mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tribute to Dean Lewis (Executive Session)
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-5-13

we are called upon many times to do many things in this Chamber, and in 21 years I have been called to do a lot of different things, but today may be the most different of all. prgtoken In a way, it is something that is a joy to do. It is about a place in Bartow County, GA, in White, GA, a small rural town that is being caught by the urban growth of the city of Atlanta, one of the biggest cities in the United States of America. White, GA, is a great town. The first Sunday of every month, there is a breakfast at 7 a.m. for the guys in town, where we all go and talk politics, talk about the future of the county, talk about what is happening, share good and bad ideas, tell jokes for the week, and come back a month later to see how things are going. It is something I relish doing. It is something I started doing because I am a politician. You go where two or more are gathered, and you go to talk to them and to try to get them to know you and to make sure they know you are on the ballot the next time. prgtoken I have been in politics a long time--41 years. I have learned a lot of things. I have learned that in politics the best thing to know is your next-door neighbor and people. The best thing for them to know is to know you. prgtoken But I also learned some interesting things about our economy and about business. The No. 2 producer of revenue to our governments around the country is revenue off of tourism. Tourism is the No. 2 industry in the country in terms of revenue at the local level--for sales and use taxes, for bed taxes, for hotel-motel taxes, for entertainment taxes, and for all kinds of taxes. They generate money to help our cities and counties buy and build facilities that attract tourism to come in the future, whether it is convocation centers, educational centers, or whatever. prgtoken I am always paying close attention everywhere I go to see what somebody new is doing around the country that we might not have done in Georgia before. But I have been sitting on a ham sandwich, starving to death, because every first Sunday of every month, when I go to the breakfast in White County, GA, I am going to something that is exactly that, unique to the country. So I thought I would bring it to the floor of the Senate today and tell you a little bit about it. prgtoken It is about a guy named Dean Lewis and Dean's family's home place. prgtoken Dean's family's home place is in Bartow County, GA. Dean grew up on a piece of property that in 2009 was a junkyard. It was just a junkyard of old cars--in fact, 40 years' worth of old cars. There was kudzu. I don't know if the Presiding Officer knows what kudzu is. The South is full of it. It was a great idea to stop erosion, but it was a horrible idea because you can't kill it. It just gets bigger and bigger. We have 40 years' worth of kudzu that has grown through these cars, wrecked tractors, buses, and everything. They are almost canopy hidden by the
TRIBUTE TO DAWN HENDERSON
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-5-13

today I recognize Dawn Henderson, the Highlands County Teacher of the Year from Avon Park High School in Avon Park, FL. prgtoken Dawn received this award at the Summit Awards ceremony held at her school. Her colleagues note that she dedicates herself to teaching her students, believing that education is the key to changing their mindset, and opens doors for their future success. Parents of her students say she is willing to meet with them at any time, before or after school, to discuss any concerns they may have. prgtoken Dawn has worked at Avon Park High School since the beginning of her teaching career in 2004. She currently serves as an advancement via individual determination coordinator. prgtoken I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to Dawn for her dedication to her students and look forward to hearing of her continued success in the coming years.
TRIBUTE TO ROBERT A. ALTENKIRCH
Richard C. Shelby (Republican, AL) \u2014 2019-5-13

today I wish to commend Dr. Robert Altenkirch for his leadership at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Dr. Altenkirch led the university as president from 2011 to 2019. While serving in this capacity, he implemented many strategic growth initiatives and promoted economic development throughout the campus and the city of Huntsville, AL. prgtoken Under Dr. Altenkirch's leadership, UAH provided assistance in recruiting numerous corporations to north Alabama. Those corporations include Blue Origin, Aerojet, Rocketdyne, GE Aviation, and Polaris. He also spearheaded the purchase of a 58-acre business park that is adjacent to the campus and serves as a town center for the students and faculty. prgtoken Continuing to add to his legacy, Dr. Altenkirch established the D.S. Davidson Invention to Innovation business incubator. This regional initiative fosters, promotes, and accelerates the commercialization of technology-based ventures through incubation, co-working, mentorship, funding, and strategic support. prgtoken Not only did Dr. Altenkirch expand the university physically and economically, but he also contributed to the university's growth in total enrollment over the past 5 years. By the fall of 2019, the enrollment at UAH skyrocketed by more than 10,000 students. The average ACT score for incoming freshman reached an alltime record high at the university under Dr. Altenkirch. By fall 2018, the average score was 28.5, which is the highest among the State of Alabama's public universities. prgtoken Studying mechanical engineering, Dr. Altenkirch earned a B.S. from Purdue University, an M.S. from the University of California, Berkley, and a Ph.D. from Purdue. He was recognized as one of the 101 Most Influential People in the State of New Jersey in 2009, as Dr. Altenkirch served as the president of New Jersey Institute of Technology for 9 years prior to his tenure at UAH. prgtoken Dr. Altenkirch deserves the highest recognition for his outstanding leadership at the University of Alabama in prgtoken Huntsville. He helped shape a more prosperous future for the university, the city of Huntsville, and the State of Alabama. The impact he has made on UAH and the entire north Alabama community will not be forgotten.
RECOGNIZING PEET SHOE DRYER, INC.
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-5-13

