mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Introductory Statement on S. 4238
Kelly Loeffler (Republican, GA) \u2014 2020-7-21

this spring, 14-year-old Janina Valenzuela was riding a bike with a friend in Marietta, GA, when she was killed as part of an initiation into an MS-13 gang. In 2016, Christopher Dean was brutally murdered by gang members in Atlanta. The D.A. called it ``the most horrific death'' in recent history. His murder left two children without a father. In 2010, 11-year-old Nicholas Sheffey was shot and killed sleeping in his bed during a drive-by shooting in Chamblee, GA. These are just three of the too many lives that have been lost, tragically cut short due to senseless gang violence. prgtoken In Georgia, there are over 71,000 known gang members representing a variety of gangs, including the Ghostface Gangsters, an all-White gang in Georgia; the Gangster Disciples, which formed in Chicago and quickly spread to Georgia; and the Aryan Brotherhood, a White supremacy gang. prgtoken Nationwide, there are more than 1.4 million members and 33,000 gangs across the U.S. According to the most recent National Gang Report, half of law enforcement officials reported that gang-related violence has increased in each of their jurisdictions. Thankfully, President and Georgia leaders have taken strong action to address the rising tide of gang violence and to end the cycles of violence that they cause. prgtoken For the first time ever, the Department of Justice has brought terrorism charges against a member of the MS-13 gang, taking action against their leader and 21 other gang members. prgtoken Under the leadership of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr, my home State of Georgia has led the way on confronting gang violence, passing legislation that gives prosecutors the tools they need to disrupt and dismantle these terrible gang networks. prgtoken Today, I am introducing the Cracking Down on Gangs and Deporting Criminals Act to apply Georgia's anti-gang, pro-community measures across our country. This legislation, based on the Georgia law that Attorney General Carr has called ``one of the strongest statutes in the Nation,'' aims to deter and punish criminals who set out to destroy lives and communities. This includes violent crimes like the murders of Janina, Christopher, and Nicholas. prgtoken In addition to violence, gangs run elaborate drug operations. One recent bust in Pickens County last month resulted in the arrest of nearly 50 individuals. Law enforcement confiscated nearly $2 million worth of methamphetamine from a drug ring run by three gangs. prgtoken They deal in the abhorrent world of human trafficking. A study in San Diego County found that an astounding 85 percent of those involved in human trafficking were actively involved in gangs. prgtoken Current Federal gang statute has three strict criteria that are difficult for prosecutors to meet in order to hold someone accountable for their participation in a street gang. The legislation I am introducing today will make it easier fo
THANKING DAVID, JOSHUA, AND DANIEL SHIMKUS
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2020-7-21

I rise again, this time to thank my boys, now young men, for their love, support, and understanding during my time as a Member of Congress. prgtoken As I stated yesterday, when I was sworn in for my first term in January 1997, David was 3 years old, Joshua was 1 year old. In 1999, Daniel was born. prgtoken After completing this term, I will have served 24 years. My sons will be 28, 25, and 21, respectively. So their entire lives have been having their dad as a Member of Congress. prgtoken I always joked that, in the early days, the boys were packageable. In the district, we just packed them up and hauled them around. Yes, this meant diapers, changes of clothes, Lunchables. Well, you get the idea. prgtoken Yet they had a chance to visit county and State fairs. They also had to sit through more than their fair share of political dinners, and, oh, the parades in every season and in every weather condition. Fruities and Tootsie Rolls were our chosen candy. A child can only eat so many. prgtoken As they grew, they started to be involved in other activities. I tried to be as supportive as possible. Whether it was recreational soccer, singing in the St. Louis Children's Choirs, Suzuki violin lessons, or activities at church and school, I tried to pick up the slack where and when I could. prgtoken I am still burdened by the events missed. One particular troubling time was missing an entire baseball season. David's games were on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and in that year, we were either traveling to D.C in D.C or returning home. Because of a fluke in the schedule, I had a chance to make a game, so I hopped on a plane, just to find out that, while I was landing, it was raining. prgtoken I did help coach Joshua's soccer team 1 or 2 years. Sometimes I was that good example and sometimes I was not. prgtoken I cheered loudly and supportably for Daniel. Sometimes I was that good example in the stands and sometimes not. I think my problem was trying to make up for missed time, becoming too engaged in their competitions. prgtoken Having one type A parent is challenging, but having two can be overwhelming. You have to ask my sons how they perceived their father. To me, they continued to be supportive and knew that I was making every effort to share in their life activities. This is something that I try to do even today, much to their chagrin. prgtoken David now works for a major utility as a computer programmer. Joshua is here on the Hill after a stint in the Peace Corps. Daniel is attending a major university closer to home. We check in frequently and continue to have each other's backs. prgtoken The boys, now young men, continue to be close and also check in with each other. They probably spend much of their time talking about their parents. prgtoken , I want to publicly thank them for their support over the years. I want to apologize for the times that I placed work over family and ask their forgiveness. prgtoken I am very prou
CORONAVIRUS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-7-21

