mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMEMBERING LIEUTENANT GENERAL BRENT SCOWCROFT
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2020-9-15

today, I rise in final salute to the service of a man who loved the United States and devoted his life to her service, Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft. prgtoken General Scowcroft died August 6, 2020, and leaves behind his loving daughter, Karen, and her family. His devoted friends, colleagues, and loyal longtime staff members are left with terrific memories of a man who served two Presidents and had delivered his wise counsel to them. prgtoken General Scowcroft was the only American to serve two Presidents, President Gerald Ford and President George H.W as their National Security Advisor. prgtoken In September 1991, President asked me to leave the Treasury Department and join the White House staff, directing his Economic Policy Council. General Scowcroft was a member of that group and always made significant, substantive, and humorous contributions to our meetings when he was awake. prgtoken Brent was renowned among his colleagues for his long hours, dedicated work, and daily care for his long-ailing, beloved wife, Jackie. That made late afternoon meetings a bit of a struggle. prgtoken President initiated the Scowcroft Award to that Cabinet Secretary or senior staffer that nodded off in a meeting, as former staffer and now President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass described, in the most ostentatious manner. One of those nod-offs occurred in the Roosevelt Room, with his head resting on my shoulder. prgtoken During those White House years, my wife, Martha, served General Scowcroft as his deputy legal adviser. Our family extends our heartfelt condolences to Brent's family and his scores of friends around the world. Honoring the Life of Richard Colburn Butler, III
RECOGNIZING NANCY W. SCHULZE
Gregory F. Murphy (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-9-15

. Madam , I rise to pay a heart- felt tribute to speaker, singer, activist, servant leader, forward thinker, and prayer warrior Nancy Schulze. Mrs. Schulze is an incredibly gifted individual who has spent her life using those gifts in service to others. Nancy's achievements and accomplishments are too numerous to catalog, but among them are performing in the Capitol Rotunda, as well as at Galas honoring First Ladies Barbara , and Laura . In 2008, she founded the Congressional Wives s in Washington and holds annual seminars for this group featuring top experts in the fields of speaking, media, training and thought leadership. She is cofounder of the American Prayer Initiative. She has spoken at the Global Pastors Wives Conference, the National Women's Summit in Washington, the Christian Women in Media Association and the Inaugural Prayer Breakfast for the Governor of New York. She is a Colson Center Centurion, having completed a year-long intensive master's level course on world view in 2010. Nancy has spoken at the National Prayer Breakfast as well as events for Members of the U.S. Senate, House and Presidency. She is currently involved in many endeavors including Physicians for Reform to repair our broken healthcare system. prgtoken Given her list of accomplishments, the most astounding thing about Nancy Schulze is her seemingly unending energy and passion to work for the good of this nation. Her efforts would not be possible without her compassion and extraordinary commitment to excellence. Madam , please join me in honoring this patriot, public servant, faithful Christian, and my friend, Nancy Schulze.
CASEY COUNTY FLOODING
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-9-15

I rise to recognize my dear friend, political teacher, community leader, and statesman, Tommy Willett, who passed away on September 8. prgtoken Tommy served as my Monroe County Judge/Executive from 2011 to 2018. Under his steady leadership, Monroe County saw unique and unprecedented cooperation among various elected officials, which was clearly reflected in his running unopposed for reelection on 2014. prgtoken I knew Tommy Willett my entire life. He owned Pure Drug Pharmacy in Tompkinsville and was always active in the world-famous Monroe County political scene. As a young, aspiring candidate for public office, Tommy took me under his wing and taught me so much about grass-roots organization, political strategy, and get-out-to-vote techniques. prgtoken Tommy's beloved wife, Elizabeth Young Willett, preceded him in death. Ms. Willett was my high school English teacher, and one of the best ever at Monroe County High School. Tommy is survived by his two, fine sons, James and Scott Willett. prgtoken Judge Willett lived a life of public service and professional achievement. He was a true Monroe County success story who will be deeply missed. Honoring Dr. Leann Dalton Cooper
CELEBRATING THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF KNX
Adam B. Schiff (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-15

