mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO KRISTINA FOLCIK
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-9-22

I am proud to recognize Kristina Folcik of Tamworth as September's Granite Stater of the Month. As a survivor of domestic violence, Kristina transformed her own healing process into a way to support other survivors by hiking 100 miles nonstop across some of New Hampshire's steepest peaks. She was the first person to ever finish that portion of the Appalachian Trail in one single trek. prgtoken Kristina is an endurance athlete who has held multiple Fastest Known Times, which is a title given to individuals who have clocked the fastest time on a particular route, including hiking trails. She even raced professionally for a while, but stopped when her now-former husband started becoming abusive after she would win a race. prgtoken For the last 2 years, Kristina worked with Starting Point, a nonprofit organization in New Hampshire that helps survivors of domestic and sexual violence, to successfully separate from her abusive husband. In an effort to heal from this harrowing and traumatic experience, Kristina decided to attempt a 100-mile, nonstop hike. prgtoken In the lead-up to announcing her decision to attempt this extraordinary feat, Kristina revealed publicly on social media that she had recently divorced from her abusive husband and that she was going to complete this 100-mile trek and dedicate it to women who have been in abusive relationships. prgtoken Much to her surprise, following her announcement, many women began to share their stories of abuse with Kristina, and some even publicly shared their experiences. prgtoken Kristina turned her hike into a fundraiser, asking people to donate to the organization that had helped her leave her abusive marriage. It was not until Kristina had successfully completed the hike 36 hours later that she realized the fundraiser had raised more than $1,000 for Starting Point. prgtoken Apart from breaking records, Kristina also owns Rockhopper Races LLC, which hosts races in the White Mountains and raises money for organizations that maintain and preserve New Hampshire's beautiful natural resources. prgtoken Kristina not only achieved an incredible athletic feat, but also made a difference in the lives of others by having the courage to speak out about her past trauma. Kristina's strength is an inspiration and reflects the kind of determination to build strength through outreach and mutual support that the Granite State is known for. I am proud to recognize her efforts.
REMEMBERING JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2020-9-22

I join my colleagues tonight to come here and honor the life of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As many people have said tonight already, what an unbelievable hero she was--a trailblazer, a deep thinker. And there are the things she did on the Court to do so many important things for the rights of Americans. prgtoken When I first met her in 2001, I had just come to Washington, DC, in my first year here in the U.S. Senate, and I just happened to go to a play at the Shakespeare Theatre, here near the Capitol, and had seats right next to her in the theater. I had probably already heard about her and knew of her, of course. That was of great significance even in 2001. But during the play, I noticed, just as I do in a dark situation, oftentimes falling asleep a little bit, and I thought, wow, I don't know, this woman is so petite and so tiny. And I had heard that she had been sick. I literally sat there in the dark concerned for her future. prgtoken What a lesson about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, because that was 2001. And in 2020, she was going strong. This is not a woman to ever, ever, ever underestimate. She took her tools and applied them for the betterment of American women and American society overall. People across the United States of America are reeling from her passing because they want to know who is going to stand up for their rights now that she is gone. prgtoken There is something about that diminutive figure with so much might and wisdom that succeeded on that groove of a Court with all those men and had the courage and the tenacity to read her dissent in the Lilly Ledbetter legislation from the bench--the unusual move of saying: I might not have the decision I want today, but, by God, you are going to listen to what is wrong with gender inequality in America, and we are going to get on a path to fix it. prgtoken When I think about that unbelievable moment that in her quiet, soft voice set the stage that we heard our colleague Senator Warren talk about tonight, it is pretty amazing. That is why we need to have women in these places. We need to have them so you have the voice of diversity there to tell you what it is like. And I guarantee you--when she said that statement, ``I don't ask anything from my brother other than to get your foot off my neck,'' I guarantee you, she knew what that was like, and that is why she says it with such conviction. prgtoken That is what she represented. That is what she represented as an icon to so many people, and now they are mourning. I have had 2,000 calls in just a few days to our office about her passing. prgtoken One constituent, Lynn from Shelton, WA, said: I am old enough to have grown up experiencing the subtle and not so subtle discrimination aimed at girls and women that have limited our self-expression, our participation in sports, in politics, college accessibility and workplace, and even in my family life and reproduction. She continues: It has bee
VETERANS BENEFITS FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2020
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-22

