mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL DUMPLING DAY
Nydia M. Velázquez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-9-26

. Madam , I rise today to honor National Dumpling Day. National Dumpling Day was inaugurated back in 2015 in Brooklyn, NY and is now celebrated across America every year on September 26. prgtoken Dumplings made their humble beginnings in Ancient China, almost 1,800 years ago, where they were known as jiaozi. In America, dumplings were introduced in the mid-1800s by Chinese laborers building the transcontinental railroad. From Korean mandu and Chinese soup dumplings, to the Indian samosa and Tibetan momo, dumplings have become a world delicacy and bear tremendous cultural significance in our Asian Pacific American communities. Today, families come together across our country to the table to wrap, cook and enjoy this delightful treasure. prgtoken In the 7th Congressional District of New York, we are proud to have CJ TMI Foods, a part of CJ America, as one of the country's largest dumpling manufacturers and the founder of National Dumpling Day. Since 1989, CJ TMI Foods has been a minority-owned business, creating fresh and tasty dumplings and noodles. The company has grown exponentially over the years by expanding into new facilities and employing over 400 people. I admire their trailblazing mission of connecting and inspiring individuals of all cultural identities through exposure to Asian food. prgtoken Dumplings are more than just delicious comfort food, they are a bonding experience among many of our families. I ask my colleagues in the 116th Congress to join me in celebrating National Dumpling Day and recognizing the value these ubiquitous and delicious pockets of dough carry, unifying neighbors and sparking joy.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020, AND HEALTH EXTENDERS ACT OF 2019-- Resumed
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-9-26

I rise today to join my colleagues, Senator Murray and Senator Jones, to call upon the Senate to pass the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act--the FUTURE Act--today because that future is today. prgtoken Should the Senate fail to act on this legislation, hundreds of minority-serving institutions and historically Black colleges and universities across America are going to face some drastic funding cuts that could jeopardize the education of millions of students of color nationwide. Collectively, these institutions serve nearly 6 million undergraduate students throughout the United States, two-thirds of whom come from communities of color. prgtoken Without these Federal dollars for MSIs, we will be facing the potential for job losses, the possible closure of important academic programs, and most importantly, the doors of educational opportunity slamming shut for young men and women of color across this country. Minority-serving institutions have long enjoyed bipartisan support in this body. It is perplexing and concerning to think that the Senate would depart for recess without passing this critical legislation. prgtoken In the coming years, these institutions of higher learning will play an increasingly vital role in our increasingly diverse Nation. Consider that, already, Hispanic children make up one out of every four children in America's public schools and counting. Of these students, approximately one out of five will go to college. And when they do, two-thirds of them will wind up studying at a Hispanic-serving institution. Can we, as a nation, really afford to shortchange their education? prgtoken In representing a community that is already such a large part of the American population--one out of four is going to be one out of three in just a couple of years--can we afford to shortchange their education and, as such, the success of this country, which demands that we do not? prgtoken Just last Thursday, this body joined me to unanimously pass my bipartisan resolution honoring Hispanic-serving institutions week. But it is hard to take seriously our words of support for minority-serving institutions if we fail to back up those words with real action. Unfortunately, that is where we stand today--on the cusp of skipping town without voting to properly fund these institutions. prgtoken Across America, 523 Hispanic-serving institutions in 25 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico serve more than 2 million hard- working Latino and Latina students who dream of a college education. I know this dream well. Indeed, my own story began at a Hispanic-serving institution, even though that designation did not yet exist at the time. I was the first in my family to attend college, and I did so at St. Peter's College in Jersey City, NJ. It is because of the professors and educators at St. Peter's, who recognized that not all children arrive at college with the
U.S. BORDER PATROL MEDICAL SCREENING STANDARDS ACT
Lucille Roybal-Allard (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-9-26

I rise in strong support of H.R. 3525, and I commend my colleague, Lauren Underwood, for introducing this important legislation. prgtoken When migrants are in U.S. Federal custody, it is our moral responsibility to ensure they are treated humanely and receive appropriate medical screenings and care. prgtoken Earlier this year, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which I chair, appropriated significant additional resources to CBP to improve medical care and screening. prgtoken H.R. 3525 will help ensure this care is standardized across the Border Patrol by requiring it to formalize the medical screening process and to come up with innovative approaches to fill medical screening gaps. prgtoken The bill also requires the Border Patrol to have a singular electronic health record system, accessible to other DHS components, to ensure continuance of care for migrants. prgtoken These are smart, simple steps that can save the lives of migrants who left tragic situations in their home country to seek refuge in the United States. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.
FUTURE Act (Executive Session)
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-9-26