. Madam , I rise today to honor KNX News Radio (KNX) upon its one-hundredth anniversary. prgtoken KNX began humbly in the back bedroom of the home of founder Fred Christian, a former wireless operator and manager at one of the first radio supply stores in Los Angeles. On September 10, 1920, with parts from his store, Mr. Christian set up an amateur radio station with the call letters 6ADZ. At the time, the station was one of only two stations broadcasting music in Southern California. In 1922, Mr. Christian built a new 100-watt transmitter and was given the call letters KNX, still used today. That year, the radio station started broadcasting a nightly newscast, one of the first heard in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times called the broadcast ``one of the best in the land.'' prgtoken KNX quickly became known as ``The Voice of Hollywood,'' an invaluable news resource for the community and the nation. KNX has a long and illustrious history in Southern California, predating the Hollywood Sign and the Rose Bowl stadium. In 1925, KNX provided what is thought to be the first accurate news coverage of the Santa Barbara earthquake. Five years later, in 1930, KNX became the first station to broadcast the Academy Awards. That timely, accurate reporting became its hallmark. prgtoken Over the last century, KNX has provided unwavering coverage of local and national news stories. In 1938, the station aired Orson Welles' infamous adaptation of ``The War of the Worlds'' from its new Columbia Square studio complex. That studio went on to host and record precedent-setting broadcasts, including performances by Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. In 1968, a landmark year for KNX, the station provided comprehensive coverage of the Vietnam War protests and the assassination of Martin Luther King. The same year, KNX provided critical breaking news coverage of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, with live on-the-ground coverage from the Ambassador Hotel and Central Receiving Hospital. prgtoken Today, KNX, a national Edward R. Murrow award-winner for ``Breaking News,'' continues its steadfast commitment to the community by providing instrumental coverage of local and national news stories, and in depth reporting and analysis on biggest issues facing all Southern Californians. That's why millions across Southern California tune in every day, whether they are just waking up or heading home from work, and everywhere in between. prgtoken The staff, from the producers to the reporters and anchors, who have worked tirelessly over the last century to serve their community deserve our thanks for their dedication and service for our community. KNX Radio Station is a pillar of Southern California, and I ask all Members to join me in congratulating KNX on the hundred-year anniversary of its founding.
Bureau of Land Management Acting Director William Pendley (Executive Calendar)
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2020-9-15

as the ranking member on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, I was especially pleased by President 's decision to withdraw the nomination of William Perry Pendley to lead the Bureau of Land Management, or the BLM, as we know it. prgtoken I said, when the President nominated Mr. Pendley, that he is the wrong person in the wrong job in the wrong place and he should not continue to lead the Bureau. The job of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management is not prgtoken just another Presidential appointment. It is a sacred public trust. The Director of the BLM is one of the principal stewards of our public lands, as we are hearing from our colleagues today. prgtoken The Bureau of Land Management manages 245 million acres of public land, more land than any other Federal agency. The Bureau is required by law to manage the lands committed to its care not only for the benefit of our own generation but for many generations to come. It must carefully balance the use of the land for grazing, timber production, mineral development, recreation, fish and wildlife, and the protection of scenic, scientific, and historic values of the lands. prgtoken In addition to the 245 million acres of surface land the Bureau manages, it also manages another 700 million acres of subsurface mineral rights. It manages over 63,000 oil and gas wells and over 300 coal leases, covering nearly half a million acres of coal lands, which together contribute about $4 billion a year to the Federal Treasury. prgtoken It manages another 55 million acres of timberlands and 155 million acres of grazing lands. It issues permits for wind, solar, and geothermal energy development. In addition, more than 10 years ago, Congress designated about 36 million acres of the lands by the Bureau as National Conservation Lands because of their outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific value. prgtoken National Conservation Lands include 28 national monuments covering nearly 8 million acres, over 260 wilderness areas covering nearly 10 million acres, nearly 3,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and nearly 6,000 miles of historic and scenic trails. prgtoken Nearly 50 years ago, Congress declared that the public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management should be retained in Federal ownership and managed to preserve and to protect them without permanent impairment of the productivity of the land and the quality of the environment. prgtoken That, in a nutshell, is the job of the Director of the Bureau of Land Management: to be a good and faithful steward of the people's lands so that we might pass them on to our children and our children's children in at least as good condition as we inherited them, if not better. prgtoken Mr. Pendley is not the right person for this job. He spent most of his adult life arguing against the principles upon which our Federal land management policy is based. He has called for the sale of the public lands
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-9-15

