mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY ACT OF 2019
Brad Sherman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-12-3

I rise to speak in favor of S. 178, the UIGHUR Act of 2019. prgtoken This bill has the best of both worlds: It has a Senate bill number and House of Representatives content. The bill came over from the Senate, and then we unanimously adopted, in the Foreign Affairs Committee, my amendment in the nature of a substitute, prgtoken which put together three bills focused on the Uighur issue. It included the work of Senators Marco Rubio and Robert Menendez found in S. 178; the work found in H.R. 649 of Chris Smith and Tom Suozzi of this House; and the legislation that I reintroduced with the ranking member of the Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation Subcommittee, Ted Yoho, H.R. 1025. prgtoken So this bill represents putting together those three bills to deal with the detention of over 1 million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and other Chinese repression of its Muslim minority population. prgtoken The Chinese Government has sought to erase the distinct Uighur Muslim culture and religious traditions through mass detentions, reeducation camps, and a coordinated campaign under the banner ``Strike Hard Against Violent Extremism'' launched in 2014. prgtoken Thanks to recently leaked Chinese Communist Party documents, we now know that the impetus for this campaign came from the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party. prgtoken In April 2014, General Secretary Xi ordered the party officials to, and these are the words, show ``absolutely no mercy'' in using ``organs of dictatorship,'' another quoted phrase, to suppress Muslim minorities. More than a million Uighurs were then imprisoned in camps. prgtoken In a country with the rule of law, you are incarcerated by the state because you have been convicted of a defined statutory offense. Why are 1 million people behind barbed wire in the Xinjiang province of China? The charge against them is ``their thinking has been infected by unhealthy thoughts.'' prgtoken Where in the world would anyone be free if a million people can be incarcerated because the government has determined that their thoughts are unhealthy? prgtoken Along with reeducation camps, the Strike Hard campaign has also involved high-tech surveillance and monitoring of Uighurs, monitoring and suppressing Muslim religious practice, including funeral practices, and suppression of the Uighur language. prgtoken Beyond its borders, the party has tried to intimidate Chinese Muslim minorities who are living abroad. And in China, some individuals with permanent residency status in the United States have been prohibited from leaving the region. In Xinjiang, the party has forced Uighur families to have Han Chinese agents live in their homes. prgtoken The extent of this Chinese effort to, in effect, ``sinofy'' the Muslim population of western China is staggering. The legislation before us is an important start, but it is only a start in our efforts to counter Chinese repression of its Muslim minorities,
REAFFIRMING SUPPORT FOR THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT AND OTHER AGREEMENTS TO ENSURE A LASTING PEACE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Thomas R. Suozzi (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-12-3

I thank Mr. Sires for yielding me time. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of the bipartisan H. Res. 585, which I introduced along with my colleague Peter King. prgtoken This resolution reaffirms the United States' support for the Good Friday Agreement and other agreements in order to ensure a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. prgtoken I want to start by thanking Chairman Engel for his support of this bipartisan resolution and for his decades-long commitment to bringing a lasting peace to the island of Ireland. prgtoken I also thank, again, my fellow Long Islander Peter King, my lead cosponsor of this resolution, who has been a staunch advocate for the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process for the length and breadth of his entire career in public service, over 30 years. prgtoken I thank all of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and from the Congressional Friends of Ireland who cosponsored this resolution. Particularly, I thank my friend Bill Keating, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment. prgtoken , the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 was a momentous achievement that marked the official end of The Troubles, a dark period in history that saw communities torn apart, thousands of people killed, and the island of Ireland literally divided by a hard border. prgtoken While the Good Friday Agreement has been largely responsible for the relative peace on the island of Ireland over the last two decades, recent events have created uncertainty and put the agreement at risk. prgtoken The collapse of the key power-sharing agreement in early 2017 has created a roadblock to continued progress on several important issues. Furthermore, the uncertainty created by Brexit has led to fears of instability and even the reintroduction of a hard border separating the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. prgtoken Next week, the people of the United Kingdom will go to the polls in a crucial election that will determine the outcome of Brexit. While it would be inappropriate for any American elected official to interfere in another country's electoral process, it is important that the United States makes our position clear on policies in which we have a vested interest. prgtoken This resolution reiterates the United States' full support for the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. It also urges the parties to continue their dialogues in the hope that the governing institutions created by the agreement can once again operate. prgtoken This resolution also makes it clear that as the United Kingdom continues to work through the Brexit process, all parties should ensure that the final outcome supports peace on the island of Ireland, as well as all the principles, objectives, and commitments of the Good Friday Agreement. In particular, this resolution expresses strong opposition to the
HONORABLE ELBRA M. WEDGEWORTH
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2019-12-3

