mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RETIREMENT OF DOREEN DOTZLER, DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE OFFICE OF OFFICIAL REPORTERS
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-12-7

. Madam , I rise today to honor Doreen Dotzler, the Deputy Chief of the Office of Official Reporters, as she retires after twenty-three years of service to the House in the Office of the Clerk. prgtoken A Minnesota native, Doreen first came to Congress in 1998, working as a House stenographer covering committee assignments for the Clerk's Office. From 2001 to 2014, she served as a stenographer on the House Floor, and then transitioned to a Senior Official Reporter Position before taking on her current role in 2019. Among a great many other responsibilities, over the last seven years, Doreen has read every single word spoken on the House Floor, and over her career she has borne witness to countless historic moments in this chamber. It is in no small part because of her dedication, her knowledge of Congressional procedure, and her attention to detail that the daily Congressional Record over her tenure has been consistently accurate and reliable. prgtoken After previously delaying her retirement to extend her public service, Doreen leaves her post this year after a distinguished tenure in support of the House and its work. This institution and the American people it serves have greatly benefitted from her work, and I hope all of my colleagues will join me in extending my heartfelt thanks to Doreen and wishing her and her husband Terry and their family the very best as she retires.
DR. LORNA BREEN HEALTH CARE PROVIDER PROTECTION ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-12-7

. Madam , if there is one thing that we have heard so often, it is doctors who have sacrificed during this period of the pandemic, who have maintained their offices. We often hear in public settings and private settings about the cuts that they are expecting and how much it will undermine the work that they do, their offices' expenses. prgtoken I am very glad that, rather than talking, the are working together to ensure that the Medicare sequester payments will not occur and that we will protect against that, as we will do for the farmers. prgtoken But here is the point: The pandemic continues. Doctors in private practice are trying to survive. This is a crucial decision and relief that is long overdue. prgtoken I want to be able to say to my physicians that care. And I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will do as much acting on doctors and medicine and healthcare as they will talking. prgtoken Tonight, we need to act to provide the safety net for these physicians. I support this legislation, supporting the healthcare providers during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-12-7

I would just remind our colleagues we are here today to talk about a rule to bring the Protecting Our Democracy Act to the floor. That is a bill that would prevent criminal behavior by Presidents, not by illegal aliens, so I would just kind of redirect the conversation there. prgtoken We are also here to engage in the extremely important business of passing the National Defense Authorization Act and to help the Senate, since they are having difficulty on their own, to raise the debt limit. That is what we are here to discuss. prgtoken , .
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-12-7

it is my understanding that the next two nominees that I will bring forward have been cleared, and I would certainly urge my colleagues to support their confirmation. prgtoken The first is Michael Kubayanda, nominated to serve a second term on the Postal Regulatory Commission. prgtoken Mr. Kubayanda joined the Commission in January of 2019 after he was unanimously confirmed by the Senate during the last administration. Earlier this month, his nomination was reported from committee by a bipartisan vote. prgtoken I will say that he brings insight and expertise from decades of experience in both government and the private sector. During his tenure as Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Kubayanda has demonstrated his commitment to working in a bipartisan manner to make the Postal Service more effective and accountable. prgtoken I would urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his nomination. prgtoken Next, , I would ask my colleagues to join me in confirming Erik Hooks to be Deputy Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. prgtoken The Deputy Administrator helps lead FEMA's work preparing for and responding to disasters, ranging from hurricanes to historic flooding and wildfires, to the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken Mr. Hooks has more than 30 years of public safety experience, including serving as secretary of public safety and homeland security advisor for the State of North Carolina, where his responsibilities included overseeing the State's emergency management agency. prgtoken I would urge my colleagues to join me in swiftly confirming Mr. Hooks to this important role as well. prgtoken So, , I would ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar No. 558 and Calendar No. 555; that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc without intervening action or debate; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that any statements related to the nominations be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF DICK SCHIMMEL
Susan Wild (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-12-7

. Madam , I rise today to honor a local hero from my district in the Greater Lehigh Valley who served at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked 80 years ago today. prgtoken Dick Schimmel was 19 when, on the morning of December 7, 1941, he was roused from sleep by fellow servicemembers with the sound of explosions striking the American Naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. prgtoken Mr. Schimmel is a lifelong resident of Allentown, and a consummate American hero who joined the Army in August of 1940, serving as a radar specialist as part of the 580th Signal Aircraft Warning Company, before returning to Pennsylvania, where he sold appliances for Sears for 34 years. prgtoken Today is a solemn day as we reflect on the legacy of a day that President Roosevelt wisely said would ``live in infamy.'' We lost 2,335 servicemembers that day and an additional 68 civilians, not to mention countless more with injuries, both visible and invisible. prgtoken As the daughter of an Air Force veteran, I want to thank Mr. Schimmel for his heroism in Pearl Harbor 80 years ago.
NATIONAL PULSE MEMORIAL
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-12-7

