mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING GEORGE TORRIE JACKSON, JR.
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2019-12-17

. Madam , I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant, Lieutenant Colonel George Torrie Jackson, Jr. who is a native of Jackson, MS. prgtoken LTC Jackson holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and master's degree in Education Administration, both from Jackson State University. LTC Jackson is a 30-year member of the U.S. Army Reserve/ Mississippi Army prgtoken National Guard and veteran of Operation Iraq Freedom. He began his military career as a Petroleum Laboratory Specialist (E-3) (894th Quartermaster Company, Jackson, MS--1988 to 1992), then as a Finance Specialist (E-4) (210th Finance Battalion, Jackson, MS--1992 to 1996). LTC Jackson was commissioned through the Mississippi Military Academy (Class 38), Camp Shelby, MS in 1996. As a commissioned officer, LTC Jackson has held many duty assignments to include positions as a Subsistence Officer, (114th Area Support Group, Hattiesburg, MS--1996 to 1997), Platoon Leader (3656th Maintenance Company, Camp Shelby, MS-- 1997 to 1998) Detachment Commander (3656th Maintenance Company, DET 1, Waynesboro, MS--1998 to 2000), Maintenance Control Officer/Executive Officer (3656th Maintenance Company, Camp Shelby, MS--2000 to 2001), Detachment Commander/Executive Officer (3656th Maintenance Company, DET 2, Gloster, MS--2001 to 2002), S-1 Personnel Officer (298th Maintenance Battalion, Philadelphia, MS--2002 to 2003), Service and Support Officer (114th Area Support Group, Hattiesburg, MS--2003 to 2006). prgtoken During Operation Iraqi Freedom (2004) LTC Jackson served as the C4 Sustainment Battle Captain and Coalition Acquisition Review Board (CARB and Super CARB) secretary. His next successive assignments included Company Commander (1/185th--Aviation Battalion, E Company, Jackson, MS--2006 to 2008), S-3 Operations Officer (8/108th Transportation Battalion, Jackson, MS--2008 to 2012), Executive Officer (8/108th Transportation Battalion, Jackson, MS--2012 to 2014), and Materiel Readiness Branch Chief (377th Theater Sustainment Command, Belle Chasse, LA--2014 to 2016). prgtoken LTC Jackson currently serves as the Battalion Commander of the 5th Logistic Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) Support Battalion, located in Sheffield, AL. prgtoken LTC Jackson's awards and commendations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, NATO Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Overseas Service Ribbon, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Mississippi Emergency Service Medal and the Mississippi Longevity Medal. prgtoken In his civilian capacity, LTC Jackson serves as a school administrator for the Holmes County School District Central High School, located in Lexington, MS, and holds the rank of Lieutenant with the Hinds Cou
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MUSEUM COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Nita M. Lowey (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-12-17

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam , as we close debate on this important package, I want to thank the many hardworking staff who made this possible. While there are too many to name them all, many thanks to my staff at the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee; my entire committee staff led by Staff Director Shalanda Young, Deputy Staff Director Chris Bigelow, and to the minority staff as well. To the extraordinary staff in my congressional office, I want to express my appreciation because it is teamwork that brought us to this point. prgtoken Madam , I urge support for the bill, and .
VOTE EXPLANATION
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-12-17