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , the passage of this important legislation is necessary to continue to make it easier for veterans to submit medical evidence in support of their disability claims. prgtoken I urge all of my colleagues to support the legislation, H.R. 7795, brought forward by Congressman Barr of Kentucky, and the cosponsor, the chairwoman of our Subcommittee on DAMA, Elaine Luria of Virginia. prgtoken I urge support of this bill, and .
SAVANNA'S ACT
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-9-22

I rise in support of S. 227, Savanna's Act, a bill to combat the epidemic of missing and murdered Native women and girls. prgtoken In the United States, Native women face tragically high rates of violence, sexual assault, and murder. According to the Department of Justice, 84 percent of Native and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that homicide is the third leading cause of death among Native women. These rates are ten times higher than the national average and reflect centuries of institutional racism and systemic inequalities that Native communities face. prgtoken Too often families of missing and murdered Native women are left without answers. We cannot allow the experiences of Native and Indigenous communities continue to slip through bureaucracy. I am a cosponsor of Savanna's Act, which will create and improve procedures, communication, and cooperation among federal, state, Tribal, and local agencies that may share jurisdiction over investigating crimes against Native women. prgtoken Our Nation's devastating history of colonization has left missing and murdered Native women invisible to law enforcement for centuries, but today, by passing Savanna's Act we can give a voice to this silent crisis. We must strive to better understand the institutional racism and systemic inequalities that Native communities face. And we must keep fighting for justice for those who are missing or murdered. prgtoken I thank Congresswoman Torres for her leadership on this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support Savanna's Act.
REPUBLICANS PUT THEMSELVES FIRST
Marcia L. Fudge (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , on Friday, we lost an honorable and decent woman, Justice Ginsburg, a person who changed the world. prgtoken But for all her successes, those who are bent on choosing her successor have no decency. They have no honor. They have no integrity. It is a shame that they did not learn the lessons of Justice Ginsburg, which were decency and honesty and integrity, one who fought for others. prgtoken All they want to do is fight for themselves. They want to take away our healthcare. They don't want to help people who are in trouble. They don't care about people who are unemployed. All they want to do is win. prgtoken But what do they win? What have they won for this Nation? They just want to benefit themselves. prgtoken We are not here for ourselves. We are here for the people who sent us here. We are here to represent the people. prgtoken When you lose sight of that, what a shame, what an absolute shame. They are a disgrace to this Nation.
REMEMBERING JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2020-9-22