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the Honorable Elbra M. Wedgeworth, who after decades in public service, is retiring. The Honorable Wedgeworth began her career in public service in 1989 as a Senior Analyst for the Denver City Council. From 1994 to 1996, she served as the Clerk and Recorder for the City and County of Denver, and also served as a member of the Denver Election Commission and as a Denver County Commissioner. In 1999, she was elected as Denver City Council's District 8 Councilwoman. After just four years on the City Council, her fellow Councilmembers unanimously elected her Council President from 2003 to 2005. In 2007, she resigned from the City Council to join Denver Health as Chief Government and Community Relations Officer where she has been active in advancing healthcare policy at the state and federal level. In August 2014, the Elbra M. Wedgeworth Municipal Building was dedicated in her honor in the historic Five Points neighborhood in honor of her service to the City of Denver and State of Colorado. In addition to her esteemed career, Elbra served on many boards and commissions. In September 2008, she was unanimously elected as President of the Denver Union Station Project Authority Board of Directors and served nine terms as Board President. Under her leadership, the $500 million Denver Union Station Project opened in May of 2014 on time and under budget. Also, in 2008, she was appointed as the President of the ic National Convention Host Committee where she oversaw a widely-viewed successful convention. From 2013 to 2014, Elbra served as the past Chairwoman for the Downtown Denver Partnership Inc the first person of color male or female to serve as the organization's chair in its 60-year history, earning her the title of Downtown Denver Partnership Honorary Partner. Throughout all of this, she has served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Redlands in Redlands, California, her college alma mater as well as a Board of Trustee for FirstBank in Colorado from 2017 to present. These positions reflect her leadership abilities, passion for the city and state she loves, and talent for bringing people together to get things done for the betterment of our community. I want to congratulate The Honorable Elbra Wedgeworth on a long and distinguished career and I wish her all the best in retirement.
IN SUPPORT OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-12-3

. Madam , I am honored to take part in this Special Order hour tonight in which we honor the Nation's HBCUs and highlight our support for the FUTURE Act. prgtoken My district, Pennsylvania's fifth, is home to the oldest HBCU in the United States, Cheyney University. Founded in 1837, Cheyney is also a charter member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Cheyney is a historical, cultural, and academic beacon in our community, where it has long provided academic and professional opportunities for students in Pennsylvania and beyond. The university boasts tens of thousands of loyal and accomplished alumni who share their diverse talents with the Nation. prgtoken Unfortunately, in recent years, Cheyney has faced financial instability, and 3 years ago nearly lost its accreditation. But last week there was good news. Based on strong leadership from Cheyney's new president, Aaron Walton, increased community and alumni engagement and strong enrollment numbers, Cheyney learned that its accreditation had been renewed. prgtoken Moving forward, Cheyney is increasing academic offerings and developing innovative public-private partnerships that will help students to graduate and be ready to compete in the 21st century. prgtoken I am extremely proud to represent Cheyney and to testify to the importance of HBCUs across the United States. prgtoken Lastly, I am also proud to be a new member of the Congressional HBCU Caucus led by my colleague, a fierce supporter of these institutions, Representative Alma Adams.
Tribute to Johnny Isakson (Executive Calendar)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-12-3

I am so glad to have the chance to be here today to recognize Senator Johnny Isakson. He is a dedicated public servant to the people of Georgia and is a dear friend of mine here in the Senate. I am pretty sure every single person here in the U.S. Senate building would say the same. prgtoken I have had the good fortune to have been office neighbors with Senator Isakson for several years now, and like any good neighbor, Senator Isakson has made it very clear that his door is always open whenever I need someone to help work out a problem, to swap stories, or to just share a laugh. Over the years, in working together and in walking together to the Senate floor, we have managed to take a lot of steps to help the families and the veterans back in our States and across the country. prgtoken I remember back when Senator Alexander and I were working to replace No Child Left Behind, and I kept telling him that early childhood education just had to be a part of this. After I pushed and pushed and pushed, Senator Alexander finally said to me: OK. Go talk with Johnny. If you two can work something out, I will accept it in the committee. prgtoken I knew right then and there that we were in business because I knew Senator Isakson was someone who really cared about early childhood education and who also knew how to work with people across the aisle. He understands not everyone is going to have the same ideas, but he listens to other people. He respects their views, and he works so hard to find common ground so as to pass something that can actually help our families, and that is exactly what happened there. When the Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law, it included a strong focus on early childhood education, thanks to the efforts of Johnny Isakson, and I so appreciate that. prgtoken It is also exactly what happened when I worked with Senator Isakson to pass support for military caregivers. Throughout that process, every time there was something that tried to derail it, Senator Isakson was right there, working with me to get things back on track, because he understood it was not about politics; it was about people. It was about the spouses and the family members who stepped up to make sure our servicemembers had the support they needed no matter what. prgtoken That is something that has been clear on every issue Senator Isakson has worked on. He has always known the people behind the words of legislation. He has always understood how personal the work is that we do here for our families back home. prgtoken That has possibly never been clearer than it was last year when we worked prgtoken on legislation in the HELP Committee to respond to the opioid epidemic. Senator Isakson spoke up throughout that process about the loss of his own grandson, a victim of the opioid crisis. He shared his family's story in the hope it would help other families who struggle with the disease of addiction so that they woul
IN MEMORY OF MEL OLSSON
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2019-12-3

