mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT
Josh Gottheimer (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-5-13

I rise today as millions of Israeli citizens are reeling from a barrage of more than 1,500 rockets fired throughout the country by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza. prgtoken In case there was any confusion, Hamas is a terrorist organization designated by the United States, dedicated to the destruction of Israel, in which Congress has and must condemn for killing innocent civilians and using women and children as human shields. prgtoken No one here should make excuses for a terrorist organization. prgtoken Who is the next target of their sympathy? prgtoken ISIS? Al-Qaida? Hezbollah? prgtoken Even though we may not always agree about Israel's policies, we should be very clear that nothing, nothing justifies a terrorist organization firing rockets at our ally. And between terrorists and a democracy, we should always choose the democracy. prgtoken Our commitment to Israel's security and its right to defend itself from terrorists is ironclad. I am glad President , the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Defense have stood with our key democratic ally, insisted that Hamas stop firing rockets, and engaged regional partners to end this crisis. prgtoken No matter our disagreements, there should be no false equivalences or excuses made by anyone on behalf of a foreign terrorist organization. prgtoken As we stand together with our historic ally, Israel, we continue to call for an end to the violence and for calm in the region for the sake of our children and families and for the sake of peace.
AMERICA STANDS WITH ISRAEL
Kathy E. Manning (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2021-5-13

I rise in solidarity with our staunch ally, Israel. For days, Israel has been under attack by Hamas terrorists who have fired more than 1,700 rockets from Gaza, targeting civilians and targeting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Were it not for the Iron Dome missile defense system, the loss of life would be enormous. prgtoken Thousands of Israelis--Jews and Arabs alike--have taken cover in bomb shelters. I have been in Israel when rockets were fired from Gaza into Sderot. I know the terror of running for cover with sirens blaring overhead, not knowing whether I would make it in time. My heart goes out to the Israeli people. prgtoken Yesterday, I attended an IDF briefing. Unlike Hamas, the Israeli defense forces target the terrorists, their rocket launchers, weapons stocks, and command centers--not civilians. When a democratic country is attacked by terrorists, it has the right and indeed the duty to protect its people. prgtoken We must continue to stand with Israel. I pray for peace and all those who have lost loved ones.
COMPREHENSIVE DEBT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT ACT
Jake Auchincloss (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2021-5-13

I reject the amendment from the ranking member, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I reject it because it undermines the premise of the chairwoman's bill. The premise of the chairwoman's bill is not prudential underwriting as a core premise of our economy which, of course, we need. It is not about payments for goods and services prgtoken which is obviously a pillar of the United States system of business. prgtoken It is about fairness. It is about fairness in the allocation of credit and fairness in the collection of debt. prgtoken What the chairwoman has put forward and what the amendment from the ranking member would undermine is a bill that recognizes that people should not be punished for circumstances outside of their control. They should not be precluded from accessing credit for something that happened to them that they did not wish upon themselves, and that they had no volition in doing. prgtoken For example, this bill would ensure that medical debts do not prohibit people's access to credit. The senior Senator from my home State of Massachusetts famously demonstrated that medical bankruptcies were plaguing the middle class and the working class in this country. Indeed, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has reported that medical debt has a significant impact on consumer credit. After Americans undergo lifesaving treatment, they should not have to worry about the impact of a necessary medical procedure that they will have to stay at home to convalesce will have on their ability to then restart their life, start a business, or care for their family. prgtoken H.R. 2547 seeks to give consumers time to fully recover until they are able to pay their bills. Nobody chooses to get sick, , and being sick should not show up on your credit report as you seek to access credit in the future. prgtoken This bill is also about fairness in how we collect debts. There, of course, should be payments for goods and services, but there does not need to be and there should not be harassment. prgtoken As a former marine officer, it deeply concerns me that servicemembers who need to concentrate on the mission at hand might be distracted, and, indeed, might even be demoted for debts outside of their control.
IN RECOGNITION OF SHAHID AHMED'S SERVICE TO THE NEW DEMOCRAT COALITION
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2021-5-13

