mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2020-6-9

thank you to my colleagues last night for an incredibly strong vote, 80 to 17, on the motion to proceed to this debate on the Great American Outdoors Act. We have a lot of work ahead of us this week and obviously a lot more debate to take place. But one thing is certain, we have taken the first step toward a historic bill that protects our public lands, that enhances the incredible work that our national parks do and the policies and goals and ideas they represent around this great Nation. prgtoken The Great American Outdoors Act combines two long-held values of both our national parks and the Nation's crown jewel conservation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Restore Our Parks Act, of course, establishes a fund to set aside dollars to catch up with our backlog of projects that needs to be done, the deferred maintenance backlog in our national parks. It sets up about a $1.9 billion a year fund to work on roads and visitor centers and the resources that are being loved to death at parks across the country. prgtoken It is beyond just parks, of course. It also funds our Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, now headquartered in Grand Junction, CO, and our Fish and Wildlife Service properties, as well as the Bureau of Indian Education. prgtoken This act will create jobs; it will create opportunities; but most importantly, it will enhance the resources that this country loves for generations to come. prgtoken The second part, of course, of the Great American Outdoors Act is the Land and Water Conservation Fund. You can see here, the monument, the Great Sand Dunes National Park. This one right here shows the Land and Water Conservation Fund along the scenic San Juan Byway. prgtoken This is an incredible opportunity for us to preserve the Land and Water Conservation Fund, make it permanently authorized, as we have done through the John D. Dingell Conservation Act, but also permanently fund it through the Great American Outdoors Act. This is a great opportunity for us to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. prgtoken That bill that permanently authorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund passed 92 to 8. Last night, the cloture on the motion to proceed passed 80 to 17. This is not a red or blue issue. This is not a left or right issue. This is not a or ic issue. This is an American people issue, an idea the American people instituted in this country centuries ago and, in the case of our Forest Service, a century ago--over a century ago. The opportunities to protect our public lands is significant this week, historic this week, one of the greatest conservation achievements that this Congress will have had in decades. prgtoken I want to turn to a little bit of the work that we have done in Colorado with the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This is an incredibly important opportunity for us because not only will it help with our most precious place
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-6-9

as I begin this morning, I would like to just briefly comment on the outlandish idea of dismantling police departments that has seen substantial coverage in recent days. While there are exceptions, the vast majority of our Nation's police officers are men and women of character who care deeply about protecting everyone in their communities, and they provide an essential service--a service that we cannot do without. prgtoken The idea that any city can exist without a police force is so absurd that it is difficult to believe anyone is seriously discussing it. We absolutely need to look at policies at the State, local, and Federal levels to ensure that we are holding police officers to the highest standards, and I hope we will be having serious bipartisan discussions on these issues in the coming weeks. prgtoken I know at least one Senate has already introduced legislation to require law enforcement agencies to report the use of lethal force. But bipartisan discussions will not be forwarded by extreme and irresponsible proposals like abolishing the police departments that help protect our communities. I hope that such proposals will not gain any traction here in the U.S. Senate. Business Before the Senate prgtoken , we are very busy--hard at work--here in the Senate. Our main business on the floor this week will be the Great American Outdoors Act, legislation crafted by Senators Daines and Gardner and others, that will help address the significant maintenance backlog in our national parks, among other things. prgtoken Out of the limelight, Senators will also be discussing how best to respond at the Federal level to the tragedy of George Floyd's killing. prgtoken Responding to the coronavirus continues to be at the top of our agenda. Right now, we are focused on monitoring the implementation of the $2.4 trillion that Congress has provided so that we can identify what more we need to do to fight this virus. prgtoken Our committees play a leading role in this, and they have kept up a steady stream of hearings examining implementation and identifying next steps. prgtoken This week, we have no fewer than eight--eight--committee hearings on various aspects of the COVID crisis, including unemployment insurance, a Senate Finance Committee hearing later today that I will be participating in, reopening schools, and the Federal Government's procurement and distribution strategies. prgtoken The ic leader has spent a lot of time on the floor lately, complaining about what is happening in the Senate. He is, apparently, not happy that we are in session, and he claims we are not doing anything on the coronavirus. prgtoken Well, on the first point, I would just like to say that the majority leader brought the Senate back into session because we have responsibilities that we need to fulfill. One of the issues that we have to respond to, as a matter of our cons
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-6-9