. Madam , I rise to observe and mourn the passing one of Southeastern Connecticut's most accomplished and revered citizens, Mr. Melvin E. Olsson. Mel, as he was known to all, grew up in that region's historic city, New London, attended public school there, and upon graduation, immediately enlisted in the Connecticut National Guard where he served from 1959 until 1967. He also became part of the workforce at our nation's premiere submarine shipyard Electric Boat, where he was hired as a pipefitter embarking on a 47-year career, building and designing the world's most capable submarines. After his start as a metal tradesman, he migrated to the design workforce, which was responsible for the flawless conception, execution, and production of the Los Angeles, Seawolf, Ohio, and Virginia class submarines that have made America's ``silent service'' such an effective deterrent in keeping the peace for the last 75 years. prgtoken Mel was a strong advocate for Electric Boat's unionized workers, and over time he emerged as the president of the Marine Draftsman's/UAW Local 571 which represents all the drafting professionals and designers. For thirteen years Mel held that position and successfully negotiated contracts in tandem with his brothers and sisters in the Metal Trades Council to ensure their skilled work was adequately compensated with good salaries and benefits. In the early 2000s, Mel was prgtoken presiding at a time of great change at the shipyard which went from a workforce of around 30,000 down to just 8,500 in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union. Mel worked tirelessly to assist the people he represented, making sure they were given transitional help as downsizing occurred. All the while, he continued to advocate for the Navy's investment in a new class of Seawolf and Virginia submarines, which in hindsight we now know kept that shipyard alive. prgtoken Madam , as the Congressman from Eastern Connecticut I had the honor to work with Mel in the shipyard's efforts to keep the unique, irreplaceable skills that made Southeastern Connecticut ``The Submarine Capitol of the World.'' When I was elected to Congress in 2006, and was selected to serve on the Seapower Subcommittee on the House Armed Services Committee, we immediately began a push to boost submarine production, building a coalition of the UAW, the Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and industry to ``plus up'' the 2008 shipbuilding budget. By the Fall of 2007 we defied conventional wisdom that a freshman member would never pull that off, when $588 million was added to the defense budget, igniting a new era of hiring in Groton. Mel's support and advice did not end there. He always made himself available, with good advice and a ready smile, if I had a question or challenge to face. I will always treasure his friendship. prgtoken Madam , when Mel stepped down from his union office in the 2000s, after 47 years of work at the yard, I think most w
CONGRESSIONAL UKRAINE CAUCUS MEETINGS
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-12-3

. Madam , bipartisan support for the U.S.-Ukraine longstanding strategic partnership remains resolute. prgtoken Ukraine is the nation on the scrimmage line for liberty in Europe. And as I speak, Ukraine's armed services are protecting Europe's eastern flank from Russian aggression. Its people have made their commitment to democracy clear in its most recent elections, and over 14,000 Ukrainians have now died fighting Russia's illegal invasion. prgtoken Tomorrow, the Congressional Ukraine Caucus will join the Atlantic Council in hosting a half-day bipartisan, bicameral conference, entitled, ``U.S. Strategic Interests in Ukraine.'' It will be held tomorrow at 11:30 in the Visitor Center Meeting Room North. I encourage my colleagues to come and spend a few minutes with us. prgtoken I am also pleased to host a roundtable with extraordinarily brave, award-winning Ukrainian journalist Myroslava Gongadze tomorrow at 10 o'clock in the morning in Rayburn 2362B. prgtoken Following the brutal murder of her husband, Myroslava tirelessly pursued justice on his behalf in the European Court of Human Rights and now serves as the Voice of America's chief for Ukrainian service. prgtoken Madam , I kindly invite all my colleagues to attend these important sessions.
Tribute to Johnny Isakson (Executive Calendar)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-12-3