. Madam , I rise today to thank Shahid Ahmed for his many contributions to the New Coalition. This week, Shahid will be leaving the New Coalition after two years of service to become New Dem Congressman Donald McEachin's Communications Director. prgtoken The New Coalition, which I have the honor to Chair, is made up of 94 forward-thinking in the U.S. House of Representatives who are committed to getting things done. We represent the expansion of the ic Party beyond our urban base into purple districts and we are key to holding the majority. Our focus and composition of members, makes our communications team critical to the Coalition's success. prgtoken Shahid joined the New Dem communications staff as the Staff & Digital Assistant in April 2019. Prior to joining the New Dem staff, Shahid was a Communications Fellow for Congressman Jared Huffman of California and a Press Intern for Congressman Donald McEachin of Virginia. In recognition for his hard work and digital expertise, he was promoted to Digital and Press Assistant in January 2020 all while pursuing his Master of Arts in Communication and Media Studies at The Johns Hopkins University. prgtoken Originally serving under former New Coalition Chair Derek Kilmer, Shahid has been an able communications staffer to me and many members of the Coalition. Over his tenure, the New Coalition has exponentially grown its digital footprint thanks to Shahid's knowledge of social media platforms, digital media, and effective communications. Most notably, Shahid created dynamic, creative content to promote the Coalition's key policy and message priorities. Shahid also served as a key digital advisor for New Dem Members and their staffs working with them to develop compelling ways to reach their constituents on issues that mattered most in their districts. Shahid will continue to be a valued mentor to communications staff in the New Dem family and beyond. prgtoken Madam , on behalf of the members of the New Coalition, I thank Shahid and wish him best of luck.
COMPREHENSIVE DEBT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT ACT
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-5-13

as much time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of this set of amendments that will strengthen the protections in my bill, H.R. 2547, the Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act. prgtoken I thank Representatives Adams, Bonamici, Bowman, , Cohen, Craig, Newman, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Payne, Ross, and Williams for their work on their amendments to improve the bill and provide additional protections for consumers. prgtoken These amendments would create a Consumer Bill of Rights Against Abusive Debt Collection Practices, putting in plain language what debt collection protections and remedies a consumer has; require CFPB strategy to use their enforcement and other tools to combat abusive debt collection during the pandemic; study racial disparities in debt collection and develop solutions to address these disparities. prgtoken Several amendments would also help students by providing private student loan borrowers with the same credit reporting protections that Federal student loan borrowers have during the pandemic; releasing cosigners in the event of the death of a private student loan borrower, regardless of when that debt occurred; studying practices and additional reforms to better protect private student loan borrowers. prgtoken Finally, these amendments address new forms of communication specifically prohibiting debt collectors from harassing a consumer on social media, and studying electronic communications and developing recommendations to further protect consumers from harassment. prgtoken Together, these amendments will protect our constituents from abusive debt collectors. So I urge Members to vote ``yes.'' prgtoken , .
Afghanistan (Executive Session)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2021-5-13

I come to the floor today to address what I believe is an urgent and fundamental issue of our policy in Afghanistan, and that is, what happens to the women and girls when the United States and NATO forces leave after 20 years? prgtoken Over the years, as I have talked to my constituents and people around the country, one of the things they have all been united on about our effort in Afghanistan has been the difference that our intervention has made for women and girls. prgtoken Before we went into Afghanistan in 2002, girls were not allowed to go to school, women were not allowed to work, and there was no freedom of movement for women and girls unless they had a male escort. They couldn't listen to music. They were required to wear burqas anytime they went out of their homes. prgtoken What we have seen has been safety and security for Afghan women and girls as the result of our intervention, but now all of these gains are at risk as we withdraw our forces. The lack of emphasis on the safety and security of Afghan women and girls in the peace process is what has brought us to this point. prgtoken We are leaving by September, and there is no plan to ensure that the rights that were achieved for women and girls are actually protected, even though we have legislation that says that in conflict areas like Afghanistan, we have a responsibility to ensure that women are at the negotiating table. prgtoken Well, as we rethink the role of the United States in Afghanistan, I want to put a face on what we are talking about, what it means if we don't prioritize women's rights there. prgtoken In March of this year, the State Department posthumously honored seven women who were given the International Women of Courage Award. These are all women who were killed in Afghanistan in 2020. They are pictured here. They were murdered--assassinated, really--for choosing to live their lives outside of the narrow confines of what the Taliban and other extremist groups deem acceptable for women, and they reflect the thousands of other women in Afghanistan who have been the targets of violence. prgtoken We have seen over the last months of 2020 and beginning of 2021 that women were deliberately targeted for assassination, particularly women in high-profile positions. These women have been murdered for going to school, for reporting the news, for delivering healthcare or running for public office. We talk about them as courageous, and certainly they are, but they should not have to be courageous to do the kinds of things that they were murdered for. prgtoken It should not require courage to be a journalist like Malalai Maiwand, who prgtoken is right here in the lower left-hand corner. It should not require courage to stand up for basic human rights like Fatima Khalil, who is up here in the middle, or Freshta Kohistani, who is right here. Fatima was a human rights official. Freshta was an activist for women rights. Yet both of t
COMPREHENSIVE DEBT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT ACT
Nikema Williams (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2021-5-13