I thank the distinguished member of the Rules Committee, Ms. Scanlon, for yielding me the time. prgtoken , there are a lot of good things included in this rule. I want to discuss one in particular today: H. Res. 908--condemning all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19. prgtoken This resolution is about our values; not our ic values, not our values, it is about our American values. prgtoken Look, I understand that politics can be contentious. The rhetoric can get heated. But what we are talking about here is something else altogether. Anti-Asian rhetoric crosses a line that should never be crossed. prgtoken The Asian-American community is an integral part of our society. It is an important part of my community in Massachusetts. These are our neighbors, our friends, and our family. And the hateful rhetoric that we are hearing directed towards them during this pandemic is unacceptable. It has led to an uptick in physical attacks, verbal assaults, and online harassment. Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise. prgtoken , this is the antithesis of what the United States of America stands for. During difficult times, our Nation comes together. We don't allow offensive rhetoric to tear us apart, no matter who says it. We are nearing 200,000 lives lost in this country because of the coronavirus. Countless more are sick. Businesses have closed, our economy is struggling. prgtoken , the world has changed. But one thing that is not and will not change is our obligation to be there for each other, to treat others as we would want to be treated. To show those around us the dignity and respect and the basic human decency that we would want them to show us--pandemic or no pandemic. prgtoken To pretend that these hateful words about Asian Americans don't matter is to kid yourself. Just ask those who have been on the receiving end. Or ask the groups that monitor hate-inspired discrimination. They tell us that there were more than 2,100 anti- Asian-American hate incidents in this country related to this pandemic between March and June. I shudder to think what the number has grown to today. prgtoken No one should be forced to endure such hate and violence. Asian Americans are struggling under the weight of this pandemic, just like everyone else. They are doctors and nurses and first responders--just like everyone else. I know that in politics our values don't always align, but on this, and s should agree. Some things go beyond partisanship. They speak to who we are as a Nation and what we are willing to tolerate. prgtoken , I am hoping for a strong bipartisan vote on this resolution because this country should always stand as an inclusive and just society. And as elected officials, that starts with us. We must lead by example. prgtoken , I urge all my colleagues on both sides to support this rule and the underlying measures.
STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY ACT OF 2019
Seth Moulton (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-9-15

I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for her support and for understanding that, yes, this is not perhaps the sweeping change that we would all like to see to fix these truly historic inequities in our education system, but it is an important step in the right direction. prgtoken And there are great examples across the county of school systems that have been able to use public school choice in positive ways to improve educational opportunities for all. It is simple common sense that access to these programs should be simple, it should be easy to navigate, and these programs should not effectively discriminate against certain families that do not have access to all the information or wealth or other opportunities to navigate them successfully. prgtoken , I thank my colleagues for their support on this amendment, and I particularly want to thank the leaders of this committee, Chairman Scott and Representative Fudge, for continuing to push to recognize the fundamental values of our country and our education system. That opportunity should be equal for all, that education should be the great equalizer because, if we can do that, we will live up to our Founders' ideals. prgtoken , .
PEG FITZGERALD
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-9-15

. Madam , I rise to provide my warmest congratulations and thanks to Peg Fitzgerald, a long-time resident and public servant in the State of Connecticut, who is retiring on October 1st after more than 42 years of service to our state. Like so many other citizens of our great state, I had the privilege to interact with Peg in government and had a front-row seat to watch her skillful use of shrewd intelligence, empathy and humor to advance the public interest in whatever role she took on. I first met Peg when I was an intern at the State Capitol for then-State Representative Sam Gejdenson in 1978 when Peg first went to work at the State Budget Office under Governors Ella Grasso and William O'Neill. Despite being a young woman given the weighty task of securing legislative support for the Governor's budget, she did not back down and could go toe-to-toe with the crustiest older male legislators and yet still make them laugh at her sharp Irish wit. When she would walk into Sam's committee room, he would yell, ``Hey Irish, what's going on?'' and the two of them would start busting each other, leaving all of us in stitches. It was like watching a sitcom. prgtoken Seriously though, during her twelve years at the State Capitol, Peg worked with legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle, crafting compromises and ultimately promoting bills that would advance the health and welfare of citizens of the State of Connecticut. She provided training, guidance, and supervision to dozens of state agencies and their staff at the state Capitol in their own advocacy efforts for the Executive Branch. prgtoken In 1990, Peg joined the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, bringing with her outstanding expertise in the legislative process and a passion for affordable housing. In her thirty years at CHFA, Peg has continuously fought for the underserved, and taught dozens of employees what it means to be a true public servant. prgtoken For Peg, service to others never stopped at the office. When Peg wasn't at the Capitol, she often dedicated her time to organizing food drives or donations for local hunger relief organizations or finding homes for animals in need of adoption, including her own, many times over. prgtoken Peg Fitzgerald--through four decades--has been the embodiment of public service, showing a uncompromising commitment to the public good, a passion for the democratic process and a dogged determination to help those most in need. prgtoken I thank Peg for her service to the State of Connecticut and offer best wishes to her on her well-deserved retirement.
JUSTICE FOR ALL
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-9-15