I rise to speak today about the growing threat of Communist China. prgtoken Xi, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, is a dictator and human rights violator who is denying basic rights to the people of Hong Kong, cracking down on dissidents, militarizing the South China Sea, and imprisoning more than 1 million Uighurs in internment camps simply because of their religion. prgtoken General Secretary Xi is interested in one thing--global domination. It is time we all open our eyes. Communist China despises the freedoms Americans cherish. prgtoken The threat we face from Communist China is the new Cold War. This is a Cold War created by General Secretary Xi. It is a Cold War fought with technology, misinformation, and political persuasion. And Communist China's latest weapon of choice is the coronavirus. prgtoken Communist China lied about what they knew and spread misinformation around the world, costing hundreds of thousands of lives, millions of jobs, and creating massive economic impact. prgtoken All freedom-loving nations around the world need to come together to hold Communist China accountable and financially liable. prgtoken One thing we can do today is make sure Communist China can't steal or sabotage American COVID-19 vaccine research. We know Communist China steals U.S. research and intellectual property. We have seen this at our universities; we have seen it at our research institutions and hospitals. prgtoken U.S. officials have been warning American firms to safeguard their research against China and others known for stealing U.S. technology. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recently warned organizations researching COVID-19 of likely insider threats, targeting, and network compromise by Communist China. prgtoken Communist China wants to be first in vaccine development, and unlike the United States and other freedom-loving countries, Communist China will not be quick to share. prgtoken Communist China wants to be the dominant world power, and they have made clear they don't care who is harmed in the process. That is why I led my colleagues in introducing the COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Act, which will require a thorough national security evaluation and clearance by the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation of all Chinese student visa holders taking part in activities related to COVID-19 vaccine research. prgtoken We need to know who in our country is working on vaccine research so that we can make sure American efforts are protected. The United States and all Americans need to get serious about the threat from Communist China. prgtoken The COVID-19 Vaccine Protection Act is a great first step, and I look forward to all of my colleagues supporting this effort. prgtoken I am also urging everyone to buy American products. It is the single most important thing we can do to send a message to
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2020-6-9

last night, I had the opportunity to join probably more than 80 of my colleagues in voting for a motion to proceed to S. 3422, the Great American Outdoors Act. prgtoken This bill is sponsored by a strong group of Senators here--Senator Gardner of Colorado, Senator Daines of Montana, and Senator Manchin have been working very hard on the LWCF piece. prgtoken Senator Alexander, Senator Portman, and Senator Warner are working on the parks' deferred maintenance aspect of this measure. There has been lot of work from a lot of Members and a lot of good thought that has gone into it and some good policy behind it, but I would like to share with colleagues some of the reservations I have, albeit this is good policy, solid policy in so many areas. prgtoken As with much of everything that we can do on the Senate floor, we can always seek to improve. With some of my colleagues, I think we have some ideas in areas where we can improve our Great American Outdoors Act. prgtoken I come from a State where we know a little bit about our great outdoors. I know we all like to advertise our scenery, the wildlife that we have, but back in Alaska we have some pretty unrivaled scenery. We have the mountains. We have got the glaciers. We have some of our State's most important natural features that have been conserved in some world-famous national parks, from Katmai and Denali to the Kenai Fjords, Wrangell-St. Elias, Glacier Bay--names that so many Americans know and have visited or hope to one day visit before they die. prgtoken We actually had an advertising campaign: See these majestic landscapes before you die. prgtoken Americans recognize the importance of preserving our very best lands and making the most of our ability to experience their natural splendor. We are not welcoming visitors this year in a very different time, as we are dealing with COVID, but we have no doubt that the tourism industry will be back. It will be back better than ever before. In fact, in yet another advertising campaign, we remind people that Alaska waits for you, and we would welcome you at any time. prgtoken We have more than 223 million acres of Federal lands in total. Included within that are more than 76 million acres that are managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 71 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management, more than 52 million acres managed by the National Park Service, and more than 22 million acres managed by the Forest Service. prgtoken So we have a lot. We have a lot of Federal land, and that means that the Federal Government has a major responsibility to help us maintain it and preserve it, just like in every State. prgtoken So I would like to take a few minutes to discuss how the policy that we will be considering can help us do just that. prgtoken The Great American Outdoors Act combines two bills, again, that we reported from the Energy and Natural Resources Committee last year. The first one is S.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-6-9

