mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-5-7

a number of our ic colleagues have come to the floor and spoken here and elsewhere about the importance of providing assistance to State and local governments and that if that doesn't happen, there are going to be police officers and first responders and people who have essential jobs that we rely on every single day and for whom we are so grateful who wouldn't be able to get paid. prgtoken I would just point out that already, as part of the coronavirus relief measures that Congress has passed, there was $150 billion sent to State and local governments, much of which has yet to be spent and, frankly, much of which we don't know what the actual need is out there until we have a better sense of what the revenue loss is to a lot of our State and local governments. prgtoken Clearly, they are sounding the alarm, and they are justifiably worried about what happens if the downturn in the economy continues and what that might mean to their revenues. They are looking to Washington, DC, for assistance. prgtoken I think that, as I said earlier, in the CARES package, there was $150 billion that went out to State and local governments. There have been concerns about how those funds can be used. It was stipulated that they had to be used for COVID-related expenses, and many State and local leaders were concerned that that did not give them the flexibility that they needed to meet other types of needs. prgtoken Well, the Treasury Department has in the past few days come out with an interpretation that would allow those dollars--the $150 billion already appropriated--to be used to pay firefighters, to pay police, to pay first responders, to help with unemployment insurance accounts at the State level, to help with healthcare costs--the people who lose healthcare at the State level--and prgtoken a range of other things. It dramatically broadened the eligibility of uses for the dollars that have already been allocated to State and local governments. prgtoken So I think it is important for us to make sure--as we look at any additional assistance that we might provide, to determine how well the dollars that are already out there have been used and to, in fact, see what the actual needs are before we add to that. prgtoken We had a number of pronouncements around here. The of the House, Pelosi, has come out and said: We need $1 trillion in additional assistance for State and local governments. It is hard for me to see how you can make a statement like that not knowing what the original $150 billion has been used for or whether it has been used at all in some cases. prgtoken The fact that we have $150 billion in the pipeline, the eligibility and uses of which have been dramatically broadened by the Treasury Department to enable States to use it for the very things that many of the are coming down here saying: You know, if we don't help State and local governments, we won't pay essential workers--
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 3608
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-5-7

reserving the right to object, I clearly appreciate my colleague's remarks. State, local, and Tribal governments across our great country are working tirelessly during this difficult time and have received Federal funding through the CARES Act, specifically directed to aid in their efforts to keep families safe. prgtoken While I understand the spirit of my colleague's proposal, I am very concerned that removing the important limitations related to the appropriate uses of the Coronavirus Relief Fund in the CARES Act would siphon resources away from the coronavirus response efforts that desperately need these resources. prgtoken Further, I am unfortunately hearing that some States and localities would simply like to use Federal dollars to backfill their decades of fiscal mismanagement. Hard-working American taxpayers should not be on the hook to bail out poorly run States or to fund areas of State budget expenses that have nothing to do with coronavirus. prgtoken We see States like California, Illinois, and New York with big budgets, high taxes, and tons of debt. Contrast that with States like Florida, where we made the hard fiscal decisions to pay off debt and live within our means. Floridians should not be punished and forced to backfill the budgets of these States. prgtoken I have a chart here that shows what has happened as a result--I just picked out three States--of their fiscal mismanagement. From 1985 to 2018, you can see here that Florida gained significant population while these poorly managed States lost population. You can see that in Florida we watched our budget and didn't keep borrowing more money. We lived within our means. You can look at our debt--$27 billion. When you look at California, it is $155 billion; New York, $148 billion, and Illinois, $67 billion. prgtoken You see what people are doing. They are leaving these high-tax States. Look at the personal income taxes and look at their attitude toward business. These are the three worst States for business. The Tax Foundation shows how poorly they do with their tax policy. prgtoken If you look at what has happened, people have left these States and moved their income to Florida and other lower tax States and more business-oriented States. I am completely opposed to bailing out these States. prgtoken Now, the difficulty in my colleague's proposal is that it is very difficult how you decide what is going to be used for one expense in a State budget or another expense in a State budget. Let's not forget that this year's Federal budget deficit will be the largest in the history of our Nation--the largest in the history of our Nation--in excess of the cumulative deficits for the first 200 years of our country's existence. prgtoken As my colleague said, we will end the year with an excess of $25 trillion worth of Federal debt. More than ever, I think my colleague will agree with me that we have to be focused and very careful with our t
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Pat Roberts (Republican, KS) \u2014 2020-5-7

