mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2018-7-25

I want to start today by sharing a story that is very personal to me and that has informed my work and my values ever since it happened. When I was in college, a friend of mine--we were close and lived together in the dorm--went out on a date. She was raped. She got pregnant. She didn't know where to get a safe abortion, and she wasn't wealthy. So she knew she couldn't afford it, either. The botched procedure she ended up having left her, at a very young age, unable to bear children. prgtoken I saw my friend hurt and frightened, alone and unable to get the care she needed because someone else's beliefs mattered more under our laws than her health and her future. That impacted me a lot, and it has stayed with me to this day. prgtoken Let me tell you a few other stories. This is the story of a woman I met just a few weeks ago. When she was 23, fresh out of college, she became pregnant while living paycheck to paycheck in what she described as ``an extremely unhealthy and volatile relationship.'' prgtoken She and her partner realized they were not ready to be parents and couldn't afford to raise a child, so they drove to a Planned Parenthood a few miles from her apartment. There, she was informed of her options. She was treated with respect and kindness and got a safe, legal abortion. Today, she is a writer and an editor and the mother of an adorable little boy, with another child on the way. prgtoken Here is another story. This young woman became pregnant in her first semester of college after a contraceptive failure. Having a baby would not only have meant dropping out of college but returning to an abusive home. She was grateful to be in New Jersey when this happened, where she could get an abortion without a waiting period and where there are a number of providers. She wrote that abortion access was ``critical in allowing me to determine my life path'' and in escaping the abusive household she had grown up in. prgtoken Finally, there is the story of a partner in a major law firm who was already the mother of a 3-year-old child. She was thrilled to find out she was pregnant with another child. But headed into the sixth month of her pregnancy, she and her husband were told that because of a rare heart defect, there was, in the best case scenario, just a 10-percent chance of the pregnancy making it to term, and there was less than a 1- percent chance of their baby making it to its first birthday--with no hope of a reasonable quality of life. prgtoken There is no right answer when it comes to decisions like these. Some women, some families choose one way; some, another. But this woman and her husband made the decision to end the pregnancy. It was their family, their future--her choice. She says she knows she did the right thing for her and her family, as difficult as it was. prgtoken A year later, she gave birth to a healthy son. She wrote: ``I have shared my story with my children and hope that sh
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-7-25

I am making clear to my friend from North Carolina, as well as to the other Members on the floor, that I would like to have this colloquy. I would like to make a formal unanimous consent request, and then we can enter into debate or colloquy, as the Chair would allow, if I may proceed. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3263 introduced earlier today; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. prgtoken This is a bill which embodies the Keep Families Together legislation by Senator Feinstein, A Fair Day in Court for Kids Act by Senator Hirono, and additional measures which I will then describe later when we go to colloquy and debate.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-7-25

if we didn't have enough to worry about, as the Presiding Officer and this Senator have to worry about cyber security in our capacity on the Armed Services Committee; if we didn't have enough to worry about, with all that is happening where Americans are being threatened to be exchanged--some of our diplomats--for questioning, which, in effect, would be putting them outside of the United States and suddenly subjected to being scooped up and kidnapped, to be put into the Russian criminal situation; if we didn't have enough to be worried about, with everything the American people are facing every day, including a trade war that is starting to hurt the economies of hard-working American families; if we didn't have enough to worry about, wouldn't it be nice that we would only have to worry about that? But now we have to worry about 3D printing--printing hard plastic guns that cannot be detected by all the detectors at the airports that we are frequently encountering as we go through TSA. And that is not even speaking of all of the protections that are around this building, right here, in trying to keep harm from being done to otherwise hard-working Americans, a lot of them right here in this Capitol complex. But replicate this throughout all of the governmental entities, including courthouses, city halls, obviously airports, seaports, the entrances into military bases, and it goes on. How about courtrooms--it goes on and on. prgtoken Now there is the capability of 3D printing, and the blueprints for putting together a 3D printed gun are now going to be allowed to go up on the internet on August 1. I don't understand why that is being allowed. prgtoken It is true that there are plans that are out there, because when there is anything, it is going to get out there on the internet. But to say as a matter of governmental policy that we are not going to try to stop something that we try to stop every day in our activities, such as going into an airport or a government building, and we are going to suddenly put the plans out there so that people can go around and manufacture, with hard plastic, a gun that looks like this or some variant thereof. If you grab the handle here, you can see, there is the trigger. If you do that, you suddenly have a lethal weapon that can't be detected by a metal detector. prgtoken What are we coming to? It is hard to overstate how dangerous these plastic guns can be. And you say: Well, maybe it is just like the Clint Eastwood movie about 25 years ago that depicted the Secret Service protecting the President. You say: Well, you could catch the bullet, even though that bullet got through, disguised as a keychain. prgtoken Now you don't have to have metal bullets because you can create such a hard plastic that it would serve the same purpose, and we are going to put up on the internet plans on how to put this together and to manufacture it. prgtoken It goes without saying that
HONORING GERALDINE JAMES PETTIE
Lucille Roybal-Allard (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-25

