mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-8-22

I thank Mr. Comer for yielding. prgtoken , you will never hear me complain about having to come to Washington to vote. After all, it is an honor to serve the people of this great Nation and our constitutional obligation to be here present to vote on the issues facing America. prgtoken So the question today is: Are there issues that need to be addressed in the United States Postal Service? prgtoken There certainly are. We all know that there are. After all, the USPS has been on the Government Accountability's High Risk List since the beginning of the - administration. prgtoken The systemic issues are not new. They did not creep up all of a sudden in the last few weeks since the new Postmaster has been in office. They have been here for awhile. So, if we are really trying to address the issues, there is room for discussion. prgtoken The late Chairman Elijah Cummings and the now White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows have a bill that has some serious effort put into it. prgtoken Tomorrow we will be having a hearing with the Postmaster to discuss the bill we are arguing today and voting on. prgtoken The White House has offered a $10 billion package, which the has rejected. prgtoken So there are options if we want to address the real issues, but today is not about a serious effort. Today's effort is yet another smokescreen, another conspiracy theory forced upon the American people to distract us from the real problems facing the American people; to distract from the 's unwillingness to work with the White House to protect schools, hospitals, and small businesses; to extend PPP to mom-and-pop businesses that are on the brink and the families connected to them; to address the heartbreaking violence and destruction in our cities and streets. prgtoken The American people are tired of this, tired of lurching from one manufactured crisis to another, tired of leadership by fear-mongering, tired of this House preferring to campaign on issues rather than to fix them. prgtoken The bill offered today will not save the USPS or provide for long- term sustainability. Today's effort is another attempt to mask the fact that this House under this leadership is doing very little for the American people.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-8-22

during my time in this Chamber I have devoted myself to finding the truth and working toward good governance. That requires gathering the facts and exposing the lies. It is in this light that I rise today to oppose H.R. 8015, the so-called Delivering for America Act. prgtoken H.R. 8015 aims to solve a made-up crisis by forcing the Postal Service to double down on the very same activities that have caused it to lose money consistently each year since 2006. Then they give the Postal Service another $25 billion to lose with no strings attached. prgtoken , there is no immediate Postal Service crisis. manufactured this crisis and are using it to create fear and advance their agenda. The Postal Service currently has $14 billion in cash on hand, which is enough to sustain operations through August of 2021. This comes on top of the fact that the Postal Service has not even touched the $10 billion loan that Congress extended to it in the recently passed CARES act. prgtoken The Postal Service has many long-term problems, but there is no short-term crisis. If were serious about ensuring the longevity of the Postal Service, we would finally pass bipartisan measures like the Postal Service Reform Act of 2017 that was championed by former Representatives Meadows and Cummings. This bill would enact meaningful reforms, keep mailing costs down, encourage innovation, and not require additional taxpayer bailouts. prgtoken Our current Postmaster General DeJoy took the job despite being vilified in public. He was unanimously selected by the bipartisan U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors because the board saw tremendous value in his decades of experience managing and growing a successful nationwide logistics company. He certainly had the qualifications to work with Congress and take on the task of postal reform. prgtoken , we need long-term solutions to fix the long-term problems of the Postal Service. H.R. 8015 merely aims to score political points on an issue that does not even exist. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Steve Chabot (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , there is no doubt that the Paycheck Protection Program has produced impressive results. All across America, PPP loans have supported over 50 million jobs. That is 50 million people who can continue to support themselves and their loved ones. In Ohio's First Congressional District, for example, which I have the honor of representing, the program helped over 200,000 people to stay on the payroll and support their families. prgtoken Despite this success, there are small businesses that still need our help. According to a July 27 NFIB survey, almost half of small business borrowers predict that they will need additional capital within the next 6 months. prgtoken As ranking member of the House Small Business Committee, I have pushed for targeted bipartisan solutions to make sure that our Nation's smallest firms have a chance to survive, and this Congress has acted. Now it needs to do so again to help those small businesses and their employees. prgtoken Unfortunately, the top leadership on the other side of the aisle apparently doesn't feel the urgency to do so and allow a vote on additional help for those small businesses that need it so much. prgtoken Let me be clear: Every day that goes by without action jeopardizes America's 30 million small businesses and their employees. