mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PAYING TRIBUTE TO CHIEF ROBERT KNOX ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AS THE CHIEF OF ZIONSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Susan W. Brooks (Republican, IN) \u2014 2020-7-31

. Madam , I rise today to honor Robert Knox on the occasion of his retirement as the Chief of the Zionsville Police Department. Chief Knox has spent the last thirty-five years serving and protecting the people of Zionsville, including the last nine as Chief of Police. For the entirety of his career, Chief Knox was dedicated to his true calling as a public servant, rising through the ranks of the police department. The people of Zionsville and Indiana's Fifth Congressional District are forever grateful for Chief Knox's commitment to the law and the protection of the City of Zionsville. prgtoken Robert Knox grew up on the west side of Boone County where he attended Western Boone High School. Upon his graduation, Robert attended Vincennes University where he completed a four-year apprenticeship as a pipe fitter. During this time, Robert became a reserve officer for the Zionsville Police Department following in the footsteps of his father Darrel who was a military police officer. This is when he says he discovered his true calling as a police officer. Following his discovery, in 1982, Robert was offered a full-time job with the Lebanon Police Department. He graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy and on September 15, 1984, then returned to Zionsville to begin his career as a Zionsville Police Officer. prgtoken Robert fell in love with the community he was serving, getting to know the people and becoming a well-known community figure. His friends and colleagues know how adamant he is about getting out of his patrol car and getting to know the people he served and protected. Through the years, Robert rose through the ranks within the department. After his start as a patrolman, he advanced to detective, detective sergeant, detective lieutenant and captain in charge of the Criminal Investigations Division. During his time with investigations, Robert spent time assisting the Metro Drug Task Force, the Boone County Homicide Task Force and the Hamilton Boone County Joint Task Force. In 2011, after spending years serving and protecting the people of Zionsville, Robert was promoted to his role as Chief of Police. prgtoken As the chief of police, Robert continued his dedication to community engagement through programs such as ``Coffee with a Cop,'' the Teen and Citizens academies, the Drug Take Back program and more outreach programs all aimed at building a strong relationship with the community. Chief Knox had many successes during his tenure as the chief of ZPD, including adjusting to a growing city. As the population increased, Chief Knox adjusted to the growth by adding officers and reinstating the department's K-9 unit. When Chief Knox was sworn in, the department had 25 full time employees and today the department has 38 full time officers, a 50% increase. Chief Knox's tenure also including partnering with Zionsville Community Schools to establish the School Resource Officer Initiative. prgtoken Chief Knox made
HONORING GRADUATES OF FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF GEORGIA
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2020-7-31

. Madam , I rise today to honor the students of Georgia's First Congressional District who recently graduated. prgtoken Social distancing due to the coronavirus led to most graduations being canceled, but there have been virtual, drive-through, and in- person ceremonies throughout the summer. I am especially thankful for the hardworking school administrators and teachers across the First District who have made sure students receive the recognition they so richly deserve. prgtoken For example, Effingham County's school administrators went above and beyond in their efforts. They allowed for 380 high school seniors at Effingham County High School and 360 at South Effingham County High School to participate in a drive-through graduation that gave seniors the opportunity to drive through the campus and jump out of their cars, to have their photos taken, and receive their diplomas. prgtoken Although students across the country have had to endure the many challenges which have come with this national pandemic and have been held back from high school and college traditions like graduation ceremonies, their resilience and perseverance will promise them success and a bright future.
HIGHLIGHTING OPERATION WARP SPEED
John Joyce (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-7-31

. Madam , America is leading the way in coronavirus vaccine research. prgtoken Under the direction of President , the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense formed a historic partnership to accelerate the development of a safe coronavirus vaccine. prgtoken Around the country, Operation Warp Speed is charting a new path and breaking barriers to achieve safe and effective results for the American people. prgtoken Thanks to Americans' unparalleled ingenuity and drive, we are better positioned to develop therapeutics and a vaccine. The world is watching. prgtoken The Chinese Communist Party already has been caught attempting to steal American coronavirus vaccine research. It is key that we protect our groundbreaking research and keep our country on the road to recovery.
MARKING ANNIVERSARY OF STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-7-31

