mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IN RECOGNITION OF SIERRA PACIFIC HS GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM
David G. Valadao (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-2-2

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate the Sierra Pacific High School Lady Bears Basketball Team for their victory as California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division IV Northern Regional State Champions. prgtoken After reigning undefeated in the East Sequoia League and recording the longest winning streak in school history with 20 victories, the Lady Bears of Hanford, California, defeated Colfax High School in the Northern Regional Finals. Having claimed the South Regional Championship title in 2018, the Lady Bears Basketball Team is the first in the state to win a Regional Championship in both the North and South. This season, they were also recognized as Cal-Hi Girls Basketball Division 4 Team of the Year. prgtoken While the 2020 California State Championship was cancelled in light of COVID-19 precautions, I know the Lady Bears Basketball Team would have represented their community and school with the same sportsmanship and dedication they exemplified all season. prgtoken Led by Head Coach Amy and Assistant Coaches Victor Chavarin, Jr. and Christopher Kennedy, Sierra Pacific High School was proudly represented by Taylor West, Alana Roberts, Celeste Lewis, Taylor Whitfield, Haillee Larios, Kylie Brasil, Angelique Brazil, Cristina Avila, Makayla Carre, Savannah Torres, Annabelle Saavedra, and Lauren Zantos. prgtoken I further congratulate Alana Roberts and Celeste Lewis for their outstanding performances. Miss Roberts became the first of her school to achieve 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and is the Sierra Pacific Girls Basketball All-Time rebounder with 1,357 rebounds. Miss Lewis, the team's all-time leading scorer, earning 1,832 points, was honored as Cal-Hi Girls Basketball Division 4 State Player of the Year. prgtoken Additionally, I commend Alana Roberts, Celeste Lewis, Kylie Brasil, Annabelle Saavedra, and Makayla Carre for their 2020 East Sequoia League 1st Team Honors, as well as Cristina Avila for her 2nd Team Honors. prgtoken Off the court, these ladies have inspired many with their community involvement. This season, the Lady Bears Basketball Team volunteered at the Episcopal Church of the Savior Parish Soup Kitchen, hosted a Community Youth Basketball Camp, collected 500 canned food items to support families during the pandemic, and raised $1,290 for the families of Captain Raymond Figueroa and Firefighter Patrick Jones who tragically lost their lives while responding to the Porterville library fire. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me congratulating the 2020 Sierra Pacific Girls Basketball Team for these accomplishments and commend their unwavering commitment to serving the Central Valley community.
TRIBUTE TO SGT. DAVID J. FERGUSON, JR.
Barry Loudermilk (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-2-2

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to my friend, Sergeant David J. Ferguson, Jr. in honor of his retirement after nine years of service in the United States Air Force. prgtoken Sergeant Ferguson joined the United States Air Force in 2012, after his high school graduation, and through his years of service, has risen to the rank of Staff Sergeant. David was stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas where he served in the 7th Security Forces Squadron. In this role, he provided a vital service in fulfilling the Air Force's mission and demonstrated great resolve in protecting the 13,000 military and civilian personnel living and working on the base. Throughout his service, he has exemplified the core values of the Air Force: integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all you do. prgtoken Over the course of his service, his lovely wife and high school sweetheart, Colleen, has been a dedicated companion. David and Colleen have three daughters; in whom I am certain they will instill the same values and patriotism they have exemplified through service in the U.S. Armed Forces. They return home to Adairsville, Georgia in February 2021 to begin a new chapter in their lives as a family; and prgtoken I am proud to have them back in Georgia's 11th Congressional District. prgtoken On behalf of the 11th Congressional District of Georgia, and the United States House of Representatives, I commend Sergeant Ferguson for his nine years of outstanding and dedicated service.
SETTING FORTH THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2021-2-2