I rise to remember Geraldine James Pettie, a longtime Washingtonian, a dedicated public servant, a devoted spouse, a loving mother, an attentive grandmother and great grandmother, a cherished sister, an adored friend and neighbor. Mrs. Pettie passed away quietly on July 18, 2018, at her home in Washington, DC at the age of 91. prgtoken I never had the honor of meeting Mrs. Pettie, but my chief of staff, Victor Castillo, has shared many wonderful stories and anecdotes with me about his wonderful, welcoming neighbor. In tribute to Mrs. Pettie's life efforts and to share with my colleagues and the nation the story of Geraldine Pettie, I would like to include in the Record the obituary memorializing her which was included in program for her funeral services at Mount Zion United Methodist Church today. A Celebration of the Life of Geraldine James Pettie May 5, 1927-July 18, 2018 Geraldine Audrey James Pettie was born May 5, 1927, in Sandy Level, Virginia. She was the first child of the late Morris E. and Veatrice Jackson James. Geraldine was united in marriage to the late Lynwood E. Pettie on August 18, 1950, and to that union two children were born. Gerry, as she was affectionately known, attended the public schools of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and received her Bachelor's degree from Virginia State College in 1946. She taught in the Pittsylvania County school system until moving to Washington, DC, in 1951. It was then Gerry began her career with the Department of Defense, retiring from the National Security Agency in 1979 after 27 years of service. Although Gerry could not share details about her responsibilities at NSA, the pride she felt for the work she did was obvious. Upon moving to Washington, DC, Gerry joined Mount Zion United Methodist Church and was an active member until the untimely death of her husband in 1989. She also maintained her affiliation with the Ridgeway United Methodist Church back home. After retiring, she was able to dedicate more time to her greatest joys--her grandchildren, the Kappa Alpha Psi Silhouettes, and antiquing. Gerry and Lynwood loved finding and restoring antiques. They traveled extensively in pursuit of their hobby and together opened a small antique store--LYN & GERRY--in Maryland. Some of their antiquing trips were combined with Kappa and Silhouette activities, often arriving at conference hotels with a car packed full of their ``treasures''. Gerry devoted herself to her family. Her daughters and grandchildren were the pride of her life. Gerry was always armed with a collection of her kids' business cards and graduation photos which she proudly shared. In her final years, her greatest happiness came from the years spent living with her devot
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-7-25