. Madam , the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act is a bipartisan project of enormous work both by members and staff. As always, I start by thanking Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Rogers and the House Committee on Armed Services' staff that worked long hours and many, many nights putting this year's NDAA together. prgtoken I also thank the Subcommittee on Readiness Ranking Member Lamborn, for his partnership on the subcommittee, as well as all the members of the subcommittee who contributed to the base bill or submitted amendments in the process. prgtoken In addition, I thank the committee's staff for their many hours of work in preparing this mark or this legislation. In particular, the staff of the Subcommittee on Readiness: Jeanine Womble, Ian Bennitt, Melanie , David Sienicki, Jay Vallario, Wendell White, Whitney Verrett, and Naajidah Khan. prgtoken I am particularly proud of the many priority issues for the Subcommittee on Readiness that are reflected in this final bill. prgtoken Of note, this bill represents a continuation of the work to address the vulnerabilities of installations, as well as energy resiliency and response to climate change. We also are prioritizing efforts to address the contested logistics involving near-peer competitors. prgtoken This bill strengthens the operation energy program by requiring the Department of Defense to create a working group to enhance integration of military department energy initiatives into operational planning and platform development to combat the many challenges associated with contested and congested logistics. prgtoken It also represents a step forward in our work to ensure the safety of our military and civilian personnel is a top priority for the Department. The FY22 NDAA establishes the Joint Safety Council and requires the Department of Defense to develop a plan.
Tribute to Ron Barber (Executive Session)
Mark Kelly (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2021-12-7

today, I rise to honor one of Southern Arizona's own--known to many here as former Congressman Ron Barber--for a long and impactful tenure in public service. Ron has been a pillar of Southern Arizona for decades. He is also a close friend and trusted adviser to both me and Gabby. prgtoken Ron has deep roots in Tucson. His dad was stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base when Ron was a teenager. Ron attended Rincon High School and graduated from the University of Arizona. He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy, who is here today, and built his family and his home and his career in Tucson, AZ. prgtoken Safe to say, Ron embodies what it means to be a Tucsonan. It is written everywhere, from the art that hangs in his house to the bumper stickers on his car, and there are a lot of them. His love of Tucson is something that rubs off on others--myself included. prgtoken I first met Ron at a meeting when Gabby was hiring folks to begin launching her first campaign for Congress. At the time, Ron had just retired from his senior post at the Division of Developmental Disabilities. He had spent decades serving as an advocate for families and vulnerable populations. prgtoken For almost anyone, that would be a sufficient career in public service but not for Ron Barber. Ron was moved by Gabby's commitment to serving others. Now, he may not have had any experience in politics, but he showed up ready to help send Gabby to the U.S. Congress. Now, I wondered ``Who is this guy?'' but never really had to wonder again. He believed in her, and he did it early on. That is what makes Ron who he is--always believing, always early. And this is still true today. Really, Ron is literally always early to each and every event that he has staffed me for, and I am pretty sure that is the case with every person he has served alongside. prgtoken His punctuality is matched by his generosity and his knowledge of Southern Arizona. That is why when Gabby was elected, she wanted him on her team. He joined as her district director, her eyes and ears back home. prgtoken On January 8, 2011, Ron was doing that job when a gunman opened fire at the Congress on Your Corner event. He was standing next to his boss. Gabby was shot in the head. Ron was shot in the face and the leg. Eleven others were injured. Six died. We could have lost him that day too. prgtoken Those events rattled the Tucson community that Ron loves so much, and there was so much grief. But in the days, months, and years that followed, we found out just how strong our community was because of people like Ron Barber. Southern Arizona needed Ron, and Ron needed Southern Arizona. prgtoken Even through his own injury, he was there for me and Gabby and our family and countless others, as selfless as always. It is that exact selflessness that meant Ron never thought of himself as the right person to run for Gabby's seat after she stepped down. prgtoken I remember sitting in a
NATIONAL PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY AND HONORING THE TANKERS OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-12-7

