mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-5-1

freedom of the press is a fundamental human right, a foundational pillar of democracy, and an indispensable check on authoritarian overreach. Today, press freedom is under assault across the globe--including in the United States. As journalists fight to advance truth and objectivity, far too many governments and non- state actors are targeting them, seeking to thwart their efforts to promote transparency and accountability and expose abuses of power. Their focus on attacking journalists indeed serves to highlight their critical work. prgtoken Since 2009, 659 journalists and media workers have been killed in connection with their efforts to report and disseminate news and information. Stories of abuses of government power, of human suffering, of environmental disasters, and stories of the remarkable resilience of people abused and oppressed. 2018 marked the worst year on record for deadly violence and abuse toward journalists, with murders, imprisonment, hostage-taking, and enforced disappearances all on the rise. prgtoken Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his partner Martina Kusnirova were gunned down in their home after investigating organized crime in his country and in alleged retaliation for his reporting of tax fraud on a businessman with close ties to Slovakia's ruling party, a stark reminder of the danger reporters sometimes face when investigating corruption at the highest levels. prgtoken Just over a year ago, in the deadliest day for Afghanistan's media since the start of the war, nine journalists were killed in a second- wave suicide bombing in Kabul, and another was shot dead in the eastern city of Khost, a sign of the constant threat against the fundamental elements of a free, secure, and democratic Afghanistan. prgtoken Last October, at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Washington Post columnist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi was brutally murdered by a group of Saudi operatives at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, showing the reach of political oppression and the silencing of dissent. prgtoken In many cases, crimes carried out against the media go unpunished-- this includes murder, the ultimate form of censorship. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in nine out of 10 cases where a journalist has been targeted for murder, the perpetrator goes free, reflecting widespread impunity in this space. prgtoken In 2018, across the world 251 journalists remained imprisoned on charges related to their reporting. Last month, Burma's Supreme Court upheld the conviction and prison sentence of Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were arrested after exposing the massacre of ten Rohingya men in a village in Rakhine State. In Nicaragua, Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda Ubau, directors of the country's only 24-hour cable news network, were jailed on charges of fomenting hate, spreading fake news, and terrorism, falling victim to President Dani
CLIMATE ACTION NOW ACT
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-5-1

. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the amendment offered by my colleague, Congressman Rouda, of which I am a cosponsor. prgtoken It was a low point of the Presidency when President announced his plans to recklessly begin withdrawal of the United States from the Paris climate agreement. This was an abandonment of our global leadership. prgtoken But I took heart watching the many cities, States, and localities step forward to declare their intention to keep the emission reduction commitments of the Paris accord. These include 20 cities and villages in the 10th District that have joined the Greenest Region Compact to implement sustainability plans to reduce the risk of global climate change and mitigate its effects. prgtoken Regardless of the lack of leadership from the White House on addressing climate change, our cities continue to drive the change needed to prevent a climate disaster. prgtoken I am glad this House is finally taking action with H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act. I fully support this amendment to recognize the actions of our cities and States that continue to uphold the spirit of the Paris climate agreement.
CLIMATE ACTION NOW ACT
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-5-1

. Mr. Chair, the overwhelming majority of scientists in the world, not just in the United States, believe that climate change is one of the major crises confronting the global community. prgtoken We went to Paris, and the world community got together and adopted an agreement that was voluntary in its implementation. No sovereignty was given up by any nation. They said that scientists say we have a crisis and that we need to respond to it. prgtoken My friend from Michigan who spoke earlier, Mr. Walberg, said that we ought to be focused on education, housing, healthcare, and job creation. He is right, but to ignore this problem is dangerous and unacceptable. prgtoken Climate change is perhaps one of the greatest threats we face as a nation and as a planet. Those who deny it do so at great peril to the health, security, and economic prosperity of our country. prgtoken H.R. 9 will not solve climate change. The first step in any journey does not get you there. But without it, you get nowhere. prgtoken House are laying down a marker today that we are committed to tackling this challenge with the seriousness it deserves. prgtoken Recognizing and combating climate change must be a global effort. This legislation prohibits the administration from using any funds to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. prgtoken I tell my friends in the House that I believe the overwhelming majority of Americans support that proposition, as do the citizens of the world. prgtoken We have been the leader of the free world. Withdrawing from an agreement that was voluntarily entered into by over 170 nations shrugs off the mantle of leadership, moral and intellectual. If the United States withdraws, then we will be the only nation in the world not to be part of this historic agreement which embraces the goals previously set by our country--joined by the contribution of other nations--to reduce carbon pollution, promote technological innovation, and help avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. prgtoken If we ignore the challenges of climate change, then we will also close ourselves off to opportunities to take the lead in the race to develop and deploy cleaner and more efficient technologies, which would create jobs and grow businesses and be a boon to our economy. prgtoken So I would suggest to my colleagues that those who argue against this bill argue not for economic progress, not for the creation of jobs, but exactly the opposite, and they deny the future: the future of the economy, the future of our health, the future of our environment, and the future of our children. prgtoken America, if it is to be great, must not sit on the sidelines and shrug like Atlas in confronting the rest of the world. We must act on climate change. prgtoken , I want to thank my dear friend, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, for his leadership and his strong voice on behalf of what is an internatio
CLIMATE ACTION NOW ACT
Andy Levin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-5-1

