mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
30 YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL: HONORING HIS EXCELLENCY LECH WALESA, THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF POLAND
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-11-15

. Madam , it is my great pleasure to be here today to help welcome back to Washington a true hero of democracy, former President Lech Walesa. prgtoken Thirty years ago, we all watched with surprise and jubilation at the fall of the Berlin Wall, for decades the symbol of repression and tyranny that had fallen over the states behind the Iron Curtain. As it happens, that was my first year as a member of Congress. What followed the fall of the wall was the collapse of the totalitarian regimes and the restoration of those countries to their place among the world's democracies. This was an incredibly momentous occasion, we in Congress understand that. prgtoken In November of 1989, a humble electrician from the working-class Polish city of Gdansk spoke before a joint session of the United States Congress. I remember it well. He described his years-long struggle for freedom and asked for support from the United States. That man, of course, was soon-to-be President Walesa. prgtoken More than anyone else, President Walesa helped us understand the heroic and honorable fight that the people of Poland and others throughout central and eastern Europe were waging to win their freedom over dictatorship. We understood that the people of Europe needed our help in this struggle for freedom. And U.S. support was indeed critical in helping those countries transition to democracy. prgtoken Thirty years later, some of those countries need our help again. While the specter of communism has faded, many countries in central and eastern Europe face renewed threats to democracy. Today at a hearing of the European subcommittee, President Walesa and other experts described some of these new threats, in countries like Poland, Hungary, and Turkey, where increasingly authoritarian leaders are undermining democracy and the rule of law. We owe it to President Walesa and all the others who continue to fight for democracy in the region to show our support. prgtoken I want to close by thanking President Walesa for everything he has done in support of freedom and democracy, and for visiting with us today. And I want to urge everyone that we can best honor President Walesa's legacy by continuing the fight against authoritarianism wherever we may find it.
UNITED STATES EXPORT FINANCE AGENCY ACT OF 2019
Denny Heck (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-11-15

I rise today in strong opposition to this motion, because I also rise, as I have so many times before, as a strong supporter of the Export-Import Bank, and I am going to tell you why. prgtoken It is because I want us to be a nation that builds things. I want the most advanced factories in the world, building the most complex goods invented, to be located in America and filled with American workers. That is what I want. And I actually think we all, all 435 of us, want that. prgtoken We vote for manufacturing tax breaks. We vote for infrastructure to improve the shipment of manufactured goods. We vote for programs to develop a manufacturing workforce. prgtoken Those bills are not controversial, because we all want American manufacturers to keep their production facilities here. We want them to tap into new markets and add more ships and keep increasing good-paying jobs that don't require a mountain of college debt. prgtoken But to do that, we must have a robust export credit agency. Private markets simply cannot meet the needs of our smallest and largest exporters. Every other major economy in the world has figured this out. They all set up export credit agencies to boost their manufacturers. Only the U.S. alone sabotages itself. prgtoken For 7 years I have been fighting to end this sabotage and to restore the Bank to its rightful place supporting manufacturing jobs, and we are slowly succeeding, but none of it has come easy. prgtoken Over 7 years, the opponents of the Bank have evolved in their tactics. prgtoken At first, they outright opposed the Bank and called for it to be shuttered. Ultimately, those arguments failed, because we didn't want to unilaterally disarm. prgtoken Next, they claimed to support the Ex-Im, but only if the agency's charter was crippled in its support for our most advanced manufacturing goods. They would restrict the Bank from backing sales in--listen to this, --U.S. locomotives and aircrafts and turbines to our largest foreign markets. Again, these arguments failed, because we knew our purpose was to support American workers. prgtoken Finally, in the last few weeks, we have come to this point where support of Ex-Im is conditioned on turning it into a foreign policy agency, but these arguments must fail too. prgtoken Everyone on both sides of the Chamber wants to do more to combat the near peer competition of China and all the threat that they pose to our system of government and our values, but passion untempered by expertise can lead to some very bad outcomes. prgtoken The truth is, the Financial Services Committee does not have the expertise necessary to make China policy. The Ex-Im Bank does not have the expertise either, and I fear that making it to do so will lead to very bad outcomes, loss of U.S. goods and lost jobs for U.S. workers. prgtoken The MTR would create one-way sales. They are going to sell to us, but we can't sell to them. prgtoken A version of this amendment was rejected
AFFORDABLE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR AMERICANS
Daniel T. Kildee (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-11-15