I rise today in support of Chair Waters' Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act and amendments that I have been able to make to the bill. prgtoken Our work in Congress must focus on how to make life better for the most marginalized in our communities. This bill centers that goal by ensuring fair debt collection and consumer protection. Today, I am offering two amendments to further advance that work. prgtoken Currently, a borrower's credit score isn't negatively affected if they miss a Federal student loan payment during the pandemic. This protection was made possible with bipartisan support. It is time that we extend the same protection to private student loan borrowers, and I am happy to have partnered with Congresswoman Alma Adams to advance an amendment that does just that. prgtoken I also authored an amendment that commissions a report to analyze racial disparities in debt collection practices and recommend solutions. Additional study in this area will help us ensure greater equity going forward. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support these amendments and the overall bill before us today.
RECOGNIZING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2021-5-13

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the 150th anniversary of Alcorn State University. prgtoken Alcorn University, now referred to as Alcorn State University, was founded on May 13, 1871, in Lorman, Mississippi, resulting from Mississippi's efforts to educate the descendants of formerly enslaved individuals. The university is named after James L. Alcorn, who was the governor of Mississippi at the time of its founding. prgtoken Alcorn is celebrating its 150th year as our nation's first Historically Black Land Grant University and the second-oldest state- supported institution of higher learning in Mississippi. Alcorn continues to provide a valuable education in agriculture, arts, sciences, business, education, and offers the only nursing program available at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the state of Mississippi. Not to mention, the institution consistently ranks among the top 25 HBCUs in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. prgtoken During Reconstruction, Hiram Revels served as the first president of Alcorn. He resigned his seat as our nation's first African American United States Senator to lead the university. One of the residential options on campus, the Medgar Wiley Evers Heritage Village, is dedicated to Evers who was a prominent civil rights activist and 1952 alumnus of the university. prgtoken In addition to notable alumni, Steve McNair, led a decorated career in the National Football League and was drafted third overall during the 1995 National Football League draft. This is the highest draft selection for an offensive player, from an HBCU, in National Football League history. prgtoken The successes of Alcorn State University are tied to the dedicated leadership and faculty who have devoted their careers to preparing future generations for excellence in academics as well as athletics. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 150th anniversary of Alcorn State University and the invaluable contributions of our country's first Historically Black Land Grant University in higher learning.
ISRAEL-HAMAS CONFLICT
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-5-13

tonight, because of Hamas terror rockets, millions of people in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank, including frail seniors and young children, are huddled in fear, worried about their loved ones, and uncertain about what tomorrow will bring. prgtoken Hamas and other terrorist groups are relentlessly attacking Israel, launching more than 1,500 rockets just since Monday, targeting Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Be'er Sheva, and every community in between. prgtoken Israel is rightfully responding to these attacks, protecting its citizens and defending its borders. Civilians are dying, Arabs and Jews. My heart breaks for all innocents killed and injured. It is true that more have died in Gaza, but Israel goes out of its way to minimize civilian casualties. Hamas, conversely, goes out of its way to target civilians in Israel, while launching its rockets from civilian areas in Gaza. prgtoken Israel has overwhelming resources to defend herself, yet shows restraint. Hamas has rockets intended only for death and terror. Thankfully, with Iron Dome, Israel has the technology to protect the lives of its citizens, which, in turn, protects Palestinian lives as well. prgtoken The U.S. stands with Israel, and we must do all we can to end Hamas' terror attacks and swiftly restore calm to the region.
REMEMBERING JOHN MICHAEL ELLIOTT
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-5-13

