mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IN HONOR OF REP. EDWARD BUTLER
Chris Pappas (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-9-24

. Madam , I rise today to honor State Representative Ed Butler, who is retiring after twelve years of service to the citizens of New Hampshire. Rep. Butler served Carroll County District 7 for six terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. prgtoken Rep. Butler, a fierce leader, has dedicated his career to championing progressive and inclusive legislation including defending LG BTQ+ rights, advocating for accessible health coverage, and supporting local small businesses. After years of faithful service and an unyielding commitment to furthering the cause of equality and justice for all Granite Staters, Rep. Butler made the difficult decision to forego re- election in order to dedicate his time to helping his husband with the operation of their small business, the Notchland Inn, which has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken Rep. Butler is known amongst colleagues as a hard worker who goes the extra mile to advocate for the betterment of his district. He has served as an example to many of what it means to be an effective and compassionate lawmaker. He approaches his work with goodwill, grace, and fervor. His embodiment of these values serves as a model to other representatives and will continue to be a guiding principle in the General Court for decades to come. prgtoken On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's First Congressional District, I want to thank Rep. Butler and his family for their years of dedication to our state. I congratulate him on his accomplished law- making career, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2020-9-24

. As previously noted, section 2861 provides for a 20-year extension of the public land withdrawals specific to the Fallon Range Training Complex which is utilized by the U.S. Navy. Just like with section 2862, while this provision of the bill before us seems relatively simple, the underlying issues presented by the Fallon Range Training Complex present a range of complicated issues centered upon public lands, sovereign Tribal governments in Nevada and environmental justice, public access and recreation, energy and transportation infrastructure, and the ability for future economic development. prgtoken Could the senior Senator from Nevada provide more detail on some of this underlying history which helps make section 2861 so important to our constituents?
REAFFIRMING THE SENATE'S COMMITMENT TO THE ORDERLY AND PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2020-9-24

I would like to speak to the resolution. prgtoken It is a shame that we have to come and reaffirm our commitment to our country, to our Constitution, and who we are as a people and how we became the greatest country on Earth and the freedoms we all take for granted many, many times. prgtoken Sometimes we hear things that challenge that. We heard that yesterday, and we were very concerned about that. prgtoken As of today, my friend and colleague from Indiana, Senator Braun, basically wanted to reaffirm our commitment to the Pledge of Allegiance, which is something we should do every day--our Pledge of Allegiance to our flag and to our great country. prgtoken What we are doing with this resolution is basically saying that the bedrock of democracy is the orderly and peaceful transfer of power when a President transitions out. This should not be a question. There should not ever be one iota of interruption whatsoever at that peaceful demonstration. prgtoken I remember 1960. At that time, it was the race between Senator John Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. It was very, very close. Everyone was on pins and needles, but there was an orderly transfer. Richard Nixon conceded, and to take this out further, he did a peaceful and orderly transfer, and away he went. prgtoken Then you had Al Gore--Senator Al Gore at that time, former Vice President Al Gore--and in 2000. We know how that turned out with the chads and all the hanging chads and the consternation of not knowing for so long. Then, basically, for the sake of our country, he did the right thing. Again, we expect that to be done. prgtoken We are in the most difficult times right now, and for the President to even address the subject of maybe not knowing if he would accept or not is beyond all of our comprehension that could ever happen in America, that it could ever happen in the discourse and the will of the voters, the verification of the votes and being able to protect the ballot box. We have come too long in our country, and we continue to be challenged. prgtoken I believe that to have the leader of the free world talk as if we are an autocracy--authoritarian versus a democracy--is something that alarmed me, along with colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Even as quiet as some may be, I know they are alarmed with that. prgtoken What we did is affirm who we are in the Senate and what we believe in. The resolution is very clear. All it says is that we affirm as the Senate our ``commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States'' and intend that there should be no disruptions by the President or any person in power to overturn the will of the people of the United States. It is really who we are. prgtoken , it is what you defended, what you fought for, why you entered the service. I am so proud of all the people who have served. Thank you for your service, Mr
REMEMBERING AMARI PRESIDENT
Joe Cunningham (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2020-9-24

