mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT
Kay Granger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-12-21

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Before I close, I want to take a moment to recognize my good friend and our full committee chairman, Nita Lowey, as this will be the last bill that she will take to the floor. prgtoken She is the first woman to hold the gavel of the Appropriations Committee, and her retirement is a huge loss to our country, to our committee, and to me personally. prgtoken When I was named as ranking member and she was named as chair, she called me into her office. We really had never worked together. We were on different committees. I will never forget what she said. She said: We are going to do it on time and on budget, and we will become best friends. prgtoken I wasn't sure she wasn't crazy, but I said: I will do that. prgtoken We became good friends, and we did things on time and on budget. Everything was a joy working with her because she always knew what she wanted and what she wanted to do. She was inclusive, and we did turn and have a friendship that I will always cherish. prgtoken So I wanted to make sure that you knew that I realized I had a unique opportunity in working with you. I learned a lot, and we had a good time, didn't we? prgtoken I also want to take a minute to thank the members of our committee and our staff for their hard work this year. This really is a must-pass bill that I look forward to getting signed into law. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of these bills, and .
HONORING HYNDMAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF RONALD ALLEN SPIKER
John Joyce (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-12-21

. Madam , I rise to honor the life and legacy of Hyndman Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ronald Allen Spiker, who passed away on December 1, 2020. prgtoken Chief Spiker selflessly served the Hyndman Volunteer Fire Department for 30 years. He also was an EMR for the Hyndman Rescue Squad. For this work, he gained a reputation as a man who was always willing to offer help to anyone who needed it. Chief Spiker also generously invested time in teaching and mentoring younger firefighters. prgtoken In addition to his service as fire chief, Chief Spiker was a truck driver for his entire professional life and worked at Croner Inc New Enterprise Stone and Lime, and Rice Tire. He was also a member of the Kennells Mill Sportsmen's Club and the National Rifle Association. prgtoken I extend my deepest sympathies to Chief Spiker's parents Ron and Jessie, his loving wife of 31 years Anita, and his son Tyler. On behalf of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, it is an honor to recognize Chief Ronald Spiker's legacy of service to the John Hyndman community.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2020-12-21

I will be brief. I did what many of us did today. We spent the day digging through a 5,600-page bill, trying to find out what is in it. We broke it up into hundreds of pages of chunks and separated it among our staff and just started reading through it as quickly as we could, trying to be able to pull out the details. prgtoken We found a lot of things that we really like. We found a few surprises as well. So help us, we found, right in the middle of the document on tax policy, a zombie--the wind production tax credit. Something that we had heard had died--in fact, something that we had heard died 2 years ago; in fact, something that we had heard died 6 years ago when all of us agreed it should die. In fact, the plan was to take it down a little bit each and every year until it finally got to zero. The problem was, when it got to zero, some lobbyist helped somebody get it back in last year, and it suddenly, after going to zero, reappeared. And then, so help me, it reappeared again. prgtoken So this temporary credit that distorts the market, that literally changes the prices in all of our energy--whether that be oil or gas or coal or solar or hydroelectric or nuclear--gives a special perk to one, and all of the rest of them get furious. But for whatever reason, this simple credit can't seem to go away. prgtoken When we agree to something, we should probably stick to it, and we agreed years ago to phase this out. But yet this zombie keeps reappearing and walking the halls of the Senate. prgtoken Our simple challenge is this. Let's put this zombie in the daylight. Let's have the real argument over it and determine: Is this distorting the energy market for everybody else, including all of our renewables? Is it something we need to keep? prgtoken I live in Oklahoma, and if you know our song, you know ``the wind comes sweeping down the plains.'' We have been called the Saudi Arabia of wind power. I promise, you can't drive very far in Oklahoma without seeing a field of windmills. We have lots of wind power, and we think it is a great energy source. But it is a mature energy source, and it does not need the wind production tax credit. So let's sunset it. prgtoken With that, I yield
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 133, UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT; PROVIDING FOR DISPOSITION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 1520, PURPLE BOOK CONTINUITY ACT OF...
Dusty Johnson (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-12-21

I think it was Winston Churchill who said you can always count on Americans to do the right thing after they have exhausted all other options. prgtoken You know, Congress looks that way to me from time to time. This is not the process or the timeline or the structure I have argued for. This COVID-19 package doesn't have all the provisions that I have asked for. It is clearly not a perfect bill. prgtoken Yet, it is the targeted and focused relief that our country needs. It follows the framework that a bipartisan group of eight Senators and eight House Members, including myself, unveiled a few weeks ago. prgtoken We knew then that it was not a perfect bill, but we knew it was the way forward. I am proud of the role that I have played and that the Problem Solvers Caucus has played in breaking this gridlock. I am proud of the role that we have played in making sure that our economy and our schools can stay open and that our testing and our vaccine deployment can be ramped up. prgtoken Madam , this has been a messy week, but this is a good day for America.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT
Robert B. Aderholt (Republican, AL) \u2014 2020-12-21