as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, it is my privilege to recognize an Idaho small business that exemplifies creativity, hard work, and dedication to improving their community. The small business I am honoring today is a shining example of the many Idaho businesses that are led by innovative individuals who are not afraid to harness creativity to bring new and inventive ideas to market. In honor of the U.S. Small Business Administration's National Small Business Week, it is my pleasure to name PEET Shoe Dryer, Inc of St. Maries, ID, as the Senate Small Business of the Day. prgtoken Founded in 1968 in the heart of one of the most beautiful locales in the United States, PEET Shoe Dryer has been a supporter of American outdoor enthusiasts for the last 50 years. Searching for a quicker way to dry his boots after hiking, founder Gene Peet designed the original shoe dryer for his own personal use. Soon, however, his friends and family began requesting shoe dryers for themselves. Realizing the demand for his new invention, Gene opened PEET Shoe Dryer. prgtoken Starting from humble beginnings, Gene and his son Blair began building their shoe dryers in the kitchen of their family home. Gene's first customers were loggers and hunters in the local St. Maries area, who depend on having dry and comfortable shoes for their workday. Not having enough money for advertising, Gene simply relied on the quality of his product and satisfaction of his customers to help spread the word for his new invention; and as word spread, Gene's enterprise quickly grew into a thriving business. prgtoken Today, PEET Shoe Dryer, now run by Gene's son Blair Peet, continues to succeed. They have improved the manufacturing of their boot and shoe dryers, as well as expanded their offerings. Serving millions of customers over the years, PEET Shoe Dryer has never compromised on its commitment to quality and service. prgtoken Having grown from a small, word-of-mouth business to a successful international exporter, PEET Shoe Dryer is an outstanding example of the American dream. It is with great pleasure that I extend my congratulations to the Peet family and all of the employees at PEET Shoe Dryer, Incorporated, for being named the Senate Small Business of the Day. I wish them well as they continue serving the people of Idaho and look forward to watching their continued growth and success.
Nominations (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-5-13

this week the Senate will continue to promptly and reasonably consider a number of well-qualified nominees for important positions. prgtoken Several weeks ago we put an end to 2 years of unprecedented, systematic partisan obstruction that had kept abundantly qualified nominees on the sidelines for no substantive reason. The Senate took a modest but important step to turn back toward the institutional traditions that had shaped our work in nominations throughout our history. We put in place a reform to speed up the postcloture floor time that we spend debating on lower level nominations--or, in many cases, I should say, supposedly debating them. prgtoken Since then we have been able to fill several important posts in the executive branch, along with seats on the bench, at a more reasonable pace. In many cases, these unobjectionable candidates have received the overwhelming support they deserve--90 to 8, 90 to 8, 95 to 3. prgtoken Over the next few days, four more will receive consideration on the floor. We will begin by processing the first of two more well-qualified nominees to our Nation's district courts, such as Michael J. Truncale, of Texas, to serve as U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Texas. prgtoken Mr. Truncale is a graduate of Lamar University, the University of North Texas, and the Southern Methodist University School of Law. Over more than three decades of private practice, he has amassed a distinguished record in both litigation and appellate law. In addition, Mr. Truncale has served on the board of regents for the Texas State University System and the Texas Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Board in the Texas Comptroller's Office. prgtoken His nomination has earned a well-qualified rating from the ABA and has twice been favorably reported by our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee. So I hope each of our colleagues will join me and add Mr. Truncale's nomination to the growing list of uncontroversial nominees passed in an orderly, bipartisan fashion. prgtoken Following consideration of the Truncale nomination, we will vote on Kenneth Lee's nomination to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and Wendy Vitter's nomination to serve as U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. prgtoken Then we will consider the nomination of Brian Bulatao, of Texas, to serve as Under Secretary of State for Management. This is, effectively, the COO job at the Department of State, responsible for such critical things as embassy security. His nomination was first submitted to the Senate in June of 2018, nearly a year ago. prgtoken Following those four individuals, the Senate will also consider this week the nomination of Jeffrey Rosen to serve as our next Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Rosen is a graduate of Northwestern University and Harvard Law School. He built a strong record in private practice as a litigator before entering public service in 2003. Prior to his current positio
TRIBUTE TO NCSU ATHLETIC DIRECTOR DEBBIE YOW
David E. Price (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2019-5-14