I will be responding to my good friend Senator Sanders. Apparently, I will be the ranking member on Budget; he will be the chairman. And I look forward to finding some common ground where we can. Today is not that day, but hope springs eternal. There are things I think we can do on the Budget Committee that will be good for the country. prgtoken Here is the other side of the story. About a year ago--a little over a year ago--the pandemic coming out of China was detected, COVID, on the west coast of the United States. It has just done a number on us as a nation. Over 440,000 people have died from COVID-related infections. We finally got vaccines. They are in the pipeline. We need to get them out quicker, but I do believe that the vaccines are going to help us a lot. prgtoken To the American people who have been suffering, I think better days lie ahead, but we are not there yet. prgtoken But here is what is different. February 2, 2021, things changed. Up until now, we have been able, as a Congress and with the White House, to pass things together regarding COVID. We passed over $4 trillion of COVID relief in a bipartisan fashion up until today. Now, how was that done? prgtoken You had a President--President --working with a ic-controlled House and a -controlled Senate beginning of January--I guess, March of last year. Here is what we were able to do together. Phase 1, we approved 96 to 1 the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020. It was $8 billion. That was early on last year when we really didn't know what we were dealing with. prgtoken Then, we did $355 billion, 90 to 8. Then, the next was $1.9 trillion. Listen to this: We spent $1.9 trillion, 96 to nothing. So it is not like we don't see a need to spend money. Ninety-six to nothing, this body agreed to spend $1.9 trillion last year. prgtoken After that, we did the paycheck protection enhancement of $355 billion by voice vote. It is not like people on this side don't see a need. prgtoken We had a continuing resolution where we added another $8 billion, 84 to 10. prgtoken In the omnibus, we did another $1.04 trillion, 92 to 6. prgtoken So when you add all this up, we have appropriated $4 trillion to deal with the problems associated with COVID--money for people who have been struggling, money for hospitals and doctors, money for vaccine development and distribution, direct payments, the PPP program to keep small businesses from going under that can't operate at full capacity. It has been a great program. It was bipartisan until now. prgtoken Here is what I want the American people to know: We have done a lot together, and of the $4 trillion we have appropriated, to date, we have spent $2.7 trillion. prgtoken Of the Federal Reserve actions we took allowing the Federal Reserve to help business, we had a $5.7 trillion market cap, for lack of a better term, and we have allocated $2.6
IN MEMORY OF BARBARA ANSELMO CHIFICI
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2021-2-2

. Madam , I would like to include in the Record the following obituary for Barbara Anselmo Chifici. Barbara Anselmo Chifici Barbara ``Mrs. Barbara'' Anselmo Chifici, age 77, passed away unexpectedly on January 23, 2021 due to complications from Coronavirus at Ochsner Medical Center Kenner. A lifelong resident of New Orleans, Barbara attended grammar school at St. Rita Catholic School in New Orleans and graduated from Academy of the Holy Angels. She also studied at Meadows- Draughon Business College, Louisiana State University, Loyola University, and the University of New Orleans. Barbara was the owner and matriarch of the independent family-owned restaurant group Deanie's Seafood restaurants. Barbara came from a large extended Italian family of restaurateurs, where she learned the rigorous demands of running and owning family restaurants. Barbara was awarded an American Culinary Federation New Orleans' Outstanding Foodservice Professional Award in 2013, and had been sought to judge culinary competitions throughout the country during her career. She remained a fixture at the restaurants until the Coronavirus pandemic began last spring. Barbara was an inspiration to generations of culinarians and hospitality workers. As a widowed mother of seven children, she created a rich life for herself and her family around food, faith and community. Her achievements as a woman entrepreneur reached well beyond the expectations of her generation. She instilled a genuine sense of hospitality, quality, family and pride into everything she did with motherly poise and a steely determination that launched and sustained a New Orleans seafood restaurant institution for almost 40 years. Barbara married her late husband Frank Chifici in 1963, and the couple operated a catering business out of their home and later two restaurants, Chifici's Restaurant in the Central Business District and Gromboli's in Metairie, before purchasing Deanie's Seafood Restaurant & Seafood Market in Bucktown in 1982. She was widowed in 1985 after Frank passed away following an 18-month illness. The Chifici family celebrated 38 years as owners and operators of Deanie's Seafood in April 2020. Known for serving up overflowing fried seafood platters and boiled Louisiana seafood, Deanie's became a local favorite that garnered national attention. The restaurant was recognized year after year among New Orleans' best seafood restaurants and featured on numerous Travel Channel and Food Network programs. In 2001, she opened the second Deanie's Seafood restaurant located at the corner of Iberville and Dauphine streets in the French Quarter. Deanie's Sea Food Kitchen, located at 2200 Magazine St. in Uptown New Orlean
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 447, NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP ACT OF 2021; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. CON. RES. 11, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021; AND FOR OTHER...
Randy Feenstra (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-2-2

