mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2020-7-23

it is that time of the week where I get to come down and talk about an Alaskan--this time five Alaskans--who is doing great things for our community, our State, and sometimes our country. It is what we call the Alaskan of the Week or Alaskans of the Week. This is one of my favorite parts of the job. I know the Presiding Officer loves these speeches too. When we had pages here, they really loved it. We will get them back here soon, hopefully. prgtoken In all seriousness, of course, our country is facing very challenging times, and we have been tested as a nation and as a State on so many levels. If you read the newspaper, you think there is nothing going right, but I will tell you one thing I certainly see in my State. I was home for 3 weeks this past State work period, and I noticed this. There is empathy, kindness, understanding, and people working together and coming together. That is the big story, and I think we ought to keep an eye on that. prgtoken People are putting aside their own interests to help their neighbors, to help the elderly, our elders, our seniors. People are partaking in conversations about the soul of our Nation--sometimes uncomfortable conversations but I think overall constructive, important conversations in trying to help each other, to make our communities better, stronger, and make our country better and stronger as we struggle through an unprecedented pandemic. prgtoken I certainly see that across my State, and I am certain that the Presiding Officer sees that in his State, and it is really the best of America. It is important to remember that. prgtoken One of the reasons I love doing this ``Alaskan of the Week'' speech is because we get to highlight this not just for people in Alaska but for the country, people who are working hard for each other--maybe not getting the recognition they deserve but still doing very important work. prgtoken This week, I am going to honor five very fine, young Alaskans, young heroes who, because of their bravery and instincts and courage, very well likely saved lives. They are our Alaskans of the week. But before I talk about them, I always give an update of what is going on back home. prgtoken The weather has been glorious in many areas. There has been a lot of Sun--the midnight Sun, of course. There is even more Sun than in Florida right now at this time. The salmon are choking our rivers. I was out in Naknek, in the Crystal Bay region. There are huge sockeye salmon runs happening right now, which is great. prgtoken There is also struggling in other parts of the State. Fire season is upon us. This is something we have every year. I used to be the commissioner of natural resources in charge of our Division of Forestry--the brave men and women who fight fires in Alaska and all over the country, really. Sometimes we have really challenging fire seasons. Last summer was a really challenging one for us. Firefighters across the country came
FY2021 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2020-7-23

I rise today to express my support for the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the Senate today with strong bipartisan support, and to highlight a number of its important provisions, as well as amendments that I have authored to support robust shipbuilding and to ensure the Navy is prepared for future pandemics. prgtoken The NDAA represents one of Congress's most important responsibilities. For the past 59 consecutive years, Congress has come together in a bipartisan manner to craft this annual legislation. The NDAA authorizes funding to support our brave military members serving overseas, including a 3 percent pay raise for our troops in this year's bill, and sets policy for our Nation's military and critical national defense priorities. I commend Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed for their leadership and bipartisan work on this important legislation, which contains many provisions important to Maine and the Nation. Let me emphasize how proud I am of Maine's many contributions to our national defense. prgtoken I am pleased that the NDAA includes authorization for two Arleigh- Burke destroyers, one of which will be built by the highly skilled men and women at Bath Iron Works. In Maine, we are very proud of the vital role that Bath Iron Works plays in contributing to our national security. BIW is known throughout the fleet for the high-quality of its ships, proving time and again that ``Bath Built is Best Built.'' prgtoken To ensure we have the ships we need to provide for a strong national defense, the bill also contains an amendment I authored with Senator King as my cosponsor, which would prohibit the Navy from reducing the current 104-ship destroyer requirement unless the Secretary submits a formal certification and report to Congress justifying such a change. This process would require the Secretary of the Navy to certify that any proposed reductions in the number of ships would not jeopardize our national security and that the Navy would be able to prgtoken mitigate any reduction in anti-air and ballistic missile defense capabilities if the number of DDG-51 destroyers were in fact reduced from current plans. My intention is to ensure that we continue to maintain a strong Navy capable of projecting power and maintaining presence anywhere across the globe. prgtoken In January, when news began to leak that the Department's budget request would dramatically reduce procurement of DDG-51's in the 5-year budget plan, I sent a letter to Defense Secretary Esper expressing my strong objections. To date, the Navy has still not adequately justified such deep cuts in ship procurement, which would have devastating effects on our defense industrial base, including our private shipyards. This amendment and this bill will help to protect our shipbuilding industrial base, which will be essential to reach the goal of a 355-ship Navy. prgtoken This bill also includes important provisions for
AMERICA IS A GREAT NATION
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-7-23