I rise today to honor the life of Amari President. prgtoken Amari was only 16 years young when he passed, but his wisdom was already far beyond his years. Despite being too young to vote, he knew the importance of his civic duty to hold public officials accountable and to be involved in his local community. prgtoken That involvement brought Amari into my life when he attended one of my very first townhalls and left me with a question. In my subsequent conversations with Amari, it was clear that his leadership and vibrancy were going to take him to big and wonderful places in life. prgtoken Anyone who was lucky enough to know Amari knew his dreams were big but achievable for someone as bright and determined as him. You just knew Amari would find a way to achieve every single one of them, especially living up to his name and becoming a U.S. President one day. And he would have my vote. prgtoken Beyond his ambition, his family knew Amari as compassionate, empathetic, and driven to serve others. Amari wanted to spread kindness and joy wherever he went. He went the extra mile to be a beacon of light and knew how to brighten your day by sharing his warmth through a big grin. prgtoken His 16 years have left an incredible imprint on the Lowcountry, and his legacy will be found in every heart that Amari touched, including mine. prgtoken I mourn this tragic loss with his family, his classmates, and the massive community that was blessed to know Amari and his greatness.
WE HAVE MUCH WORK TO DO TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CAUSE OF SUDDEN UNEXPECTED DEATH SYNDROME
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-9-24

today I rise to honor and commemorate the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the ``Notorious RBG.'' prgtoken As Americans across the country mourn this tremendous loss, we look back on an amazing life and an extraordinary career that so clearly shaped the world we live in today. prgtoken Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a trailblazer for gender equality, a brilliant jurist who wrote some of our country's most important legal opinions, and a fierce defender of women's rights. Her presence, her grace, indeed, her courage on the Court will be missed by all who cherished her advocacy. prgtoken As only the second woman to serve on the highest court in the land, Justice Ginsburg inspired a generation of women--my generation--to join her efforts in creating a more perfect union and combating injustice that lurked in every corner of our country. prgtoken From authoring the Court's opinion in landmark cases that struck down laws discriminating against women to issuing blistering dissent in cases like Ledbetter v. Goodyear, where she believed the Court was failing to address pay discrimination in the workplace, Justice Ginsburg's voice on the Supreme Court represented the life experiences of so many American women. prgtoken Justice Ginsburg led a full and meaningful life, and her chapter in American history will be earmarked for generations to come. It is now up to all of us to complete the work unfulfilled and, in her words: ``Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.'' prgtoken Justice Ginsburg has passed the torch, and now it is up to us.
REAFFIRMING THE SENATE'S COMMITMENT TO THE ORDERLY AND PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-9-24

last Friday, as the Jewish New Year began, Rosh Hashanah, our Nation lost a titan of justice and an unmatched force for good--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. prgtoken According to Jewish tradition, a person who dies on Rosh Hashanah is a tzaddik--a person of great righteousness. Justice Ginsburg, who was only the seventh Jewish Supreme Court Justice and the first female Jewish Justice, was, indeed, righteous. prgtoken I and Jill, my wife, were proud to call Ruth a friend, and like all Santa Feans, we are proud that Ruth graced our city at the Santa Fe Opera every summer. She loved New Mexico, and New Mexico loved her. Our hearts are with Justice Ginsburg's family. prgtoken You shared a great national treasure with all of us, and we are eternally grateful. prgtoken Ruth Bader Ginsburg was 1 of only 12 women who graduated from Columbia Law School in 1959. With a young child in tow, she tied for first in her class. Talk about a trailblazer. Indeed, RBG, as she is so affectionately called, blazed so many trails--too many to list. She was the first woman to serve on two major law reviews and one of the first female law professors in the Nation. She cofounded the first law journal on women's rights, and coauthored the first casebook on gender discrimination. prgtoken Ruth Bader Ginsburg had to push open those doors because no one opened them for her. She was no stranger to gender discrimination. She was demoted at work when she became pregnant with her first child. She was refused a U.S. Supreme Court clerkship because she was a woman. She was also paid less than her male counterparts as a law professor. prgtoken Always driven toward justice, RBG became the leading legal mind behind incrementally dismantling gender discrimination laws in the United States. She spearheaded the strategy to apply the 14th Amendment--requiring equal protection under the law--to women, and she won in the Supreme Court five times. Her victories helped to take down the mass of legal structures relegating women to second-class status. She accomplished what was nearly impossible and expanded who is included in ``We the People,'' and her quest for justice never ended. prgtoken As a jurist, she authored groundbreaking opinions--striking down strict requirements on abortion clinics that were designed to put them out of business, establishing the right of persons with mental illness to be treated in the community instead of in institutions, and opening up the Virginia Military Institute to female cadets, which, I think, Senator Kaine talked about a little bit earlier. prgtoken She was also as well known for her forceful dissents. ``I dissent'' has become a rallying cry against an activist conservative Court. prgtoken In 2013, when the Court struck down the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act, Justice Ginsburg declared: ``'Hubris' is a fit word for today's demolition of the VRA.'' She observed that striking down voting protect
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2020-9-24

