed--Continued
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-3-3

I come to the floor today as a Senator as well as a physician. I want to do this to reassure the American people that we are doing everything possible to combat and contain the coronavirus. According to Johns Hopkins University, a well-known medical institution, we here in the United States are the most prepared Nation on the face of the Earth to protect ourselves in terms of preparation for an infectious disease like the coronavirus. prgtoken Nevertheless, this virus is a global concern and is a problem with pandemic potential. We know the outbreak started in China. It goes without saying that we are deeply saddened by the loss of life there, as well as here and around the world. We are concerned about those currently suffering from the virus. Our focus continues to be on protecting the health and the well-being and the safety of the American people. That is where we need to focus. prgtoken Notably, President 's early travel restrictions on China have actually helped slow the spread of the virus. He has since expanded these restrictions. The President, I believe, has acted swiftly, boldly, and decisively to contain the virus and to keep Americans safe. Still, this country is not a hermetically sealed bubble. It will never be--can't be. We are likely to see more cases here in the days and weeks ahead. prgtoken We all must be prepared, and we must stay vigilant. Be assured, the administration is fully engaged in responding to this virus. The United States has the best public health system in the world, and we have a plan in place to combat the coronavirus. Our public health experts are working to identify and isolate the virus, as well as to produce a vaccine. prgtoken The fastest you can ever produce a vaccine is several years. We seem to be moving faster than that with regard to coronavirus. We have seen development, but even though it is moving faster than ever, it will still take a minimum of a year and 6 months to have a vaccine available and produced at a level that could actually impact the population of the country. Since it is a new virus, a new vaccine needs to be developed. The Vice President said over the weekend that we expect to have a vaccine available sometime next year, and I agree. prgtoken Meanwhile, our strategy for testing, for isolation, and for quarantines right now is helping to lower the risks. Years ago, we created an infectious disease rapid response team. The goal was to make sure that we were ready if the time would come, and the time has now come. Test kits are becoming more widely available for States and communities. We heard today over the noon hour that they are expecting to have enough test kits available around the country so that, over the next week, we can test a million people. We are going to continue to use every available tool we can in this fight. prgtoken The White House has created a Coronavirus Task Force led by Vice President . T
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-3-3

as chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize a small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit, which drives our economy. This week, it is my pleasure to honor Prestige Ameritech of North Richland Hills, TX, as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken When Kimberly-Clark Corporation closed its medical protective gear manufacturing facilities in the United States, Dan Reese and Mike Bowen sought to revitalize this critical industry. Since 2006, Dan and Mike have led Prestige Ameritech, which specializes in manufacturing high- quality medical protective gear. During the HlNl swine flu epidemic in 2009, Prestige Ameritech worked around the clock to produce critical protective equipment, including N95 respirators, medical face shields, and medical goggles. As the epidemic subsided, Prestige Ameritech struggled as its clients returned to foreign products instead of continuing to support this vital industry. Dozens of workers were laid off as the company fought to survive. prgtoken Now, 14 years later, Prestige Ameritech is the largest domestic surgical mask manufacturer, employing about 100 workers. They are certified as an FDA Registered Facility, HUBZone, and a certified Native American Owned Business. As a leading advocate of medical supply chain security, Prestige Ameritech supports development of the medical industrial sector in the United States. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than 90 percent of surgical masks sold in the United States are manufactured overseas. If a public health emergency arose, Dan and Mike have warned, disruptions in mask supply could endanger millions of Americans. prgtoken For over a decade, since the HlNl swine flu epidemic, Prestige Ameritech has strengthened industry partnerships and warned government officials of the dangers of exporting our medical industrial capacity. As part of the Secure Mask Supply Association--SMSA--Prestige Ameritech works with domestically owned and operated surgical and respirator mask manufacturers to raise awareness regarding the importance of prevention and readiness by creating and maintaining an infrastructure for an American-made mask supply. For years, Prestige Ameritech and SMSA sounded the alarm about the vulnerability of American medical supply chains. prgtoken In response to the growing coronavirus outbreak, Prestige Ameritech has ramped up their daily production to 600,000 masks. Their work provides protection for millions worldwide, from healthcare workers to American citizens abroad. Due to increased demand, they have prioritized supplying hospitals and medical installations with personal protective equipment. The disruption of American medical supply chains has catapulted Prestige Ameritech into the spotlight, highlighting the vital importance of their work. They have been profiled in national news outlets including the
LEADERS DOING GREAT JOB ON CORONAVIRUS
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-3-3

I rise to discuss the coronavirus. prgtoken I want to reassure folks that since we first learned about this virus, our government has been very proactive in its response. prgtoken The President took charge and assembled a task force, headed by the Vice President, that brought together the best and the brightest doctors, scientists, and health experts that our country has to offer. prgtoken The President also took the crucial step of implementing a travel ban on China to slow down the spread of the outbreak within our borders. prgtoken While our government is appropriately handling the spread of the coronavirus, our citizens can help as well. prgtoken , I urge everyone to go to cdc.gov, follow the latest developments, and learn about easy ways that you can avoid getting sick. prgtoken America must always be ahead of the game on viral threats like these, and I am proud to say that our leaders are doing a great job. prgtoken Essential Support Faith-Based Organizations Provide for Communities