mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING DR. PHILIP L. DUBOIS FOR HIS YEARS OF SERVICE AS CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
Richard Hudson (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , I rise today to honor Dr. Philip L. Dubois for 20 years of service, including 15 years as Chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As a proud 49er myself, I have seen his extraordinary leadership firsthand and know how much he means to students, faculty and staff. prgtoken When I was Student Body President, Dr. Dubois was a mentor and has since become a friend. He began his academic career in 1976 at the University of California, Davis and retires after over two decades of combined service to UNC Charlotte. After being appointed Chancellor in 2005, he immediately began the important work that would one day transform both our institution and the surrounding community. prgtoken A titan among his peers in higher education, Dr. Dubois led UNC Charlotte through a time of unprecedented growth. He is credited with the construction of UNC Charlotte Center City, the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC), and industry collaborative PORTAL. Dr. Dubois' efforts to build the University's visibility and enrich the student experience led to the implementation of the football program in 2013 and a historic partnership with the City of Charlotte to bring light rail to campus. prgtoken Exemplary of Dr. Dubois' commitment to academic excellence, he spearheaded initiatives that saw the University make significant strides in endowment, research awards, enrollment, and graduation rates. In the past 15 years, UNC Charlotte awarded over 92,000 degrees and offered 36 new academic programs to students across the globe. prgtoken The greatest test to Dr. Dubois' leadership came on what he described as our University's ``darkest day.'' On April 30, 2019, two students were killed and four others wounded in a shooting in a classroom on campus. Dr. Dubois' courage, strength, and his humanity led a brokenhearted student body, faculty, and community through the pain and the grief. prgtoken Renee and I would like to extend our most heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Dubois for his years of exemplary service at UNC Charlotte. I know I speak for all of Niner Nation in wishing he and his wife Lisa continued success and happiness as they move on to their next great adventure. prgtoken Madam , please join me today in honoring Dr. Philip L. Dubois upon his retirement as Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
IN HONOR OF DR. JOE ALLEN MANN
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , I rise today to bid farewell to my dear friend, Dr. Joe Allen Mann who passed away on February 21st. Joe demonstrated what it meant to be an American, through his actions and his words. He galvanized many fellows in the Commonwealth and reminded them that they had a voice too. He valued both his family and community, and for that I rise to honor his life and achievements. prgtoken Joe was born in the tiny, bustling city of Ronceverte, West Virginia in 1941. He later graduated from West Virginia University, and later obtained his doctorate in chemistry from Georgia Tech. As a scientist, Dr. Mann began his career at Dow Badische, working his way from an entry-level employee to a manager in just a few years. Joe then advanced to Corporate Director for Research and Development for Burlington Industries, where he met his wife, Carol Mann. Joe's ambition, however, compelled him to start a business, beginning with The Mann Group, then earned enough capital to start Mann Industries in Williamsburg, VA. prgtoken Joe had a knack for resilience and persevered through the ebbs and flows of his life. After years in his industry, Joe decided to get involved in politics where he knew he could do the greatest amount of good. He was a member of the Colonial Men's Association where he championed conservative thought and revitalized the conservative community. Also, he served as a trustee at the Leadership Historic Triangle, where he could directly impact his community. Joe is survived by his wife, Carol, and two daughters, Mary and Susan. I offer my prayers and condolences that his family overcomes their grief and celebrates the great life that Joe lived. prgtoken Therefore, Madam , I ask you to join me in honoring the life of Joe Mann and applauding his contributions to the Commonwealth and our Nation. His sacrifices, hardships, and devotion to others are worthy of reverence. On behalf of America's First District, we say thank you.
