mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-7-30

I thank Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, and Vice Ranking Member Cole. prgtoken Please let me add my thanks to Chair Lowey for her years of honorable, dedicated, and affable service to this committee and to our Nation and for her recognition of the full potential of the Energy and Water division. prgtoken Truly, she will be missed. Without question, she has made her mark across our Nation and the world. She can draw great satisfaction from that. prgtoken , I also want to thank my brother, Stephen, who is watching from a distance. Without his strength and courage, I would not be here today. prgtoken This bill represents an overwhelming majority of our total discretionary appropriations, and with its passage, the House's completion of 10 appropriation bills. prgtoken , I extend congratulations to Chairwoman Lowey and, of course, Ranking Member Kay Granger for this feat in the middle of a global pandemic. prgtoken , I also have to thank the marvelous committee staff who have made this possible. I wish to say that the Energy and Water division captures the American spirit of ingenuity and independence in our enterprising Nation. prgtoken Our bill lays the foundation for critical investments to combat climate change. It is poised to pass today as the most important funded climate change bill the 116th Congress will pass. prgtoken Truly, this bill will sustain life in America and address global imperatives. prgtoken Our bill upgrades and strengthens our Nation's energy and water infrastructure. prgtoken It responsibly funds our Nation's nuclear deterrent. It rejects the administration's dangerous plan to start nuclear explosive testing. prgtoken The bill rejects the President's drastic and shortsighted proposed cuts that would harm America's leadership at home and abroad. Instead, it invests in important programs that keep our Nation at the forefront of global energy innovation. prgtoken It enables the efficient shipment of goods. It provides water, irrigation, and electricity to millions upon millions of Americans, and these programs propel real economic growth and the jobs that go with it. prgtoken Let me briefly walk through the bill. prgtoken The Army Corps of Engineers receives $7.6 billion, the second year of record funding and an increase of $1.7 billion above the budget request. prgtoken The Bureau of Reclamation receives $1.64 billion, an increase of $508 million above the request. prgtoken The Department of Energy receives $41 billion, an increase of $5.1 billion above the request. Within the Department of Energy, the bill contains historic funding levels for key programs critical to our future. prgtoken First, energy efficiency and renewable energy receive $2.85 billion, $2.1 billion above the request. ARPA-E, our advanced energy portfolio, receives $435 million, a record amount for a program the President proposed to eliminate, blunting America's future. prgtoken The Office of Science receives $7.05 bi
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Henry Cuellar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-7-30

I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey for all the wonderful work that she has done on this appropriation bill, a very balanced bill that she has done, and I want to thank Kay Granger and also Mr. Calvert for the work that they have done, even though we do have a disagreement. Let me talk about the wall. prgtoken With all due respect, I always get a kick out of people who don't live close to the border, they might live about 1,000 miles away from the border, but they are the first ones who would tell us what we need to have at our border, in our own backyard. prgtoken Earlier this month, President AMLO from Mexico was at a press conference with President . President had said we need a wall, and we are going to have Mexico pay. I did not hear the President say: Where is that check to pay for the wall? prgtoken So what is happening is, the master dealmaker is now asking the U.S. taxpayers to pay for this wall after he promised that Mexico would pay for this wall. prgtoken Again, the taxpayers are paying for this. We are taking money away from the defense. We are taking money away from military construction. And we are taking money away from other places to pay for that 14th century solution called a wall. prgtoken I will tell you where we are on the wall. After 3 years, we only have 3 miles--and I emphasize 3 miles--of new wall. Everything else is replacement. Everything else is double wall--only 3 miles of new fencing that we have had. prgtoken Again, if you look at it, and I think you have seen some of the videos, the wall is falling apart. It is falling apart. Again, why are we spending billions of dollars to build this wall when it is falling apart? prgtoken If you ask every Border Patrol chief, including the Border Patrol chief under President , if you ask him, ``How much time does the wall buy you?'' they say, ``A few seconds or a few minutes, depending on who wants to cross over.'' prgtoken So why are we spending billions of dollars to stop this? I have asked the experts on the border, which is Border Patrol: Do we need a wall? I always ask this question: Is it post-2012, or pre-2012? Because before 2012, the Border Patrol agents were saying that the wall was ineffective and a waste of taxpayers' dollars itself. prgtoken Now, there are two main reasons why people called for the wall. One is to stop people coming in illegally, and the other is to stop drugs. prgtoken Let me talk about people coming in illegally. If you look at it, the last 7 consecutive years, visa overstays exceeded illegal border crossings. If you look at the last 2016-2017 numbers that we have, visa overstays accounted for 62 percent of the newly undocumented immigrants that we had. prgtoken If you look at the number one violators, with due respect to our Canadians, it is Canadians that are the number one violators of these visa overstays. So it is not people coming from the south, but it is visa overstays. prgtoken I dare you to s
VOTE EXPLANATION
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2020-7-30