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Dr. Debbie Yow, Athletic Director at North Carolina State University (NCSU), who is retiring this month. Dr. Yow joined the Wolfpack in 2010 with the responsibility of leading the athletics department of the largest university in North Carolina. In her eight-year tenure, Dr. Yow has worked to make NCSU's athletics department one of the best in the nation--both in the classroom and in competition. prgtoken Dr. Yow's tenure as the athletic director has been marked by the unprecedented academic success of NCSU's student-athletes. This past year, an all-time high of 59 NCSU student-athletes were named academic All-Americans. Overall, the students reached a record graduation rate. Under Dr. Yow's tenure, the Wolfpack also made remarkable improvements in competition. In the last three years, an average of 79 students were named competitive All-Americans, an all-time high for NCSU student- athletes. From 2010-12, the school made the biggest single jump of any Atlantic Coast Conference school in history, improving from No. 89 to No. 37 in NACDA rankings. prgtoken Dr. Yow has received numerous accolades for her outstanding leadership. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics recently selected her as the 2018-19 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year and named her the 2019 James J. Corbett Memorial Award Recipient, which is the highest honor one can achieve in collegiate athletics administration. Both Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal and the Chronicle of Higher Education have cited Dr. Yow as one of the 20 most influential people in college athletics. Additionally, she was selected to serve on the President's U.S. Department of Education Commission on Opportunities in Athletics, to review the status of Federal Title IX regulations, and was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. prgtoken Prior to serving as athletic director at NCSU, Dr. Yow served as athletic director at University of Maryland, where she was the first female athletic director in the ACC. Before becoming an administrator, she served as the women's basketball coach at University of Kentucky, Oral Roberts University, and the University of Florida. Yow also served as a high school coach at Williams High (Burlington, NC) and Eastern Guilford High (Gibsonville, NC). She received a bachelor's degree from Elon University and a master's degree from Liberty University. Yow also has been awarded honorary doctorates from Elon, Liberty and the United States Sports Academy. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Debbie Yow for her outstanding contributions to NC State University and to thousands of student athletes.
REAUTHORIZING BULLETPROOF VEST PARTNERSHIP GRANT PROGRAM
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-5-14

such time as I may consume. prgtoken This could not be a more solemn moment than what my friend from Georgia just expressed to the Nation about our State and local law enforcement personnel, male, female, Black, White, Latino, Asian, this legislation is an effort to protect them. prgtoken And I will note that there have not been just one, but actually three deaths of law enforcement officers already this year in the State of Georgia. The numbers are up. It is very concerning, and this is something that we can do to help protect the lives of our law enforcement officers. prgtoken I know that my friend from Georgia, Representative Collins, has a long and storied history of support for State and local law enforcement, and I stand with him in his concern, and I stand with him in his support for this very important legislation that my friend, Bill Pascrell, has introduced. prgtoken I will note that a lot of little boys and girls who first go into law enforcement, they go into local and State law enforcement, and then they are able to attain their ultimate dream, which is to become an FBI agent. prgtoken FBI agents are Federal law enforcement agents. They are sworn to protect and serve; they wear a gun, and they wake up every morning not knowing what they will face during that day. Some have given their lives in the ultimate sacrifice for this Nation. prgtoken So, in addition to our State and local law enforcement agents, we, today, uphold our Federal law enforcement agents who work for the various Federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, with its storied history of integrity. prgtoken So, it is not about what we say; it is about what we do. It is about what we say also, because what we say has an impact on those who serve us. And we cannot, because of one or two outliers, indict the entire State or local law enforcement agency for the imperfections of the few; nor can we do so with our Federal law enforcement agencies, particularly our premier Federal law enforcement agency, the FBI. prgtoken I support the FBI. I support our State and local law enforcement agencies. prgtoken , I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).
BLUE WATER NAVY VIETNAM VETERANS ACT OF 2019
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-5-14

