mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-1-15

today I wish to congratulate Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeffrey Wiley on an exceptional career and to thank him for his service to the people of Louisiana. Sheriff Wiley has served Louisiana honorably, putting his life on the line for the protection and safety of his community for many years. prgtoken Sheriff Wiley is a Marine Corps veteran and began his law enforcement career while attending advanced military police training at Fort Gordon in Georgia. He joined the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Department in 1974 as a patrol officer and was quickly promoted to the detective division in 1975, where he specialized in juvenile justice. prgtoken It was during this time that Sheriff Wiley helped organize several initiatives, including the Junior Deputy Program and the Sheriffs Young Adult League. He would later go on to serve on the Ascension Parish School Board, where he helped establish numerous programs, such as the Substance Abuse Education Program and the placement of substance abuse counselors in the schools. prgtoken In 1988, he returned to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Department and was appointed chief criminal deputy. He spearheaded the department's first full-time narcotics division and the implementation of the D.A.R.E. program. After being elected sheriff, he grew the patrol/ traffic force by 40 percent, increased police salaries, and put more officers on the street. His first term was so successful that he became the first sheriff in the history of Ascension Parish to be reelected without opposition. In 2009, he was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame. prgtoken It is because of his long list of accomplishments and good deeds that we honor Sheriff Wiley. We thank him for his commitment to the people of Ascension Parish and to the people of our State. Our communities are safer because of his dedication to the rule of law. Thank you, Sheriff Wiley, for 22 years in office and for a lifetime of service to Ascension Parish and to Louisiana.
CONGRATULATING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY EAGLES MEN'S SOCCER TEAM
Vicky Hartzler (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-1-15

. Madam , I rise to pay tribute to the Central Methodist University Eagles men's soccer team of Fayette, Missouri, in Missouri's Fourth Congressional District, winner of the NAIA men's national soccer championship. prgtoken Head coach Alex Nichols and the Eagles capped off a superb 22-2-2 season with a penalty shootout victory over Missouri Valley in the championship finale in Irvine, California. prgtoken This national soccer championship is the first ever for any team sport for Central Methodist University. It is the culmination of steady progress that saw the Eagles move from a top 30 ranking three seasons ago, to a top 20 ranking two seasons ago, to a top 12 ranking last season, and, finally, to the number one spot this past season. prgtoken I congratulate the Central Methodist University Eagles on winning the national championship. Your hard work, dedication, and determination paid off and left an example future teams will strive to follow. prgtoken Well done.
THE CRISIS AT THE BORDER
Ted S. Yoho (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-1-15

. Madam , I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding on such an important topic. prgtoken I am glad to be here tonight because I think it is important that we go out and make our case to the American people and tell the truth, which is not what you are going to hear in the media or from our ic colleagues, as we have heard earlier today. prgtoken The government now has been shut down for 25 days, breaking the record for the longest partial government shutdown in history. We would like to express our empathy and concern for those affected, and may this be resolved sooner than later. prgtoken Why has this been so long? Because refuse to come to the table to negotiate a solution. Instead, they would rather bring up messaging bills that don't fund vital programs. Also, they can say they didn't support President 's border wall. prgtoken In fact, today, we passed a bill that passed in the House that we passed last Congress. It was on hatred and hate speech and all that. They won't address this issue. They want to walk away from this. prgtoken They don't want to support President 's border wall so they can go to their constituents and say they won. This is all about the 2020 Presidential election. They aren't concerned about border security or the security of the American people. prgtoken This is not a game. We are not talking about a game. We are talking about the rule of law, security for the American people and our Nation. prgtoken This President has been confronted with an unprecedented degree of obstruction from the ic Party. President has asked the ic leadership if they would negotiate over the wall if the government was reopened. Pelosi said no. She has said over and over again that walls are immoral and not one penny for a wall. prgtoken Ms. Pelosi, I am asking you, and the American people are asking you, to do what is right: negotiate border security and pay our patriotic workers who aren't getting paid. prgtoken This obstruction is unnecessary and hypocritical. How is funding for border security unreasonable? The answer is that it isn't. prgtoken have supported fences at the border in the past. In 2006, over half the ic Senators, including Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and , voted to build 700 miles of security fence; 138 ic House Members voted for that bill. prgtoken must realize the importance of border security but would rather sacrifice security for political gamesmanship. This is a matter of national security and can no longer be ignored. prgtoken On average, 2,000 inadmissible, illegal migrants arrive at our southern border daily. That means, in the last 25 days, approximately 50,000 illegal migrants have sought entry at our border without going through the proper channels. And there are proper channels. prgtoken I remain a strong supporter of border security and will continue to defend the need for thi
REMEMBERING BARNEY GOTTSTEIN
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-1-15