and still I rise, as a liberated to say that the moral movement for justice everywhere cannot condone injustice anywhere. We cannot allow ourselves to be induced to believe that there is a binary choice, that we must choose either peace officers or peaceful protesters. prgtoken No, there is a righteous choice. And the righteous choice will cause us to conclude that we must choose justice for the police just as we choose justice for the protestors. Crimes committed against the police must be punished and crimes committed by the police must be punished. prgtoken We are a Nation of laws, and if the law is to prevail, all criminals must be punished. But not only must they be punished; they must be punished expeditiously against those who commit crimes against people just as we would have them be punished expeditiously against those who commit crimes against the police. ``Injustice anywhere,'' as Dr. King put it, ``is a threat to justice everywhere.'' prgtoken , I stand and I rise as a liberated to say we cannot condone crimes against the police nor can we condone crimes committed by the police.
Bureau of Land Management Acting Director William Pendley (Executive Calendar)
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-9-15

I want to start by thanking my colleague Senator Udall for organizing us to talk about the current Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management. I say ``acting'' because this is an individual who would not be able to be confirmed by this body. But I want to take a step back and walk through a little bit about why this is important. prgtoken There was once a strong young man who rose up through New York City society. He led American soldiers in battle and went west to learn what it meant to truly to work hard on America's western landscapes. prgtoken This man took all of his hard-driving spirit with him to the White House and put it to work delivering for the American people. He took on big trusts and gigantic corporations that had monopolized the American economy and put a stranglehold on American workers. Despite coming from a wealthy New York family, this man focused on delivering a ``Square Deal'' to working-class Americans. But perhaps his most important and lasting legacy was this: After our country's previous century of explosive growth across the North American continent, he saw clearly that we needed to rein in the pillaging of our forests, the draining of our wetlands, the destruction of America's wildlife, and the loss of irreplaceable cultural resources. He saw that we had only one chance left to protect the splendors of our uniquely American landscapes for future generations. prgtoken When looks up every once in a while from his television screen or from yet another tweetstorm portrait on his phone to the portrait of that great American President, I am sure he sometimes tells himself that he could be just like Teddy Roosevelt. prgtoken I am sure he imagines that he is equally deserving of a place on Mount Rushmore and that if it weren't for his bone spurs, he could have been just as tough as Teddy, charging up San Juan Hill or riding on horseback through the Dakota Badlands rather than jumping prgtoken into a golf cart. These delusions of grandeur reached a new height last week, when the President told a crowd in Florida that he has been ``the number one environmental president since Teddy Roosevelt.'' prgtoken I don't really need to tell you that this claim is just about as absurd as saying that he has done a great job protecting Americans from the coronavirus that has now led to the deaths of nearly 200,000 of our countrymen or his claims, frankly, that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for sending love letters to a nuclear-armed despot in North Korea or making long-term peace in the Middle East even more out of reach. prgtoken Let's pause and take a look at what President 's record has actually been on the environment. Yes, I will acknowledge that President has signed some great pieces of conservation legislation that many of us here in the Senate worked hard to pass with veto-proof majorities. But since taking office, President has also empowered an
STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY ACT OF 2019
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-15

I thank Congresswoman Fudge for yielding the additional time. prgtoken Let me conclude by saying, in doing this, Congresswoman Fudge and Chairman Scott have documented this, that by having equitable access to resources, we actually found that racial prejudice is reduced by making sure that our children are in diverse schools and classrooms. prgtoken All of our students should receive the best education regardless of their race and ethnicity. That is what this bill is about. prgtoken , I thank Congresswoman Fudge, the gentlewoman from Ohio, for putting forth this bill, because she more than most knows the importance of diversity.