I would like to lend my support of this fiscal year 2021 appropriations package. prgtoken of the Appropriations Committee, Mrs. Lowey, and my friend, Chairman Serrano, as they prepare to retire for their many years of dedication and hard work to this institution and I wish them both well. prgtoken I also want to thank Ranking Member Granger for her outstanding leadership this year. prgtoken I'm pleased that this bill supports the Administration's Moon to Mars Artemis initiative and rejects radical demands to defund the police. It also restores long-standing Second Amendment protections that have enjoyed historical, bipartisan support yet were excluded prgtoken from the House-passed Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Act. prgtoken I am also pleased that this bill rejects issues which previously held up a COVID relief agreement. This bill provides individuals, families, health care providers, and businesses the assistance which we can agree on, to help everyone get through this pandemic. It also looks to the future by providing additional funding to expand internet access in rural areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-12-21

I have just recently been talking about a number of pieces of legislation that have come through the Environment and Public Works Committee: the water resources act, the USE IT Act, the act called DERA to eliminate and reduce emissions from diesels, as well as additional legislation on HFCs. prgtoken My partner in all of those is here on the floor now, and I would just like to ask him if he would--since he has been such a great partner for the last 4 years that I have chaired the committee--talk about this as an accomplishment for the environment, for the committee, and for the Senate and for the country. prgtoken So I am just kind of curious, from his standpoint, where he sees things as a sign of success.
UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER AND GALLERIES REGULATIONS
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-12-21

pursuant to Senate rule XXXIII, I wish to inform all Senators that on December 18, 2020, the Committee on Rules and Administration adopted the ``U.S. Senate Alternate Vehicle Parking Regulations,'' which supersede and replace the current ``Regulations Governing Use of Bicycle Racks Hart Office Building Garage.'' prgtoken The updated regulations describe the eligibility and process Senators and eligible staff use to request, register, and obtain parking permits for alternate vehicles. The proposed regulations also expand the use of the garage parking racks beyond bicycles to include newer commuting technology such as electric scooters. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that the text of the regulations as adopted be printed in the Record.
ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2020-12-21

I rise out of respect and in memory of Gove County Sheriff Allan Weber, who served his community faithfully over the last two decades. prgtoken Allan was born and raised on his family's farm near Park, KS, and he went on to marry Connie, his high school sweetheart. The couple has three children--Andrea, Brandon, and Cory. To those who know Allan, it was always clear that his family meant everything to him. His many grandchildren were his pride and joy. prgtoken In 1996, he ran for Gove County sheriff and served his community faithfully for over two decades since first elected. Gove County is out in Western Kansas. It is flat. It is the prairie. It is windy. It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It is farmers and ranchers. It is often a struggle to earn a living in Gove County. I know the county well. Despite those challenges, it is made up of people who work hard, care for each other, and try to make good lives for themselves and their families. prgtoken In rural areas like Gove County, the sheriff oftentimes wears multiple hats, and Sheriff Weber was no different. In addition to serving as sheriff, he was also the public information officer and the emergency operations center community liaison. prgtoken Kansans also never fail to step up to help their neighbors in hard times, and Allan did the same. After the tragic death of a neighboring county's sheriff, he stepped up to serve as the interim sheriff in Sheridan County, making him the first person ever to serve two counties as sheriff at the same time--a first in Kansas's history. He saw his brothers and sisters in blue as an extended part of his family, and he held them in the highest regard. prgtoken His colleague in law enforcement, Sheriff Tim Morse of Jackson County, which is on the other side of the State, wrote this: Kansas has lost a great sheriff. Gove County Sheriff Allan Weber has spent the last couple of months fighting COVID-19 in a Denver hospital. Today, Sheriff Weber was escorted back to Gove County by Colorado and Kansas Highway Patrols along with countless Kansas Sheriffs and law enforcement officers for one last time . . . Sheriff Weber was an honorable man who was respected by all. He will be greatly missed. prgtoken He respected those in blue, and those in blue respected him. prgtoken He was a dedicated public servant both in his home community and at the State level. He served the Kansas Sheriffs' Association on its board and as its president. I talked to the Kansas Sheriffs' Association today, and they wanted me to recognize Sheriff Weber's professionalism and his dedication and that he served as president of the Association for two consecutive terms, which is a rare circumstance and speaks to his effectiveness in the role and the admiration that his colleagues held for him. prgtoken His community also loved and respected him. They came together to welcome him home one last t
UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2020-12-21