2 years ago, I had the pleasure of standing in the Oval Office with President as he signed my bill, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act into law. prgtoken I was proud to see this bill become law, but I was even more proud to see it pass with such overwhelming bipartisan support. Not a single Member of Congress in either Chamber voted against it. prgtoken The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act is the first major overhaul to the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act since 2006. prgtoken COVID-19 has underscored just how much the Nation depends on a skilled and trained workforce. That is why I am pleased to cosponsor the Skills Renewal Act. This legislation will support individuals who have become unemployed as a result of the pandemic with a $4,000 skills training credit and will support career and technical education opportunities such as apprenticeships and certificate programs. prgtoken Career and technical education invests in America's most valuable resource, our people, and provides the tools necessary to pursue high- skill, high-wage, family-sustaining careers.
TRIBUTE TO JERRY WEBB
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-8-3

today I am pleased to recognize Jerry Webb, the Taylor County Teacher of the Year from Taylor County Elementary School in Perry, FL. prgtoken Jerry dedicates himself as an educator by putting his students first. He tutors them on subjects they are struggling with and makes himself available to talk about anything they need to discuss. Jerry works to make a difference in the lives of his students in any way that he can. prgtoken Superintendent, Dr. Danny Glover, Jr notes Jerry's innovative teaching style is something not easily replicated and is a part of the reason he won this important award. Dr. Glover noted how fortunate the Taylor County School District is to have Jerry. prgtoken Jerry has taught fourth and fifth grades at Taylor County Elementary School for the past 6 years. Previously, he worked as a paraprofessional at the school before becoming a grade school teacher. prgtoken I extend my best wishes to Jerry and look forward to hearing of his continued success in the years to come.
HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-8-3

the Senate mourns the tragedy that we now know took place Thursday, off the coast of Southern California. prgtoken According to official reports, nine American servicemembers--eight marines and one sailor--died during a training exercise. These young servicemembers were all between the ages of 19 and 23. It is absolutely heartbreaking. The units involved are among our most unique and specialized amphibious forces. Their training is what allows them to deploy at a moment's notice, under the harshest conditions, in the most remote and unsupported locations. prgtoken As the search for survivors turned into a recovery mission, the Nation was reminded that even what our men and women in uniform may consider to be routine still involves serious risk and personal sacrifice. prgtoken I extend the Senate's sympathies to the families of those lost and our gratitude to the Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel who are searching to bring their comrades home.
One-Year Anniversary of El Paso Shooting (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-8-3

1 year ago, a gunman stormed into an El Paso Walmart and opened fire. There were 46 people shot; 23, tragically, died; and the devastation in this tight-knit community was beyond imagination. The heartbreak and confusion quickly turned to rage when we learned that this out-of-town shooter was a white supremacist whose crime could only be described as domestic terrorism. prgtoken As my good friend El Paso Mayor Dee Margo has said many times over the last year, we will not let this evil define us. He wrote in an op- ed this weekend: ``El Paso will not be known for tragedy but for our strength and grace in the midst of tragedy.'' prgtoken That strength comes to mind when I reflect on this terrible anniversary. When I visited El Paso the day after the shooting, I saw the makeshift memorial that was created to honor those who died. On that first day, the collection of photos, flowers, and mementos was relatively small--maybe just a few feet wide--but by the time I came back 3 days later, it had grown to over half a mile. This massive memorial, the long line of folks waiting to donate blood, the generous donations made to support the victims and their families, these were the real reminders of the power and resilience of the El Paso community. prgtoken As we remember this anniversary amidst a pandemic, there will not be groups of strangers hugging, crying, or holding hands like I witnessed in the days following the shooting. Instead, we will have socially distanced memorials, like the vigil held yesterday, that will allow El Pasoans once again to prove that hate will not win. prgtoken Together, we will remember the 23 lives which were lost 1 year ago, as well as those who were wounded, and we stand in solidarity with El Paso, a border community that has looked hate in the eye and unequivocally chosen strength, grace, and love for one another.
ACADEMIC FREEDOM
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-8-3

everybody now in the Senate remembers Senator Hatch. I want to tell you how he is still on the job, reminding Americans of our traditions. prgtoken Recently, my friend from Utah, former Senator Orrin Hatch, wrote about American academia and our so-called cancel culture. I encourage all Americans to read his essay that was published in the Wall Street Journal. Senator Hatch calls for a ``renewed commitment to intellectual diversity'' and for a ``radical overhaul of campus culture.'' prgtoken I agree with Senator Hatch. prgtoken Our institutions of higher learning need to wake up and welcome the open exchange of ideas in the classrooms and across campuses, and if that isn't what universities and colleges are for, I don't know what they are for. Silencing or shaming students from sharing divergent views is antithetical to the American way. prgtoken Our next generation of leaders deserves better. As colleges begin the school year, they should focus on keeping their students safe from the virus, but--and a big ``but''--they shouldn't worry one bit about keeping students safe from the free exchange of ideas or prevent professors from teaching different schools of thought. The herd mentality limits intellectual curiosity, and that is bad for freedom, particularly academic freedom. prgtoken .
NOTICE OF INTENT TO OBJECT
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-8-3