today I wish to pay tribute to the life and career of John Michael Elliott, who passed away suddenly on March 12, 2021. It is my honor to reflect on the legacy John built for his family and his community. For me and for my family, John M. Elliott was a faithful friend. prgtoken Community, heritage, and history were all important to John. Born in Girardville, Schuylkill County, PA, on July 8, 1941. John later graduated magna cum laude from St. Vincent College, where he played varsity baseball. He received the American Jurisprudence Award from the Georgetown University Law Center and launched a successful 55-year legal career. John Elliott never forgot his Schuylkill County roots or Irish-American heritage. prgtoken John was a skilled lawyer who became chairman and CEO of Elliott Greenleaf, the law firm he founded in 1990. To John, law was a profession as well as a means by which he could advance his greater purpose in life: to be of service to others. He was talented and tenacious. In 1979, he worked to right a past wrong and won a posthumous pardon for Irish immigrant and Schuylkill resident, Jack Kehoe. In 2002, he won an age-discrimination case that resulted in the largest single-plaintiff jury verdict in the history of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. John was generous with his legal talents and imparted his knowledge onto the next generation of lawyers as a lecturer for the American Law Institute, the American, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations, the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. prgtoken Outside of his law practice and lectures, John remained committed to service. He served as chairman of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, as a commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority and as a member of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board. He was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of State to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe's Conferences on the Human Dimension in Paris and on ic Institutions in Oslo and was a Presidential appointee to the White House Coal Advisory Commission. He was a steadfast supporter of St. Patrick's College in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland, for more than two decades. He was recognized twice for his efforts in 1995 when Cardinal Cahal B. Daly of Ireland dedicated the Salamanca Archives at the college in his honor and in 2001 when Cardinal Desmond Connell conferred upon him the Gold Medal of St. Patrick. prgtoken John received many accolades during his lifetime. He was awarded an LL.D. by his alma mater, St. Vincent College, and The Legal Intelligencer's 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award. His greatest achievement and source of pride was his family. Those fortunate enough to receive John's oversized holiday card every year were treated to references to his children and their famil
COMPREHENSIVE DEBT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT ACT
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-5-13

I rise in support of this en bloc amendment. prgtoken I have done financial counseling for low-income clients at Legal Aid and I learned firsthand that people don't struggle by choice. prgtoken I was an attorney at the Federal Trade Commission where my work involved enforcing the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. I have seen how predatory debt collection tactics hurt our families and our communities. Consumers face harassment at home and at work. They frequently get misinformation about debts they might not even legally owe. The problems around debt collection are pervasive. prgtoken Data from the Urban Institute shows that 68 million Americans had a debt in collection before the pandemic, and most consumers sued by collection agencies don't have legal representation. prgtoken My amendment will update the law so consumers get advance notice of legal action against them and accurate details about what they legally owe. Strengthening protections for consumers will help individuals and families get through this economic crisis and beyond. prgtoken , I encourage all of my colleagues to support the en bloc amendment and the underlying bill. I thank Chairwoman Waters and Chairman Perlmutter for their leadership.
THE LONG-TERM PROBLEMS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE
Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-5-13

I believe I am actually the second, but I am the only Palestinian-American Member of Congress now, and my mere existence has disrupted the status quo. This is so personal for me. I am a reminder to colleagues that Palestinians do, indeed, exist, that we are human, that we are allowed to dream. We are mothers, daughters, granddaughters, we are justice seekers and are unapologetic about our fight against oppressions of all forms. prgtoken Colleagues, Palestinians aren't going anywhere, no matter how much money you send to Israel's apartheid government. prgtoken If we are to make good on our promises to support equal human rights for all, it is our duty to end the apartheid system that, for decades, has subjected Palestinians to inhumane treatment and racism. prgtoken Reducing Palestinians to live in utter fear and terror of losing a child, being indefinitely detained or killed because of who they are, and the unequal rights and protections they have, under Israeli law, it must end. prgtoken One of Israel's most prominent human rights organizations, B'Tselem, has declared Israel an apartheid state. Human Rights Watch recently recognized it, too. This is what Palestinians living under Israel's oppression have been telling us for decades. prgtoken I have been told by some of my colleagues who dispute the truth about segregation, racism, and violence in Israel toward Palestinians that I need to know the history. prgtoken What they mean, unintentionally or not, is that Palestinians do not have the right to tell the truth about what happened to them during the founding of Israel. They, in effect, erase the truth about the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Israel that some refer to as the Nakba, or catastrophe. prgtoken As Palestinians talk about our history, know that many of my Black neighbors and indigenous communities may not know what we mean by Nakba, but they do understand what it means to be killed, expelled from your homeland, made homeless, and stripped of your human rights. prgtoken My ancestors and current family in Palestine deserve the world to hear their history without obstruction. They have a right to be able to explain to the world that they are still suffering, still being dispossessed, still being killed as the world watches and does nothing. prgtoken As Peter Beinart, an American of Jewish faith, writes: ``When you tell a people to forget its past, you are not proposing peace. You are proposing extinction.'' prgtoken The Palestinian story is that of being made a refugee on the lands you called home. prgtoken We cannot have an honest conversation about U.S. military support for the Israeli Government today without acknowledging that, for Palestinians, the catastrophe of displacement and dehumanization in their homeland has been ongoing since 1948. prgtoken To read the statements from President , Secretary Blinken, General Austin, and leaders of both parties, you would hardly know Palestinians exi