75 years ago, the scene across America and Europe was quite different than what we see today--thousands of people waving flags, dancing, hugging, kissing in the streets, all covered in confetti. prgtoken In the early morning hours of May 7, 1945, in the small town of Reims, France, the Supreme Allied Commander, Dwight David Eisenhower, signed Nazi Germany's surrender and sent a cable to Washington and to London stating that the mission of the Allied forces was fulfilled, thus ending the Nazi pandemic of tyranny and genocide. The surrender took effect on May 8, and for the first time since 1941, the U.S. Capitol was bathed again in light. prgtoken Most military historians now agree that it was Eisenhower's unique skill and persuasion that enabled the Allied effort to be successful. As Winston Churchill said, ``There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies and that is fighting without them.'' prgtoken Simply put, Ike led the effort to preserve Western democracy and freedom, and later, as President in 1953, America experienced 8 years of peace and prosperity. prgtoken Tomorrow, on the 75th anniversary of the victory of Europe--what we call Victory in Europe Day, VE Day--the Eisenhower Memorial Commission was set to dedicate the long-awaited Presidential memorial to Dwight David Eisenhower right on the Mall in our Nation's Capital, just two blocks away. prgtoken Eisenhower once said: ``Plans may end up as worthless, but planning is everything.'' How right he was. The Commission has set aside our plans for the dedication and is now planning a worthy ceremony in the fall. There is precedent for this delay. Just as America is pulling together to fight to defeat the COVID-19 virus, the Eisenhower administration was working with the public and the private sector until a vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas Salk and disseminated all throughout our country. Shortly thereafter, an oral and more effective vaccine was developed by Dr. Albert Sabin. Today, polio is virtually eradicated. Today we face the same challenge. prgtoken The Eisenhower Memorial, which pays tribute to Ike's leadership as both the Supreme Allied Commander and the 34th President of the United States, is located on the National Mall and will not only honor an extraordinary man but will also be a symbol for all generations of the promise of America and what our values make possible within our Nation and all over the world. prgtoken I can personally attest to the impact Eisenhower had on my life. My dad, Wes Roberts, was the Citizens for Ike chairman during the 1952 campaign and instrumental in the first ballot victory over Senator Robert A. Taft from Ohio. He later--my dad--became national chairman of the Party. So at 16 years old, I was a wide-eyed sergeant at arms during the Chicago Convention and later attended Ike's inaugural ceremonies in Washington, complete with white tie and tails. I met him both times. prgtoken
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2020-5-7

I rise to pause and remember March 28, 2020. It is a day that Oklahomans and the Nation lost a patriot and a friend to many. prgtoken I stand here at this desk that I have used for the past 5 years, but before it was my desk, it was the desk of Dr. Tom Coburn. prgtoken A few days after we gaveled out in March, Dr. Coburn took his first breath in Heaven, where he was finally cancer-free, finally pain-free, and living in the presence of Jesus, where there is no prgtoken government waste and no inefficiency, where there is no conflict, and liberty is absolutely eternal. We will miss his sage advice, his blunt perspective, and his steadfast wisdom. prgtoken Dr. Coburn served in this Chamber for 10 years, from 2005 to 2015, but he also served in the House of Representatives for 6 years, from 1995 to 2001. The one title he carried in both of those Chambers was ``Doctor,'' and that was his preferred term. prgtoken Thomas Allen Coburn was born in Casper, WY, on March 14, 1948. Dr. Coburn graduated from Central High School in 1966. In 1968, he married Carolyn Denton--by the way, the 1967 Miss Oklahoma. They had three daughters and nine grandchildren. prgtoken At Oklahoma State University, Dr. Coburn was an honor student and president of the student business council. He graduated in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in accounting. prgtoken After the family business he worked at was sold, he attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma and received his medical degree with honors in 1983. He interned at St. Anthony's Hospital in Oklahoma City. In 1986, he founded the Muskogee Family Medicine practice, which is still in operation today. prgtoken His victory over melanoma as a young man inspired him to become a physician. He stated he wanted to give back because he had been given to. Unfortunately, that battle with melanoma when he was a young man was not his last battle with cancer. prgtoken As a physician, his dedication to his patients was inexhaustible. Over his career, he delivered 4,000 babies and would often see 30 patients a day in his office. prgtoken After his election to the House of Representatives in 1994, he would fly home from Washington, DC, so that he could continue to see his patients on weekends--a schedule he maintained for the entire 6 years he spent in the House. He was a doctor all the time. prgtoken It was not uncommon for him to be in a conversation with someone, and right in the middle of the conversation, he would ask them how they were feeling because he had picked up something in their demeanor that he thought was a little bit wrong. prgtoken Dr. Coburn was a deacon and a Sunday school teacher. prgtoken In all the story that I have told you, if you are looking for some element of politics in the background, you won't find it until 1994. His decision to run for Congress in 1994 was a long shot. He narrowly won, becoming the first to represent Oklahoma's Second Congressional Di
WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-5-7