in 2008, Congress responded to rising reports of child sexual abuse material--CSAM--online by passing the PROTECT Act to direct the Department of Justice to combat these heinous crimes. However, in the decade that followed, DOJ failed to request the manpower, funding, and resources to combat this scourge, leaving both the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children--NCMEC--and law enforcement agencies uncoordinated, understaffed, and underfunded. As a result, though tech companies reported more than 45 million instances of CSAM to NCMEC in the last year alone, just a fraction were investigated, and even fewer were prosecuted and convicted. prgtoken Yet, rather than confronting this failure by Congress and the executive branch, my colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee have put forth the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies--EARN IT--Act, a deeply flawed piece of legislation that would revoke online platforms' intermediary liability protections with regard to not only Federal civil Jaw, but also any State law broadly related to CSAM. prgtoken The EARN IT Act will not protect children. It will not stop the spread of child sexual abuse material, nor target the monsters who produce and share it, and it will not help the victims of these evil crimes. What it will do is threaten the free speech, privacy, and security of every single American. This is because, at its core, the amended EARN IT Act magnifies the failures of the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act--SESTA--and its House companion, the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act--FOSTA. Experts believe that SESTA/FOSTA has done nothing to help victims or stop sex trafficking, while creating collateral damage for marginalized communities and the speech of all Americans. A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of FOSTA on First Amendment grounds is proceeding through the courts, and there is bicameral Federal legislation to study the widespread negative impacts of the bill on marginalized groups. prgtoken Yet, the authors of the EARN IT Act decided to take this kind of carveout and expand it further to State civil and criminal statutes. By allowing any individual State to set laws for internet content, this bill would create massive uncertainty, both for strong encryption and constitutionally protected speech online. What is worse, the flood of State laws that could potentially arise under the EARN IT Act raises strong Fourth Amendment concerns, meaning that any CSAM evidence collected could be rendered inadmissible in court and accused CSAM offenders could get off scot-free. This is not a risk that I am willing to take. prgtoken Let me be clear: The proliferation of these heinous crimes against children is a serious problem. However, for these reasons and more, the EARN IT Act is not the solution. Moreover, it ignores what Congress can and should be doing to combat this heinous crime. The U.S. has a num
Nomination of Mark Wesley Menezes (Executive Session)
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2020-8-3

I rise today in support of the Mark Menezes nomination to be Deputy Secretary of Energy. prgtoken I agree wholeheartedly with our chairwoman for Energy and Natural Resources. We have a great working relationship, and we have a good friendship that means more than anything to me. prgtoken But, basically, every now and then you get a person who comes before you that you know they are there for the good of the public. They are truly public servants, not for private service. prgtoken So this person comes across with so much expertise. That is going to play an important role in our national defense and our energy and economic security and our science and research and even in fighting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and helping to rebuild our economy. prgtoken The Deputy Secretary plays a central role in all of these efforts, and I believe that Mr. Menezes is up to the task. prgtoken The Deputy Secretary is the second highest ranking officer in the Department of Energy and the Department's chief operating officer on top of that. He is responsible for managing the Department's wide- ranging mission and a budget of over $35 billion dollars--$35-billion- dollar budget. prgtoken The DOE and its labs can also play a vital role in supporting the scientific research and development needed to rebuild our economy. prgtoken In addition, the Department is responsible for maintaining the Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, overseeing the four power marketing administrations, and ensuring our energy security and protecting the Nation's energy sector from cyber attacks, among other things. prgtoken As the Department's second highest ranking officer and its chief operating office, the Deputy Secretary necessarily plays a critical role in all of these important functions. prgtoken Mr. Menezes brings an impressive background to the job. Thirty years ago, he was counsel to our former colleague Senator John Breaux; 15 years ago, he was chief counsel to the House Energy and Commerce and played a major role in shaping the Energy Policy Act of 2005. prgtoken He has held senior posts at the American Electric Power Company, the Hunton and Williams law firm, and Berkshire Hathaway Energy. prgtoken Most importantly, though, for the past 3 years, he has served as the Under Secretary of Energy. As the Under Secretary of Energy, Mr. Menezes has shown he is up to the task and capable of handling the job of Deputy Secretary. prgtoken I think that he truly, clearly, demonstrated his knowledge and his firm grasp of the wide range of important issues before the Department during the confirmation hearing, and I am happy to support his nomination in the most bipartisan way.
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-8-3