our Nation stands at a crucial midway point in our battle against this terrible virus. The heroism of healthcare professionals, essential workers, and families from coast to coast got our Nation through a springtime like no other. Communities across America put normal life on pause to buy breathing room for our medical system. We essentially had to winterize the world's largest economy for weeks on end and spare our people as much of the resulting pain as possible. The task was historic, and so was the Senate's response. We wrote and passed the CARES Act--the largest rescue package in American history. Our legislation helped pull both our health system and our economy back from the brink. Tens of millions of jobs were saved. The hallways of our hospitals did not become Italy. The Senate's leadership helped the Nation endure the first phase of this, but this crisis is far from over. prgtoken The virus that has claimed 140,000 American lives has not gone anywhere. As some places step back toward normalcy, infections are climbing again in hotspots across our country. The start of our economic recovery has been sharp and impressive, but in absolute terms, we still have just begun to pick up the pieces. Our progress so far has been encouraging, but it remains fragile and far from sufficient. I would argue that our country's job now is even more complex than it was back in March. prgtoken Now, as then, we need to keep our health system robust, but now, instead of locking down the country to do it, we want to stand up a society that functions somewhat more normally at the same time. prgtoken The American people cannot completely stop building their lives until the vaccine is available. The United States of America was not built for a defensive crouch. We need to stand up an educational system and an economy that works for workers and families in the meantime. We need to find the right sort of middle ground--middle ground that is smart and safe but also more sustainable. It is another historic set of challenges and another opportunity for the U.S. Senate to deliver. prgtoken For weeks now, I have made it clear that further legislation out of the Senate will be a serious response to the crisis. We will not be wasting the American people's time like the House , with their multimillion-dollar proposal for high taxes on small businesses, cut taxes for blue-State millionaires, and send diversity detectives into the cannabis industry. prgtoken I have said we will start with the facts and develop real, targeted solutions on the subjects that matter most to American families. It turns out that means three things: kids, jobs, and healthcare--kids, jobs, and healthcare. prgtoken Surveys show the American people's top priorities for reopening are childcare and K-12 schools. This country wants its kids back in the classroom this fall--learning, exploring, making friends. Their educations depend on it.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--Continued
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-7-21

reserving the right to object, I am a little flabbergasted at this moment, when I find myself in a rare circumstance of disagreeing with literally every word uttered by my colleague, the senior Senator from Illinois. He is my friend. He and I have worked together on a number of issues--criminal justice reform, protecting the civil liberties of Americans when it comes to domestic surveillance, all kinds of things on the Judiciary Committee. prgtoken I disagree with nearly every single word, every syllable he just uttered. I find myself wondering whether we experienced alternate universes in recent months. prgtoken I have worked nearly the entire time I have been in the U.S. Senate on this issue--for years, nearly 9\1/2\ years, on discrete pieces of legislation, trying to fix immigration. Immigration is a big issue. It is a contentious issue. It is an issue as to which, to put it mildly, there is not always bipartisan consensus. It is one of the areas that I have concluded remains open and possible for bipartisan agreement, is on taking discrete, individual problem areas within our immigration code and updating them and modernizing them. prgtoken So what we are talking here today about is a bill that I have long championed, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act. My sole purpose for championing that legislation--frankly, at great personal expense to myself, at great political expense--was to bring some equity to a system that unduly burdens some immigrants based on their country of origin and based, specifically, on the arbitrary factor of the population of the nation of origin of the immigrant in question. prgtoken There has been a lot of misinformation at both ends of the political spectrum, at every point in between, about this legislation. It has been attacked from the right, from the left, from everywhere else. A lot of people claim falsely that it would change the total number of green cards available. It wouldn't, as Senator Durbin just acknowledged. That is one of the few things that he said just now with which I think I can agree. prgtoken But over the years, we have had a number of Senators objecting to this for different reasons. Every time we resolve one objection-- sometimes we will resolve two objections, and then one other will pop up. Then we will resolve that one, and three others will pop up. We have been doing this for years and years, and I have worked in good faith with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in order to resolve those concerns. prgtoken Now, most recently, Senator Durbin objected to it. Just as I have with each objector before him, I worked with Senator Durbin last fall in order to resolve some of his concerns with the legislation. prgtoken In December, as he states, we came to an agreement. We came to an agreement on a way that we could move forward. We set some objectives, and he accurately characterized many of those objectives. What I told Senator Durb
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF HARVEY WILLIAM SEXTON
Jack Bergman (Republican, MI) \u2014 2020-7-21