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support reopening the Paycheck Protection Program through December 31 and allow businesses that have suffered revenue declines to apply for a second loan. prgtoken Madam , we owe it to America's small businesses to work together for a solution. We ought to be voting on that today.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. ``I urge everyone to be calm. . . . The Postal Service is not incapacitated. It is still fully capable of delivering the mail.'' prgtoken Those are not my words I speak. Those aren't even words of a . They are the words of Ruth Goldway, a , a former Postal Commissioner and Clinton appointee who served for 18 years under three Presidents. prgtoken Based on the facts, Goldway says the Postal Service is perfectly capable of handling election mail. prgtoken Unfortunately, we have got bad news for her. This majority didn't get the message. Instead of listening to the experts or following the facts, are wasting precious time spreading Pelosi's mailbox myths. prgtoken You had an opportunity to have bipartisanship. I have heard words on this floor today, , ``essential,'' ``critical'' that we are here. I applaud the few on the other side who were willing to show. prgtoken I know if you cannot make it today, you have to sign paperwork that your health will not allow you to be here. And the is bringing us back on a Saturday because it is so critical to be here right now, in this moment, in this time, but one-third on the other side must think otherwise. prgtoken Now, let's go through some of the myths versus facts. prgtoken Myth no. 1: The Postal Service is being sabotaged. prgtoken The Postal Service is properly funded for the election and beyond. We said it many times here. It is funded completely through August 2021. That is according to the Postal Service. prgtoken The Postal Service has long-term challenges, but they predate anything about this administration. It isn't being sabotaged. prgtoken Myth no. 2: Removing mailboxes from public places is uncommon and cause for alarm. prgtoken This is shocking. We have got country-western stars putting this up on Instagram. We need to rush back here on Saturday. But little did we know that, during the - years, nearly 12,000 mailboxes were removed from communities. Never once did we rush in on a Saturday to have a bill that you didn't have marked up and one-third of the would not show. prgtoken The Postal Service is actually constantly moving mailboxes from low- to high-volume growth areas, kind of a smart thing to do. In some cases, they replace them with more modern versions. I saw a picture where they actually had a lock in the front. prgtoken If you have townhall meetings, you will find out a lot of mail gets stolen, so they were protecting the packages but still allowing you to put the letter in. This isn't voter suppression. It is routine maintenance. prgtoken Myth no. 3: The Postal Service doesn't have the capacity to handle more absentee ballots. prgtoken The Postal Service delivers 471 million pieces of mail on an average day. Little known fact: People mail less every single year. With all of the advancements we put in the Postal Service, with the technology of our own life, do you know what year equalled 471 milli
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Ralph Norman (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-8-22

I rise today to apologize to the American taxpayers for this total sham of a process that the and this leadership are trying to spread. They continue to have derangement syndrome. prgtoken Here are the questions I would ask my colleagues: prgtoken If the are so concerned, then why have we not had a hearing about the Postal Service issues since June 15 of 2019? prgtoken If the are so concerned, why have we not had round-the- clock meetings to discuss the bill that we intend to fund at $25 billion which is being proposed? prgtoken We have been out of session for 17 percent of the time since March 15. Why haven't we been called back in to discuss this? prgtoken If you do the math, on $25 billion, and we have got 70 days left, that is roughly $325 million per day. prgtoken You tell the American taxpayer where you are spending that money. You tell the American taxpayer how we are going to come up with it. You tell the American taxpayer this is like dropping money from a helicopter. prgtoken If the are so concerned about the post office, why are we having to vote today when the Postmaster General is appearing at the hearing on Monday? This is just like determining the score of a football game and then playing the game on Monday. It makes no sense. prgtoken The have no interest in hearing the testimony of Mr. DeJoy. The only thing they want to do is berate and not give the Postmaster General the opportunity to answer, just like they did Attorney General Barr, which was a disgrace to this country. The taxpayers deserve better. prgtoken The will have no discussion on the spying of the President since 2016. prgtoken The have no explanation of a failed Mueller Report. prgtoken The have no explanation for the impeachment of the President. prgtoken The post office will fail as well.