I am going to read from just two of those letters that expressed the urgency of Senate action on this. prgtoken This is a letter from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, from the president and CEO, stating that the Thurgood Marshall College Fund ``strongly encourages the Senate to take-up the FUTURE Act immediately and pass the bill before the opportunity slips away. While we appreciate the prospects of a longer-term or `permanent' solution to Title III, Part F, we are skeptical that such a proposal would receive the requisite approval by Congress before September 30th.'' prgtoken I think we can understand their skepticism given the fact that the 30th is Monday and the Senate is going to be out this afternoon. prgtoken They go on to say: Therefore, it is imperative that the Senate act with all deliberate speed on the bi-partisan, bi-cameral FUTURE Act. prgtoken , I have another letter from the UNCF, which is another organization dedicated to supporting these important institutions. prgtoken Quoting from the letter from their president and CEO: It is imperative that the Senate pass the FUTURE Act because funding for HBCUs, TCUs, HSIs, and other [minority- serving institutions] expires September 30, 2019. While we support a permanent extension of mandatory funding, H.R. 2846, due to its passage in the House of Representatives, is the surest way for these institutions to maintain funding for FY 2020 and FY 2021. We strongly believe that passing this bill now will address the immediate funding needs of our institutions. prgtoken This is a bill that has broad support. This is a bill where--the program expires on Monday, just a few days from now. There is really no excuse for not taking this up and voting on it now. I hope, since that is obviously not going to happen--my colleague tried to get unanimous consent earlier today to take up and vote on this bill--I hope we will move with all deliberate speed as soon as the Senate reconvenes so that we can get this important work done. prgtoken .
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ADA S. MCKINLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-9-26

as World War I came to a close in 1919, Ada Sophia McKinley founded a Chicago South Side settlement house for returning war veterans and anyone else in need of training, food, shelter, and recreation. As century later, the Ada S. McKinley Community Services serves more than 7,000 people annually at 70 locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. prgtoken McKinley was born 3 years after the Civil War in Galveston, TX. During World War I, she moved to Chicago with her husband and son. She was a schoolteacher and a community activist. McKinley began volunteering as an official hostess of the War Camp Club on South Wabash Avenue, helping war servicemen and their families. The club used recreational and civic activities to help soldiers make the transition back. It was a precursor to the therapies we use today for posttraumatic stress disorder treatments. prgtoken The War Recreation Board cut funding to the War Camp Club when the war ended, but the Douglas/South Side community still needed help, and the Great Migration had accelerated people moving to Chicago with very little resources. McKinley continued helping people, eventually founding what became the South Side Settlement House in an old, three- story mansion at 32nd and Wabash Avenue in 1919. prgtoken At the South Side Settlement House, people could get a meal, some cash, and take classes in sewing, cooking, arts, and crafts, ceramics, and storytelling. There was a summer camp, a library, and even friendship clubs for lonely seniors. prgtoken McKinley never collected a salary for her work. She established a board of directors, implemented childcare, job training, employment referral, and educational systems for all ages. prgtoken After the 1919 Chicago race riots, McKinley marched with legendary colleagues Jane Addams, Harriet Vittum, and Mary McDowell. McKinley worked with the Chicago Commission on Race Relations to help restore order and relief to people. prgtoken On August 24, 1952, McKinley helped lay the cornerstone for a new headquarters for her organization at 100 E. 34th Street. Hours later, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away. prgtoken Her legacy lives on in the work of her agency. Today, children can attend quality education services at the Ada S. McKinley Community Services locations. People can get help for their lives with mentoring programs, financial aid counseling, and a host of other programs. Their motto is ``Empower. Educate. Employ.'' Today, we honor a prgtoken century of their good work doing just that.
Tribute to Jenny Donohue (Executive Session)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-9-26