. Madam , it is my honor to recognize the life of Harvey William Sexton, who passed away at the age of 87 after a lifetime of service to his fellow Americans. Through his extreme courage and selflessness, Harvey became an indispensable part of the state of Michigan. prgtoken Harvey was born on August 12, 1932. After completing 11th grade at Brethren High School, Harvey enlisted in the United States Army to fight in the Korean War. There he served with distinction in the Armored Tank Division, earning the Army Occupation Medal for Japan, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal for Korea, and four Bronze Stars--including one for Valorous Service. At 18 he was promoted to corporal, and at 20 he was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant. Following his military service, Harvey married his wife Marla in July of 1953. The two of them would go on to raise a family of eight children. prgtoken Harvey passed away on April 17, 2020. He is missed dearly by his family and friends, and his legacy will undoubtedly live on for generations to come. Harvey's tireless devotion to the public good touched the lives of countless Michiganders, and the impact of his work cannot be overstated. prgtoken Madam , on behalf of Michigan's First Congressional District, I ask you to join me in honoring the life of Harvey William Sexton. His legacy will forever live on in his family and through the countless lives he bettered through his service.
Introductory Statement on S. 4233
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2020-7-21

I rise to introduce a bill with my colleague, Senator Smith that will help the hardworking loggers across this Nation whose operations have suffered serious losses directly due to the pandemic. In Maine alone, logging has a roughly $650 million annual economic impact, and is the backbone of the forest products economy. The industry is made up of countless multi-generational family businesses, whose survival is being seriously threatened. prgtoken In Maine and in many places across the Country, the logging industry first felt the effects of COVID-19 in January as exports to foreign markets were significantly limited if not eliminated entirely. Declines in demand for paper products and other wood fiber based products caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted shutdowns, slowdowns, and closures across the globe. As a result, Maine has seen declining demand for wood from mills across the board, and low prices and quotas driven by that lack of demand. And while timber prices have remained relatively stable, mills have drastically reduced their processing capacity--resulting in a ripple effect that has hit loggers and timber hauling companies hard. prgtoken The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine projects at least a 20 percent reduction in the annual harvest, which would threaten more than 600 jobs and represent the potential loss of $86 million in economic activity in my State. The explosion of a pulp digester earlier this year at a mill in Jay, coupled with the recent shutdown of a paper machine at another mill in Westbrook, have compounded the harm imposed by the pandemic. prgtoken Although the industry is certainly not alone in its struggles during this time, it faces unique challenges, including high capital costs relative to payroll and the fact that payroll costs do not reflect the amounts paid to independent contractors. And unlike some of our farmers who have been able to access direct payments from USDA and our fishermen who were allocated relief funding in the CARES Act, our forestry professionals have not been provided targeted assistance. prgtoken The legislation we are introducing today would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide financial assistance to loggers and timber hauling businesses that have experienced at least a 10 percent loss in revenues from January 2020 through July 2020 as compared to the same timeframe last year. The amount would be equal to 10 percent of 2019 gross revenues and could only be used for operating expenses, including payroll. I am grateful for the American Logging Council's support of our legislation, and urge my colleagues prgtoken to join in this effort to support one of our country's core economic drivers. prgtoken Loggers and forestry industry professionals were rightfully deemed essential workers during this public health crisis, and we must ensure that they receive the support necessary to emerge from this downturn.
TRIBUTE TO BROOKE HORNBERGER
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-7-21

I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Brooke for her hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. prgtoken Brooke is a native of Pinedale. She is a student at Stevenson University, where she is studying biochemistry. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. prgtoken I want to thank Brooke for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA TRADE AGREEMENT
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-7-21

. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement entered into force on July 1, and I am eager to see the modernized agreement deliver on its promises to spur job growth for American farmers, workers, and businesses, and even help our innovators. Also, at the same time, it will create new opportunities with our North American trading partners. prgtoken The U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement fixes many problems we had for 30 years under NAFTA, and it also creates several new, modern trade provisions for our 21st century economy--things that were negotiated that weren't even thought of 30 years ago when NAFTA was negotiated. However, even with this agreement going into effect and being a tough agreement to negotiate, it isn't going to be simple from here on out. There is plenty of work remaining to ensure the agreement is implemented fully and properly. prgtoken I urge the administration to be expeditious in addressing any enforcement issues or noncompliance from our trading partners under the dispute settlement mechanism. I also encourage close consultation between Congress and the administration so we may continue to be successful in the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement implementation efforts-- allowing Americans to reap the benefits of this agreement. prgtoken I raised questions with the administration, but I have no doubt that they are going to be on top of it. I remember President as a candidate, 2015 to 2016, running on a platform to get rid of NAFTA. was elected. By May of his first year in office, started negotiations. They were successful negotiations. NAFTA is now gone. Now USMCA is going into effect. prgtoken delivered on his campaign promise. I have no doubt that he will see that the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement is properly implemented. prgtoken . prgtoken .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-7-21

I come to the floor today to urge my colleagues to support amendment No. 2411, offered by the Senator from Oklahoma, and oppose amendment No. 2252, offered by the Senator from Hawaii. prgtoken I have heard from law enforcement in my State. They use this program to get critical search-and-rescue equipment that saves lives. In Sweetwater County, the sheriff used equipment from the 1033 Program to rescue 22 people in just 5 months. In Big Horn County, equipment from the program rescued a family who was kayaking when 6-feet waves arose. A boat from this program was the only equipment that could break through the waves to rescue the family. Without the 1033 Program, they would not be able to afford this lifesaving equipment. prgtoken Sometimes the equipment is not used, in which case we are pleased that there is no need for a search and rescue that year, or some of it is converted to fire protection equipment. prgtoken The burdensome paperwork required by the amendment offered by the Senator from Hawaii would effectively end access to the program for the local law enforcement in my State whose departments are small. Our towns are small. The activities have to be combined between fire and police protection. prgtoken Senator Inhofe has attempted to find the middle ground. His amendment requires reforms and training without an egregious paperwork burden that could end this important program. prgtoken Again, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of amendment 2411 offered by Senator Inhofe. prgtoken .
TRIBUTE TO MASTER GUNNERY SERGEANT KENNETH PINCKARD
Gregory F. Murphy (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-7-21

. Madam , I rise to pay tribute to Master Gunnery Sergeant Kenneth Pinckard in honor of his retirement from the Marine Corps after 28 faithful and honorable years of service. He spent his career supporting strategic intelligence operations, analyzing the enemy's intentions on the homefront and abroad, thus thwarting multiple enemy attacks and saving countless civilian and military lives in between. prgtoken Master Gunnery Sergeant Pinckard, a fearless leader, played an instrumental role in the development and recruitment of Marines coming into the command. All the freedoms we enjoy today are because of these brave men and women in uniform, like Master Gunnery Sergeant Pinckard, who so unselfishly and courageously put their lives in harm's way for their fellow brothers and sisters. prgtoken Madam , please join me in honoring the retirement of this selfless Marine. I wish Master Gunnery Sergeant Pinckard and his family all the peace and blessings as they embark on this next journey together
WELCOMING THE HONORABLE CHRIS JACOBS TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Peter T. King (Republican, NY) \u2014 2020-7-21

. Madam , it is really a privilege to be here today to welcome Chris Jacobs to the House of Representatives. prgtoken As Congresswoman Lowey said, he has a long career both in government and being active in his community, especially setting up an inner city scholarship fund for the City of Buffalo, serving as Secretary of State for the State of New York, then being elected Erie County Clerk, and then being elected New York State senator. prgtoken It is a very perilous time to be coming to Congress. The country is going through extreme tension and conflict. The fact is, Chris has the credentials, he has the qualifications, and he has the ability to make sure that he will do prgtoken the best for his constituents, for the entire Congress, and also for the country. prgtoken So with that, Chris, I am really proud to welcome you here today. prgtoken And, again, sometimes you hear about all of the partisanship. Believe me, we in New York do try to work together. Nita and I, we don't always agree on everything, but we always find a way to work together. This is true of most of the members of the delegation. I have no doubt that you will do an outstanding, excellent job. I look forward to working with you over the next several months.