mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 3401, EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2019-6-27

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , 58 days--58 days--is the amount of time since the administration asked and said there was a crisis on the border, that they needed funding. prgtoken Madam , 18 times--18 times--we had the opportunity to take a vote on this floor, and we did not come to a solution, and it did not pass. prgtoken Madam , two times--two times--The New York Times wrote editorials in those 58 days calling upon this body to put politics aside, that this crisis on the border was greater than the politics that we want to play. prgtoken The Mexican Government realizes there is a crisis on the border and just sent 15,000 troops. We have seen the pictures. We have heard the words. On either side they talk of it. prgtoken We were in this well just a few days ago having a debate. Many of us said: Why would we take this moment to do a political maneuver that will not go anywhere in the Senate? prgtoken Don't take our word for it. Take the votes for it. The bill did not pass. prgtoken There is a time for every season. The season to continue to play politics is over. The season to put people before politics is now. prgtoken Don't take my word for it. Take the example of the Chamber that is just across the way. It is not far. You can see it if you look out those doors; you can walk it without taking much breath; and you can understand what bipartisanship looks like, Madam . prgtoken The Senate took up a bill to take up this crisis. The vote was 84-8. prgtoken Madam , 84-8. There has been historic legislation that was passed with much less, but there have been very few that have ever been defeated that have gone 84-8. prgtoken But today, we are going to take hours to learn the exact same experience that we had just a few, short hours ago. The 84-8--when I listen to the other side and say that this--the ic Party, Madam , wants to do this. prgtoken Let me read the names of some of those who voted for this bill to understand what bipartisan sounds like: Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Patty Murray, and Senator Dianne Feinstein all voted ``yes.'' Every single member of the Senate ic leadership voted ``yes'' to end the crisis on the border. prgtoken But why, Madam , are we on this floor now? Why does the ic leadership on this side want to continue to play politics when the leadership in the Senate says no? prgtoken Fifty-eight days is enough. Eighteen votes over there are too many. prgtoken But, yes, people are dying. But, yes, the money is out. We have all acknowledged it on this floor. prgtoken Madam , it makes me begin to wonder, how can a few control so many? prgtoken On that opening day, when we are on this floor, we all raise our hand individually. We all swear to uphold the Constitution. Our names are individually on the ballot when we are voted to come in here. prgtoken This is not a moment to let somebody else contro
NONPROFIT SECURITY GRANT
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-6-27

the legislation I came to the floor to talk about today passed in the Homeland Security Committee last week to help make our synagogues, our churches, our mosques, and other nonprofit institutions safer. prgtoken Sadly, we have seen a troubling pattern in recent years. Hate-fueled attacks at houses of worship and religious institutions, not just in our country but around the world, are becoming more and more common. A couple of months ago, a shooting at a synagogue outside San Diego took the life of Lori Gilbert Kaye, who heroically sacrificed herself to save her rabbi. Exactly 6 months to the day prior to that, the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue outside of Pittsburgh, PA, claimed 11 lives, the worst act of anti-Semitic violence in U.S. history. prgtoken Sometimes this hate is manifested in other ways: bomb threats at the Jewish Community Center in Columbus, OH, and anti-Semitic graffiti sprayed on the Hebrew Union College walls in my hometown of Cincinnati, OH. prgtoken Right after the attacks on the synagogue in Pittsburgh last year, I went to the Jewish Community Center in Youngstown, OH, only 60 miles away from Pittsburgh, to meet with Jewish community leaders. An attack on one is an attack on all. We must all stand up. prgtoken In Youngstown that somber day, we talked about where we go from here to stop anti-Semitism and hatred. I asked them for input about what the Federal Government can do to help keep the Jewish community safe. Part of the input I got was that we need more help on best practices on security and more resources to protect our community centers, our schools, our churches, our synagogues, our mosques. prgtoken The resurgence of this anti-Semitism must be confronted and defeated with all the energy we can bring to bear. But sadly, it is not just related to the Jewish community, which has known it for over the centuries. Hate seldom stops at one religion or one country. prgtoken Hundreds of Christians in Sri Lanka were massacred in churches and hotels on Easter Sunday. In New Zealand, the shooting at the mosques in Christchurch killed at least 49 people. We will never forget the 2015 tragic killings of African-American parishioners at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC, where I have visited and prayed, or the 2017 attacks on the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX. prgtoken While I have highlighted unconscionable mass murders, there are so many other examples of vandalism and harassment. We saw this in my home State of Ohio this February, where a man holding a gun smashed the windows of a mosque in Dayton while worshipers were praying inside. We saw it in Louisiana this April when three historically Black churches were deliberately burned down within the same parish. This violence is senseless and contrary to our values as Americans. prgtoken Our first obligation as Americans and certainly as public officials is to stand up and say this must stop. Stop the
RECOGNIZING THE CUMBERLAND CONTAINER CORPORATION'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-6-27