I was absent when the Senate voted on vote No. 152 to confirm Executive Calendar No. 770, Derek Kan, of California, to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget. On vote number 152, had I been present, I would have voted no on the motion to confirm Mr. Kan. prgtoken , I was absent when the Senate voted on vote No. 153 on the motion to proceed to the House Message to accompany S 178. On vote No. 153, had I been present, I would have voted no.
Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-7-30

just two quick things on what President said today. I know my colleague from Oregon brought it up--the idea that, once again, all he wants to do is divert from his abject failure on the coronavirus crisis. He says: Oh, well, maybe we will not have an election. prgtoken That is up to the Senate and the House, . President , the election will be in November, on November 3, and you will not change it. Stop diverting attention, President . That is what you have done for 3 months as more people get sick, as more people get unemployed, as we see the numbers we saw today. prgtoken Instead of focusing on all these crazy, egotistical, and wrong-headed ideas, focus on COVID-19, focus on testing, focus on unemployment, focus on getting the kids back to school, focus on the many problems we face and understand the moment and largeness of this crisis. I say that to President , and I say that to my colleagues. prgtoken We are waiting. We are waiting for you to get your act together and understand the depth of this crisis, the breadth of this crisis, and do something real--not a stunt. prgtoken , as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 455, H.R. prgtoken 6800, the Heroes Act; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
Nomination of Derek Kan (Executive Session)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2020-7-30

I rise today to speak on the nomination of Derek Kan to serve as second in command at the Office of Management and Budget. prgtoken It is not every day that I stand here and endorse a nomination--a nominee--of a current President. So I don't want anybody to have a heart attack, but I do want to stand up and say that this is a good nomination. I wish we had more like him. I am pleased that at least we have this one today to consider. prgtoken Derek Kan served previously as Under Secretary for Transportation Policy at the Department of Transportation, where he served as a principal adviser to the Secretary and provided leadership in the development of policies at the Department. prgtoken I have a couple of quotes here from two of my ic colleagues that referenced his time at the Department of Transportation. One of our ic colleagues from here in the Senate said these words: ``Mr. Kan, from your time at the Department of Transportation, I know you to be a talented and thoughtful leader who can work collaboratively with Congress and others to find common ground.'' prgtoken Think about those words: ``who can work collaboratively with Congress and others to find common ground.'' prgtoken Another of our ic colleagues said of Derek Kan: ``Derek Kan is a serious, smart person and a vast improvement over the previously mentioned names.'' prgtoken That is a quote. I will say it again: ``Derek Kan is a serious, smart person and a vast improvement over the previously mentioned names.'' prgtoken Now, that is not damning with faint praise. That is, I think, praise. I think it is well earned, and I just wanted to share that with you. prgtoken He has been nominated to serve by this administration in a number of positions, and he has gotten the support of and s-- not unanimous support. I wouldn't get unanimous support if I were nominated for something that came through here either--but he has gotten strong support, for the most part. prgtoken I was pleased to be able to vote in favor of his confirmation to this particular position. He was confirmed--at that time it was as the Department of Transportation Under Secretary, and I think he was confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 90 to 7. prgtoken Prior to this appointment, Mr. Kan served on the Amtrak board of directors, and he was unanimously confirmed to that position by this same body. He doesn't know this, but he and I have something in common. We were both confirmed--I was sitting Governor of Delaware, but I was confirmed to serve as the lone Governor at the time on Amtrak's board of directors. And I was confirmed unanimously. Somehow that slipped through. But that is something that he and I share in common, and he understands well the importance of the capacity of rail service in this country--in this century. prgtoken Mr. Kan is also experienced as a policy adviser to our current majority leader and chief economist for the Se
HONORING THE CAREER AND SERVICE OF KEN DELACRUZ
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-7-30