the timing has worked out pretty well. It is great to be able to speak on this piece of legislation after my friend the Senator from Tennessee has just completed speaking. prgtoken We were hearing some, I think, classic legislating coming from Senator Alexander. He was very generous in his compliments to Senator Manchin, to me, to Senator Portman, to Senator Daines, and to Senator Gardner, but we all know that we wouldn't be here on the cusp of passing the most significant piece of environmental outdoor lands legislation in a generation or, for that matter, in 50 years if it hadn't been for the leadership of Senator Alexander from Tennessee. prgtoken So many of us who have had an opportunity to work with him and become friends with him over his years in the Senate have tried to emulate him at times and listen to him all the time. He is a Senator I wish we had more of in this Senate, who says more often than not: Let's not worry about who gets the credit; let's just see if we can get some things done. prgtoken There were two pieces of legislation that had to come together. There was the challenge of getting the administration in, the challenge that we had, at one point, too many and maybe not enough s, and it was Senator Alexander who kind of guided us through this--at least from the parks side--3-year journey. prgtoken I just want to publicly acknowledge his enormous leadership on this piece of legislation, thank him for his friendship, and thank him for the great work that he has done garnering, as well, the over 800-plus environmental groups that have come to support this legislation. I know that my friend the Senator from Tennessee is not going to stand for reelection, and I know he will have many, many legacy items from his tenure in the Senate, but I believe this Great American Outdoors Act will rank in the top three or top five of his legislative accomplishments in that kind of quiet ``Let's not worry about whose name is first on the bill, but let's just get it done'' way that is playing out this week, as we saw last night with a remarkable, remarkable 84 votes. prgtoken It may not end up with 84 votes on the final passage, but, again, the path to get here has been a fascinating one and one that I have learned from. So I do want to rise to join all of the colleagues I have mentioned and others in support of the Great American Outdoors Act. prgtoken I got involved in this issue over 3 years ago. We, in Virginia, are blessed with a lot of great national parks. We are blessed with a number of historic battlefields and other historic sites. We have some of the parkland roads, the parkways--in Northern Virginia, the George Washington Memorial Parkway that I come to work here in the Capitol on every day, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Colonial Parkway. We have over $1.1 billion of that backlog, and this legislation is so critically important. prgtoken The legislation, it has been
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-9

this week, my State of Illinois is saying a fond and final farewell to a deeply loved and respected public servant, Larry Walsh. He devoted 50 years of his life to serving, as he called them, the folks back home. He won his first election to the local school board in 1970 at the age of 21. prgtoken He served in local and county government positions and in the Illinois State Senate. For the last 16 years, Larry was county executive for Will County, the fourth largest county in my State of Illinois and one of the fastest growing. prgtoken Larry Walsh was as good at retail politics as anybody I have ever seen. He loved politics and he loved people and it showed. People loved him back s, farmers, city folk--they all loved Larry. prgtoken He was one of the longest serving county executives in Will County history. When he announced last August that he would not run for a fifth term as executive because the cancer he was battling for 5 years was gaining the upper hand, there was hardly a dry eye in the room. Everyone with whom he had worked was saddened by that announcement. prgtoken He said at that press conference: ``I've been a very blessed man and a very lucky man.'' prgtoken From where I am sitting, I think the really lucky ones were Larry's folks back home. Also lucky were those who worked with him and called him a friend. I am honored to count myself among them. prgtoken Lawrence Michael Walsh, born on a farm in Elwood, IL, about 10 miles outside of Joliet. He was the second of eight children. His parents were farmers, as were his grandparents and great-grandparents. He carried on that family tradition. Farming was in his blood. prgtoken He won his first election to the school board about 3 weeks before his first child was born. Three years later, he was elected to the local board of supervisors. He was elected to the Will County board in 1974 and again in 1992. prgtoken From 1997, until the year 2005, Larry served in the Illinois State Senate in Springfield. His Senate district--the 43rd--included most of Will County, parts of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties. prgtoken There were cities, suburbs, and farms. In Springfield, he sat in the back row of the chamber. He became good friends of another senator who sat in the seat right next to him. prgtoken To some, it was an amazingly odd couple to see the two of them, Larry the farmer and conservative and his seatmate, a very liberal, left-leaning lawyer from Hyde Park in the city of Chicago. prgtoken Both men had an ability that is all too rare in today's brand of politics. They could see beyond labels. They were both passionate about building coalitions and finding common ground, and they both liked a good game of poker. So they became good friends. prgtoken In 2004, when his friend decided to run for the U.S. Senate, Larry Walsh was the first Senator to endorse him. Larry took his seatmate to meet the farmers and other folks in
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-9