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the Cumberland Container Corporation in honor of its 50th anniversary. prgtoken A time-honored mainstay of Putnam County, Cumberland Container Corporation was granted its corporate charter by the State of Tennessee on October 21, 1968. Nine months later, this company planted its roots in a 6,000-square-foot building in Monterey, Tennessee. At its commencement, this company served the area by providing manufacturing containers and packaging materials to local businesses with nothing more than four pieces of used equipment and six employees. prgtoken Cumberland Container Corporation was dedicated to its belief in efficiently supplying local companies. Although times proved to be tough at the beginning, this company persevered and demonstrated the brilliance of this concept through consistent customer growth over the last five decades. prgtoken Fast forward to this year, Cumberland Container Corporation is currently operating in a 260,000-square-foot building on over 18 acres of land. By current count, Cumberland Container Corporation now employs 85 associates and owns a vast assortment of machinery for its production and logistical needs. prgtoken To my House colleagues here today, I hope that you will join me in recognizing the Cumberland Container Corporation for their longstanding service to the community. It is the hardworking nature of this company and its employees that truly reflect exactly what it means to be a Tennessean.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 3401, EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-6-27

. Madam , I think what is so frustrating to so many of us is that there is controversy around language to guarantee the protection of these children. The reason we think that is important is because this administration has ignored all the warnings. prgtoken We have had whistleblowers talk about the abuse at the border and how these children were being mistreated, and they did nothing. prgtoken This administration oversaw a policy of literally tearing children away from their parents. As a dad, I can't imagine what that must be like for any of those parents, and yet this administration thought it was fine. prgtoken We have a crisis at the border largely as a result of this President's policies. We need to deal with it, and we need to deal with it now. But we want to make sure we are actually dealing with the crisis and not giving him more money to create other crises. prgtoken I appreciate what the gentleman from Oklahoma said about the need for us to continue to work together, and while these negotiations are continuing. prgtoken Madam , I withdraw the resolution.
TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF MICHAEL ERIC ENGH, S.J.
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-6-27

. Madam , I rise to honor Michael Eric Engh, S.J on the occasion of his retirement as President of Santa Clara University, after a decade of extraordinary leadership. prgtoken Father Engh was born to Marie and Donald Engh in Los Angeles on December 14, 1949. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1972, and earned his M.A. at Gonzaga University in 1976. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology, in Berkeley, California in 1982 and his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin in 1987. prgtoken Father Engh taught at Loyola Marymount University from 1988 to 2008, became Santa Clara University's 28th President on January 5, 2009, and retires from the Presidency after a most distinguished decade on June 30, 2019. prgtoken Father Engh serves on a number of boards, including the Board of Trustees of Boston College; the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group; the Board of Directors of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities; the Council of Presidents of the prgtoken Graduate Theological Union; and the Board of Trustees of Bellarmine College Preparatory. prgtoken Since arriving at Santa Clara, Father Engh has led the University in defining its vision and setting the course for the future with a bold plan, Santa Clara 2020. Under his decade of leadership the University 's endowment grew to $926 million in 2019, from $515 million in 2009. The University also recorded significant student accomplishments and accolades including Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars. prgtoken Ten new undergraduate majors were instituted, several Masters programs were launched, and the REAL program for summer research in the College of Arts & Sciences began, among many others, and the Law School's Intellectual Property Program was ranked fourth by US News in 2019. During Father Engh's tenure the campus was beautified and improved, and many new buildings were opened and facilities modernized, with many more in the process of development. prgtoken The era of Father Engh bears the imprimatur of diversity and inclusion. He established the Office for Diversity and Inclusion in 2013 and created the Blue Ribbon Commission on Diversity and Inclusion in 2016, increasing significantly the number of students of color from 45 percent to 51 percent. prgtoken Sustainability has been a hallmark of the Engh presidency. He signed the Climate Neutrality Action Plan and established the Office of Sustainability which grew into the Center for Sustainability with additional staff and programming. His efforts resulted in a deep-seated culture of sustainability across the entire University and ingrained in the community the importance of justice and sustainability. prgtoken Madam , I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in honoring Father Michael Engh for his superb leadership of Santa Clara University which is not only a jewel in the crown of Jesuit universities but also one of the finest institutions of h
GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
Dwight Evans (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-6-27