. Madam , I rise today to honor the retirement of Mr. Ken Delacruz, President of the Metal Trades Council at General Dynamics Electric Boat, after 46 years of service as a shipbuilder and a leader in our region. prgtoken In his time at the shipyard, Kenny has seen it all--he saw the boom years of construction on the Los Angeles and Ohio Class submarines early in his career as a welder, the lean post-Cold War years of Seawolf and the uncertain start of Virginia class. In recent years, he's led the workforce as the yard ramped up for steady rate construction of the Virginia class program and the start of the Columbia class submarine, an historic expansion in work and activity that has surged hiring in the yard with a new generation of shipbuilders. prgtoken Since 1991, Kenny has served as President of the Metals Trades Council at Electric Boat, representing thousands of workers across the waterfront trades. In that position Kenny has negotiated eight collective bargaining agreements--the latest winning 85 percent approval among members in 2019. Being a labor leader in a shipyard is a tough job, but in his incredible 29 years as president Ken has earned the respect of generations of his members, management, and elected officials. prgtoken Kenny's permanent footprint on the yard will be felt in other ways as well, most importantly with his focus on the future of the workforce. In 2014, Ken was instrumental in helping to make the case to then-Labor Secretary Tom Perez during his visit to Groton about the need for federal investment in the manufacturing pipeline program to help new tradesmen and women gain the skills and training they need to succeed. After that visit, the eastern Connecticut workforce investment board received a $6 million workforce innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Labor that has resulted in hundreds of pre-apprenticeship graduates acquiring entry level skills at EB. And, he led the effort re-establish and re-invigorate the apprenticeship program to ensure that the knowledge of our veteran skilled machinists and welders can be handed down to the next generation. prgtoken On a personal note, for over twenty years, Kenny has always been a good friend and confidante, who taught me a lot about his members, their amazing talents and value to eastern Connecticut, navy shipbuilding and our national defense. prgtoken As Kenny prepares for his well-deserved retirement, he can take pride in knowing that the shipyard he joined in 1976 has a more solid foundation and a brighter future thanks to his leadership and commitment to his workforce and the nation's undersea priorities. He has been a trusted ally, a committed partner and a friend to me and my office. And most important, he's been a fearless advocate for the men and women of the Metal Trades Council. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Kenny's 46 years of service to Electric Boat and our nation, and in wishing him a safe and
HONORING DEACON WILLIAM FRANCIS XAVIER KANE
Seth Moulton (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-7-30

. Madam , I rise to commemorate the life and service of an American patriot and decorated Army veteran, Deacon William Francis Xavier Kane. Kane was an Army intelligence officer during the Vietnam War, serving in small communities alongside a South Vietnamese battalion. Kane was seriously injured in the line of duty, leaving him hospitalized. Due to Kane's valor during the war, he was presented with a Bronze Star and Soldier's Medal for Heroism. In the years following his brave service in the Army, Kane went on to have a long career as a special agent in the FBI. prgtoken Kane's service to our country did not stop with his astounding career in the military and FBI. After four years studying at St. John's Seminary located in Brighton, Massachusetts, Kane was ordained a Permanent Deacon for the Archdiocese of Boston. After devoting himself to a life of spirituality, he then found his true vocation. Serving as the director of prison ministry for the Archdiocese of Boston, Kane provided spiritual support and comfort to those in need during their incarceration. Kane also took up Spanish to have better communication with the many Spanish-speaking inmates he assisted. Kane was once asked what led him to this type of work, and he responded with a quote by Irish poet Bobby Sands: ``There is no place more lonely than the prison cell.'' prgtoken In 2001, Kane founded the Holy Family Parish Mission after a trip to the Dominican Republic. Kane believed that mission work could help individuals empathize with those who are impoverished, and in turn, deepen their capacity for compassion and love. In 2016, Kane received the John C. DeDeyn Jr. Achievement Award from his alma mater, Niagara University, in recognition of his service to others. prgtoken Madam , Deacon William Kane lived a life of service for the United States government and its citizens. The Coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 Americans. Deacon Kane is one of the 2,083 veterans counted among that total. Kane was a dementia patient under the care of the VA at the time of the Coronavirus breakout. He passed away May 10th. The vision of the VA is ``to provide veterans the world-class benefits and services they have earned--and to do so by adhering to the highest standards of compassion, commitment, excellence, professionalism, integrity, accountability, and stewardship.'' I believe it is evident that they have fallen short in their duties. In a VA where all but one of the patients in a specific unit have contracted this generation's most contagious virus, it is clear that adequate protections were not provided to Deacon Kane as well as the other patients in the unit. prgtoken As a member of the Armed Services Committee and an advocate for veteran's rights, I call upon the House to investigate this occurrence further and remain committed to using all of the powers this office affords me to protect veterans, and all Americans, from this
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Nita M. Lowey (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-7-30