AMERICA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DURING COVID-19
Scott Perry (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , at the outset, s, Chairman Ami Bera and Ranking Member Ted Yoho, for their critical work on this pressing issue. prgtoken American leadership is fundamental to the peace and security of the international order. It's the conduit through which the world can partake in the fruits of international cooperation and is particularly critical to the cause of global health--a cause in which America has always led from the front. prgtoken From 2018 through 2019, the United States provided the World Health Organization (WHO) with over $890 million, with $656 million coming in the form of voluntary contributions. Since launching PEPFAR in 2003, the United States has devoted more than $90 billion towards mitigating the effects of the HIV epidemic. In Fiscal Year 2019, the U.S. dedicated approximately $11 billion towards global health initiatives. We're the best financer and promoter of international health efforts in the world--from government agencies to non-governmental organizations, our People give hope to billions. Progress in international health, however, will remain somewhat stunted unless we accept a brutal truth: despite America's best efforts, the constant and malicious false narratives peddled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are the world's greatest impediment to international cooperation and better health results. prgtoken The COVID-19 pandemic has once again demonstrated that the CCP is not worthy or capable of our trust--a fact we've known for decades. Since 1949, China has lied to the world and regularly placed the supremacy of the state above any other consideration. Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, the CCP portrayed the pro-Democracy protests as a Western plot to discredit China; by crushing these peaceful protests, the government claims it was able to pave the way for a prosperous 21st Century. Official death estimates from the protests vary widely; China has never offered reliable data on this subject--but it remains likely that several thousands of young students and their allies were killed following a brutal military crackdown. prgtoken In 2000, the CCP immediately labeled Falun Gong--a Chinese spiritual movement--as a ``heretical cult,'' and had many ofthe group's followers imprisoned. A 2019 report conducted by the China Tribunal--a panel created by the International Coalition to End Transplant prgtoken Abuse in China (ET AC)--indicates that ``prisoners of conscience,'' especially Falun Gong practitioners, were usually targeted for organ harvesting. In 2006, a tour guide told visiting European Parliament Vice President, Edward McMillan-Scott, that he'd seen the cadaver of his friend--a Falun Gong practitioner--with numerous stiches across his body. That tour guide received five years in prison for speaking with Mr. McMillan-Scott. To this day, the Chinese government denies harvesting the organs of Falun Gong practitioners, yet reports indicate that t
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CORNELIUS LEVI KNOWLES
Robin L. Kelly (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Cornelius Levi Knowles; prgtoken Whereas, ``Corky,'' as he was affectionally known to his friends and family, was born in Hallandale, Florida to Melbourne and Albertha Knowles on January 20, 1928, and graduated from Dorsey High School with bold aspirations in 1946; prgtoken Whereas, after working hard and saving money, Cornelius moved to Washington D.C. to attend Howard University, overcoming racial prejudices, working nightly at the post office, and obtaining his undergraduate degree, he graduated from the Howard University College of Dentistry second in his class; prgtoken Whereas, Cornelius had a distinguished career--serving as a clinical instructor at Howard University before moving to Chicago to open his own practice and serving as an examiner for both the Northeast Regional Board of Dentistry and the Illinois State Board of Dentistry; prgtoken Whereas, outside of his distinguished career, Cornelius was a loving husband to Althea, the love of his life. Together they were active community members supporting countless charities and treating everyone they met like family for nearly 60 years; prgtoken Whereas, Cornelius will be remembered by friends as the life of the party, always having prgtoken a joke ready to lighten the mood, even if the reactions to his own jokes were funnier than the jokes themselves; prgtoken Now, therefore, be it resolved, by the House of Representatives of the United States of America, That the life and legacy of Cornelius ``Corky'' Levi Knowles, who peacefully passed away on April 24th, 2020, be remembered and honored.
AMERICA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DURING COVID-19
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , on the Foreign Affairs Committee, we know that so many critical national security threats require a global, coordinated response. We know that we're stronger when we work with our international partners to face challenges head-on. And we know that the United States has a vital global leadership role to during international crises. prgtoken Today, those principles should guide our response to this pandemic. The rapid spread of COVID-19---an infectious disease that knows no borders--has presented us with unprecedented challenge and heartbreak. We need a path forward for the United States and countries around the world to get on the road toward rebuilding and recovery. prgtoken More than 50,000 Americans have died from coronavirus. It's painfully clear that the Administration should have done more to prepare for this pandemic and protect our citizens. There is so much more we have to do to keep Americans safe and our communities healthy moving forward. We need more testing. We need to support our doctors and nurses. We need to help those who provide our food and those who keep us safe. But, we simply can't do those things effectively if we bury our heads in the sand and wall ourselves off from the rest of the world. prgtoken Our world is interconnected. Fighting the coronavirus for America means making sure other countries can effectively fight the pandemic, as well. The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres summed it up well: ``We are only as strong as the weakest health system in our interconnected world.'' prgtoken That's why the Administration's decision to cut funding for the World Health Organization is so counterproductive. The WHO plays a vital role in supporting and enforcing international