. Madam , I rise to recognize Gun Violence Awareness Month and to honor the hundreds of thousands of survivors and victims of gun violence. prgtoken In 2018, in my city of Philadelphia, there were 351 homicides, and most of these were committed with a gun. What is happening in Philly is consistent with what is happening every day in violence-plagued Black and Brown communities across this country. It is sickening. So is the Senate's lack of action on commonsense gun reform bills that the House has passed. prgtoken While we still need commonsense gun reform, Senator Casey and I have also introduced a bill that Members from both parties should be able to agree on, H.R. 2585, the Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to join the 50 cosponsors and prgtoken the many organizations that are putting their concern for gun violence into action by supporting this bill, and I urge the Senate to act on the bills the House has already passed.
WE MUST AID THE HONDURAN PEOPLE
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-6-27

. Madam , I rise today in remembrance of a U.S.-backed coup that, even now, hangs as a cudgel over the people of Honduras. prgtoken Ten years later, Hondurans still face an erosion of human rights amid unimagined violence, an unaccountable government, lack of opportunity, and increasingly militarized internal security forces. prgtoken Just last week, in response to civilian protests, President Hernandez deployed the armed forces to quell his critics, a response that not only is recent, but reoccurring. prgtoken When you hear horrific accounts of violence and lawlessness in Honduras, it is no wonder so many seek a better life in America. prgtoken Ten years after the coup, we must own up to our role in the upheaval in Honduras and come to the aid of the people of Honduras.
SECURING AMERICA'S FEDERAL ELECTIONS ACT
Zoe Lofgren (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-6-27

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise in strong support of H.R. 2722. The SAFE Act is critical legislation to invest in and upgrade the machinery of American democracy. It will help us combat the national emergency facing our country. It will improve the resilience of election infrastructure used in Federal elections. prgtoken Aging equipment, under-resourced jurisdictions, and interference by foreign entities or non-state actors leaves the system vulnerable to exploitation that can undermine confidence in election outcomes. Ineffective and vulnerable equipment can also discourage participation in Federal elections. prgtoken It comes to the floor after the Committee on House Administration held three hearings in the first 6 months of this year that addressed the integrity of our elections. In February the committee held the ``For the People: Our American Democracy'' hearing, where the integrity of our democracy--including critical steps to improve the security and reliability of our election infrastructure--was addressed. prgtoken On May 8 the committee held an election security hearing where we heard testimony about the urgent need to upgrade our election infrastructure and the lack of ongoing investment in the wake of new threats. prgtoken And on May 21 the committee held an oversight hearing of the Election Assistance Commission, an agency that plays a central role in supporting election administration in this country. prgtoken I will remind this House that earlier this year, the Director of National Intelligence published a report stating that our adversaries and strategic competitors ``probably already are looking to the 2020 U.S. elections as an opportunity to advance their interests. ``They may also use cyber means to `directly manipulate or disrupt elections systems--such as by tampering with voter registration or disrupting the vote tallying process--either to alter data or to call into question our voting process.''' prgtoken Last year he said that ``the warning lights are blinking red''. . . . prgtoken Special Counsel Robert Mueller noted in Volume One of his report that the Russian military ``targeted individuals and entities involved in the administration of the elections. Victims included U.S. State and local entities, such as State boards of elections, secretaries of State, and county governments, as well as individuals who worked for those entities. The GRU also targeted private technology firms responsible for manufacturing and administering election-related software and hardware, such as voter registration software and electronic polling stations.'' prgtoken In April, FBI Director Christopher Wray called Russia's interference efforts a ``significant counterintelligence threat,'' and said that the 2018 midterms were a ``dress rehearsal for the big show'' of the 2020 Presidential elections. prgtoken Early voters in Georgia in 2018 saw machines deleting votes a
PUBLIC SERVICE FREEDOM TO NEGOTIATE ACT
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-6-27