I thank Chairman Engel for yielding, and I congratulate Representative Castor for her great leadership on this issue. prgtoken , I feel it is odd listening to the very same argument that we can't go forward with this because there is nothing to hold China or India to account because there are no requirements, and, at the same time, the very same document puts a huge burden on America by putting enforced requirements on us. It doesn't make any sense. prgtoken , for decades, the scientific community has understood the need to fundamentally transition everything about how we live, work, and move about this planet to protect life on Earth as we know it. We have known this for decades. And yet, knowing how destructive climate change is to our health, our safety, and our national security, President decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and neglect, not just the fundamental responsibility to protect Americans, but an enormous economic opportunity. prgtoken I feel like I am listening to arguments from lobbyists from the horse and carriage industry against railroads, or for the buggy whip industry against paving roads because cars are such a threat. prgtoken President made a huge mistake by backing away from the commitment we made in Paris. We are here today to correct that mistake and to steer our country back in the right direction. prgtoken We have a chance to propel economic growth with investments in zero net-energy buildings, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, expanded solar, wind, geothermal, solar thermal, and more. We can lead the world in creating good-paying, sustainable jobs. prgtoken There is no way that we can move fast enough or comprehensively enough to address climate change, but this is about more than that. This is about unleashing American innovation, creating American jobs, and restoring American leadership on the world stage.
CONGRATULATING DR. REBECCA RICHARDS-KORTUM, DR. JAMES TRUCHARD AND JEFF KODOSKY, ON THEIR INDUCTION INTO THE NATIONAL INVENTOR HALL OF FAME
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-5-1

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum of Rice University in Houston and Dr. James Truchard and Jeff Kodosky of National Instruments in Austin for their induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame on May 2, 2019. prgtoken Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum is the first woman and the youngest Rice faculty member to earn the rank of University Professor. Early in her career, as a biomedical engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin, she learned that early screening programs for cancer were out of reach for many and began creating a low-cost imaging system to detect precancerous cells. This technology was further developed to detect oral cancer. Studies later showed that her system could improve early detection of cancer while drastically reducing costly and unnecessary biopsies. In her travels to Malawi, she witnessed an issue with under-equipped neonatal wards, and thus in 2005 after moving to Rice, Dr. Richards-Kortum cofounded the Rice 360 deg. Institute for Global Health where she began working with students on low-cost, low- power devices to save newborn lives. Her work has improved medical care for millions of newborns and saved thousands of lives in low-income countries. Her and her team's successes to date include systems that help babies breathe and that help caregivers detect jaundice and accurately dose children's liquid medication. For this work, she was the first Houston scientist and first Houston woman to win a coveted ``genius grant'' from the MacArthur Foundation. prgtoken Dr. James Truchard and Jeff Kodosky, who will also be inducted into the National Inventor's Hall of Fame, conceived a better method of high-end testing using computers instead of the inefficient data collection methods they employed as researchers at the University of Texas Applied Research Laboratories in the 1970s. With their colleague Bill Nowlin, they founded National Instruments to develop a concept called virtual instrumentation, where software and hardware combine to perform the functions of traditional instruments, through a product called LabVIEW. LabVIEW became the flagship product of National Instruments and is used today by engineers, scientists, academics and students around the world. Having been adopted across many industry sectors, its applications are as wide-ranging as controlling the CERN Large Hadron Collider to facilitating navigation of the FDA regulatory process. LabVIEW created a new paradigm for programming and has been honored with more than 100 national and international awards, while National Instruments--with its global headquarters in Austin--has grown to become a multinational, billion-dollar company. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating these outstanding Texas inventors. Their induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame speaks volumes for the culture of invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship that exists in the great
PAVING THE WAY FOR WOMEN IN STEM
Lauren Underwood (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-5-1