I wish to state for the record that although an important engagement in Oregon kept me from being present in the Capitol to participate in the cloture vote on this year's National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, I would have voted nay had I been present. prgtoken I am pleased that the NDAA would phase out the reduction of survivor benefit plan annuities to ensure that the families of our fallen servicemembers receive the Federal support they need and deserve; would guarantee 12 weeks of paid family leave for Federal employees; fence funds for the introduction of new Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, INF; limit nuclear cooperation agreements under section 123 of the U.S. Atomic Energy Act with countries that lack safeguards; and support the legally-binding and verifiable limits of the New START Treaty as being in the national security interest of the United States. However, other aspects of the bill are cause for serious concern, outweighing these strong points, and must not be overlooked. prgtoken I am deeply concerned by this legislation's failure to prohibit funds for unauthorized war with Iran. There is no doubt that war with Iran would be a reckless, disastrous mistake. Yet the President has made a number of impulsive, provocative public statements that risk escalating tensions. Congress must protect its authority to declare war, and that means no blank checks to the administration for an unauthorized war with Iran. prgtoken It is also unthinkable that the final NDAA does not prohibit funds for intelligence support to the Saudi-led coalition in a war that has caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Communities have crumbled as a result of this conflict, and an acute cholera outbreak and famine have killed more than 85,000 children under the age of 5. The United States has no place supporting, prolonging, or being complicit in this war's widespread civilian casualties. prgtoken In addition, I am concerned that the NDAA does not prohibit funds for the deployment of a low-yield warhead on a submarine-launched ballistic missile. The use of this powerful and aggressive tool could drastically increase the risk of instigating a destabilizing nuclear arms race. prgtoken Here at home, the final NDAA conference report removed provisions to address PFAS water contamination. More than 16 million Americans currently drink water contaminated with PFAS chemicals, which can affect every major organ in the human body and put humans at higher risk of a wide variety of health conditions and complications including liver and kidney damage and thyroid disease. The decision to reject remedies to this urgent public health issue in the NDAA is deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. prgtoken Finally, this NDAA does not include adequate safeguards to ensure accountability for wasteful defense spending. At a time when America far outspends every other nation in the world militarily, while wor
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MUSEUM COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-12-17

. Madam , let me thank Chairwoman Lowey for yielding, but also for her tremendous and tireless work, day and night, on behalf of the American people, and also our ranking member, Kay Granger, for her leadership. prgtoken I rise in strong support of this domestic and foreign assistance appropriations bill. First, as a member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee and also the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I am really pleased to see such a comprehensive bill that strongly invests in our rural and our urban communities. prgtoken For example, there is $266 million for the new Ending HIV initiative. This is new funding. We have an increase of $42 million to historically Black colleges and universities and a $19 million increase to Hispanic- serving institutions. These institutions help improve the higher education of our students of color; also, an increase in the Healthy Food Financing Initiative and the College Hunger Initiative, which this bill addresses. prgtoken It also includes $65 million for the Education Innovation Research grants for computer science for young girls and students of color and $20 million for Special Olympics education programs, which the President's budget initially proposed to eliminate.
DHS CYBER INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAMS ACT OF 2019
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-12-17

. Madam , I rise and thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for the hard work that they have done, and all of their staff. prgtoken The staffs, I know, have been working around the clock on both sides of the aisle. I want to congratulate the staff director for the extraordinary work and leadership she has shown to get us to this objective. prgtoken I rise in strong support of this legislation, of both of these packages, which will fund all 12 bills before the end of the calendar year, unfortunately, not by the end of the fiscal year. prgtoken I would have been very happy to get all of this done by the end of the fiscal year, and we did our work in a timely fashion; but, unfortunately, the Senate did not pass any of its bills prior to the end of the fiscal year, and, therefore, it was impossible to get that done. prgtoken I want to thank Senator Leahy and Senator Shelby, as well, for the work that they have done. prgtoken I want to thank all of those who worked together, focused. There was some talk, I know, about going into next year, but this is the right thing to do. This is what the American people expect us to be doing. prgtoken This will provide our country with the certainty needed to carry out its work serving the American people and to continue making long-term investments in our national security, public health, public safety, and economic growth. prgtoken Indeed, the Appropriations Committee members and staff worked hard to produce appropriations bills that the House passed in June, when we passed bills to fund 96 percent of the government by June 26 of this year. Sadly, the Senate, as I have said, and the White House failed to do their jobs for months, necessitating two short-term delays that brought unnecessary uncertainty. prgtoken As a Member who has served on the Appropriations Committee for more than 36 years--although many of those years I have been on leave--I know how much work is involved in reaching agreement on funding bills. prgtoken Nobody, not one of the, I guess, 433 of us who are here, got everything that they wanted or believes this is a perfect bill, but it is a work product worthy of the Appropriations Committee, the House of Representatives, and this country. It makes compromises, which are absolutely essential. It takes a lot of late hours, caffeine, and placing trust in colleagues across the aisle to achieve that objective. prgtoken What Appropriations Committee members and staff have negotiated with the Senate and White House, as I said, is not perfect. The chair does not think it is perfect. The ranking member doesn't think it is perfect. I am sure there is nobody on either of the committees who thinks it is perfect, but it achieves key priorities and will avert a damaging government shutdown and give certainty to agencies as they move forward in the next 9 months of the fiscal year as to what resources they are going to have available to get their jobs d
HONORING SERGEANT KORT M. PLANTENBERG, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 JAMES A. ROGERS, JR., AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 CHARLES P. NORD
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-12-17