CONGRATULATING GEORGIA ABBEY
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I rise today to recognize and congratulate Georgia Abbey on her recent retirement as executive director of Leadership Centre County. prgtoken Leadership Centre County was founded in 1991 and is dedicated to the development of qualified leaders within the Centre County community. Over the years, more than 1,000 members have graduated from the program who then went on to be committee chairs, board members, and volunteers in Centre County organizations. I am proud to be one of those Leadership Centre County graduates. prgtoken LCC has eight different values that all members strive to illustrate. These values include gratitude, mutual respect, and inclusion. The organization believes that effective leaders improve the quality of life for their communities. prgtoken For the past 21 years, Georgia Abbey has played a major role in achieving the goals of Leadership Centre County. Her result-oriented and high-energy management of LCC has contributed greatly to the tremendous success of this organization. prgtoken Madam , I wish Georgia and her husband, Kevin, all the best in the next phase of life following retirement.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Thomas Massie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-8-22

my mail, if I send it to my neighbor, goes to Charleston, West Virginia, before it comes back to Kentucky. Is this part of some vast conspiracy? No. It's part of a decade's long realignment process where the post office is trying to match the needs of the consumers to the post office infrastructure. prgtoken These voter suppression conspiracies, who knows what the will blame next. Last month they were blaming the Census, this month they are blaming the post office, probably next month they will blame Amtrak.
CELEBRATING INDIAN INDEPENDENCE
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , last Saturday, I was grateful to be Guest of Honor at the Consulate of the Republic of India in Atlanta for the Indian flag hoisting ceremony to observe the 74th Independence Day of India. prgtoken Consul General, Dr. Swati Kulkarni, conducted the solemn occasion with professionalism joined by her dedicated staff along with KV Kumar, President of the Indian-American International Chamber of Commerce. prgtoken With the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past year India has surpassed the United Kingdom and France in gross domestic product. Sadly, the Wuhan virus has disrupted these economic advances. India's evolution from socialism to a free market economy reducing poverty is a testament to the success of economic freedom. prgtoken The alliance of India and America was underscored last September 22nd in Houston when President welcomed Prime Minister Modi to America with an audience of 50,000 largely Indian-Americans being the largest welcome program in American history. Arm in arm, Prime Minister Modi and prgtoken President walked together praising the attendees. prgtoken With President re-naming Pacific Command to Indo-Pacific Command the alliance of India and America has never been stronger. It is meaningful the world's largest democracy, India, is allied with the oldest democracy, America.
LACKING PREPAREDNESS FOR CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , it is that time of year again in California. Hundreds of thousands of acres are on fire--in our forests, in our open lands, even burning into some of our cities and our neighborhoods. prgtoken So, what is the deal? Once again, we are not prepared. Some of our Federal agencies were not prepared to have the equipment and the firefighters on hand, contracted, ready to go when we knew this was coming. prgtoken As well, our people who procure electricity and govern that were not ready for the rolling blackouts that would come along from the high heat waves, as well as some of the shutdowns that would have to occur in burning areas. prgtoken What is wrong with government agencies that do not plan to serve their people, to keep them safe from fire, and to help keep the electricity on? prgtoken What is wrong that they can't add up how many power plants that we have available online, how much hydropower we have, how much water behind the dams, how much we have available during these times of heat waves to help keep the lights on? prgtoken What is wrong with Federal agencies that cannot plan to have people, even during COVID, ready to go. prgtoken Madam , we have to do better because we are disserving our people.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
John P. Sarbanes (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I thank the chairwoman of the committee for yielding. prgtoken I support this bill strongly. prgtoken I want to speak a little bit to what the Postmaster General acknowledged--admitted--yesterday. He called it a dip in service. He finally admitted that after being pressed extensively on it. prgtoken I want to tell you what the dip looks like in my district. prgtoken So, in all of 2019, our constituent service folks opened 11 cases to deal with delays and service problems with the mail--11 cases in 2019. So far this year, there have been 106. prgtoken Now, I am not talking about people who are just calling in and complaining because the mail is late and then they hang up the phone and so forth. This is where they have got real concerns about what is happening and they ask us to open a case. There have been 106 this year compared with 11 last year, and 103 of those in the last 4 weeks. prgtoken That is not a dip in service. That is a collapse of service, and it tracks exactly to the time that Louis DeJoy has been on the job. prgtoken Here is what is so terrible: When you attack the Postal Service from within, which is what he is doing, it has the effect of trying to separate the postal workers from the public that trusts them. prgtoken Over 90 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Postal Service. We have to restore that bond. That is what this legislation does.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-8-22