my father is a proud west Texan, also a proud graduate of Texas Tech University, as the gentleman well knows. And I just appreciate the gentleman's passion for this country and what he is doing by giving us this time to talk in defense of the greatness of our Nation. prgtoken Now, I wouldn't think I would be standing on the floor of the House of Representatives having to defend the greatness of the United States of America. We were sitting in this very Chamber, in the State of the Union address, when the President of the United States was touting the greatness of this country, and only about half of this body stood up to clap its hands to agree about the greatness of this country. prgtoken I just want to say, you know, as a Member of this body, of one-435th, and one-half of one-third of the Federal Government, I believe this country is great. prgtoken I am proud of this country. I am unapologetically proud to be an American. Flaws we have because we are flawed men and flawed women. We know that. It is certainly a tenet of my faith, and that is faith in the Almighty and faith in the Lord and my Savior Jesus Christ. But for Him, I would be condemned because we are flawed. But we have to remember that this country has stood for something greater. prgtoken Just a few weeks ago, I went up to Independence Hall in Philadelphia on the 244th anniversary of our separation from the crown. I went into Independence Hall on that day on July 2, the actual day that we separated from the prgtoken crown. It was an honor to be there. I went up there to record a video. I never thought I would have to record a video saying why this building, Independence Hall, and why these monuments are important. prgtoken It is not the bricks; it is not the mortar; it is not the marble; and it is not the iron. It is the ideals they represent. It is the ideals that this country was founded upon, and it is those ideals that carry forward. prgtoken We will never measure up to those ideals because we are flawed human beings, but we will always be striving to achieve the greatness that our Founders laid out for us and that our forefathers and our current brothers and sisters have died and bled for. prgtoken When we go down to the World War II Memorial and see 4,000--and I can't remember the exact number--4,100 almost stars on that monument, that is one for every 100 Americans who gave their life thousands of miles away in Europe and in the Pacific, fighting for something far greater than they. prgtoken It wasn't for conquest. It was to stop tyranny. It was to stop fascism. It was to stop the spread of that around the globe. That is what our country represents. prgtoken We had the great clash in our Civil War a mere 80 years after our founding. Few republics in the history of mankind would have survived that. But it was because it was for the fulfillment of the Declaration. It was a fight for the fulfillment of those ideals and the greatness of this c
HONORING EDWARD M. BARTHOLOMEW, JR. FOR HIS LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO CITY OF GLENS FALLS, WARREN COUNTY AND THE ENTIRE NORTH COUNTRY REGION
Elise M. Stefanik (Republican, NY) \u2014 2020-7-23

. Madam , I rise today to honor Edward M. Bartholomew Jr. for his lifetime of service to the City of Glens Falls, Warren County and the entire North Country region. prgtoken Edward Bartholomew Jr. served in many important roles over the course of his over 40-year long career. Elected Mayor of the City of Glens Falls at the age of 28, Edward set to work revitalizing the community, making the Civic Center a success, building a modern baseball park, improving critical infrastructure and establishing the Greater Glens Falls Transit System. Over the course of his two terms in office, from 1978 to 1985, he cemented his reputation as someone who can grasp all the aspects of a challenge and accomplish his objectives despite daunting obstacles. prgtoken In 2010, after spending time in the State Senate, Ed returned to lead the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of Warren County. Over the next decade, he used his expertise, tireless work ethic and sterling reputation to accomplish many more important projects. As President of the EDC, he secured federal, state and local funding for major public works projects and businesses throughout Warren County. He recently succeeded in securing a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant for Glens Falls which is currently funding important redevelopment work on South Street. Edward had been working around the clock through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping local businesses that were suffering due to the shutdown, even creating a new loan program for struggling small businesses. prgtoken Ed Bartholomew was an extraordinary leader for the Warren County community and beyond. He was tireless in his efforts focused on economic development and opportunity for every family in the region. He was a joy to work with and he understood the nexus of local, state, and federal government and how to deliver results for our region. He was also incredibly kind and will be greatly missed. I am honored to recognize his leadership in the Congressional Record on behalf of New York's 21st Congressional District.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2020-7-23