today I wish to recognize and celebrate the lives of James Rogers, Charles Nord, and Kort Plantenberg, all members of the Minnesota National Guard, who tragically lost their lives in a helicopter accident on Thursday, December 5. After returning home safely from deployment to the Middle East in May, this loss is especially heart wrenching. These men conducted medical evacuations in the Middle East, and their service to our troops and allies will not be forgotten. I am grateful for their service and sacrifice for Minnesota and our country. prgtoken CW2 James Rogers, often remembered for his curious nature, served 10 years in the Minnesota National Guard, having enlisted before his high school graduation. CW2 Charles Nord enlisted in 2007, and he leaves behind his wife, young daughter, and a child on the way. SGT James Plantenberg enlisted in 2016, was a member of the Guard's biathlon team, and was preparing to start flight school. We are all indebted to these men for their service, and I wish their families peace during this time of tragic loss.
DHS CYBER INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAMS ACT OF 2019
Lucille Roybal-Allard (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-12-17

. Madam , I want to begin by thanking the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations prgtoken Subcommittee, Mr. Fleischmann, for his professionalism and partnership in putting this bill together. I don't believe either one of us is satisfied with all aspects of the bill, but I am confident that he and our staffs put their best foot forward in trying to find compromise and resolution. prgtoken When excluding major disaster funding and funding for overseas contingency operations by the Coast Guard, Division D of H.R. 1158 appropriates $50.5 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. That total is $1.2 billion below the budget request and $1.1 billion above the FY2019 enacted level, including an increase of $325 million for cybersecurity and infrastructure security. prgtoken This bill significantly enhances oversight of our immigration and detention enforcement activities, including increases of: $10 million for a new Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman to conduct unannounced inspections of detention facilities and investigate and resolve complaints about misconduct by DHS personnel; $20 million for the Inspector General for oversight of detention and enforcement activities; and $14 million for ICE' s Office of Professional Responsibility to increase the frequency and rigor of detention inspections. prgtoken The bill increases funding for the Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention, including $10 million for a grant program to help communities develop strategies and programs to prevent targeted violence. prgtoken For CBP, while the bill is $43.7 million below the FY2019 enacted level, it continues to invest in smart border security technologies, the hiring of customs officers to facilitate trade and travel at the border, and humanitarian assistance for migrants in CBP custody. prgtoken For ICE, the bill increases resources for Alternatives to Detention to ensure immigrants can remain in our communities while awaiting their fair day in immigration court, but does not increase detention beds above the FY2019 level. prgtoken There are no increases to hire new Border Patrol Agents, or Immigration enforcement personnel, and no funding above FY2019 for border barriers. prgtoken The bill provides resources for: prgtoken TSA to manage increased passenger volume and to procure advanced detection technologies to make our airports safer and more efficient; the Coast Guard to meet increased mission requirements, including a down payment on a new Polar Security Cutter to advance our national interests in the Arctic; the Secret Service to manage candidate protection for next year's presidential election; and increased resources for FEMA grant programs, including a total of $90 million for nonprofit security grants. prgtoken The bill also includes multiple oversight and reporting directives related to immigration enforcement and detention, and it authorizes members of Congress to make unannoun
HONORING PETER FRATES
Seth Moulton (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-12-17

I rise today to celebrate the life of Pete Frates. prgtoken I am reminded of something my minister at Harvard, Peter Gomes, used to say often: ``The radical news of the Gospel is not that heaven is a destination of the faithful. The radical news is that God wants us to flourish in our present lives, our earthly existence, and to do so more in the future than in the past.'' prgtoken , Pete Frates flourished, and even in his darkest days, he looked to the future. He was the epitome of strength, leadership, and courage, both as an athlete and as an advocate. prgtoken I have met a lot of inspiring people in this job, but none more so than Pete. Because of Pete, we will cure ALS. prgtoken , to Julie, Lucy, John, Nancy, Jennifer, and Andrew, thank you for sharing him with us.
HONORING SERGEANT KORT M. PLANTENBERG, CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 JAMES A. ROGERS, JR., AND CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 CHARLES P. NORD
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-12-17