for yielding. prgtoken As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2353, the bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, a bill to support students and prepare them for the future. prgtoken , s on both sides of the aisle for their work on this important legislation. prgtoken In Oregon, current technical education classes, like Beaverton's Aloha High School's Auto Tech program and Newberg High School's CAD Lab, engage more students, boost graduation rates, and give students the opportunity to learn real world skills. prgtoken Federal CTE funding provides critical equipment that schools need to make these hands-on classes meaningful experiences for students in Oregon and across the country. prgtoken I am proud that this bill includes the amendment I worked on with Representative Elise Stefanik, my cochair of the STEAM Caucus, to encourage the integration of arts and design skills into STEM CTE programs. Our provision will help make sure that the next generation of students are creative and innovative by fully engaging and educating both halves of the brain through art and design. prgtoken , I want to, again, thank my colleagues, and especially Ranking Member Scott and Chairwoman Foxx for their leadership on this issue. We have been waiting for a long time for this bipartisan bill, and I am proud to stand in strong support today. prgtoken , I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
HONORING MR. MIKE PARNESS
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-25

I rise today to honor Mr. Mike Parness upon his retirement from a distinguished 40 year public service career in city management. prgtoken Mr. Parness grew up in Livermore, California and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Santa Clara. He continued his education at California State University, Hayward, where he earned a Master of Public Administration. prgtoken Mr. Parness worked as a City Administrator in Renton, Washington for eleven years before returning to California to serve as the City Manager for San Clemente for twelve years and later, Walnut Creek for almost five years. Since November of 2006 Mr. Parness has been the City Manager of Napa, California. prgtoken During his tenure at the City of Napa, Mr. Parness was a member of the Sunrise Rotary and served on the Board of Directors for the California City Management Foundation and the International City Management Foundation. As City Manager, he oversaw the construction of Fire Stations 4 and 5, the renovation of the Edward I. Barwick Jamieson Canyon Water Treatment Plant, the introduction of Measure T and the launch of the 10-mile Paving Program and Sidewalk Repair and Replacement Program. Mr. Parness played an essential role in the revitalization of downtown Napa, the expansion of public event space at the Oxbow Commons and the city's financial recovery after the Great Recession. prgtoken Mr. Parness also facilitated the growth of public areas during his career in Napa with the additions of Trancas Crossing Park, China Point Overlook Park, Third Street Overlook Park, and the renewal of Veterans Park. He is also a wonderful colleague. His quick wit, sense of humor and lively stories are cherished by those who work with him. prgtoken , Mr. Parness is a passionate civil servant with an esteemed record for giving back to our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Mr. Mike Parness here today.
INCREASING ACCESS TO LOWER PREMIUM PLANS AND EXPANDING HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS ACT OF 2018
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-7-25

her sister could not get coverage. Though she had substantial chemotherapy coverage, it was not enough to cover the full amount of the treatment that she needed. prgtoken We cannot go back. These folks would drag us back along with the chief saboteur of healthcare in this country. We don't want to return to the fine print restrictions, to the clever caveats. We need comprehensive coverage. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act can be made better, and I believe we are going to have a Congress that will do just that if we defeat this effort.
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-7-25

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I thank Congressman Thompson for his partnership on this legislation, and Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott for their leadership. Lastly, I thank our colleagues in the Senate for working hard to pass H.R. 2353 earlier this week. It has now been 12 years since Congress acted to update this critical program. prgtoken The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported a skills gap of 6.5 million unfilled jobs. Compared to this time last year, there are now an additional 1 million job openings where employers can't find applicants with the adequate skills or training to fill them. For the health of our economy, the prosperity of our workers, and the strength of our businesses, we must reverse this trend, and we must reverse it now. prgtoken Our bipartisan legislation, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, implements critical reforms to ensure American technical education and training programs prepare students for high-wage, in-demand jobs in their communities. prgtoken This legislation aligns CTE programs to meet the needs of local labor markets, gives business and workforce experts a seat at the table when CTE curricula are crafted, and preserves robust accountability standards to protect American students. prgtoken This legislation also increases funding to Perkins CTE programs to record levels, ensuring that each State across the country receives sufficient Federal resources to build a dynamic, growing workforce and a thriving economy. prgtoken Congress hasn't made substantive reforms to career and technical education since 2006, before the invention of the iPhone and long before the current technological revolution. American students, workers, and businesses are depending on us today to reform and reauthorize Perkins CTE. prgtoken , I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2353, as amended, and .
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2018-7-25