none of us in this body is naive enough not to understand the challenges the People's Republic of China represents to our country and to the world. But this bill, which threatens to further incite the tensions already tearing at the fabric of our Nation--this time targeting Asians and Asian Americans--is not the answer. prgtoken Yes, we know about how the PRC has targeted our intellectual property and sought to benefit from the research excellence and technological insights developed by our universities and our companies--all for its own scientific and military advancement, all to support an authoritarian system that is dangerous both to living within and outside its borders. prgtoken But taking advantage of this moment of fear and division in our country to stoke xenophobia and paint an entire people as guilty by association is not the right way to address this challenge. It is not the American way. prgtoken If we have specific counterintelligence threats, let's have our intelligence and law enforcement communities target the threats. I have faith and confidence in their ability to do so if provided the right leadership. prgtoken Rather than take that sort of discriminate approach, this bill just discriminates. Even setting aside that blanket moratoriums are the wrong way to deal with the situation at hand, the AAPI community is right to be suspicious that Senate s aren't putting forth any bills today barring visas for nationals from our other adversaries, such as Russia. They are doing it only when it comes to China. prgtoken If we need to work more closely with our universities to make sure they understand who they are engaged with--as students, in accepting donations--then we can do so without attacking an entire group because of their ethnicity or national background but with little other basis or rationale. prgtoken We can do better. We as a nation must do better. We cannot and should not go back to the days when there were signs that said ``No Irish Need Apply'' or when we had quotas for different races and religions at our major universities, let alone the days of the Chinese Exclusion Act. That is not the right direction for America, and it is not the America any of us should be seeking to build. prgtoken Unfortunately, there are too many today who would rather see us fractionalized as a nation--who would rather see us divided, not united. In fact, few things would make the PRC happier than to see this sort of legislation go forward because it achieves their end. prgtoken So let's take a serious approach to the challenges that we face with the PRC, with safeguarding our universities, our intellectual property, and our scientific research. But let us also take an approach that is consistent with our values as a nation. We can do both. We can and will do better. prgtoken I object.
RECOGNIZING GOOD SHEPHERD HOUSING AND FAMILY SERVICES
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-6-9

the formation, development, growth and success of Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services, GSH is a story that exemplifies the very best in people-to-people programs. Started in 1974 as a ``helping hand'' volunteer-run organization by members of the Mount Vernon community, including several churches and local businesses, the founders of GSH established a volunteer board of directors to steer the organization's efforts to help those experiencing homelessness in the Greater Mount Vernon community. prgtoken Today, GSH is a vital affordable housing and services provider with a 10-person professional staff and a $2.7 million operating budget. GSH remains true to its founding vision and mission. GSH works every day to reduce homelessness and enable self-sufficiency by prgtoken providing permanent affordable rental housing, emergency financial services, budget counseling, and case management to hundreds of working families in Fairfax County. Then, as now, GSH helps struggling families create and sustain a better way of life for themselves and their neighbors. prgtoken In 1975, GSH acquired its first property on Holland Road, built and furnished a home, and moved in a struggling refugee family of nine and began providing them ongoing support services, starting them on the path towards self-sufficiency and housing stability. Two months later, several Laotian and Vietnamese refugee families received housing assistance upon their arrival in the community. For the next several years, GSH continued to serve families and individuals needing housing and emergency financial assistance. Under the leadership of its board, GSH functioned solely with the support of volunteers and individual donations. prgtoken Today, with its affordable rental housing portfolio of 100-plus leased and owned units, as many as 120 struggling families are housed and supported every year in GSH housing. GSH's emergency financial assistance program assists an additional 200 households a year by preventing evictions or providing security deposits. GSH case managers also provide service referrals to another 200-plus households each year to receive community services to address their healthcare, transportation, and food needs. prgtoken Additional support services and programs are offered to move resident household to greater self-sufficiency. The Children's Resources Program supports the 110-plus schoolchildren residing in GSH affordable housing units and ensures their educational needs are met. Various financial counseling programs help low-income female heads of household create a healthy consciousness around money and empowers them to begin to establish financial security. prgtoken A president/chief executive officer, vice president/chief operating officer, financial manager, and development director lead the day-to- day operations of GSH. They are assisted by staff of six full- and part-time employees. A 16-member board of directors