today I rise to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, which was this past Sunday, and to celebrate the brave journalists all over the world who safeguard the values of truth, democracy, transparency, and justice through their work. Every year, we set aside this day to reaffirm our commitment to the free press. This year, however, is a little bit different. This year, we are in the midst of a brutal global public health crisis. One of the reasons that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked so much havoc--taking hundreds of thousands of lives and devastating the economy--is that people with power have propagated misinformation about the virus. In the words of the World Health Organization, we are witnessing an ``info-demic.'' Now, more than ever, it is vital that the public receives the truth, and that means protecting the prgtoken free press. We are relying on the press to bring us crucial, often life-saving, information about testing sites, shelter-in-place orders, school closures, government aid, and how to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. That is why many States, Maryland among them, have designated local news outlets as ``essential businesses'' that are allowed to keep operating despite social distancing policies. prgtoken In a noble effort to keep the public informed, many local media outlets have removed their paywalls for COVID-19-related news, forfeiting desperately needed revenue. Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to place immense economic pressure on local news outlets and jeopardize their ability to function at all. Dozens of local publications have had to furlough reporters, reduce their publication frequency, or drop their print editions completely. This financial nightmare comes on the heels of more than a decade of hardship for local news. prgtoken Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic is not the only threat facing journalists today. All around the globe, reporters face harassment and persecution for their attempts to spread the truth and hold leaders accountable. Reporters Without Borders has determined that at least 229 journalists worldwide currently are imprisoned for their work. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 25 journalists were killed around the world in 2019, and at least six journalists and media professionals have been killed in the first 4 months of 2020 alone. Corrupt and powerful governments and individuals understand that free expression is a mighty tool against injustice, so they go to horrible lengths to stifle it. prgtoken One courageous reporter who was murdered for pursuing the truth was Washington Post journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi. The Central Intelligence Agency concluded with high confidence and the Senate unanimously approved a resolution stating that Saudi Government officials executed and dismembered Mr. Khashoggi in 2018 at the behest of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. To this day, however, just
REMEMBERING ROSHELL ``MIKE'' ANDERSON
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2020-5-7

I rise today to honor the life and achievements of Mr. Roshell ``Mike'' Anderson, acclaimed journalist for 36 years with the Milwaukee-based television station, WISN-12. prgtoken Mike was born in Bogalusa, LA, in 1952 and raised in New Orleans. New Orleans' rich musical culture inspired Mike's life-long passion for R&B that landed him twice on the R&B soul charts in the 1970s with ``Snake out of Green Grass'' and ``Grapevine will Lie Sometimes.'' His musical accomplishments continued into the early 1990s and helped spawn a unique brand of journalistic storytelling. prgtoken Mike attended Louisiana State University and the Career Academy School of Broadcast Journalism in Atlanta, GA. He started his career as a disc jockey in various Atlanta radio stations in 1970 and got his start in television in Seattle, WA, in 1979. When Mike took the job at WISN in Milwaukee in 1981, he planned to stay 3 years. He retired from the station 36 years later in 2017. prgtoken Mike's journalism career spanned nearly four decades and six U.S. Presidencies. He was proud to have interviewed Richard Nixon, , Bill Clinton, and . But Mike's most powerful work involved telling powerful and moving stories about the Milwaukee community. He is perhaps best known for his two award-winning documentaries on inner-city violence, ``Children in the Line of Fire'' and ``Solutions to Violence.'' prgtoken Five years after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Mike returned to his home city to cover the city's devastation and its slow process of rehabilitation. Through his interviews with local residents, Mike found stories of hope, resilience, and many sobering reminders that much work was left to be done. As always, Mike brought his unique style of warmth, kindness, and optimism to even the darkest issues and events. prgtoken After breaking racial and class barriers, he mentored other journalists of color and worked to celebrate their success through his work with the Wisconsin Black Media Association and Milwaukee's annual Black Excellence Awards. prgtoken Mike's straightforward style and commitment to fairness led to a deep sense of trust on the part of his viewers. He will long be remembered for telling the stories of Milwaukee honestly and with a deep connection to the community. prgtoken Mike Anderson's most lasting legacy, however, is that he was beloved by the Milwaukee community for not only being a great reporter people could trust, he was a good person whose kindness will be missed.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-5-7