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Today, we continue investing for the people with H.R. 7617. prgtoken This minibus combines six appropriations bills: Defense, Commerce- Justice-Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development. prgtoken The bill promotes economic recovery from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. It provides more than $200 billion in emergency funding to rebuild our Nation's transportation, housing, and energy infrastructure; to expand broadband to unserved and underserved areas; and to rebuild the Nation's aged public health capacity and support State and local health agencies and global health activities. prgtoken The bill prioritizes public health and safety with $47 billion for lifesaving medical research at the National Institutes of Health and $50 million, an increase of $25 million above fiscal year 2020, for firearm injury and mortality prevention research at the NIH and CDC. It includes strong funding for numerous public health efforts, including initiatives to reduce HIV infections, address tobacco and e-cigarette use, and ensure food safety. prgtoken As we confront the twin crises of COVID-19 and systemic racism, the bill prgtoken takes bold steps to build safer and stronger communities for all people. It provides strong funding to support law enforcement reform at the State and local level while catalyzing economic development in disadvantaged communities that is fundamental to a more just and equitable society. prgtoken Among other priorities, the bill invests in education and job training; expands access to safe, affordable, and fair housing; supports servicemembers and military families; and combats climate change and embraces a clean energy future. prgtoken This package prioritizes the lives and livelihoods of the American people and makes the strong investments needed to build a stronger future for every person. prgtoken It is the product of months of thoughtful deliberation and input from Members on both sides of the aisle. I am proud of the work we have completed under the incredibly difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our incredibly talented appropriations subcommittee chairs will discuss more about what this package does for the people. prgtoken , I urge support for the bill, and .
Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-7-30

this morning showed why we need the ic approach to dealing with unemployment insurance and why the pain that was reported this morning would get even worse under the proposal offered by Senator Johnson. prgtoken This morning, Americans learned that our economy cratered in the second quarter--essentially, GDP dropped by 9.5 percent from April through June. That translates to a 33-percent annual contraction of the American economy. So what you have with today's analysis is a gross domestic product in free fall. If s slash unemployment benefits with this proposal, the gross domestic product is going to fall faster, and the economy will collapse. prgtoken Folks, the economists, people who aren't political figures, told us this morning--this is a five-alarm fire. It is the biggest and fastest drop ever recorded, colleagues, wiping out years of economic gains in a matter of weeks. prgtoken The fact is, when you take the kind of economic hammering that we learned about this morning, and you have the ic approach with respect to supercharged unemployment--what we wrote in the Finance Committee, that Secretary Mnuchin signed off on, the $600 per week, which finally included those people who nobody even talked about in the 1920s, gig workers and part-timers and independent contractors--they got a fair shake. prgtoken The reason we thought it was so important to supercharge those benefits and why we feel so strongly about doing it now, with an additional $600 per week, is so that people can make rent and pay groceries, while all these folks are out of work. And we learned again about thousands and thousands of more workers in every part of the country getting hit again with layoffs. When jobless Americans receive unemployment benefits, it becomes one of the biggest booster shots for the American economy. When jobless Americans receive unemployment benefits, and they spend it on food, they spend it on car payments, they spend it on rent, and they spend it on medical bills. It is part of the gross domestic product. It makes no sense--it makes no sense, colleagues--to take that support away, as the Senator from Wisconsin seeks to do. prgtoken One point four million people have filed for unemployment benefits this past week. Before the pandemic, unemployment claims had never crossed 700,000 in a single week, not even during the great recession. They have now been at 1.3 million or higher for 19 straight weeks. prgtoken So here the Senate is, a few hours after seeing the worst domestic product report ever recorded, and what is the response of the Senate s? To slash unemployment even more than they originally proposed, yanking an economic lifeline from 30 million Americans and delivering an economic wrecking ball directly into our fragile economy. prgtoken The last point I want to make--and we have Senator Stabenow, my seatmate on the Finance Committee, here--is to highlight t
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Chris Pappas (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-7-30

. Madam , American doctors, scientists, and researchers aren't alone in racing to unlock treatments, vaccines, and other lifesaving developments in the fight against COVID-19. prgtoken Their counterparts in Israel are making groundbreaking advancements as well. prgtoken Just days ago, an Israeli study indicated that low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of contracting COVID. Israeli scientists are developing six different vaccine candidates and more than a dozen different treatment options for the deadly lung inflammation caused by COVID-19. prgtoken That is why I am asking my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment which will fund a new partnership between the U.S. and Israel to bring leading researchers together to defeat this devastating disease. prgtoken By passing this amendment, we can deepen our expertise in the development of drugs, vaccines, AI solutions, respiratory assist devices, diagnostic tests, telemedicine, and more to help save American lives. prgtoken America can't go it alone in this fight. We are stronger when we join forces with countries that share our values to confront our shared challenges. prgtoken Madam , I urge adoption of this provision.