I rise today on Pearl Harbor Day to remind my colleagues that on December 7, 1941, Imperial Japan attacked not only Pearl Harbor but also the Philippine Islands, Guam, Wake Island, Howland Island, Midway, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Bangkok. prgtoken In the Philippines that day, 89 men from Maywood, IL, who made up Company ``B'' of the 192nd Tank Battalion--federated National Guard units from Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Ohio--defended Clark Field from invading Japanese forces. They had arrived in the Philippines less than 3 weeks earlier. prgtoken These Illinois tankers watched helplessly as Japan's modern planes flew beyond the reach of their guns and destroyed the airfield. They then fought valiantly on the Bataan Peninsula with antiquated weapons and dwindling supplies. Relief from the United States never came. Though they held out for months, the men, overcome with fatigue, starvation, and disease, were surrendered by their commanders on April 9, 1942. prgtoken What followed was the infamous Bataan Death March 100 miles up the peninsula to a makeshift prison camp. Thousands died. Maywood, a hamlet outside of Chicago, had the greatest number of men from any single American town on the Death March. They would not all make it home. prgtoken Those who survived the initial march endured 3 and a half years of death camps, brutal forced labor, and unimaginable abuse. More than half the Americans taken prisoner on Bataan died before they could see the war's end. Of the 89 Maywood men of Company ``B'' who left the U.S. in 1941, only 43 returned home in 1945. prgtoken For 79 years, Maywood has celebrated and remembered its heroes of Bataan with an annual September Memorial. Like many important celebrations in COVID, this was the second year that the memorial had to be postponed. But we do not forget the men of Maywood. From the Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Bridge in Chicago to Maywood's Bataan Memorial Park, my home State of Illinois recalls daily their sacrifice for liberty. prgtoken As a retired member of the Illinois National Guard myself, today is a solemn day--a day that will forever live in infamy--when we are reminded of the sacrifices made and the brave lives lost in service to our Nation. I am proud to have served with my Illinois National Guard family and work to continue to bring respect, remembrance, and honor to such a strong legacy. prgtoken Therefore, I ask my fellow Senators to join me on this 80th anniversary of Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and to remember the other Americans who fought and died throughout the Pacific that day. Although the aim of the December 7 surprise attack on Hawaii's Pearl Harbor was to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet in its home port and to discourage U.S. action in Asia, the other strikes served as preludes to full-scale invasion and brutal military occupation. prgtoken I further ask my colleagues to join me in commending the hard
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2021-12-7

I can say with confidence to the senior Senator from Kentucky, who spoke this morning on childcare, that as a former preschool teacher, we can rest assured that we are not at risk of a toddler takeover in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken But seriously, I have never heard so much misinformation in such a short time from one person. It is not at all clear to me that the senior Senator from Kentucky read the bill--the Build Back Better bill. prgtoken So I want to set some facts straight. Under our bill, working parents will have way more options and pay way less to send their child to a high-quality childcare provider they choose. It is the same with pre-K. Parents of 3- and 4-year-olds will have more options to send their kids to quality preschool for free. We are talking about parents saving thousands of dollars a year on childcare and pre-K, which are huge financial burdens to families right now. prgtoken It is also, by the way, a great deal for our States who, by the way, are already working with the Federal Government on childcare, and 44 States already have some form of publicly funded pre-K. So this plan is not some new outlandish idea. And, finally, religious providers and family-based providers are absolutely eligible. prgtoken So this isn't a radical plan. It is a practical solution to, again, a huge financial barrier that parents are facing today. It is not a toddler takeover. It is giving parents more choices and more affordability. Though I would actually prefer toddlers on the Senate floor to what I saw today. prgtoken And it is not far-left propaganda because I can't emphasize this enough: This is not a political question for parents. To them, the question is, Can I choose the provider I actually like or do I have to go to this cheaper one just because I can't afford the one I really want to send my kids to; or is it worth me going back to work if I have to pay as much for rent or mortgage or college tuition as I do to send my child to a provider that I trust; or how long am I going to be on this wait list, and what do I do in the meantime? prgtoken What want to do is make sure there are more affordable options out there for parents. What Senate s want to do is nothing but watch the prices keep rising. prgtoken And here is the thing. I have seen again and again, when someone says you can't do something, it is because they are afraid that you will. It is because they are afraid that we will. Senate s are shaking in their boots because we are really doing something that helps working parents with a big part of their costs. prgtoken So I am sure they are going to keep calling affordable childcare ``radical'' and insisting that it would be better to do just nothing, and I am equally sure that are going to get this done. prgtoken . prgtoken .
Nomination of Chris Magnus (Executive Calendar)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-12-7