I join my colleagues in expressing our genuine affection for Johnny Isakson. This is surely a sad day as Senator Isakson is leaving us as a member of the U.S. Senate. prgtoken But frankly, his retirement from the Senate has given us an opportunity to recognize how fortunate each one of us is to be a Member of the U.S. Senate and that we can get things done if we follow Senator Isakson's recommendations and model to work together to find common ground. prgtoken One other thing that I will always remember about Senator Isakson is that he has taught us that the Senate family really is family and you can form genuine friendships in the U.S. Senate and it makes no difference your party affiliation in forming those friendships. prgtoken I first got to know Senator Isakson when he was Congressman Isakson. We were both serving in the House of Representatives. The House is a much larger body, and we did not have the opportunity during those years we served together in the House to get to know each another in a personal manner. But when I was elected to the U.S. Senate in January of 2007, it was Senator Isakson and Dianne that reached out to Myrna and me to welcome us to the Senate family. prgtoken It was not a one-time, let's get to know each other and try to understand each other. We come from different backgrounds and different States. We have different religions. But he and Dianne, Myrna and I, really wanted to try to understand each other. prgtoken You heard Senator Isakson talk about finding common ground. Well, you cannot find common ground if you do not know the other person you are talking with. And Senator Isakson has lived by example to develop that type of genuine friendship with his colleagues, so that we can really understand what our priorities are and how we can find that common ground to get things done. prgtoken So we have enjoyed a professional relationship, but it has been a true friendship. And as Senator Isakson has said, the way to get things done is through understanding what bipartisanship is about. Bipartisanship works, as Senator Isakson has said many times, to find common ground. And Senator Isakson has lived by that example throughout his whole life. prgtoken You have heard he is the only Georgian to have served in the State House, the State Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia, and the U.S. Senate from Georgia, so he has been the whole legislative route in the State of Georgia. prgtoken But by using that approach of getting to know each of us and spending the time to become friends and finding out what our priorities are all about and be able to find common ground, he has been able to accomplish an incredible record of success for the people of Georgia and our Nation. prgtoken Let me give some examples. You have heard many of them, but I am going to talk a little bit from a personal point of view. Yes, I had the distinction of serving on the Ethics Committee
Tribute to Johnny Isakson (Executive Calendar)
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2019-12-3

it is an honor to rise and speak in tribute to my dear friend and trusted colleague, Johnny Isakson of Georgia. prgtoken To follow the junior Senator from the State of Georgia, something remarkable happened just before this session on the floor of the Senate. There was a bipartisan lunch in which virtually every currently serving Senator--nearly 100--gathered, not just because there was tasty barbecue, but because we were there to thank our friend and colleague Johnny Isakson for his decade of public service, for his dedication to this body, and for the ways in which he has been the glue that has helped hold so many of us together. You just heard it again here on the floor, his passion and his commitment to working across the aisle. prgtoken Johnny Isakson has been an effective, capable, and powerful Senator because he is never worried about who gets the credit for the work he does. He has kept his word. He has a great sense of humor. He is easy to be with. He is persuasive. He is persistent, and he is principled. prgtoken Let me just start by saying to Dianne, to John and Julie and Kevin and the grandkids: Thank you. Thank you for sharing Johnny with the State of Georgia and with our Nation for decades. prgtoken When I first got elected to the Senate back in 2010--which was a somewhat unexpected election, I got seated right after a special election--a respected senior realtor from my hometown, Dick Christopher, came and told me I should look up a guy named Johnny Isakson from Georgia. He was someone he knew from the real estate business. He said: He is a good husband and father, a principled man. You will enjoy working with him. prgtoken I never heard of him, so I looked him up online. If all you had to judge someone by was their right-left position--he succeeded Newt Gingrich--he and I, on the surface on a few positions, would have nothing in common. But as luck or providence would have it, when I got here, he was the trainer with Barbara Boxer for ethics for the new Senators. And to his misfortune, he got assigned to be my mentor. I began what has been an adventure that hasn't yet ended--and I hope never will--of a friendship and a companionship that has taken us to some pretty wild places. prgtoken Early in 2011, I was made the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Johnny was the ranking member. I could not have asked for a better companion or partner. We did dozens of hearings on foreign aid policy, on security and trade interests, and on the growing role of China in Africa. But then we also went and visited places--widely--places both easy and hard. We went to Mali and Congo, to Senegal and Benin, to South Africa and to Ghana. prgtoken Over several trips, we visited AIDS orphanages and hospitals, water purification plants, and Millennium Challenge Corporation trips. On these trips, we saw the terrible impact of terrorism and grinding poverty in countries like Nigeria and Mali, but