I speak in loving memory of Barney Gottstein, a patriarch of Alaska's Jewish community, who passed away on October 21 at the age of 91. He was buried in the Anchorage Cemetery on October 22, in accordance with Jewish burial traditions. prgtoken I suspect that my colleagues might not be aware that Alaska is home to a thriving Jewish community or that the origins of that community preceded statehood by generations. One might be even more surprised to know that Barney was not the first generation of Gottsteins to occupy a leadership role in prestatehood Alaska, but the second generation. The Gottstein family is up to four generations of leadership, with a fifth--the great-grandchildren--now in place. prgtoken The first generation, Barney's father, Jacob B. Gottstein, originally of Des Moines, IA, came to Anchorage in 1915, selling cigars and confections out of the tent city established to construct the Alaska railroad. Jake, as he was known, then opened a wholesale grocery and dry goods business, known as J.B. Gottstein & Co which made sales calls by dog sled. You can't get more Alaskan than that. Jake passed away in 1963. prgtoken Barney was born in Des Moines in 1925, but soon moved to Anchorage, population 2,500, where he was raised. He enlisted in the Army and served in the Army Air Corps. After the war, Barney went to the University of Washington, studying to be an aeronautical engineer. That didn't work out so well. He was told by a counselor prgtoken that anti-Semitism would likely prevent Barney from getting a job in his chosen field, so he switched to business and economics and came home to work in the family business, but he didn't abandon his love for flying. Barney was a licensed private pilot who loved to fly around Alaska and beyond. prgtoken By the time Barney returned home, the family business was growing as fast as the State. The focus had changed from dry goods to wholesale groceries. Barney took it the next step. One of J.B. Gottstein's customers was the Carr Brothers Grocery. The rest is history. prgtoken Barney partnered with Larry Carr to grow the retail grocery business and pursue real estate ventures. Carr's Quality Centers sprung up throughout Alaska, along with an associated chain of Eagle markets. By the late 1980s, the Carr-Gottstein group of companies was the largest Alaska-owned business in the State. Barney and Larry sold the grocery side of the business in 1990 but remained in the real estate business. Today the Carr's name remains on grocery stores in Anchorage, Eagle River, and the Mat-Su Valley. prgtoken In 1989, Barney was inducted into the Alaska Business Hall of Fame, and in 1991, he was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. prgtoken Barney's business success in Alaska was deeply respected, but his community engagement even more so. He was chair of the Alaska Board of Education and provided financial assistance that en
DISAPPROVING THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE AN ACTION RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION--Resumed
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-1-16