health regulations, educating the public, and strengthening the ability of health systems--particularly those in the developing world--to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks. This is precisely the time that we need the WHO most. Instead, the Administration is stopping all our funding--just like shutting down the fire department in the middle of a blaze. prgtoken Retreating from global health institutions at this time only makes it harder for us to combat COVID-19, putting our national security and American lives at risk. When America pulls away from the world, others will fill the void. China is already providing relief and support to countries now on the brink of their own crises--particularly in Africa and the developing world. And, Beijing pledged an additional $30 million to the WHO just as suspended American funds to the world body. The United States must act to preserve the critical development gains we helped drive, from basic education to access to clean water to free and fair elections. prgtoken lf we want to see the world recover in a way that strengthens our economy, national security, and environment--in a way that promotes and preserves the values of freedom and demo
RABBI ZOBERMAN'S REFLECTIONS ON PASSOVER
Elaine G. Luria (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , I include in the Record, at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman, of Temple Lev Tikvah and is a reflection of his views: ``At the heart of the Passover Seder is the haunting probing of `Ma Nishtana . . . How different is this night from all other nights?' This historical Rabbinic quest is designed to grasp Passover's meaning throughout the generational chain in the context of changing and always challenging times. It is traditionally sung by the youngest attending child, to mitigate the seriousness of the inquiry surrounding the complex poles of enslavement and freedom in the Jewish consciousness as well as human experience. Surely at this beclouded Passover Festival, the plague of the Coronavirus is casting ominous darkness not only on one people as with the punitive Ten Plagues upon Pharaoh's Egypt for freedom's sake and slavery's denouncement. Pharaoh was forewarned time and again to let Moses' people go. Now we face a global attack by a stealthy adversary exposing the entire interdependent human family to the Angel of Death's whims. All that in the midst of a complacent post-modern high technology society. We are tempted by the hubris of false invincibility, plunging us to a debilitating sense of primeval vulnerability, threatening our accustomed and enviable American way of life and its underlying essential democracy. Ultimately the Passover celebration is a poignant reminder that enslavement in its destructive variety--physically, spiritually and psychologically--is bound to be overcome by the light of deliverance, replacing virus with virtue, pain with promise and violence with vision. At this season's Seder table, those who are fortunate to safely conduct it, should diminish from the cup of joyful salvation in addition to the ten drops for the ten plagues upon ancient Egypt for the sin of Hebrew enslavement, one drop for the current heavy human loses and intense suffering. The inspiring Exodus journey from servitude to an oppressor to service of The Most High, became a model of liberation for the human family, culminating in the Messianic vision of a world transformed. We have chosen to convert the bitter herbs of our exile into the sweet charoset of homecoming for all. It is the symbolic hovering presence at the Seder table of the prophet Elijah for whom we open the door and set aside a special cup of wine, which provides for the eternal flame of universal shalom's healing, hope and harmony. It is the peace we have kept alive as a flickering light in history's darkness. Passover's promise by a compassionate heritage is ultimately rooted in its revolutionary view of the infinite worth of each of the Creator's chi
HONORING THE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD AS IOWANS OF THE WEEK
Cynthia Axne (Democrat, IA) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me, in honor of National Military Appreciation Month, in recognizing the nearly one thousand members of Iowa's National Guard that are helping our state fight COVID-19 as our Iowans of the Week. prgtoken Over 800 soldiers and airmen with Iowa's National Guard have been called to state active duty to help combat COVID-19. They're delivering personal protective equipment to our Frontline health workers and county emergency management facilities. They're helping our food banks package and deliver food to Iowans in need. And they're helping our state complete COVID-19 testing through the new ``Test Iowa'' program, a critical step to charting a pathway to safely reopening Iowa through a data-driven understanding of the spread of the virus in Iowa. prgtoken Members of the Guard like Specialist Janet Fonseca and Private First Class Cesar Galvan--a husband and wife from Marshalltown--have stepped up and helped their fellow Iowans in the face of these unprecedented times. Our Iowa National Guard are citizen soldiers--meaning they have to balance everyday demands with their responsibilities of service to our nation. Even soon-to-be and new parents, like Guardsman Mark Williams, are balancing the needs of their families and the demands of serving during this pandemic. prgtoken In the past few weeks, members of our National Guard have worked early mornings and long days, helping to deliver personal protective equipment to over 88 counties in Iowa to keep our health care workers and emergency response professionals safe. prgtoken They've also helped to repackage and sort food at our food banks-- ensuring Iowans in need during this pandemic do not go hungry. prgtoken I'm proud to represent Camp Dodge, the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard, in Johnston, Iowa. I'm proud of the strong servant leadership I've seen in Colonel John Perkins, serving with the Army Guard, and Brigadier General Shawn Ford, serving with the Air Guard. These brave men and women who are now called to serve are taking time away from their regular jobs and their families to help support our citizens--and they deserve the thanks of a grateful state. prgtoken Our National Guard members now serving may be known to their neighbors only as members of the local church or an employee at a local business--their regular lives before this pandemic that gave no indication of their commitment to serve. But in times of crisis, we know we can count on them--for this is hardly the first time they've been called to help. prgtoken Last year, when Iowa was reeling from devastating flooding in the southwest part of our state, it was members of our National Guard who stepped up to help crippled communities get back on their feet. prgtoken And so, in recognition of National Military Appreciation Month, I'm proud to honor the brave and dedicated men and women of the Iowa National Guard for their critical help