. North Dakota is an energy powerhouse, and our late-night producers work around the clock to ensure homes and businesses in the Midwest have affordable and reliable access to power when it is needed most. But the PTC, the wind production tax credit, is creating artificially low prices in markets for power generation. prgtoken Qualified wind projects are receiving up to 2\1/2\ cents per kilowatt hour from the taxpayer. These subsidies distort the market and are forcing out the critical coal-fired baseload generation we need to keep the lights on. prgtoken Since Congress established a wind production tax credit in 1992, wind power has been able to transition from an emerging technology to a multibillion-dollar industry that is clearly commercially viable. That is why we worked on a bipartisan agreement in 2015 to phase down and sunset the wind tax credit at the end of 2019. prgtoken We had an agreement to do the phaseout, and the wind industry agreed to it. I worked with Senator Thune and AWEA, the American Wind Energy Association, and others to do it. And they agreed. We had an agreement. That is why we are opposed to extending the PTC and offer an amendment to strike it. prgtoken We saw what happened in California over the summer, and we can't afford to have blackouts and brownouts during the coldest of winter weather months. We, instead, must strengthen grid resiliency and reliability by keeping diverse sources of generation available at all times, including when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining. That means baseload. prgtoken Instead of extending the production tax credit, we should be working on making technologies like carbon capture and sequestration commercially viable. prgtoken The American Wind Energy Association states on its website that ``growth in the wind industry is expected to remain strong when the PTC is fully phased out.'' Why, then, are we considering another extension of this credit when the leading trade association expects to see strong growth for the wind industry without the credit? prgtoken We need to bring back a level playing field for competition in our electricity markets and reverse the trend of taxpayers continuing to subsidize a mature, multibillion-dollar wind industry. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and ensure that the wind production tax credit sunsets. prgtoken With that, I would like to ask for some words from my cosponsor on the amendment, Senator Cramer.
PROTECTING LAWFUL STREAMING ACT
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-12-21

today I want to say a word about the need to revise title 18 so that criminal commercial enterprises that stream pirated content to users are subject to the same felony penalties as criminal commercial enterprises that distribute to users or reproduce pirated content. The provisions of the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act target clearly criminal conduct committed with criminal intent. Lawful internet and streaming services, licensees, other mainstream businesses, and users engaged in ordinary activities do not risk prosecution. Most importantly, businesses engaged in those activities are clearly excluded by the requirements that a defendant be engaged in conduct that is primarily designed, intentionally marketed, or has no commercially significant purpose or use other than for use in illegal streaming. Nor do those engaged in noncommercial activities risk prosecution under this statute. Noncommercial activities are explicitly excluded by the terms of section 2319C(a). It is intended that none of these activities shall be subject to any risk of criminal prosecution under this bill. prgtoken More generally, it is well established that criminal penalties are the exception rather than the rule in cases of copyright infringement. As the Department of Justice itself has noted, criminal sanctions are appropriate only with respect to certain types of infringement-- generally when infringer knows the infringement is wrong, and when the infringement is particularly serious or the type of case renders civil enforcement by copyright owners especially difficult. As such, criminal prosecution has been and is appropriately reserved for serious forms of large-scale, commercial infringement, not as a means of targeting ordinary business disputes between legitimate companies or those which are otherwise adequately addressed through civil litigation. The new section 2319C, in particular, requires willfulness, which means that the statute does not apply in the absence of an intentional violation of a known legal duty. prgtoken Consistent with this, a provider of broadband internet access service would not be subject to prosecution under this statute, for example, based merely on the attributes or features of its service, nor could prosecution be predicated on the misuse of its service by its customers or others in furtherance of an infringement scheme, where the service provider does not itself share the requisite criminal intent of the underlying substantive offense and act with specific intent to further it. In this regard, offering high-speed connections that allow its customers to access the internet, failing to block or disable access to particular online locations, or failing to take measures to restrict the use of or deny its customers access to such service would not be sufficient to demonstrate the requisite criminal intent under the bill. This conduct would also not otherwise meet the prerequisites u
UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT
Harold Rogers (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-12-21