yesterday was World Diabetes Day. prgtoken Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of Americans, including my own daughter, Katy, who was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic when she was 8 years old, almost 20 years ago. prgtoken We have to do more to make sure that hardworking families have access to affordable prescription drugs, often, lifesaving drugs. prgtoken Sadly, under the administration, the President has rolled back access to healthcare and undermined the Affordable Care Act, raising prices for lifesaving drugs and eliminating protections for those with preexisting conditions. That is the aim of this administration. prgtoken One in five Americans are skipping doses, cutting pills in half, and skipping their insulin because they just don't have the money it takes to keep themselves healthy. prgtoken It costs about $5.60 to produce a vial of insulin. Americans sometimes have to pay hundreds of dollars just to have that drug that was brought into this country, invented in the 1920s, and hasn't changed substantially. prgtoken We have to make sure to pass H.R. 3, which will make sure that Americans have access to prescription drugs at an affordable price. It is the right thing to do. Congress has to act.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-11-15

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken On Monday, the House will meet at 12 p.m. for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business, with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. prgtoken On Tuesday and Wednesday, the House will meet at 10 a.m. for morning- hour debate and 12 p.m. for legislative business. prgtoken On Thursday, the House will meet at 9 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes of the week are expected no later than 3 p.m. prgtoken Madam , we will consider several bills under suspension of the rules, including H.R. 4634, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, a very significant and very bipartisan bill. prgtoken The complete list of suspension bills will be announced by the close of business today. prgtoken In addition, Madam , the House will be considering a continuing resolution through December 20 to keep the government open and operating on behalf of the American people. prgtoken Madam , I am deeply disappointed by the Senate's failure to complete their work on appropriations, forcing us to consider another continuing resolution. This is evidence of failure, not of success. It is absolutely essential that we pass the CR to keep our government operating, but it is an indication that we have not gotten our business done as we should. prgtoken I would remind House Members that we passed 96 percent of the funding of government by June 26 this year, or approximately 3 months before the end of the fiscal year, a little over 3 months. prgtoken By the end of the fiscal year, the United States Senate had passed not a single appropriations bill. I am disappointed by that but recognize that passing a CR is absolutely essential. prgtoken Rather than kick the can further down the road, however, we must use that time between now and December 20 to work on an agreement on 302(b) allocations, which will allow us to move appropriation bills done in line with the bipartisan budget caps agreement. prgtoken Lastly, Madam , the House will consider H.R. 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. This bipartisan bill directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a standard requiring healthcare and social service employers to write and implement a workplace violence prevention plan to prevent and protect employees from violent incidents at work.
UNITED STATES EXPORT FINANCE AGENCY ACT OF 2019
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-11-15

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4863, the United States Export Finance Agency Act. This legislation will reauthorize the United States Export-Import Bank for a decade, increase the agency's capabilities to keep exporters here in the United States competitive worldwide, and ensures that the Export- Import Bank is prepared for the future by establishing offices within the agency focused on clean energy. prgtoken Four years ago, s and in this chamber came together to sign a discharge petition overruling the desire of a vocal minority that was ill informed about the important role the Export Import Bank plays in ensuring that products produced here in the United States can find buyers around the world. They wanted to shut this agency down. Thankfully, cooler minds prevailed, and the agency was reauthorized. prgtoken This agency is vital to the many farmers, small businesses, and manufacturers who export their products around the world from Texas. Approximately 12 billion dollars in exports from Texas are reliant on the Export-Import Bank. Businesses like Continental Electronics Corporation in my district, which produce radio frequency broadcast transmission equipment, rely on the Export-Import Bank to ensure their high-quality products can be sold to potential buyers across the world. Without the Export-Import Bank, buyers would have to settle for mediocre knockoff products produced in places like China. prgtoken Mr. Chair, being from a state where our economy thrives thanks to trade, I understand the importance of this legislation. But it's not just me, labor groups like the AFL-CIO, alongside business groups like the Chamber of Commerce support this import legislation. It's not often that you can get those two groups to agree on something. I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation and for the Senate to take this up immediately so that we can provide certainty to our exporters and continue to grow our economy in the right direction.
EAGLE SCOUT WILLIAM McLEES
Jefferson Van Drew (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-11-15

. Madam , today, I would like to commend William McLees of south Jersey on achieving the admirable rank of Eagle Scout. prgtoken William led his fellow boy scouts of Troop 79 in his Eagle Scout project to install an information kiosk at Somers Mansion. This information booth will educate visitors about the past of this old historic building, which is one of the oldest buildings in the region, dating back to 1725. prgtoken McLees carefully outfitted the kiosk with solar panels for lighting and a waterproof exterior so the structure will now be as long-lasting as Somers Mansion itself. prgtoken Madam , I applaud William's craftsmanship and his leadership in coordinating this project, and I thank him for this informative addition to our entire south Jersey community. I congratulate him on his high title of Eagle Scout, and I wish him the very best. prgtoken Americans look for heroes all over the world. Our hero is William McLees. He truly deserves our praise.
IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 4803 CITIZENSHIP FOR CHILDREN OF MILITARY MEMBERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-11-15