I want to add one thought. I was about to run and jump in my minivan and head to Delaware. The thought occurred to me, your father-in-law served all those years in uniform with the Army and then many more years in uniform with the Postal Service. prgtoken I want to say to the men and women who serve in the Postal Service today, around the country and, literally, around the world--to the men and women who are serving in uniform, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard--I just want to say to the Postal Service, thank you for enabling our men and women in service, in uniform, who are serving around the world, to actually vote this year. prgtoken When I was a naval flight officer in Southeast Asia during my first and third tour, I was in a P-3 squadron, and we did service surveillance for engineer aircraft--land base, South China Sea, the Gulf of Thailand, and off the coast of Vietnam. I was asked by my commanding officer to be the voting officer--and not once but in 1970 and again in 1972. We had 300 men. We had no women in our squadron then. But my job was to get 300 men signed up, registered to vote in their States--and they are from all over the country--and I did the same thing again in 1972. prgtoken It was a source of great joy to me to know that we were able to exercise our right to vote on the other side of the world and made possible by the Postal Service. prgtoken That thought occurred because your dad has been both on the sending and receiving side as a member of the Army and at the Postal Service. prgtoken May he rest in peace. God bless.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2020-9-24

I rise today to introduce the COVID-19 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act. I thank Representative Jennifer Wexton for working with me on this important piece of legislation, which will help shine a light on the ways social media and other online platforms amplify and spread misinformation and disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic to the detriment of public health. prgtoken Representative Wexton was able to get the substance of this bill included in the HEROES Act, a bill passed four months ago by the House of Representatives to provide much needed relief to those suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and accompanying economic downturn. Because the Senate failed in its duty to pass the HEROES Act, I am introducing the COVID-19 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act with my colleagues--Senators Booker, Blumenthal, Klobuchar, Warren, and Reed. prgtoken As I stand here today nearly 7 million Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and over 200,000 have died from the virus. prgtoken The numbers alone are staggering. But when you hear and read the personal stories of individuals and families who are suffering, it is truly tragic. It makes you mournful that for many of the individuals who died, they died alone in the absence of their loved ones. prgtoken While many things contributed to this massive loss of life, I am here to talk about one in particular: the insidious spread of coronavirus- related misinformation and disinformation online. This ``infodemic'' has undercut the efforts of public health officials at every turn, and threatens to prolong the virus's impact on the health of our people and economy long after a safe and effective vaccine is available. prgtoken The online spread of misinformation about public health is nothing new. Claims that the 2014 Ebola epidemic was a form of population control spread across social media. Anti-vaccination groups have long used Face book and YouTube to share junk science and recruit new members. prgtoken However, social media platforms' response to coronavirus was supposed to be different. Early in the pandemic, the major social media platforms announced new measures to combat misinformation while making sure users had access to accurate, authoritative information about the virus. Facebook added a COVID-19 Information Center to the tops of users' News Feeds and announced it would remove misinformation that could contribute to imminent physical harm. Twitter verified accounts that provided credible updates on the pandemic and committed to removing false or misleading content that contradicted information from health authorities. YouTube began directing users who searched for COVID-related information to the WHO or other health authorities and banned false information contradicting health authorities on treatment, prevention, diagnosis, or transmission of COVID-19. prgtoken Unfortunately, these measures proved lacking and insufficient. T
EXTENDING THE UNDERTAKING SPAM, SPYWARE, AND FRAUD ENFORCEMENT WITH ENFORCERS BEYOND BORDERS ACT OF 2006
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-9-24

this bill, H.R. 4779, ``To extend the Undertaking Spam, Spyware, And Fraud Enforcement With Enforcers beyond Borders Act of 2006,'' would reauthorize the U.S. SAFE WEB Act, which is an important tool for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and take action against the scams, robocalls, and fraud that may span international borders. It would save consumers the hardship and heartbreak, financial pain, and emotional travail of fraud, scams, and robocalls that may have international implications and impacts. prgtoken The SAFE WEB Act has been reauthorized on a bipartisan basis over many years. I am pleased to cooperate and collaborate with Senator Moran of Kansas, who is a great partner in consumer protection and this effort and is the chairman of the subcommittee on which I am the ranking member. prgtoken We all know that fraud spawned by foreign criminal organizations, as well as domestic ones, has caused significant harm to consumers here. Therefore, this measure will provide the tools that are essential to the FTC in protecting consumers and in enforcing the law. prgtoken I know of no further debate on the bill.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACT OF 2019
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-24