I rise today not very happily, if I can say, as my employee and my friend Jenny Donahue is leaving our office to take a really big job in the U.S. House of Representatives, especially at a challenging, difficult time, and she will serve there, I assume, every bit as well as she served in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Jenny is a middle-class kid who grew up in small town Idaho. I have not hired a lot of people in my office from Idaho, but if the next person from Idaho is this good, that will be a great thing. She graduated from the University of Montana. Moving east, she went on to become a leader in the U.S. Senate. She is a leader among communications directors. She is a leader in my office, and she is a leader in this entire body. She has left an indelible mark. prgtoken Part of being a good leader is being a good mentor. She nurtures young talent. She brings out the best in the people she works with. prgtoken My wife, Connie Schultz, who is one of Jenny's greatest admirers--and there are many great admirers of Jenny--loves to say that she is one of the most fierce advocates for young women she has ever met in her life. She also says, oftentimes, that Jenny carries as she climbs. As she moves up in life and moves up into a new position, you can bet that so many people are going to benefit from her leadership and her mentorship. prgtoken She has earned my wife's respect. That speaks such volumes about our friend Jenny. She has earned the respect of many Ohio reporters. She understands how important their work is to Ohio communities and to our democracy. prgtoken She respects journalism, understanding that journalism is about comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable. She knows that without journalism--good journalism--you can't have good democracy. prgtoken She has been with me through some of the biggest moments over the past 4 years as a friend, as an adviser, and challenging me sometimes and telling me when I am wrong oftentimes but always being there in the right ways. prgtoken She has been part of the dignity of work rollout. She was part of our trip to the border to bear witness to the humanitarian crisis in part caused by the President of the United States. She was part of the historic 2016 ic National Convention. prgtoken She helped put my vision of dignity of work on the road earlier this year, including a trip to Selma, AL. Jenny has such courage of her convictions. She is not afraid to tell me when I am wrong. She is not afraid to challenge others, always coming from a place of integrity and honesty--always. prgtoken She never does anything halfway. When she says she will do something, when she sets her mind to doing something, she does it, and she does it fully. She does it well. She does it better than pretty much anyone else could. prgtoken The day after the 2016 election, my staff was pretty stunned that a human being like would be in the White House; tha
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020, AND HEALTH EXTENDERS ACT OF 2019-- Resumed
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-9-26

I am here today to advocate on behalf of Maryland's four Historically Black Colleges and Universities that face a funding cliff next week. Without the immediate passage of the FUTURE Act, Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore face a collective $4.2 million funding shortfall when the Higher Education Act's authorization for mandatory funding for these institutions lapses. prgtoken This clean, bipartisan, 2-year reauthorization gives us breathing room to continue to negotiate the full reauthorization of the Higher Education Act without holding these historically underfunded institutions hostage. Our HBCUs and minority serving institutions know that they can count on this mandatory funding each year to strengthen their course offerings in in-demand STEM programs, make infrastructure improvements, and provide academic counseling and student support services to first generation and historically underrepresented students. prgtoken This potential lapse in the authorization for mandatory funding is exacerbated by the inability of Congress to provide a fiscal year 2020 budget on time, leaving institutions in even more of a financial planning crunch. Throwing the budgets of these institutions into chaos directly harms their ability to serve their students and communities. If this mandatory authorization were to lapse, schools could not count on mandatory funds to backfill spending at a later date. Institutions would have to make decisions about reducing levels of academic services, delaying needed infrastructure investments, or make staffing decisions. prgtoken This is an unnecessary obstacle that our HBCUs and MSIs do not need to face. I urge this body to join with the House of Representatives and pass the FUTURE Act to ensure this mandatory funding remains in place.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREATER WILKES-BARRE LABOR COUNCIL
Matt Cartwright (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-9-26

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council on its 125th Anniversary. Since 1894, the Labor Council has been a force of good in the Wyoming Valley, championing the rights and interests of workers in the area. The milestone will be celebrated along with the 120th anniversary of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council at a special event on Saturday, September 28, 2019. prgtoken In the early evening of September 28, 1894, John Casey and Daniel Shovlin of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Union, Pat O'Neil and John Gibbon of the Stone Cutters Union, Amos Ayers of the Carpenters Union, and David Grover of the Painters Union met in a stone-cutting yard on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania before seeking shelter from the rain under the South Street Bridge. These visionary men discussed forming a central labor union to unite laborers from across the city to fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, and equitable treatment from their employers. It was under that bridge that the Wilkes-Barre Central Labor Union was born. prgtoken By 1899, 118 local unions counted themselves as members of the Wilkes-Barre Central Labor Union, and as many as 300 delegates regularly attended meetings. To accommodate their ever-growing membership, John Casey (who would go on to represent the region in the U.S. House as a pro-labor legislator) and John Mullery created the Building Trades Council as a subcommittee of the Central Labor Union. The Union supported historic movements such as the 1900 and the 1902 anthracite strikes where they assisted John Marshall in organizing the United Mine Workers of America. Throughout the 20th Century, the Council supported movements large and small in the region to reflect the best interests of workers across a variety of industries. In the mid-1950s, the Wilkes-Barre Central Labor Union became officially known as the Labor Council. prgtoken Today, the Labor Council operates out of a former church in Wilkes- Barre. There are 47 locals affiliated with the Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council, representing both private and public sector occupations. The Council holds an annual Labor Day festival in Kirby Park and continues to support community-wide charitable campaigns. prgtoken It is an honor to recognize the Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council on its 125th Anniversary. Its hard work and dedication to protecting the rights of workers in Northeastern Pennsylvania has been remarkable. I wish its leaders and members the best as they continue to advocate on behalf of our workers for years to come.
CONGRESS MUST ACT TO LOWER INSULIN COSTS
Bobby L. Rush (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-9-26