I rise in strong support of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 (H.R. 299). prgtoken When our brave men and women sign up to serve, the American people make a promise to them. We assure them of clearly defined benefits that are guaranteed upon completion of their service. Unfortunately, for many veterans of the Vietnam era who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam, our government fell short of this solemn duty. prgtoken In 1991, Congress passed the Agent Orange Act, legislation that instituted the presumption of service connection for certain diseases linked to exposure to defoliants and herbicides like Agent Orange. This law built upon the Veterans' Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act of 1984 that directed the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a system of disability compensation for Vietnam era veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange. prgtoken However, these laws failed to acknowledge that veterans who served in the territorial seas during the Vietnam War, known as Blue Water Navy Veterans, were also exposed to Agent Orange. In addition to handling toxic chemicals onboard naval vessels, many of these chemicals polluted rivers and streams in Vietnam that ran into the territorial seas. This contaminated water was then used by the U.S. Navy for drinking, bathing, and other purposes. prgtoken H.R. 299 finally acknowledges that our Blue Water Navy Veterans were exposed to these toxic chemicals. It remedies the inequity among veterans of the Vietnam era by extending the presumption of service connection for certain conditions to those who served offshore, and it is a long overdue step towards making these veterans whole. I hope that the Senate will swiftly take up this legislation once the House passes it today. prgtoken , I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation and finally welcome back home our Blue Water Navy Veterans.
HONORING DR. HIRAM TAVAREZ
Vicente Gonzalez (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-5-14

. Madam , I rise today to honor the career of Dr. Hiram Tavarez from McAllen, Texas. Dr. Tavarez recently retired after dedicating his career to the health and prosperity of the people of South Texas. For the past 55 years, he has worked tirelessly to help people in the Rio Grande Valley lead healthy lives. prgtoken Dr. Tavarez earned his medical degree from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico, and started his residency in internal medicine at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas. In 1965, Dr. Tavarez finished his residency and joined his brothers, Marvin and Vicente, in McAllen where they began practicing medicine. There, they opened the Tavarez Medical Center which still serves our community today. In the early days of the Tavarez Medical Center, Hiram and his brothers frequently made house calls homes to administer treatment and care. Dr. Tavarez would continue to demonstrate his unwavering commitment to serving others throughout his career. His good deeds did not go unnoticed as he received several honors and awards for his commitment to his community and patients. prgtoken Dr. Tavarez's dedication to helping others is matched by his staff's loyalty and mission of service. The staff at the Tavarez Medical Center consistently praise Dr. Tavarez for his compassion and his kindness; sentiments echoed by his patients. For more than half a century, Dr. Tavarez has unfailingly ensured every patient receives the highest quality care possible. His past shines brightly with his good feats, and his retirement is well deserved. prgtoken Madam , Dr. Tavarez is a pillar of the community in South Texas and serves as an example to all of us. It is truly an honor to represent dedicated, selfless individuals like him.
BLUE WATER NAVY VIETNAM VETERANS ACT OF 2019
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-5-14

I rise to speak in support of H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. prgtoken During the Vietnam War, the United States Military sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange, across the southern half of Vietnam to destroy jungle foliage that concealed enemy personnel and supply routes. The Agent Orange was carried into rivers by soil and plant run-off. The hydraulic plumes from where the rivers met the coast mixed hundreds of miles of coastal water with contaminated river water. To make matters worse, rivers and harbors were also sprayed, contaminating the ocean water even further. prgtoken Due to the constant churning of the seabed from U.S. Navy Vessels moving up and down the coast, the Agent Orange would rise to the surface where it would be picked up every time Navy ships converted the salt water into potable water. A University of Queensland study on the Australian distillation system, which is the identical system used in U.S. ships, determined that the conversion process enriched the toxic chemical ingredient Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) in Agent Orange to an even higher concentration in the filtered water. The contaminated water was then used by a ship's crew for cooking, cleaning, showering, laundry, and drinking, effectively giving our sailors a heavy exposure to Agent Orange during their deployment. prgtoken Medical research concluded that exposure to the dioxin found in Agent Orange causes numerous health issues including respiratory and blood cancers, prostate cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. According to a report from the Institute of Medicine, individuals with exposure to Agent Orange at an increased risk of developing serious heart problems and Parkinson's disease. prgtoken Until 2002, presumptive coverage for accessing health care for these side effects was provided to our Blue Water Navy Veterans. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs, failed to recognize the territorial seas as a part of the sovereign territory of Vietnam. The VA unilaterally decided that it would only provide presumptive coverage to those Veterans who served on land or on inland waterways. prgtoken Veterans that were exposed to these toxic chemicals, while serving their country have been neglected for too long. Congress must act on this pressing issue by passing this important piece of legislation that is supported by 333 co-sponsors. H.R. 299 extends the presumption of exposure for service connection for diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange to U.S. Navy Veterans who served offshore during wartime missions and also lengthens eligibility for VA benefits to certain children with spina bifida who were born to Veterans who served in Thailand and were exposed to Agent Orange. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill. Those Veterans who sacrificed their lives on behalf of America's freedom truly deserve better.