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, is an industry comprised of physicists, chemical and biomedical engineers, and professionals creating and developing innovative technologies. prgtoken Demand for workers in these fields is high, but women remain underrepresented, especially in engineering and computer sciences. According to a study by the National Girls Collaborative, women make up nearly 50 percent of the overall workforce but less than 30 percent of careers in STEM. prgtoken Women have made tremendous strides in this field over the last few decades, but women's underrepresentation in STEM limits discoveries and holds back our economy. Today I want to tell Members about an outstanding woman in my district who is paving the way for women in STEM. prgtoken Aria Soha from Batavia, Illinois, works as the installation coordinator for the Short-Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermi National Laboratory. Aria was an outstanding student in math throughout school and chose to major in physics her second year of college at Carnegie Mellon University. prgtoken In college, Aria worked relentlessly to find research opportunities and got the chance to build microwave telescopes, tools to examine high-energy radio waves that are hard to observe from the ground. After graduating, Aria accepted a job at Fermi Lab, a world-class research facility we are proud of in the 14th District. prgtoken There are so many hidden figures in STEM, and I am proud to shine a bright light on the strong, smart women in the 14th District leading and making a difference in our community.
CLIMATE ACTION NOW ACT
Grace Meng (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-5-1

. Madam Chair, my amendment adds language that recognizes the fundamental link between climate change and food security, as recognized in the Paris Agreement. prgtoken The administration's plan to leave the Paris Agreement is a betrayal of America's global leadership and threatens food security for hundreds of millions of people in the United States and around the world. prgtoken Vulnerable communities, including children, the elderly, and low- income individuals, are at a greater risk of malnutrition or chronic hunger if the effects of climate change are not mitigated. prgtoken According to the 2018 ``National Climate Assessment,'' climate change will lead to reduced agricultural productivity, and food production will decline in U.S. regions that experience increased frequency and duration of droughts, floods, and severe storms. prgtoken Climate change will cause irreparable damage to New York's agriculture sector, which is the dominant ag State in the Northeast. prgtoken According to the New York Climate Change Science Clearinghouse, climate change may affect food production by increased heat stress days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which could stress livestock and some crops; increased river flooding, which is likely to cause soil erosion, soil loss, and crop damage; and wetter springs, which could delay planting for crops and reduce yields. prgtoken These are just a few examples of how climate change may affect New York's agriculture sector. prgtoken However, climate change isn't just an American problem. It is a global problem that will cause already vulnerable communities to face increased malnutrition and chronic hunger. prgtoken According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, chronic hunger is on the rise. The number of people facing chronic food deprivation increased to nearly 821 million in 2017 from around 804 million in 2016. prgtoken Food insecurity is already a challenge across the globe and is likely to become an even greater threat as climate change impacts agriculture production. Food insecurity can also further strain communities that are already facing challenges, from conflict to job scarcity. prgtoken The 2014 ``Worldwide Threat Assessment'' noted that ``the lack of adequate food will be a destabilizing factor in countries important to U.S. national security.'' prgtoken The President's plan to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement is misguided and will contribute to food insecurity here and abroad. It is imperative the President understands the consequences of climate change for food security and ending hunger. prgtoken Again, my amendment simply recognizes the critical and inextricable link between climate change and food security, as recognized in the Paris Agreement. prgtoken I urge support for the amendment. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
REMEMBERING EUGENIA ``GENIE'' ZAVALETA
Kyrsten Sinema (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2019-5-1