reserving the right to object, I am here to speak about a very important issue facing our veterans in Montana. In Montana, we are home to one of the largest veteran per capita population in the Nation. It is an extraordinary privilege for me to represent our veterans. prgtoken I am the son of a veteran, a marine. In the U.S. Senate, I represent Montana's brave men and women who serve our country in uniform, and I have had the opportunity to hear concerns from our veterans in all corners of our State. That is why I am here today. prgtoken Last spring, the widow of a Montana veteran, Patricia Pardue, who lives in Northwest Montana, approached me with a heartbreaking story. Patricia saw nearly all of her pension benefits that her husband had earned in service to our country stripped away by a scam artist. prgtoken This scam artist is also referred to as a pension poacher. This scam artist was receiving Patricia's full VA pension, charging her for services that would have been free at the VA. prgtoken Sadly, Patricia's story is not a rare occurrence. There are bad actors across the country taking advantage of innocent Montanans like Patricia, and they need to be stopped. After hearing her story, I introduced a bipartisan bill to protect our veterans and their families from these pension poachers. prgtoken My bill has the support of Senators across both sides of the aisle, as well as the support of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the USA, the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association, and other military and veterans associations. prgtoken This is a bipartisan bill. It punishes those who act illegally by providing advice or representation to veterans without proper accreditation from the VA. It is a shame we are even in this position today, that there are people out there looking to take advantage of our Nation's heroes. prgtoken Today, there are no legal consequences for these people--these shameful and unpatriotic individuals who steal money from our Nation's veterans. It is shameful. That is why I am fighting to include this bipartisan bill as an amendment to the defense legislation, the NDAA, before us today--to protect our servicemembers throughout their lives, not just while in uniform but always. prgtoken Right now, we can take an important step to do everything in our power to ensure veterans and their families keep their benefits, not lose them to scammers. The longer we wait to fix this issue, the longer we are failing our veterans and their financial well-being. prgtoken We can fix that right here, right now. That is why I am calling on my colleagues today to adopt my amendment to the NDAA--to protect our veterans, to protect the great men and women who have served in the defense of our country. prgtoken I will stand by the Montana veterans, and I will continue fighting this fight until we get this done. Therefore, I ask the
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mitt Romney (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-7-23

reserving the right to object. prgtoken , I came to the floor earlier this week to implore my colleagues to debate the administration's proposal to withdraw troops from Germany and to vote on my amendment aimed at evaluating such a move. prgtoken As I committed in my remarks at that time, I am objecting to the managers' package on the basis that the Senate has not been afforded the opportunity to have that debate. prgtoken The proposed removal of our troops from Germany is a matter of extreme significance for our national security and our military readiness. A decision of this magnitude should not occur without the input of the U.S. Senate. The failure to debate such a consequential matter is a disservice to this Chamber, to our Nation, and to our allies. prgtoken My amendment seeks to evaluate such a withdrawal and affirm our support for Germany, our support for our NATO allies, and our national security interests, and it sends a strong message to our adversaries like Russia. Therefore, I ask the Senator to modify his request to include the Romney amendment No. 1885.
HONORING THE GRAND COLUMBIA COUNCIL OF THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2020-7-23

. Madam , I rise to honor the Grand Columbia Council of the Boy Scouts of America. This organization has enriched the communities of central Washington through its efforts to promote conservation, outdoor recreation, and youth development. prgtoken Since its founding 95 years ago, volunteers for the Grand Columbia Council have sought to teach the values of the Scout oath and Scout law to over 1,000 boys and girls every year, making an investment in our youth by supporting leadership, character, career development, and healthy habits. prgtoken Every year these volunteers host the River Run Regatta, a month of scouting activities that culminates in Scout Me In Day, an event that encourages the expansion of the Scouts and seeks to foster the relationships between our lakes, forests, mountains, and the future generations who will harbor them. prgtoken Madam , I join my colleagues in supporting the Grand Columbia Council and the efforts of the Boy Scouts of America throughout the Nation.
HONORING KEEGAN YANCEY
Sam Graves (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-7-23