. Madam , I rise in strong support of H.R. 4803, the ``Citizenship for Children of Military Members and Civil Servants Act.'' prgtoken H.R. 4803 establishes that a foreign-born child of a U.S. citizen member of the Armed Forces or government employee may automatically acquire U.S. citizenship even if the child is not residing in the United States. prgtoken This bill is necessary because the Administration announced on August 28, 2019 that it was changing its policy guidance and ending automatic American citizenship for children of U.S. service members and other federal workers stationed abroad. prgtoken With these changes, government employees stationed abroad who are green card holders would have to move back to the U.S. and live there for three to five years in order to apply for citizenship for their child. prgtoken Previously, children born to U.S. citizen parents were considered to be ``residing in the United States,'' and therefore would be automatically granted citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act Sec. 320. prgtoken Without this legislation, children born abroad to U.S. service members and government employees in U.S. military hospitals or diplomatic facilities, will not be residing in the United States, and thus will not considered American citizens. prgtoken This disadvantages children of parents who serve our country abroad. prgtoken Under H.R. 4803, necessary requirements would be fulfilled if a foreign-born child is living in the legal and physical custody of the citizen armed services member or government employee who has been stationed abroad (or the accompanying spouse of such a citizen), and lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States. prgtoken It is critical for the United States Congress to stand with the women and men who have served our country and allow their children citizenship. prgtoken By allowing lawful, permanent resident children of members of the U.S. Armed Forces or federal government employees who are residing overseas to automatically acquire citizenship once certain conditions are met, parents avoid the inconvenience, expense, and paperwork delays required under current law, and continue their service commitment without interruption. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4803, and allow foreign-born children of U.S. citizens who have served as a member of the Armed Forces or are government' employees, to automatically acquire citizenship for their foreign born American child.
UNITED STATES EXPORT FINANCE AGENCY ACT OF 2019
Patrick T. McHenry (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-11-15

. Mr. Chair, the balance of my time. prgtoken As we close this debate, and this is the last amendment before us, I do want to reiterate that I am grateful to Chairwoman Waters. Again, I want to thank the gentlewoman for ignoring the requests from the extreme left of her own party and their demands for having the Bank ban coal technology exports. prgtoken There are some minor environmental provisions in here that have a negative impact on American industries and their ability to sell overseas, but I am grateful that she ignored the request from members of her party on the extreme left and their demands to tell the Bank to stop funding coal and only fund clean energy projects; so the Bank will continue to be able to fund coal and cleaner coal technology exports in adherence with the environmental standards of the regime they are sending. prgtoken It could have been absolutely devastating in terms of the consequences on energy production, but they simply chose to do minor things. I think that is a laudatory thing that deserves some bipartisan praise that the extreme left did not win the day in terms of that piece of policy in this bill. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on final passage of this bill. We will have an extension of the Bank. We will continue to use Export-Import financing for perhaps up to 2 percent of our exports. That will be a helpful thing. prgtoken But what we need to do is focus, also, on combating the rise of Chinese aggression economically, and I think we have that capacity. This is not the way to do it. This bill is going nowhere in the Senate. The President has already said that he will veto it. prgtoken So let's get on with the business of the American people, and let's get back to sensible policy discussions here. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment--though it will have no impact whatsoever; it is a restatement of existing law; it is fine, but it doesn't actually have real teeth to it--and vote ``no'' on the final passage of this bill. prgtoken .
HONORING AMERICA'S DEPARTED HEROES
Pete Stauber (Republican, MN) \u2014 2019-11-15

I rise today to thank Jeremiah Heesaker and Theresa Miller of Ely, Minnesota, for their dedication to our Nation's veterans. prgtoken Last week, in freezing cold temperatures, Jeremiah and Theresa led a small group of Minnesotans in laying wreaths decorated with American flags on top of 130 veteran graves in the Ely Cemetery. They laid all the wreaths out before Veterans Day weekend, hoping to bring happiness to all the families who would be visiting the grave of a loved one. prgtoken For Jeremiah and Theresa, the care of our veterans is an issue close to their hearts. Jeremiah served in the Army in the 101st Airborne; Theresa's husband is also a veteran. prgtoken , American heroes deserve to be treated in death with the same amount of respect and admiration that they earned in life. I am grateful to Jeremiah and Theresa for taking action to honor America's departed heroes and their families this Veterans Day. prgtoken We must never forget those who have bravely served so that we can continue to live in the land of the free.
TAMAQUA FOOTBALL AND PENN STATE SCHUYLKILL CROSS-COUNTRY
Daniel Meuser (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-11-15