I just heard the leader speak out on the floor. Leader McConnell is busy giving partisan speeches while for the last 2\1/2\ hours Pelosi, myself, Secretary of Treasury Mnuchin, and Chief of Staff Meadows were sitting in a room working hard, trying to narrow our differences and come to an agreement. We all want to come to an agreement. We know the gravity of the situation demands it. We will continue to work and work at it. prgtoken We had a productive meeting. We narrowed some differences. Frankly, there are many that remain, but we must not give up. We must not resort to stark partisanship. We must come together and find a solution. prgtoken If I had to characterize the major difference between our side and the side, we believe the gravity of the situation--the economic problems, the health problems--demands a bold, strong, vigorous solution by the Federal Government. We believe we must meet those needs. And it will cost money, but mark my words--if we spend less money now, it will cost us more money later. prgtoken We hear from our schools. They very much want to reopen. We hear from the parents of children. They very much want their kids to go back to school, but they want to do it safely. It costs a lot of dollars to make a school safe in this COVID crisis--not only the money for masks and PPE, but you can't sit two kids next to each other on a bus, so there have to be many more bus routes. Because some of the learning will be distant, you need hotspots, and a lot of the kids don't have them in their homes. You may need new ventilating systems because COVID demands it for a healthy classroom. You may need to convert gymnasiums and cafeterias into new classrooms. Teachers may have to teach longer, and we may even need more teachers. These are very important things we need to do to open schools safely, but they demand more dollars. As we sat in a room today, we discussed our views as to how many dollars are needed. prgtoken The same thing with food safety--we believe that during this crisis, children and adults should not go hungry, and we proposed money to ensure that there are SNAP benefit increases to help people to feed themselves, that there is enough money to feed the kids who used to get school breakfasts and lunches, and that there is enough money at food banks and other places so they can feed their families. That costs money. The Senate proposal here proposed a tax break for a three-martini lunch and a $20 billion slush fund for big agribusiness but no money for these kids who need to be fed. That is a significant difference. There are many. There are many. prgtoken We believe strongly that we have to have free and fair elections and that the mail must be delivered in a timely way because so many more people are going to vote by mail. So many polling places need to be set up because, with COVID, you can't be close together. <|p|
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-8-3

I rise to speak on the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2021. prgtoken The National Defense Authorization Act provides crucial resources for our Armed Forces and our national defense, including a pay increase for our men and women in uniform. I am glad that the Senate was able to come together on a bipartisan basis to pass this legislation to support our servicemembers, strengthen our national security, and invest in critical projects in my home State of Maryland. While there are parts of this legislation that I do not support and will seek to change in conference, I believe that, on balance, this bill serves our national interest. prgtoken In particular, I am pleased that this NDAA grants expanded acquisition authority for U.S. Cyber Command, prgtoken headquartered at Fort Meade. I echo the comments of the Armed Services Committee in its report, which finds that Cyber Command's expanded mission and responsible use of its acquisition authority justify the removal of the constraints imposed by the FY16 NDAA. prgtoken I appreciate that my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee adopted Senator Warren's amendment directing the Pentagon to begin the process of renaming military bases named for Confederate soldiers. No American military installations should be named in honor of those who led the fight against the union to defend slavery. prgtoken I also want to note my gratitude to Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed and their staffs for working with me to include relief for the family of Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III. Lt. Collins' tragic death was made even more painful for his family through the challenges they faced in receiving the proper benefits and recognition for their son. Nothing will ever fill the void of their loss, but I am hopeful that this provision brings the Collins family some peace of mind. prgtoken Additionally, it is worth highlighting for the record that the House NDAA included a provision extending the review period of the World War I valor medals review authorized by section 584 of last year's NDAA. The Valor Medals Review Task Force has worked tirelessly to identify the service records of World War I veterans who may have been passed over for the Medal of Honor on the basis of race or ethnicity. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has limited their access to research materials and necessitated an extension for them to complete their work. I encourage the conferees to retain the House's provision granting this extension. prgtoken While I am pleased with many of the provisions included in this bill and voted for its passage, I do have significant reservations. prgtoken I am deeply disappointed that this bill authorizes full funding for the President's misguided and wasteful nuclear weapons programs while taking no action to preserve the New START treaty, the last standing agreement capping U.S. and Russian nuclear forces. For more than half a c