I rise today in strong support of my amendment to H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. prgtoken This commonsense amendment clarifies that energy saved through the use of geothermal pumps qualifies as renewable energy produced for the purposes of this bill. prgtoken Battling climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions will require an innovative, multi-pronged approach. prgtoken And geothermal pump technology must be a tool available for us to use. prgtoken Geothermal pumps work to reduce energy consumption by transferring and concentrating heat energy absorbed from the earth. prgtoken These installations can reduce energy use in buildings by over 40 percent. prgtoken My amendment clarifies that these energy savings count as renewable energy produced, recognizing that geothermal pumps remain a critical part of our effort to reduce emissions and defeat climate change. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
TRIBUTE TO JOHN SHIMKUS
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , tonight we are going to spend the next hour paying tribute to a special man who has served here in this Congress since 1997, our dear friend, Congressman John Shimkus. prgtoken John came to Congress back at a time when you saw a lot more collegiality. In fact, Madam , tonight we have s and on this floor who are going to be talking about John Shimkus, the man; John Shimkus, our friend; John Shimkus, the legislator, somebody who, when he retires, will have a proud record of achievement showing how he made his mark on this great Nation. prgtoken We are joined in this House Chamber tonight by John's lovely wife, Karen, who is here tonight. His son, Josh, is not far from the Chamber. We have many friends, and I know we have a limited amount of time. prgtoken First, Madam , from Alaska (Mr. Young), the dean of the House.
RECOGNIZING DR. KENNETH L. MATTOX
Dan Crenshaw (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-9-29

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Dr. Kenneth L. Mattox upon his retirement from public service at Health System's Ben Taub Hospital after 31 years as its Chief of Staff, having proudly served the sick and injured people of County, Texas for nearly 60 years, as a medical student, resident, surgeon and faculty member of Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Kenneth L. Mattox is responsible for much of what Ben Taub Hospital is known for today, including being one of only two elite Level I Trauma Centers serving the adult population of County, with an emphasis on serving its most vulnerable residents. prgtoken As a faculty instructor, he was crucial in training both the present and future generations of surgeons serving southeast Texas and beyond, especially surgeons from the military branch who trained through the Joint Trauma Training Center established and operated at Ben Taub Hospital by the U.S. Department of Defense from 1998 to 2000. Madam , it is a pleasure to recognize the culmination of a stellar career. I ask all of my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing his service to the community and people of Houston and County, Texas.
EFFECTIVE SUICIDE SCREENING AND ASSESSMENT IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ACT OF 2019
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-9-29

I appreciate the gentleman yielding. prgtoken I rise today in support of H.R. 4861, the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act. prgtoken Our Nation remains in the midst of a suicide crisis, . Over the past several decades, the suicide rate has risen sharply, increasing by 31 percent since 2001--this is unacceptable-- prgtoken making suicide the 10th leading cause of death and claiming an estimated 47,000 lives annually. prgtoken A 2016 study found that 11 percent of all emergency department patients exhibited suicidal ideation. However, only 3 percent of those patients were diagnosed by current screening tools. Furthermore, about 70 percent of patients who leave the emergency department after a suicide attempt never attend their first outpatient follow-up appointment. prgtoken At the same time, emergency departments, which are often the place within our healthcare system that provides care for people who are at risk for suicide, have inconsistent protocols for screening and treating high-risk patients. prgtoken For this reason, I introduced with my friend and colleague, a true statesman, Congressman Engel, the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act. prgtoken The bill creates a voluntary HHS program to assist emergency departments in developing protocols for identifying, assessing, and treating individuals at risk for suicide, with preference given to either critical access hospitals or hospitals located in a geographic area with a suicide risk that is higher than the national rate. prgtoken Grants last for 2 years, and grantees must submit a report annually on their efforts to improve the identification, assessment, and discharge policies for individuals who are at risk for suicide. prgtoken This proactive approach is very vital, because emergency departments are often, again, the first and, sadly, too often, the only point of contact within the healthcare system for those most at risk for suicide, like individuals living with severe mental health conditions or substance use disorders. prgtoken With the added physical, mental, emotional, and economic stress this pandemic has inflicted on American lives, there is growing data and a consensus of concern from public health experts and stakeholders that these stressors could lead to even more lives lost to suicide. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to pass the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act to further equip our health providers to recognize and assist these patients in crisis.