I come to the floor today with a number of my colleagues on the 26th day of this deeply damaging and completely unnecessary shutdown. We are here today to lift up the voices and stories of the people who are being hurt by President and his Senate allies and to once again call on leaders here in the Senate to finally allow a vote and work with us to end this manufactured crisis. While President is very focused on his political game, actual people, their families, and their communities are paying the price. prgtoken People we represent--moms and dads, workers, small business owners, people who did not do anything wrong, who just want to work, do their job, serve their communities--all of them have been pulled into President 's chaos and dysfunction, and it needs to end. prgtoken I am very proud to kick off another effort here in the Senate by those who want to make sure that President and Senate leaders prgtoken don't forget whom this is about and understand who is being impacted by their refusal to act. prgtoken I want to start with a few from my home State of Washington, where there are nearly 13,000 workers who have been caught up in this shutdown. prgtoken Lauren is a furloughed FAA employee who shared her story with me through my website. She told me she supports her family with one income, and now that paycheck has been frozen. She said she has been losing sleep trying to figure out how to cut her own expenses and pay her bills since the Federal Government isn't meeting its obligation to pay her. prgtoken I heard from Adam, also from my home State, who is buying his first home with his fiance. What should be a very exciting time is now filled with unnecessary stress because Federal loans through USDA and FHA are held up. As if closing a home isn't stressful enough, now they don't know when or even if a loan is going to come through. As Adam described to me, home buyers are now caught in the middle, and that is just wrong. prgtoken One Federal employee I met with while I was home last week is a scientist at one of the impacted Agencies, and he told me about the stress that he and his family have endured since the start of the shutdown, having to cover their childcare expenses and mortgage while he is not being paid--expenses that total up to $1,700 each month. Right now, he said he is able to tap into his family emergency fund to make ends meet, but he doesn't think they can hang on much longer. prgtoken I am not the only one, by the way, who is hearing from people in Washington State about how President 's unnecessary shutdown is impacting their lives. These stories are everywhere. prgtoken Earlier this week, the wife of a furloughed TSA employee with a 6- year-old daughter told the Seattle Times about how the shutdown has thrown her family into an economic tailspin. Their family is currently living off of money she makes
NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION AND ABORTION INSURANCE FULL DISCLOSURE ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-1-16

a few minutes ago, I got off the phone with Jasmine Tool, who is an Oregonian living with an inoperable brain tumor. As the shutdown lingers on, I want to share her story because she has been bearing the unthinkable consequences of her illness. prgtoken I am going to start today by asking: How can a country as rich and good and strong as the United States of America let Jasmine Tool suffer this way? prgtoken She is a 34-year-old mother of two young children. She lives in Lake County, a rural community in south central Oregon. She is a public servant, an employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She has been living with an inoperable brain tumor. The cancer has caused related debilitating conditions. She is in and out of hospital emergency rooms. Her digestive system is impaired. With the invaluable care provided by a home health worker, she takes in liquids and nutritional infusions through tubing that is plugged into her abdomen. prgtoken Because she lives in a rural area, her treatment can require long- distance travel. That is hard to deal with when you are suffering from the flu. Just imagine how hard it is with a brain tumor, a broken digestive tract, and feeding tubes attached to your body that prevent you from eating or drinking normally. prgtoken She is confronting this health challenge with remarkable bravery, and I don't believe there is a single Member of the U.S. Senate who would wish Jasmine's struggle on their very worst enemy. prgtoken Then comes the government shutdown. prgtoken Jasmine was due to travel to Nevada this month for treatment related to her tumor, but last week, as she was prepared to go, she was informed that her health insurance had lapsed. Initially, she thought it might be--we all know with insurance--kind of a recent hiccup or recent problem, something that could be corrected quickly. prgtoken This week, she learned that it lapsed in October--October, months ago--and her insurance company told her that only her employer could fix it. prgtoken Jasmine's employer is shut down. Nobody is answering the phones. Right now, Jasmine Tool is suffering--this mother of two--and is unable to determine what caused the lapse in her coverage or what can be done to get it fixed. prgtoken The most immediate threat is this: Jasmine was told that her home health assistant cannot continue to help her if she doesn't have insurance. That means that within days this 30-year-old mom will not be able to get the infusions she needs to stay alive. prgtoken Now, if that isn't enough, Jasmine has been failed by the government on multiple occasions. Shortly after she went on medical leave in early 2017, she began the process of applying for disability--disability retirement. She worked with the appropriate human resources official to prepare the paperwork to send to the Office of Personnel Management. She thought, as anybody would, that the process was underway and she would hear back soon ab
IN MEMORY OF MRS. JOHNNIE LEE BROWN COLLIER
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-1-16