the Senate will soon vote on the nomination of Chief Chris Magnus to lead the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office, and I was very pleased that the Senate Finance Committee could advance this important nomination. prgtoken I want to give the Senate a brief assessment of why I think Chief Magnus is going to handle his job very well. prgtoken He brings a unique combination of smarts, common sense, and fairness, and that is really what this job is all about. For example, having talked to the chief at some length, he understands that strongly enforcing our immigration laws and treating immigrants and asylum seekers humanely are not mutually exclusive. You can do both. They are not incompatible. It is a perspective, in my view, on immigration that is going to help our communities, help public safety, and help our economy all at the same time. prgtoken Now, there is no doubt in my mind that Chief Magnus has the right qualifications for this position. He is highly experienced. He started out in Lansing, MI, and has headed up law enforcement agencies across the country--East, West, North, and South. prgtoken Currently, he serves as the chief of police in Tucson, AZ. That means we will have an individual leading Customs and Border Protection who starts on day 1--day 1--with firsthand knowledge about the challenges law enforcement on the southern border. prgtoken Even beyond that specific element of Customs and Border Protection's work, his range of experience in law enforcement all over the country makes him an ideal pick to lead an Agency with tens of thousands of employees, staffing more than 300 points of entry to our country. prgtoken So I think that is the heart of why he is going to be such a positive force with respect to border security, but I also want to note that on the Finance Committee, we are acutely aware that Customs and Border Protection is not just in the business of immigration; it is also on the frontlines of enforcing American trade laws. And too often in the past, that part of the mission has just gotten short shrift. prgtoken Today, Customs and Border Protection is the heart of the effort to fight against immoral and unfair trade practices, including the use of forced labor in China and elsewhere. Customs and Border Protection not only investigates forced labor and demands remediation where appropriate, it also enforces the ban on forced labor products entering our country. prgtoken Staying a step ahead of trade cheats, whether they are involved in forced labor or not, is key to protecting American jobs, our businesses, and innovation. Workers and businesses depend on healthy, functioning supply chains. We have certainly seen, since the beginning of the pandemic, that when the supply chains break down, you have enormous headaches throughout the economy, from the biggest businesses right down to individual families who are shopping this holiday season for typical holiday goods. <|
NATIONAL PULSE MEMORIAL
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-12-7

. Madam , I rise in strong support of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which is before us this evening. prgtoken As chair of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, this bill is proof that our panel upheld its duty under Article 1, Section 8 ``to provide and maintain a Navy.'' prgtoken Our bill authorizes 13 new ships, continuing our tradition to independently scrub the budget and augment our Navy fleet responsibly. Within that total, we authorize three destroyers and two additional Fast Transport ships to support the rapid deployment of equipment and personnel. prgtoken The agreement also reflects our panel's ongoing efforts to recapitalize our aging sealift. The bill fully authorizes the new sealift Tanker Security Program, an initiative our panel started last year to meet gaps in our at-sea refueling capabilities. prgtoken It also authorizes the fifth National Security Multi-Mission Vessel, another initiative our subcommittee led to boost maritime training and sealift capacity. Later this week, the historic Philly Shipyard will lay keel for the first in a series of NSMVs, which is tangible proof that our Nation can rebuild its decrepit sealift fleet with our prgtoken domestic shipbuilding industrial base. To that end, this agreement rejects a request to further our reliance on used foreign-built sealift ships. prgtoken Madam , of particular note, is the mark on undersea capabilities, which at the end of the day is the most effective path to deter the pacing threat of China. For proof of this, look no further than AUKUS, the recent security agreement between the U.S U.K and Australia, whose centerpiece is building a new fleet of Aussie nuclear- powered submarines. This NDAA funds two per year Virginia-class subs and full production of the Columbia program. It also includes House provisions of $200 million for a new facility, $130 million for supplier development, and $20 million for workforce development. Altogether, this will increase production capacity to help both our allies and our Navy to maintain dominance in the undersea domain. prgtoken Madam , I thank Ranking Member Rob Wittman and all the members on the subcommittee for their great bipartisan work building the NDAA this year, as well as Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Rogers. prgtoken I also thank Phil McNaughton, Dave Sienicki, and Kelly Goggin for their great staff work, and Lieutenant Commander Matt Harmon, my Navy fellow, who is sadly leaving us soon. His really solid contribution as a SWO really was instrumental in terms of the work that our subcommittee was able to produce.