. Madam , I rise today to recognize several impressive athletic accomplishments that have recently taken place in Pennsylvania's Ninth Congressional District. prgtoken Last Friday night, Tamaqua football made history as they secured their first-ever district championship. After coming close to winning the championship for the past several seasons, I applaud the team's resilience and grit. prgtoken But football isn't the only sport to talk about in the Ninth Congressional District these days. For the third consecutive year, Penn State Schuylkill women's cross-country team took home the conference title at the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference Championships. This is the first time Penn State Schuylkill has achieved a three-peat. They are truly a sports dynasty. prgtoken Congratulations to both Sam Bonner, head football coach at Tamaqua High School, and Joe Muldowney, head cross-country coach at Penn State Schuylkill, for leading their teams to victory. prgtoken Perseverance and dedication are defining characteristics of Pennsylvanians. I am incredibly proud of the Tamaqua football and Penn State Schuylkill women's cross-country teams for these accomplishments. prgtoken And always, I am very honored to represent the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Ninth Congressional District.
HONORING THE SACRIFICE OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS JOSEPH ROBERT LIVERMORE
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2019-11-15

. Madam , it was only two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor when Joseph Robert Livermore chose to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. At just the young age of 19, he felt compelled to answer the call to serve in the second World War, a war that would take him across the globe to defend this great nation. prgtoken Bob was a Private First Class and had been serving in the military for nearly two years when he arrived at the Battle of Tarawa. He and his division initially survived the fight; a presidential unit citation even lauded his unit's ``outstanding performance in combat'' Sadly, however, that same battle would eventually cost Bob his life when he was fatally wounded by an enemy bayonet. prgtoken Bob was laid to rest with 1,000 brothers-in-arms on then Japanese- held Betio Island where he would remain for nearly 80 years. It wasn't until July 30th of this year, that through advances in technology and by the grace of God, Bob's remains were identified to be returned home. prgtoken Though it has been nearly eight decades since Bob's passing, we must never forget that he is much more than a name inscribed on a memorial. He was a young man from Bakersfield whose deep sense of patriotism and love of country was instilled in him from an early age. He attended East Bakersfield High School where he was a star athlete of both football and track. He was President of his junior class. He was a loving brother and a thoughtful son. And perhaps most importantly, he was taken from this earth before his full potential could be realized. prgtoken To Bob's family here in attendance, please know that we will never forget his sacrifice, and we humbly join you in celebrating his life today and commemorating his memory which will far outlive any of us. prgtoken Bob's story is a meaningful reminder that tomorrow isn't guaranteed, and that we should be particularly grateful for our servicemen and servicewomen who willingly put themselves in harm's way to defend our freedoms. prgtoken And to Bob, who I'm sure is smiling at us from above, at long last, welcome home. We've been waiting for him.
UNITED STATES EXPORT FINANCE AGENCY ACT OF 2019
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-11-15

once again, we are on the floor talking about the importance of the export agency to small business. It is important to small business, which is why, in the Waters-McHenry bipartisan compromise, we had a strong, well-argued, well-focused, well-delivered policy for small business that, unfortunately, , is now not in the bill before us today. prgtoken I want to compliment Mr. McHenry and Ms. Waters for their work together. I wish the had come to their aid in June to whip the vote for their well-argued compromise. Although, I want to associate myself, as well, with the 's strong comments about China and the 30 years that America has tried since Tiananmen Square to change China's mercantilistic trade policy and be part of the world economy, and it hasn't prgtoken worked. The outlined it beautifully today. She talked about her 30-year commitment there. prgtoken Again, if we want to stop retaliatory tariffs and worrying about retaliatory tariffs, we should use every tool in our armory here to push back against China, to change China's mercantilistic policy. We have done that with CFIUS reform in this House on a bipartisan basis. We have done that with the Asia Reassurance Act in this House on a bipartisan basis. We could have used the Export Finance Agency on a bipartisan basis in a very conscious manner to make sure that the Ex-Im agency credits don't benefit China and their ability to extend their One Belt, One Road work around the world. prgtoken I appreciate my friend from Michigan's amendment. I appreciate her support of small business. I appreciate her support of trying to measure the impact of retaliatory tariffs on small business and agriculture, for that matter. prgtoken But we would be much more effective, , if we had adopted the underlying bill with its better position to support small business and its better position to strike back against the mercantilistic trade policies of China. prgtoken , .