I rise to address the debate we are having today over whether to override the President's veto of the Kaine resolution that reminds the President of the United States about the fundamentals of the Constitution, about article I, section 8 of the Constitution, which gives the enumerated powers of Congress and says that Congress, and Congress alone, has the power to declare war. prgtoken No decision is tougher or more important than the decision to go to war. That is why the Founding Fathers never intended for a single person to be able to make that decision. They explicitly, after intense debate and consideration, gave that power solely to Congress, the people's branch of our government. They didn't want anyone--any one individual, even the President of the United States--to be able to drag our Nation to war for personal or political reasons or for misjudgments, inadequately vetted with the wisdom of the leaders of the country. prgtoken Since President came into office, we have come within a hair's breadth of war with Iran on more than one occasion because of his words and his actions. It is why back in February and March, the Senate and the House debated this resolution, reinstructing the President on the fundamentals of the Constitution, reminding him that he does not have the power to take us to war in Iran. It instructed him that any hostilities with Iran need to come in accordance with the Constitution. prgtoken But the President of the United States has responded to our clear declaration of the essence of the Constitution by tossing it aside, by vetoing that resolution. And so here we are debating whether to override that veto. prgtoken The Founding Fathers were adamant about not having anything resembling a King in the new country they were building. The President was given the power to lead the Nation's Armed Forces as Commander in Chief, but article I, section 8 of the Constitution stated: ``The Congress shall have Power. . . . To declare war.'' prgtoken If there is any real doubt about the Founders' intent, well, let's return to the comments that they made at the time. prgtoken James Madison, father of the Constitution, said this: The constitution supposes, what the History of all Governments demonstrates, that the Executive is the branch of power most interested in war, and most prone to it. It has accordingly with studied care vested the question of war to the legislature. prgtoken He continued: ``The power to declare war, including the power of judging the causes of war, is fully and exclusively vested in the legislature . . . the executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or not cause for declaring war.'' prgtoken How about George Washington, commander of our forces in the Revolution, first President of the United States, father of our Nation? He said this: ``The constitution vests the power of declaring war in Congre
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-5-7

I rise to speak about President 's veto of S.J. Res. 68, a veto that he communicated to the Senate by a statement yesterday afternoon. We debated this at length in February. So there is no need to spend too much time on the substance. prgtoken I was proud of the resolution, cosponsoring it in a bipartisan way, to assert the importance of the Senate. I very much appreciated hearing my colleague from Oklahoma talk about the importance of the Senate. The debate that we had in February about S.J. Res. 68 was about the importance of Congress in one of the most important responsibilities we have, whether or not the Nation would go to war. prgtoken We specified in that resolution that except to defend the Nation against attack or imminent attack, the United States would not be engaged in war with the government of Iran absent a congressional vote. It passed this body by a healthy bipartisan margin and also passed the House by a bipartisan margin. The President has vetoed S.J. Res. 68, and the next vote at 1:30 will be on whether to override the veto. I know what the votes will be because we have already voted on this once. prgtoken I want to just focus for a minute on the President's veto statement, which I think is instructive. When he vetoed S.J. Res. 68, this was his primary reason--the first thing he said: This was a very insulting resolution introduced by as part of a strategy to win an election on November 3 by dividing the Party. The few s who voted for it played right into their hands. prgtoken What I find so notable about that statement is that the President could not see Congress expressing an opinion about war through any lens other than himself and his reelection on November 3. As everyone in this Chamber knows, the bill was not a partisan bill. It was introduced with an even number of bipartisan Senators. It was not part of a strategy to hurt President . I have advocated these same positions, as have other Members of this body, under Presidents who were both and . The Senators and ic Senators who voted for it and those who voted against it had particular views about the allocation of constitutional war powers, but in no way was this partisan, and in no way was it part of a strategy dealing with the November 3 election. prgtoken For President to look at a matter of war and peace and the Constitutional obligations of Congress through the lens of the November election, frankly, shocked me. prgtoken The President, later in the statement, said: The United States is not engaged in the use of force against Iran. prgtoken Let's be clear. The U.S. military engaged in military action that wiped out Iran's top military commander. If any other Nation did that to our Secretary of Defense or Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would we call that a use of force against the United Sta