. Madam , I proudly pause to recognize Keegan Yancey. Keegan is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1138, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. prgtoken Keegan has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Keegan has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Most notably, Keegan has contributed to his community through his Eagle Scout project. Keegan organized a team of fellow scouts and adult volunteers to hand out informational material for the Midwest Transplant Network at a local youth soccer tournament, bringing a focus on the need for organ donors in his community. prgtoken Madam , I proudly ask you to join me in commending Keegan Yancey for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.
REMEMBERING CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-7-23

. Madam , recognition has properly gone to a great man, John Lewis, a colleague who will be sorely missed. prgtoken He, along with the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr some people say: ``Oh, they did much for African Americans.'' But actually, they did a great deal for everyone in this country. prgtoken As a young Christian, their efforts enabled me to treat brothers and sisters as brothers and sisters. For that, I will be ever thankful.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Jeff Duncan (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-7-23

I rise in support of my amendment which strikes harmful language in the underlying bill that would prevent any funding to be used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to process permits for lawfully sport-hunted trophies from the countries of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, or Zambia. prgtoken Sportsmen groups and conservation groups, both here at home in America and internationally, all agree that well-regulated hunting in the countries affected by the shortsighted language found in section 436 of the underlying bill, is just reckless pandering to special- interest animal rights groups. prgtoken The irony is this language will have an adverse effect and hurt populations of the remaining wild lions and elephants which these emotionally driven, science deniers claim to be advocating for. prgtoken But what about those who live and work in the countries affected by this legislation? How do they feel about this Congress mindlessly targeting their livelihoods? prgtoken Well, it may come as a great shock to those on the other side of the aisle, but just this week a letter was sent to the of the House by local representatives of millions of rural Africans who object to this attack on their basic human right to sustainably use their natural resources on which their communities' livelihoods depend. prgtoken They understand, better than the folks here in this body, that sustainable hunting practices which they utilize lead not only to benefits for their wildlife populations and their ecosystems, but to the betterment of their fellow man and their communities. prgtoken In many cases, the population of these species exceed the carrying capacity of their habitats. If left unmanaged, they threaten the viable habitats as well as the safety of humans in these rural areas. prgtoken Experts, including scientific and management authorities in those countries, the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, credit sustainable hunting programs as a cornerstone of the successful conservation and wildlife management strategies that are responsible for these wildlife populations. Any law that discourages, rather than facilitates, these hunting programs will have an adverse impact on sound ecosystem conservation. prgtoken The language, which this amendment will strike, is not backed by science. To the contrary, the best conservation science clearly shows that populations of lions and elephants in the affected countries are some of the highest found anywhere on the entire continent. prgtoken , it is for these reasons I urge adoption of this amendment.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
David P. Joyce (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-7-23

. Madam , I rise in opposition to the amendment. This amendment interferes with an already rigorous scientific and public review process before the process has even been completed. prgtoken The public comment period closed less than a month ago, and the EPA is in the process of considering more than 66,000 public comments received and making corresponding changes to the proposal. prgtoken The EPA's proposal to maintain the standards set by President comes after careful consideration of the most current available scientific evidence and risk and exposure information and with consultation and confirmation by the agency's independent science advisors. prgtoken By maintaining the current national particulate matter standard, the EPA continues to protect our environment and the health of the American citizens without placing additional burdens on communities. prgtoken There already too many States and counties currently struggling to meet the current standards, which are already among the strictest safeguards in the world. For these areas of our Nation, the solution is to help them meet the bar, not raise the bar. prgtoken The EPA remains publicly committed to helping these areas succeed, and to Chair McCollum's credit, this bill gives the EPA the resources necessary to keep doing so. prgtoken We are on the right track. The U.S. has made incredible strides in reducing particulate matter concentrations across the Nation. As a result of the Clean Air Act, programs and efforts by State, local, and Tribal Governments, as well as technological improvements, average fine particulate matter concentrations in the U.S. fell by 39 percent between 2000 and 2018, while average coarse particulate matter concentrations fell by 31 percent during the same period. prgtoken Madam , the process that Congress created and continues to fund in this bill is working. Now it is our job to get out of the way. prgtoken Vote ``no'' on the amendment, and let the EPA do its job.