I rise in opposition to this proposed rule, which begins laying the framework for one of the largest spending bills in the history of this institution. It is nearly $2 trillion being dishonestly sold to the people as COVID relief. prgtoken With a price tag this big, , you would think that the House would want this bill to go through the committee process where Congress and the public can digest this information. But no. They are attempting to fast-track this bill to make decisions with no committee, no bipartisanship, no oversight, and no discussion. prgtoken , this is American taxpayers' money, not government's, and it is being spent with no accountability and no transparency. prgtoken The bottom line is that the hardworking, taxpaying Americans deserve to have a voice in this process, and I will fight against attempts to fast-track this bloated bill every step of the way.
SETTING FORTH THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2021-2-2

I want to compliment my good friend and colleague Senator Portman, the great Senator from the State of Ohio, who has done so much in this Chamber on so many issues--COVID-19 relief is just one--to help our great Nation. prgtoken Some of you may have heard the news that Senator Portman--I am still very distraught about it--has announced that he is not going to be running for reelection in 2 years, and I think that is going to be a huge loss, not just to the State of Ohio but to our great Nation. prgtoken I want to commend Senator Portman for all his phenomenal work. He is proving, again, his leadership and his statesmanship here as we are trying to attack and take on big challenges for our Nation. China prgtoken , I also want to talk about another big challenge for our Nation, something that I have come down on the floor since I was elected 6 years ago to the Senate to talk about, and that is the challenge that we have with regard to the rise of China. As a matter of fact, this is an area I talk frequently about because there is a lot more bipartisan progress on this incredibly important issue--the most important geostrategic challenge facing our Nation right now, probably the challenge that will be facing us for the next 50 to 100 years--that is with us today. prgtoken But there has been progress. I want to talk about this progress, and I want to talk about something, another development that I think is very important. prgtoken There has been an awakening. When I started to come down and talk about the rise of China, not a lot of people were talking about it, but there has been huge progress in that now everybody is talking about it--the administration, and the administration had been. I think President and his team, with their national security strategy, their national defense strategy, deserve a lot of credit from reorienting our focus, which was the appropriate focus post-9/11 on violent extremist organizations, like al-Qaida and ISIS, to the new challenge of great power competition with China as the pacing threat that we have with regard to our Nation. prgtoken Again, this is something that has been very bipartisan. When you look at Members of this body, particularly those who focus on foreign policy and national security, they all agree that this reorientation on this challenge is something that we need to be doing as a country in a bipartisan way--dealing with the rise of China. prgtoken I think, when we talk about this challenge, we are at a place in history that, in many ways, is analogous to the period right after World War II. I want to talk briefly about that in my remarks prgtoken In 1946, we had what at the time was a recognition that, post World War II, we had a new challenge--similar to the prgtoken challenge we are seeing right now, the recognition that we have this challenge with China. In 1946, we started to recognize
Immigration (Executive Session)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-2-2

I want to talk about two topics today. The first topic I want to address is the issue of immigration. My good friend Senator Durbin is very articulate--he is almost an expert on this issue--and I appreciate his comments. I want to just give you my perspective on immigration because it is so important. Yet this is not why I came down here today. prgtoken I love legal immigration. I think most Americans do. Louisianans love legal immigration, and I say that with great confidence because, every year, the American people invite over a million of our world's neighbors to become American citizens in a legal manner. We are very welcoming in this country. We invite more people to become citizens in America than any other country in the world, and I am flattered that people want to come here. I mean, other than someone living in North Korea, when is the last time you heard of somebody trying to sneak into China? People want to come to America, and I am so proud of that fact. prgtoken I don't believe in illegal immigration. Some of my colleagues--not the Chair and Senator Durbin--think that vetting people at the border is racist. I don't. I think it is prudent. Every country does it. We respect the rule of law in this country, and illegal immigration is illegal. Duh. I mean, if you don't like the immigration laws, one should change them. In the meantime, we have to follow the law. I am not real crazy about traffic cameras. I think, in many cases, they are designed to just raise money, but I obey them, and when I get fined, I pay the fine. It doesn't happen often now, but I do it. prgtoken Look, this country needs an immigration system that looks like somebody designed it on purpose. It does. I think the American people deserve that. I would love to work with Senator Durbin. I am not real interested in nibbling around the edges. I am not real interested in piecemealing. I am not real interested in some sort of widespread amnesty. I think we ought to sit down. We all ought to take our meds and sit down as adults and Senators in good faith, as all Senators are, and try to tackle this problem in a global way. prgtoken I just wanted to make it clear--this is speaking for me, personally, and I have learned a lot from listening to Senator Durbin as I always do--I am a steadfast believer in legal immigration, but I adamantly oppose illegal immigration. I think it is dangerous. I think it is unfair, especially to those people across the world who have waited in line patiently and followed the immigration laws of our country.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 447, NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP ACT OF 2021; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. CON. RES. 11, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021; AND FOR OTHER...
Ashley Hinson (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-2-2