today I rise with a heavy heart to honor and pay tribute to three exemplary National Guard Members from my home State of Minnesota. On Thursday, December 5, SGT Kort M. Plantenberg, CW2 James A. Rogers, Jr and CW2 Charles P. Nord lost their lives when their Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter went down southwest of St. Cloud, MN, during a routine maintenance flight. prgtoken They had just returned home from the Middle East in May after a 9- month deployment conducting medical evacuations. Once back in Minnesota, they had continued serving our Nation by ensuring that our Forces would be prepared to respond the moment they were needed. After this tragic loss, Governor Walz, a Minnesota National Guardsman for nearly 25 years, remarked that ``we will forever be in the debt of these warriors.'' I couldn't agree more. prgtoken Today, I would like to honor these brave men for giving what President Lincoln called, ``the last full measure of devotion.'' We are forever grateful for heroes like Sergeant Plantenberg, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rogers, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nord. prgtoken Some who knew these extraordinary men described Sergeant Plantenberg as ``one of the most professional individuals . . . [who] had unlimited potential.'' Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rogers was said to be a ``calming presence'' who could always make those around him laugh. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nord was described as ``lighthearted--and kind-hearted.'' Like many who serve this country, these men all had so many gifts, and our Nation is better today because of their service and sacrifice. prgtoken During this time of unimaginable grief, I would also like to offer my prayers and condolences to the families of these fallen heroes. I hope they take comfort in the fact that their lives weren't lost in vain but in support of their common goal: to serve the Nation they loved. prgtoken They will be missed, but never forgotten, as their service has inspired us all. So now, it is up to us to preserve their memory and support all of our brave men and women who make such an immense sacrifice to keep our Nation strong. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and loved ones and with the entire Minnesota National Guard community, at home and overseas. There is no limit to the respect they have earned, no cap to the honor they are due, and no time when we will not be in their debt. prgtoken Thank you.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Doug Jones (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2019-12-17

I want to first thank Senator Inhofe and Senator Reed and their staff for their amazing work on this National Defense Authorization Act. What we are about to accomplish is truly remarkable, not only for America but for individuals and families. prgtoken I am rising today as grateful and as humbled as I could ever imagine being in this Senate Chamber, but I am also just the opposite--I am excited like a kid at Christmas waiting to have the final passage of this because it means so much. We are at the finish line, about to run through the tape in a race, a marathon that so many folks thought we could never finish. I am talking about this momentous and historic National Defense Authorization Act upon which we are about to vote and pass in just a few moments. prgtoken The NDAA includes so many of our collective priorities to bolster the defense of our Nation, to modernize our military, and to take care of our servicemembers and their families. But included very deep within this incredibly thick piece of legislation is a provision that has been repeatedly introduced over the past 18 years, but it has never gotten across that finish line. I am speaking about the Military Widow's Tax Elimination Act. prgtoken For the past four decades, the military widow's tax has prevented surviving military spouses from receiving the full benefits they are owed by the U.S. Government. Legislation to repeal this unfair law has been repeatedly introduced in Congress for the last 18 years, but money and budgets and points of order have always won out over the commitment we have made to these families. prgtoken When I introduced it with my friend and colleague Senator Collins earlier this year, we knew it was going to be an uphill battle. We knew that the fight had been going on for so long and that we faced a steep climb, but we took a great deal of strength and motivation from the impacted widows themselves who have fought and advocated for this bill for nearly two decades. They have been a regular presence on Capitol Hill, asking year after year for Members of Congress to lend an ear to their cause. I was heartbroken when one of them told me they felt like they were easy to brush off because they were ``just a bunch of little old ladies.'' prgtoken I was heartbroken when Cathy Milford said every time she came up here it was like digging up her husband and burying him all over again. prgtoken After 18 years without success, yet all the while being told how supportive Members of Congress are for their service and sacrifice, time and time again, you could see how disheartening that might be when they would go home emptyhanded. prgtoken So when I told them this was the year--Senator Collins and I had made it our mission that this was going to be the year we were finally going to get this done--there were more than a few of them who were skeptical, but they were, of course, always optimistic. prgtoken We knew we had to figh