we know that on Saturday the President is likely to announce his nominee for the Supreme Court, and we don't know who that is going to be, but we do know a couple of things. We know, according to the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, that they already have the votes. prgtoken What an extraordinary thing to already know how you are going to vote on a nominee who has not yet been nominated. What an extraordinary thing to turn ``advise and consent'' into ``agreeing in advance.'' What an extraordinary thing. prgtoken There is another thing that we know about this nominee. No matter who it is, we know that this person is going to come from a list provided by the Federalist Society, an organization that has worked for decades to remake the Federal judiciary in its image. It has a long history of advancing a certain agenda of seeking to roll back progress on civil rights, diminish environmental protections, and eliminate a woman's right to choose. It is an organization that believes in the power of executive authority and advances a particular, unique, novel theory called the unitary executive, which is something that Alan Dershowitz proffered on the Senate floor during the impeachment trial. prgtoken It essentially says that the executive branch is the President and that extensions of the President's authority can only go so far because the President is a whole branch of government unto himself or herself. The Federalist Society also fights for the corporations and the rich individual donors who quietly fund their work. prgtoken As Amanda Hollis-Brusky says, who studies this organization from a nonpartisan academic perspective as a professor at Pomona College: ``The idea of the Federalist Society was to train, credential, and socialize a generation of alternative elites.'' prgtoken That is how we know that any nominee they put forth will have views so far out of the mainstream and far to the right of even the existing Supreme Court. So it is not a rhetorical flourish, and it is not a partisan statement to say that 's nominee will not be committed to ensuring our most basic and fundamental rights: the right to privacy, reproductive rights, the right to vote, the right to marry who you love, and even equal justice under the law. prgtoken Perhaps what is most worrisome is that the President has made clear that whomever he nominates to the Supreme Court will be in favor of striking down the Affordable Care Act. With the Court's hearing yet another challenge to the ACA on November 10, it is not an exaggeration to say that the law will likely be gutted. It is a real risk. prgtoken Let's be clear about what this means. The whole architecture of our healthcare system could be destroyed during the worst public health crisis in a century. This will, of course, disproportionately impact our most vulnerable communities--communities of color, low-income, indigenous, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communi
RECOGNIZING THE SEVERITY OF COVID-19
André Carson (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , I rise today to honor the 200,000 Americans, including the 3,500 Hoosiers who have lost their lives to COVID-19. We won't forget those we lost, our family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, spiritual leaders, and much more. prgtoken I also want to remember my cousins, who passed away from the virus earlier this year. Who knows how many lives could have been saved if our leaders had been honest about the severity of COVID-19 from the start? Who knows how many millions could have avoided this illness and possible lifetime complications from it, if those leaders had not made them make the impossible choice between their health and their livelihoods? prgtoken I introduced H.R. 7161, the COVID-19 Memorial Quilt Act of 2020, to create a national memorial, Madam , to everyone we have lost. We can't change the past, but we can impact the future. prgtoken The Senate must pass the HEROES Act, which we passed in May, to provide strong relief from COVID-19. We can save countless lives if we put partisanship aside and work together.
UYGHUR FORCED LABOR PREVENTION ACT
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , I want to thank my friend from Texas (Mr. Castro) for yielding, but also for his commitment to human rights, not only with regard to the repression that is going on in China, but all around the world. prgtoken Madam , I rise in strong support of H.R. 6210, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. I am proud to have authored this legislation to address human rights and forced labor abuses against Uyghur and other Muslim groups in China. prgtoken There is strong, diverse, bipartisan, and bicameral support for this legislation, including from my colleagues on the Congressional- Executive Commission on China. Senator Marco Rubio, Representative Chris Smith, and Representative Tom Suozzi all helped draft this legislation. I thank Nancy Pelosi for her longtime advocacy for human rights in China and for her leadership in getting this bill to the House floor. I thank Chairman Engel, as well as Ranking Member McCaul, Chairman Neal, and Chairwoman Waters for the support of their committees. prgtoken The Congressional-Executive Commission on China, of which I serve as the chair, held the first congressional hearing on this topic a year ago, followed up with a groundbreaking staff report, and then held an expert roundtable event on this issue. We found that the evidence of systematic and widespread forced labor in Xinjiang is astounding and irrefutable and includes evidence from camp detainees, satellite imagery of factories being built at internment camps, and public and leaked Chinese Government documents. All the evidence we accumulated led to the introduction of this bipartisan, bicameral legislation in March 2020. prgtoken It is time for Congress to act. Over the past several years, we have watched in horror as the Chinese Government first created and then expanded a system of extrajudicial mass internment camps. As many as 1.8 million Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups have been arbitrarily detained in the camps and subjected to forced labor, torture, political indoctrination, and other severe human rights abuses. prgtoken Reports published during the past year detailed an expansive and systematic policy of forcibly separating ethnic minority children from their families. A Chinese Government policy document stated that nearly half a million schoolchildren were attending boarding schools. The forcible displacement of children is in violation of the Chinese Government's law on the protection of minors and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. prgtoken Investigations during the past year detailed a policy of forcibly separating ethnic minority children from their families and the use of forced birth control and sterilization, which may be in contravention of the U.N. Convention on Genocide to which it is a party. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum had already determined that crimes against humanity may have been committed. prgtoken In July, I joined
MERRILL'S MARAUDERS CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT
Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the bill (S. 743) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the soldiers of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), commonly known as ``Merrill's Marauders'', in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service in the jungles of Burma during World War II, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Supreme Court Nominations (Executive Calendar)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2020-9-22