I want to first of all thank Senator Hirono for introducing one of the most important bills this session. It is all about collective bargaining rights. It is all about workers' voices being heard and all about the dignity of work. prgtoken Just last week I was with Senator Hirono with a number of her constituents from her State, and they talked about her support for manufacturing or especially her support for workers. I was particularly pleased when she mentioned the Communications Workers of America. I have staff with me on the floor--some of my Ohio staff, including my State director, who came out of the CWA. I know how important workers' rights are. So I thank Senator Hirono for introducing this bill. If we did nothing this session but pass that legislation, it would be a huge victory for workers. prgtoken Unfortunately, we have a Supreme Court that puts its thumb on the scales of justice in every case, choosing corporations over workers, choosing Wall Street over consumers, choosing, in far too many cases, health insurance companies over sick people. And today's Supreme Court case is aimed and targeted directly at States like mine, Ohio, a State that is a swing State and has 12 House Members, 4 ic House Members and has had that same configuration of 12 and 4 for 4 State elections because of redistricting. But it is no surprise, with the Supreme Court deciding that they were prgtoken going to put their thumb on the scale of justice again, against voting rights, against civil rights. That is what has happened in support of corporate money. prgtoken So dark money has affected the special-interest Supreme Court. We have never seen a Supreme Court in my lifetime that is this beholden to corporate interests, that is this beholden to billionaire contributors, that is this beholden to special interests. We have never seen a Court like this. prgtoken What does this mean? It means that instead of citizens choosing their elected officials, it is politicians choosing whom they represent. That is why you get these districts that will stay 12-to-4 , where voters have no real say in these elections because of the way it is lined up. prgtoken We have a Supreme Court that is hostile to voting rights, hostile to worker rights, hostile to women's rights, hostile to LGBTQ rights. That is what this Supreme Court has given us, as Senator McConnell, in his office down the hall, continues to push judges like this who don't look toward the public interest. They are always looking toward rewarding their billionaire contributors. prgtoken Again, I thank Senator Hirono for her work. prgtoken .
SUPPORT OF AMENDMENT NO. 35 TO H.R. 3055
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2019-6-27

. Madam , I rise in support of my amendment numbered 35 to Division A of H.R. 3055 to direct the National Institutes of Standards and Technologies to establish standards for pyrrhotite in concrete aggregate. Pyrrhotite is a mineral that unfortunately has been mixed into concrete aggregate and is widespread in concrete foundations and residential commercial municipal buildings in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and parts of Quebec, Canada, that after exposure to moisture, causes the material to premature crumbling and collapse because of rusting. prgtoken Estimates are as high as thousands of structures in the New England region are affected with crumbling foundations, causing catastrophic losses to homeowners and municipalities. By establishing standards for pyrrhotite content, NIST could mitigate the problem from occurring in other areas, or at least reduce the costs of mitigation. prgtoken Right now, any level of pyrrhotite is considered a cancer on a property and makes it unmarketable. This amendment would allocate $4 million from the NIST general operations funds towards pyrrhotite research, which my office and others have been discussing over the last year. The amendment would require NIST to research the best testing methods for pyrrhotite detection, as well as to develop a pyrrhotite risk rating scale. This amendment would utilize the world's leading researchers to mitigate the cost of this problem. In addition, my amendment requests that NIST work with leading academic institutions in this area to expedite this research process--including expediting the procurement process for obtaining concrete samples, should NIST need to utilize core samples containing pyrrhotite to conduct this research. prgtoken I urge adoption of this en-bloc package, and I want to thank Mr. Aderholt and Mr. Serrano for their kind support for this measure.