even the CDC has confirmed that young kids have an extremely low infection rate right now, a low transmission rate, and a low rate of serious illness from COVID-19. Yet they are forced to stay home and learn from behind a computer screen, that is if these kids have access to computers and broadband internet. prgtoken For many students, especially those in rural Iowa, virtual learning is not easy. It is not just going downstairs and logging onto the family computer. It is sitting in the parking lot of the Cedar Rapids Public Library, logging onto the WiFi to finish homework or take a test. prgtoken So it is no surprise that our most vulnerable students are the ones who will suffer the most and are suffering the most. Isolation, lack of social support, added stress, and environmental strain of this lockdown have gone on far too long. Kids and families are suffering. prgtoken As a mom of two school-age kids, this issue is personal to me. This issue is personal to all parents, and it is personal to all families who care about their kids' well-being. Kids need to be in school. We can get them back behind a desk instead of in front of a screen, and we can do so safely. That is exactly why we allocated funds for this purpose. prgtoken It is past time for States and local school districts to stop hoarding these resources and use them for their intended purpose: To pay for science-based safety measures that get students and teachers back in the classroom with less risk. prgtoken That is why my bill would condition a portion of the $54 billion Congress sent to States for K-12 schools in December on reopening their doors. One-third of the education funds provided would be immediately available right now with the remaining two-thirds available to schools in increasing amounts as they move to reopen. Schools with at least 50 percent of students attending in person at least 50 percent of the time would receive the full amount of funding. Parents and students want to return to the classroom. My bill will help make that happen. prgtoken , I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in supporting our students by defeating the previous question, and I urge a ``no'' vote.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 447, NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP ACT OF 2021; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. CON. RES. 11, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021; AND FOR OTHER...
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-2-2

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to immediately consider H.R. 682, the Reopen Schools Act, to encourage local educational agencies to resume in- person instruction in elementary and secondary schools. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the text of my amendment, along with any extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
HONORING LEE DUDLEY WALKER
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-2-2

. Madam , I offer these remarks in honor of Lee Dudley Walker of Martinsville, Virginia, who passed away on January 12, 2021 at the age of 90. Dudley Walker was a business and community leader who made a tremendous contribution to the Martinsville-Henry County area. prgtoken Mr. Walker was born on July 20, 1930 in Martinsville to Virginia Dudley and Samuel Stanhope Walker. He graduated as the valedictorian of Martinsville High School in 1947 and earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. The next year, he attained a post-graduate certificate from Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia. In 1952, he graduated from North Carolina State University, where he had served in the Reserve Officer's Training Corps and became Cadet Regimental Adjutant. Mr. Walker served for two years in the United States Army and was assigned to the Armed Services Textile and Apparel Procurement Agency in New York City. prgtoken Upon completion of his military service, Mr. Walker returned home to join the family business, the Walker Knitting Company founded by his father Samuel in 1928. Samuel Walker also served as president of the Bassett-Walker Knitting Company. Dudley Walker became president of the Walker Knitting Company, and upon his father's death in 1960 he led both companies. They merged in 1964 under the Bassett-Walker Knitting Company name. prgtoken Under Mr. Walker's leadership, Bassett-Walker grew. It built a sewing plant in Stuart in 1965 and in Hillsville and Brookneal in the 1970s. It subsequently acquired yarn manufacturer Johnston Mills Co opened divisions in Ferrum and Stoneville, North Carolina, and opened a distribution center in Henry County. At its zenith, Bassett-Walker owned 13 plants and employed more than 7,000 workers, helping Martinsville earn its reputation as ``The Sweatshirt Capital of the World.'' The company became part of VF Corp in 1984. Mr. Walker operated as Chairman of Knitwear for VF until 1986 and remained on the company's board until 2000. He acted not only as an executive but as a community leader whose businesses were an important support to the people of the area. prgtoken Beyond his role in this industry, at the time so fundamental to the Martinsville-Henry County area, Mr. Walker was a dedicated philanthropist. Wanting to keep young people in the region, he became a driving force behind the founding of Carlisle School, playing active roles from helping to choose the school's site to recruiting staff. He donated to Patrick Henry Community College, the YMCA, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge, among other organizations. He was a lifelong member of Broad Street Christian Church, which his mother had helped found. prgtoken Among the recognitions Mr. Walker received for his accomplishments were the Heck Ford Award from the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and the Pillar Award from the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Council f