we are in the middle of a pandemic. Two hundred thousand people have died, millions more have been infected, and this crisis is nowhere close to being over. But are s are offering solutions? Not even close. prgtoken We need to be prioritizing science. Instead, they are offering a bill that prioritizes partisan ideology. We need to be making it easier for people to get the care they need. Instead, they are offering a bill with the sole purpose of putting up unnecessary barriers to care. And not only are they wasting time on their partisan war against abortion with this bill--which they know is a nonstarter--they are preparing to jam through a Supreme Court nominee who would make things even worse. prgtoken They are fighting to not just overturn Roe v. Wade but to strike down healthcare for tens of millions of people and strike down protections for people with preexisting conditions and to send healthcare costs skyrocketing--all during a pandemic. prgtoken I can't believe I have to say this, but we need to be taking steps to make this crisis better, not worse, which is why I am going to offer a unanimous consent request that the Senate proceed to S. 4638--the Science and Transparency Over Politics Act, which Senator Schumer and myself and 32 other introduced today. prgtoken Unfortunately, we have seen the administration repeatedly take dangerous steps to undermine and overrule the experts at our Nation's public agencies. We have seen the President spread lies and misinformation and conspiracy theories about their work. We have seen his officials meddle with key scientific reports and apply pressure to promote unproven treatments. And we know this interference can damage public confidence in the science-based guidance our experts issue to help save lives and in their efforts to evaluate a vaccine and make sure it is safe and effective. We just can't let that happen. prgtoken This reckless interference didn't start yesterday, and it is clear it is not going to stop tomorrow. So I believe Congress needs to take action to make it stop. prgtoken The STOP Act would do just that by providing much needed transparency and accountability. Given how many s have said we need to be listening to the experts and following the science, this bill should not be controversial. It should be common sense prgtoken , as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 4638, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
IN HONOR OF JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , Saturday Libby and I joined many at the Supreme Court to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a true defender of our most fundamental rights at a time when this President and his enablers increasingly threaten the very preservation of our democracy. prgtoken Having fought her entire professional life against double standards, it is essential that a double standard not apply to her replacement. prgtoken When Justice Scalia died 8 months before a Presidential election, s blocked any consideration of President 's nomination to the Court. Only total hypocrisy would permit s to name a replacement after voting for President has already begun in a number of States. prgtoken Why 's big rush? Because he wants this court packed with judges that will take away healthcare and protection for preexisting conditions for millions of Americans. And just in case, when he loses the popular vote once again, he needs some judges to help him cling to power. The best tribute to Justice Ginsburg is demanding consistency and then replacing a President who shares absolutely none of her values. prgtoken With everything at stake, we need to give it everything we have got. Let's protect the equality and justice she worked a lifetime to defend.
REMEMBERING JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-9-22

the Russian Federation has a Constitution, and if you read Russia's Constitution, you would know that Russia is a democracy. Why? Because their Constitution guarantees the existence of a vibrant, multiparty political system. The Russian Constitution prohibits the use of extrajudicial force or torture by the government. Their constitution says: ``Censorship of the media is prohibited.'' prgtoken Russia is a democracy if you read their Constitution, but Russia isn't a democracy, of course. It is a dictatorship. One man rules. No one has the right to dissent. There is no freedom of the press. All of that is under the penalty of death. prgtoken Now, why is this? Well, it is because democracies aren't made by their founding document. The document is just a piece of paper-- parchment, in our case--with words written on it, and these words are just that: They are words. Democracy doesn't work unless its leaders choose to follow the rules that those words prescribe, but also to operate in the spirit of the values that undergird those words. prgtoken Vladimir Putin will proudly tell you that, technically, Russia adheres to its Constitution. Now, that is not true, obviously, but what Putin has done over the years is just slowly erode a democratic system by using every single inch of discretion allowed to him by that Constitution to make democracy functionally impossible. He will say that censorship doesn't exist because there isn't an explicit censorship law, but we all know that he has used every informal mechanism available to him to make sure that there is no room--no room--for the independence of the press. prgtoken Something stunning happened here 4 years ago. A Supreme Court vacancy arose through the death of Justice Scalia. The Constitution says that a new Supreme Court Justice can't be seated unless he or she gets an affirmative vote from the Senate, and every single nominee--at least those who weren't withdrawn by the President--essentially got a vote from the Senate before 2016 because, you see, the Founding Fathers didn't actually require the Senate to vote. They didn't because they assumed that leaders of good faith would, of course, fulfill that responsibility to hold a vote. They never considered that the Senate might stretch its discretion under the Constitution so broadly to refuse to consider a nominee simply because they didn't like the President who made the nomination. prgtoken The Founders didn't actually micromanage democracy. They set these broad rules, and they trusted that we would all act in good faith toward each other and with a patriotism toward our Nation in filling in the details. prgtoken But that is not how 2016 went down. Senate s said they were setting a new precedent: When a nomination is made in the last year of a President's term, the Senate shouldn't act on it. The Senate, in that case, s said, should wait for the outcome of the election and le