AMERICA'S GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DURING COVID-19
Adam Smith (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , government and public health officials in the U.S. have started grappling with how to reopen the economy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of this discussion has understandably focused on what we need to do here in the U.S. such as drastically expanding testing capacity and hiring additional personnel to conduct a massive amount of contact tracing. For us to be prepared to prevent outbreaks here at home, however, we also have to think beyond our borders. prgtoken The reality of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is that outbreaks anywhere in the world threaten transmission here in the U.S. The pandemic has upended countries in almost every corner of the world, but the impact on developing countries will be especially devastating. Not only do these countries already have low-resourced health systems but many are facing other challenges caused by conflict, climate change, droughts, migration and displacement. Their ability to prevent, contain, and respond to outbreaks is severely limited, making assistance from the international community critical. prgtoken While the prevalence of COVID-19 in most developing countries remains unknown due to limited testing, the impact of the crisis is already taking its toll. The economic fallout from the pandemic will hit vulnerable populations the hardest; hundreds of millions of people could be pushed into poverty. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization has warned of a looming food crisis caused by significant strains on the global food supply chain. By the end of this year, the number of people on the brink of starvation around the world could double. prgtoken In the short-term, the U.S. must bring significant investments in emergency economic and humanitarian relief to the table. The potential for drastic increases in poverty and widespread famine will foster further instability and displacement. Progress in developing countries to reduce conflict, increase economic opportunity, and promote good governance will be set back. Providing immediate additional resources to combat COVID-19 in other countries will not only alleviate the humanitarian prgtoken crisis and reduce its potential destabilizing impacts, but it will also help prevent new outbreaks here in the U.S. prgtoken In the long run, the work to prevent future outbreaks and combat the next pandemic is never-ending. The investments we make today in global health and development will help determine our ability to prevent and combat future outbreaks. For decades, unfortunately, this work has been underfunded. We have to increase our funding for global health security to strengthen health systems in developing countries so they are better prepared to contain diseases and prevent outbreaks. Investments in development and economic assistance, global health, and humanitarian relief are also vital for countries to improve their outbreak response and recovery. Efforts to cut these programs and gut ke
TRIBUTE TO REV. DR. WILLIAM P. DIGGS
James E. Clyburn (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2020-5-1

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to a great man of faith and a true community servant. Rev. Dr. William P. Diggs, Sr. Dr. Diggs transitioned in Florence, South Carolina on April 25, 2020. Although he is no longer with us in person, his legacy lives on through his tremendous work. prgtoken William Diggs, Sr. was born in Columbia, South Carolina and grew up in Rock Hill. He earned his bachelor's degree from Morehouse College and a Master's from Atlanta University. He found his calling in the ministry and earned a Master of Divinity from Colgate-Rochester Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. prgtoken He began his career in his hometown of Rock Hill, where he served as an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Friendship Junior College. While there, he helped students organize a sit-in that launched the Jail No Bail movement in 1960. prgtoken In 1962, Rev. Dr. Diggs joined Trinity Baptist Church in Florence, South Carolina, where he served as head pastor for 50 years before retiring in 2012. He left his imprint on the church through several initiatives. Under his supervision, the church parsonage was completed in 1964, the church property was expanded, and many additions and improvements were made to the complex over his tenure. He also added a fully accredited preschool and chartered a federal credit union. prgtoken Beyond the church's physical plant, Rev. Dr. Diggs also oversaw the purchase of commercial property that provide business opportunities in the community like barber and beauty shops and a restaurant. prgtoken During his time as a faith leader, he also served in many secular capacities. He taught at Benedict College in Columbia and Morris College in Sumter. Rev. Dr. Diggs also served as President of the Florence Branch of the NAACP and was a poweeful voice for social justice. He was a calming presence during the 1975 riots that erupted in Florence after a police officer shot a black man during a traffic stop. prgtoken Rev. Dr. Diggs served as a board member of Friendship, Benedict and Morris colleges, Morehouse School of Religion, the Interdenominational Theological Center, Nannie Helen Burroughs School, the Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity, and the Florence Mayor's Human Relations Committee. prgtoken He was awarded the state's highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto. In addition, he was named to the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame and was recognized in the South Carolina African American History Calendar. prgtoken Rev. Dr. Diggs was married to the former, Clotilda Daniels, and the couple has two adult children, William, Jr. and Mary Lynn, who managed my campaign for South Carolina Secretary of State. They have one grandson, William, III. prgtoken Madam , I ask you and our colleagues to join me in celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. William P. Diggs, Sr. I considered him both a political and religious mentor, who taught us all