. Madam , I rise today to address the scourge of the diabetes disease in lower income communities all across our Nation. prgtoken According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 30 million Americans are living with the dreaded diabetes, and many cannot properly manage this potentially deadly disease due to the high cost of their medication. prgtoken Insulin is a critical and necessary treatment for those with diabetes. Since 1996, the cost of the most frequently prescribed forms of insulin has increased from just $25 to over $250 per bottle. prgtoken According to a 2018 Yale University survey, one in four patients were forced to ration their insulin due to these skyrocketing costs, a potentially deadly practice. prgtoken No one, Madam , should ever have to forgo or ration their lifesaving medication, which is the very reason why I introduced H.R. 366, the Insulin Access for All Act. prgtoken This bill would prevent the most vulnerable citizens from having to choose between taking their insulin or paying their household bills by eliminating the out-of-pocket costs for Medicare and Medicaid patients. prgtoken I encourage all of my colleagues, Madam , to join me in supporting this very necessary bill. prgtoken Additionally, Madam , the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing yesterday to begin discussions on H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill. I firmly believe that passing this piece of legislation would be an important step in relieving the burden of rising pharmaceutical costs experienced by all of our citizens. This legislation would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate fairer prices for some of the 250 most costly drugs, including insulin. prgtoken Madam , no American should ever have to wonder if they can afford the lifesaving insulin that they must depend on. Congress must take bold action to lower insulin costs. Lives are depending on it. prgtoken Madam , healthcare is a human right, and access to insulin is righteous and just and good.
STEM OPPORTUNITIES ACT OF 2019
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-9-26

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise today in support of H.R. 2528, the STEM Opportunities Act of 2019. I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas), the ranking member, for joining me in introducing this bill. I also thank the committee cosponsors on both sides of the aisle and the endorsing organizations. prgtoken , this bill has been a long time coming. Over a decade ago, in 2007, I introduced an early version of this legislation in response to the National Academies' report titled ``Beyond Bias and Barriers.'' prgtoken This report was a call to action to address the biases and outdated institutional structures in universities that perpetuate the underrepresentation of women in many STEM fields. The report made clear that it is not a lack of talent but external factors, like limited access to support and campus resources, pay disparity, bias, and discrimination, that have hindered the advancement of women in academic STEM careers. The National Academies is conducting a follow-up study under the leadership of former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison. prgtoken While progress has been made, the fact remains that women are woefully underrepresented at all levels of STEM studies and in STEM careers. We need action, and we need bold leadership. prgtoken Women already comprise 50 percent of the population. By the year 2050, racial and ethnic minorities will also comprise 50 percent of our Nation's population. Many of these groups are woefully underrepresented in STEM fields. Our Nation will not continue to lead in science and innovation if we do not tap into all the talent this Nation has to offer. prgtoken While there are unique challenges for different groups underrepresented in STEM, there are also many common themes and many common solutions. prgtoken Eventually, I combined my legislation focused on the advancement of women in STEM with another piece of legislation focused on underrepresented minorities in STEM. That combined legislation became the STEM Opportunities Act. prgtoken The STEM Opportunities Act addresses both the uniqueness and similarities, the challenges and solutions. Over the years, I have updated this legislation to incorporate new expert recommendations and stakeholder feedback to reflect emerging needs. prgtoken The STEM Opportunities Act of 2019 provides for research and demographic data collection to better understand the participation and career trajectories of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM research careers. prgtoken The bill directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop consistent policies at Federal science agencies to minimize the effects of implicit bias in the grant review process, to help universities identify and address barriers for women and underrepresented minorities in STEM research careers, and to accommodate the needs of grant recipients who have caregiving responsibilities. prgtoken The bill also directs the National S