today, at a time when the United States Postal Service is needed more than ever before, I am proud to stand in support of H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act. prgtoken Ahead of the November elections, we must focus all efforts and resources to ensure that voting is safe, fair, and accessible for all. That's why I am pleased that the Delivering for America Act includes a requirement for election mail to be considered first-class, a ban on the removal of mail sorting machines, and a total reversal of any policies hindering the delivery of mail. prgtoken Election mail is not the only mail impacted by the recent changes. In my district, I have heard stories from my constituents about delays in delivery for vital medications, bills, and other important packages through the mail. At a time when seniors and those with preexisting conditions are unable to go out in public to pharmacies, or when those who lost their jobs see the bills piling up, timely deliveries should be the least of their worries. prgtoken This past week, I had the opportunity to meet with the Dallas County Postal Service and Union leaders to address the role of the federal government in protecting the processes, operations, and service standards for the USPS. There, I was glad to hear that everything was running up to speed thanks to the hardworking men and women--who risk their health day in and day out--to guarantee that our mail is delivered. prgtoken The USPS boasts one of the most diverse workforces in the country. In Texas, African Americans and Latinos make up a significant percentage of employees, and more than 50 percent are women. Because minority communities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, proper PPE is necessary for their safety--which this bill provides funding for. It also prohibits a restriction on the use of overtime pay for USPS employees and prevents the institution of a hiring freeze, to ensure that they are equitably compensated for their efforts. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this measure and hope for its immediate consideration in the Senate.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I am here today to speak on behalf of the Postal Service in our country. prgtoken I am here today because I view it as a ic institution in our country. prgtoken I am here today because the Framers placed it in the Constitution. prgtoken I am here today because my constituents are not receiving their prescription drugs, businesses are not receiving their mail, and people are not receiving their mail. prgtoken I am here today to speak on their behalf because they are outraged. They are outraged about two things that have happened, that the President has said and attacked mail-in votes. prgtoken Guess how votes are counted? prgtoken They are carried by the mail service. prgtoken The Postmaster General, instead of building it up, is dismantling it. It is over the top to see pictures of postal boxes being unhinged. prgtoken Vote for the Delivering for America Act. The people deserve it.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2020-8-22

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken I rise to support the Delivering for America Act, to protect a pillar of our democracy and fortify a lifeline so many Americans count on. prgtoken This bill would provide urgently needed Postal Service funding and bar its leaders from compromising its services during this COVID-19 crisis. prgtoken We all know the motto: ``Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.'' But, of course, no one foresaw that any American President would willingly crowbar our mail system to sway an election. So the Delivering for America Act will safeguard our democracy from any Presidential subversion. prgtoken This legislation will also allow our mail carriers to do their job by ensuring overtime and proper equipment are available. prgtoken It will make sure intentional service delays are avoided so our seniors get their Social Security checks and prescriptions. prgtoken It defends our veterans, who count on this noble occupation for work and rely on the postal system to deliver their medicine. prgtoken My State, Florida, just completed a primary where nearly 60 percent of the counted ballots arrived by mail. Savvy seniors and residents reeling from a summer of viral outbreaks wanted the safety that only mail-in balloting provided. prgtoken This year, our country saw half a million primary ballots rejected, and a main reason they get tossed is due to postal delays. prgtoken These brave frontline workers are delivering goods amid a pandemic, and it has taken its toll on their workforce. So in a State like Florida, known for its razor-thin Presidential elections, we can't afford to have 59 sorting machines left on the sidelines. prgtoken Blocking postal employees from overtime is not an option, especially when it may hold up hundreds of ballots that decide the Presidency. prgtoken The Delivering for America Act helps defend our democracy from the hypocrisy of a President who casts mail-in ballots himself one day, then tries to meddle in our neighbor's mailbox the next. prgtoken Don't mess with the USPS. Pass this good bill.