. Madam , I rise today to honor a dedicated woman of God, great wife, steadfast mother, and friend of longstanding, Mrs. Johnnie Lee Brown Collier. Sadly, Mrs. Collier passed away on December 27, 2018. Her funeral service was held on Thursday, January 3, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the Fourth Street Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia. prgtoken Mrs. Johnnie Lee Brown Collier was born on October 22, 1926, in Columbus, Georgia to the union of Cleola Daniel Brown and John Brown, Sr. She gave her life to Christ and was baptized at an early age at Rosehill Memorial Baptist Church. From that time on, God continued to be the center of her life until her passing. She served as the Sunday School Superintendent and Church Clerk at Rosehill before moving her membership to the Fourth Street Missionary Baptist Church in 1957. Her first pastor at Fourth Street was the late Reverend Henry . Mrs. Collier paved the way for others as she was the first Church Secretary at Fourth Street. She was a natural and gifted leader as she served in a variety of leadership positions at Fourth Street to include the Deacon's Wives (she served as Chairperson for two terms), PICCM Community Leader in Zebulon Community, Women's Day , 1961, Chairperson of Program and Pastoral Relations Committee, and was the Roast and Toast Honoree in 1996. prgtoken Mrs. Collier was the epitome of a great wife and mother. She married the late Deacon Samuel Lee Collier on April 26, 1950. God blessed this union for 34 years until Deacon Collier's untimely death on May 27, 1984. Six children were born to this union to include two sets of twins: Bernice Collier Collins, Bernard Collier (deceased), Agnes Collier Averett, Samuel Lee Collier, Jr Michelle Collier McClain, and Michael Collier. Fred Rogers once said that, ``It's not so much what you have in life that matters, It's what we do with what we have.'' Mrs. Collier did a lot for others with what she had. In addition to her own children, she served as a mother figure to her siblings and countless others she found in need of guidance and a helping hand. prgtoken Former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm once said that, ``Service is the rent that we pay for the space that we occupy here on this earth.'' Mrs. Collier paid her rent and she paid it well. She served in a variety of community organizations to include: Electric City Chapter 482 of the Order of the Eastern Stars (Worthy Matron), Spencer High Alumni (Class of 1943), Muscogee County Board of Elections (Voting Precinct Manager); and she traveled to various state conventions to further her knowledge of the voting process. She was also an entrepreneur and a photographer. Her professional career took her to the Medical Center, the Area Mental Health Clinic, and the Enrichment Services Program. Her benevolence extended throughout the community and she often used her influence and networking to help others to find gainful employment. prgtoken Madam ,
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Democrat, MP) \u2014 2019-1-16

. Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment that increases funding for the Marianas Medicaid block grant. prgtoken Our islands were struck by two catastrophic weather events late last year. Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall September 10, and on September 29 the President declared a major disaster for the islands of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. prgtoken While recovery from Mangkhut was still ongoing, super Typhoon Yutu, the second most powerful storm ever in United States history, struck. Yutu caused widespread destruction of homes, businesses, public facilities, and infrastructure. On October 26, the President declared a second major disaster for our islands. prgtoken Yutu also brought death. prgtoken Never in anyone's memory has a typhoon caused death in our islands, but one person died during Yutu and another in a storm-related accident. Over 130 people were injured. prgtoken Our only hospital, which has just 75 beds, packed people into the emergency room to stitch up wounds; remove glass and flying debris from legs, arms, and faces; and attend to those who needed dialysis or other treatment, while waiting days for power to be restored. prgtoken Medicaid provides one-quarter of the revenue for the hospital and health insurance for 30 percent of our population, but there is a cap on how much Medicaid funding is available to the Marianas. When a storm strikes, the program has to steal from tomorrow to pay for today. prgtoken The disaster appropriation the House passed on December 21, generous though it was, provided no money for Medicaid for the Marianas. prgtoken Chairwoman Lowey, recognizing the lapse, added $20 million in H.R. 268 for the Marianas Medicaid program to be available for the rest of the year. After her bill was drafted, however, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS, informed appropriations staff that the Marianas can actually use $36 million in the wake of the typhoons. prgtoken Following that advice from CMS, I am offering an amendment that adds $16 million to the original bill, bringing total assistance for the rest of the year to the recommended $36 million. prgtoken Madam Chair, I ask my colleagues for their support of my amendment and of the underlying bill, H.R. 268. The $36 million I am requesting, by adding $16 million to the $20 million already in the bill, is what CMS told Chairwoman Lowey's staff that the Marianas can spend this year in the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut and super Typhoon Yutu. prgtoken Madam Chair, I include in the Record a recent news report, ``From Something to Nothing,'' published in the Honolulu Civil Beat. `From Something To Nothing': Life In Saipan After Super Typhoon Yutu (By Anita Hofschneider) Chalan Kanoa, Saipan.--Elkanah Igisaiar watches her daughter climb onto an old car and lift herself up onto the branches of a tree. It's late afternoon on the Wednesday before Christmas and Igisaiar is sitting in
HONORING THE CAREER OF DR. GENE W. KALLSEN
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-1-16

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the career of Dr. Gene W. Kallsen, on the occasion of his retirement as Emergency Faculty and Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at UCSF, Fresno and Community Regional Medical Center's Emergency Department. Dr. Kallsen served his last shift as an emergency physician on December 28, 2018. This is the culmination of a medical career spanning over 40 years in emergency medicine in Fresno. Under his exemplary leadership, Dr. Kallsen has achieved success through innovative thinking and integrity. prgtoken Dr. Kallsen, a native of Minnesota, attended the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts. Dr. Kallsen received his residency training at the University of California, San Francisco-- Fresno and competing an internship at the University of Washington Affiliate/Harborview Medical Center. prgtoken Dr. Kallsen first began his career as an emergency medical resident at UCSF Fresno, where he maintained stable relationships with staff and patients. His strong work ethic and dedication to helping people earned him a position as a faculty member, and eventually as Chief and Medical Director for the program. During the program's 43-year history, UCSF Fresno's emergency program has graduated more than 300 residents. Dr. Kallsen's time at UCSF Fresno can be characterized by his compassion and willingness to go the extra mile to help his patients and students. prgtoken Dr. Kallsen's distinguished career includes more than 10 years as Fresno County's first Emergency Medical Services director, two years as chair of the California Commission of Emergency Medical Services, 23 years as chief of UCSF Fresno's Emergency Medicine Department, five years as assistant dean at UCSF Fresno and over 28 years in leadership roles with the Central Faculty Medical Group. He also led the emergency medicine department transition from University Medical Center to Community Regional Medical Center. Today, Community Regional's Emergency Department is one of the largest and busiest in California, seeing an average of 110,000 patients a year. In addition, Dr. Kallsen and his wife Pam have established the Gene W. Kallsen, MD, Endowed Chair in Emergency Medicine at UCSF Fresno, to ensure that the teaching program will continue to recruit the finest physicians and medical educators to head its emergency medicine program for years to come. prgtoken Madam , I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Dr. Gene W. Kallsen for his remarkable career achievements with Community Regional Medical Center's Emergency Room. Dr. Kallsen will leave a robust foundation for the Emergency Department to continue to build upon. He has created a lasting legacy that will continue to help the people of the San Joaquin Valley. I wish Dr. Kallsen the very best as he enters this new phase of his life.