today I wish to honor the life and legacy of Eugenia ``Genie'' Zavaleta, a community leader who passed away in Tempe, AZ, on April 6, 2019, at the age of 92. Genie Zavaleta was a fighter for immigration reform, advocate for the DREAM Act, and a dedicated voice for DACA recipients. Our State will miss her dearly. prgtoken Genie Zavaleta described her life's concerns as ``her family, education, health care, family planning, the environment, poverty and injustice, the Presbyterian Church and the ic Party.'' Throughout her life, she served these issues through educator and advocacy roles within the Presbyterian Church, the Migrant Ministry of the National Council of Churches, Planned Parenthood of Arizona, and the Maricopa County Health Department. prgtoken Her immense advocacy work within the migrant community began in 1958, when she and her husband Hector took on roles to serve migrant farm laborers known as braceros. In 1965, Genie Zavaleta and her family moved to Arizona, where she focused on helping migrant workers acquire new skills to adjust to Arizona's rapid industrialization. Eventually, Genie Zavaleta became a fierce advocate for DACA recipients and the DREAM Act. prgtoken Genie Zavaleta is survived by her husband Hector, her sons Dan and David, and their wives Nori and Linda. She will be dearly missed by other family members, friends, and the hundreds of people whose lives she touched. Please join me in honoring her memory.
Yemen (Executive Calendar)
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-5-1

I rise today to speak about a true humanitarian crisis. This is a crisis that is close to my heart, and that is because it is close to the hearts of so many wonderful people in the State of Michigan. prgtoken Michigan is home to a large and welcoming Yemeni American community-- one of the Nation's largest--and we are so proud and happy that they are part of our community. Right now these Michigan residents are horrified to watch what is happening to a country where many of them have family members and friends. prgtoken More than 4 years ago, war broke out in Yemen. Imagine 4 years of going to bed every night, wondering if this will be the night that a bomb or rocket will hit your home and destroy everything you have, including your family; 4 years of being unable to send your children to school because it is simply not safe for them to be outside; 4 years of deadly disease outbreaks with little access to medical care or even safe drinking water; perhaps worst of all, 4 years of sending your children to bed hungry every night because there is simply not enough food. prgtoken It is bad enough to think about being a parent under those circumstances. Imagine what it is like to be a child. You are 4 years old. You don't understand what is going on. You just know that you can't go outside, you can't sleep at night, and you are hungry all the time. There are 4-year-olds in Yemen today who have never lived in a country that wasn't at war. prgtoken Sadly, there are 4-year-olds in Yemen today who will never see their fifth birthday. About 1.2 million children are living in active conflict zones, meaning that a stray bullet or rocket could end their life at any moment. It is estimated that a child in Yemen dies every 10 minutes--the length of my speaking today on the floor, every 10 minutes--from a lack of food or diseases that can be prevented with adequate medical care, including vaccinations. prgtoken Overall, the United Nations estimates that no matter what we do at this moment--no matter what we do--250,000 Yemeni people will die within the next year due to malnutrition, dehydration, and by diseases like cholera. prgtoken That is astounding and horrible--250,000 people in addition to the estimated 60,000 people whose lives have been cut short due to bombings and violence. prgtoken If you are having trouble picturing 250,000 people, it is as if a fully loaded jumbo jet crashed every day for a year and then kept crashing, one per day, until late August. prgtoken If these dire circumstances don't change soon, that number could reach 10 million people by this time next year--10 million people. It is astounding. We should all feel a sense of urgency about the United States playing a positive, not a negative, role in stopping this. prgtoken I want to say again that 10 million people could die from a combination of famine, dehydration, and disease. That is like the entire populations of New York City and San Ant
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 9, CLIMATE ACTION NOW ACT
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-5-1

. Madam , I rise in support of H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act. prgtoken Washington's First District is home to some of our Nation's most beautiful parks, mountains, and waterways, and we are already seeing the consequences of climate change: prgtoken Snowpack in the north Cascades is currently 20 to 40 percent below normal amounts; prgtoken Last year, wildfires ravaged the West Coast, resulting in poor air quality and public health issues; prgtoken Washington State just had the second driest March on record, and there is a greater likelihood of more fires through the summer. prgtoken This is why Congress must take action and pass H.R. 9. We need to be moving forward, not backward. prgtoken President 's statement of intent to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement is a grave mistake that would have lasting effects on our planet and our economy. prgtoken H.R. 9 is an important step forward, ensuring the United States upholds our commitments under the agreement and leads in the green economy. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and the underlying legislation.