I also rise to speak about our Federal workforce. prgtoken In Virginia, there are about 170,000 Virginians who are Federal employees. The density of Federal employees in our State is significant. I follow the comments of my colleague from Washington. They do all kinds of very important work. I think about the nurses at the Wounded Warrior hospital at Fort Belvoir, who are DOD civilian Federal employees. I think about folks who work in the Appalachian Regional Commission trying to help the Appalachian part of our State find economic strategies to move ahead. And there are so many others. I rise on their behalf to speak with significant concern about what the administration is doing. prgtoken The Executive orders the President issued are part of a concerted effort to go after Federal employees, the majority of whom are hard- working individuals driven by the pursuit of public service. prgtoken Under this administration, before these Executive orders, the workforce had already been subject to hiring freezes, proposed pay freezes, and cuts in their retirement. These additional Executive orders severely restrict or eliminate longstanding workplace rights and perpetuate less-than-optimal working conditions. They are being hastily implemented by managers across executive branch agencies, many of whom are political appointees who don't have history or expertise in working with particular agencies. Existing collective bargaining agreements are being torn up or ignored without good-faith negotiations. prgtoken Let me talk about the implications for hundreds of thousands of Federal employees. prgtoken First, under the Executive order of the administration--and this may be the one I am most concerned about--it will be easier to fire employees without due process, which leaves employees open to retaliation for personal or political reasons. prgtoken We have seen not just the administration but the President himself fire notable Federal employees--the FBI Director, for example, and others--and call others into question and challenge them publicly, in public settings, for just doing their jobs. What most incites the President to try to attack these Federal employees is if they take any position that he views as disloyal to him. If they are doing an investigation into ethical violations or other improprieties, then he goes after them and even fires them. prgtoken Leaving employees open to being fired because the political leader doesn't think they are loyal enough is not the system we should have or allow. Making it easier to fire employees without due process--we have seen how the President can use these authorities, and I don't think we want to expand them. prgtoken The orders also severely eliminate collective bargaining between agencies and employees. These agreements are relied on to ensure that employees have fair representation in the workplace, and now they are often being replaced with take-it-or-leave-it
UNDERSTANDING STORM SURGE
Jerry McNerney (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-25

as we enter the heart of hurricane season, it is important to understand hurricane storm surge. prgtoken Storm surge is the abnormal rise in water caused by hurricanes and the deadliest part of the storm. For large storms, mathematical models can predict a storm surge up to 48 hours before landfall. However, a 48-hour window is not sufficient for emergency management to make decisions on an evacuation order needed to save lives. prgtoken I recently met a young woman named Cindi-Ann Findley who has been working on solutions to this problem as she completes her undergraduate studies. With a National Science Foundation grant, Cindi-Ann is spending the summer exploring the sensitivities that lead to errors in forecasts by simulating previous storms using a detailed operational model. She hopes to find the characteristics that cause the largest storm surge errors. prgtoken Her work illustrates just one way that mathematics can be used to approach real-world problems and save lives.
WEEKEND VOTING
Brendan F. Boyle (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-7-25

sadly, voter turnout in the United States ranks as one of the lowest among developed democratic countries. prgtoken We know that low voter turnout results in frustration, apathy, and a democracy that is not truly representative of the public. prgtoken Fortunately, , there is one relatively easy way that we can address this and improve voter turnout, and that is to switch to weekend voting. Weekend voting is a proven method that increases accessibility, engagement, and turnout. prgtoken The reason why we vote on Tuesday in the United States is because of a law that has existed ever since 1845. It was because we didn't want to vote on the Sabbath; it took a day to travel to the county seat; and people needed to get back home in time for market day on Wednesday. Clearly, society has changed a great deal in the last 173 years. prgtoken That is why I introduced the Louise Slaughter Weekend Voting Act to officially change election day to the first weekend after the first Friday in November. Weekend voting makes sense, and our representative democracy should demand it.