I rise in support of this bill, but I want to first congratulate our committee's chair and ranking member for their great work on putting together this enormous and enormously important bill. prgtoken First, I want to say how rare this day really is in another way. It is the first time that we have had a ranking member who is a female, Ms. Granger, and the first female chairman of the committee, Nita Lowey. We will miss her enormously on this committee and in the Chamber. prgtoken This bill is enormous. It is not perfect, but it reflects a fair compromise that includes funding for many important priorities at home and abroad and vital assistance for all those negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. prgtoken As ranking member of the Committee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, I want to tell you, this bill provides critical funding for our national security. This includes $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Israel and robust support to combat transnational crime and the flow of illegal drugs. prgtoken The bill is also tough on China, as it commits serious resources behind our Indo-Pacific strategy. This includes exposing the censorship and propaganda wielded by the Chinese Communist prgtoken Party and countering Beijing's debt-trap diplomacy through well-funded, open, and transparent U.S. development by the Development Finance Corporation and the Countering Chinese Influence Fund. prgtoken This bill also protects our core values. It maintains all pro-life protections from last year and rejects efforts to undo the President's historic policies that protect the sanctity of life. prgtoken This bill is also great for my district in Kentucky, if I can be parochial. It provides the resources we need to continue to fight the opioid epidemic, which is now more important than ever. prgtoken It fully funds my AML pilot program, which is truly breathing life back into my southern and eastern Kentucky communities. It helps our small businesses and so many Kentuckians who are fighting tooth and nail to survive the coronavirus pandemic. prgtoken This package does not have everything that we wanted, but it is a good bill, and I think a fair compromise. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues' support. prgtoken , I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP ACT
Steve King (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-12-21

I was unable to vote on December 20, 2020 and December 21, 2020 due to not being in DC. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: ``no'' on rollcall No. 248; ``no'' on rollcall No. 249; ``no'' on rollcall No. 250; and ``no'' on rollcall No. 251. members recorded pursuant to house resolution 965, 116th congress Allred (Wexton) Axne (Davids (KS)) Barragan (Beyer) Bera (Aguilar) Bishop (GA) (Butterfield) Blumenauer (Beyer) Bonamici (Clark (MA)) Boyle, Brendan F. (Jeffries) Brownley (CA) (Clark (MA)) Bustos (Kuster (NH)) Cardenas (Carbajal) Carson (IN) (Butterfield) Case (Cartwright) Castor (FL) (Demings) Cisneros (Carbajal) Cleaver (Davids (KS)) Cohen (Beyer) Costa (Correa) Davis (CA) (Scanlon) Dean (Scanlon) DeFazio (Davids (KS)) DeGette (Blunt Rochester) DelBene (Cicilline) DeSaulnier (Matsui) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Doggett (Raskin) Escobar (Garcia (TX)) Eshoo (Thompson (CA)) Finkenauer (Underwood) Fletcher (Raskin) Frankel (Clark (MA)) Garamendi (Sherman) Gianforte (Suozzi) Gonzalez (TX) (Gomez) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Haaland (Davids (KS)) Hastings (Wasserman Schultz) Heck (Kildee) Jayapal (Raskin) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kelly (IL) (Clarke (NY)) Kennedy (McGovern) Khanna (Sherman) Kilmer (Kildee) Kim (Davids (KS)) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Lamb (Sherrill) Langevin (Lynch) Larson (CT) (Cicilline) Lawrence (Kildee) Lawson (FL) (Demings) Lieu, Ted (Beyer) Lipinski (Schrader) Lofgren (Jeffries) Lowenthal (Beyer) McEachin (Wexton) McNerney (Raskin) Meng (Clark (MA)) Mitchell (Spanberger) Moore (Beyer) Moulton (McGovern) Mucarsel-Powell (Wasserman Schultz) Nadler (Jeffries) Napolitano (Correa) Neal (Lynch) Neguse (Perlmutter) Pascrell (Pallone) Payne (Wasserman Schultz) Peters (Kildee) Peterson (McCollum) Pingree (Cicilline) Pocan (Raskin) Porter (Wexton) Price (NC) (Butterfield) Richmond (Butterfield) Rooney (FL) (Beyer) Rouda (Aguilar) Roybal-Allard (Garcia (TX)) Ruiz (Dingell) Rush (Underwood) Ryan (Kildee) Schakowsky (Underwood) Schneider (Casten (IL)) Schrier (Spanberger) Serrano (Jeffries) Sewell (AL) (Cicilline) Shimkus (Pallone) Sires (Pallone) Smith (WA) (Courtney) Speier (Scanlon) Thompson (MS) (Fudge) Titus (Connolly) Vargas (Correa) Veasey (Beyer) Velazquez (Clarke (NY)) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Welch (McGovern) Wilson (FL) (Hayes)