mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-5-28

. I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is a sad day for us, but what a joy for all of us to have served with Sam Johnson, a bona fide American hero, to serve with him in the Congress. prgtoken I appreciate that the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise) mentioned him and John Lewis in the same sentence, because I had the privilege-- John Larson set up a Heroes Night, a bipartisan Heroes Night, and I had the privilege of giving Sam the award that night as a true hero. prgtoken He always beamed when he talked about Shirley, and he loved the children, his son, Bob. Now he is with them, with Shirley and Bob. prgtoken This was a very special person. I was mentioning to the distinguished whip earlier that we were there when the room was named for him. We were there when his picture was hung. He always wanted us all around him to celebrate the recognition that he received so that he could boast of his bipartisanship and his patriotism, which we all admired. prgtoken I was mentioning to the distinguished whip and Mr. Thornberry and others that on one of those occasions he had a fellow prisoner of war there with him, and that bond is something so beyond anything we can imagine. Imagine the strength, the courage, the patriotism, just the faith in God that he had. prgtoken So I thank the gentleman for the opportunity to share some personal comments about a really great man; always friendly, always smiling, always teasing about political differences but, as always, just being a model of greatness to all of us.
COVID-19, STRATEGIC TESTING FOR WORKERS
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-5-28

. Madam , as of yesterday, the United States death toll from COVID-19 has reached over 100,000 precious lives. prgtoken Recent headlines tell the story of COVID-19 risks as workers report to work with no testing. The Toledo Blade reports: ``Coronavirus Strikes Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant During Refueling.'' Reuters reports: ``All Three Detroit Automakers Had Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 Since Plants Reopened.'' And Willamette Week reports: ``The Reopening of Vancouver, Washington, Is On Hold as 65 Workers Test Positive for COVID-19 at a Fruit Processing Facility.'' prgtoken Madam , I include in the Record the articles I mentioned. [From the Blade, Apr. 8, 2020] prgtoken Coronavirus Strikes Fermi 2 Nuclear Plant During Refueling; Utility Keeps Working (By Tom Henry) Newport, Mich.--An undisclosed number of coronavirus cases have been documented inside Fermi 2 during the nuclear plant's latest refueling outage. But owner-operator DTE Energy said it believes it has enough precautions in place now to complete the work and get the plant restarted in the coming weeks. In a statement, DTE spokesman Stephen R. Tait said the company ``can confirm that we have had employees test positive, but are not giving out numbers, locations or names at this time.'' Media reports showed the first worker tested positive about the same time the refueling outage began on March 21. A Detroit television station reported at least two more positive cases were documented within days of that. DTE won't say for the record when it expects to complete Fermi 2's outage. But many similar operations--which once took six weeks or longer--have been shortened to about a month in recent years. Utilities lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential electricity sales each day nuclear plants sit idle. Nuclear plants are refueled every 18 to 24 months, depending on the type of uranium used in their reactor cores. Fermi 2, located along western Lake Erie in northern Monroe County's Frenchtown Township, is one of many nuclear plants across the United States scheduled to be refueled during the spring or fall of 2020, the two seasons when demand for electricity is lowest. Energy Harbor's Davis-Besse nuclear plant along the Lake Erie shoreline in rural Ottawa County recently completed its latest refueling. Both plants are about 30 miles from downtown Toledo. The coronavirus pandemic has, of course, complicated those efforts this year. To help keep refuelings on schedule, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission last month allowed for an exemption from rules which limit the number of consecutive hours workers are allowed to be inside the plant at a time. The agency
STOP POLICE BRUTALITY
Hakeem S. Jeffries (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-5-28

. Madam , I respect those police officers in every community who are there to protect and serve and those who have fallen in the line of duty, but we cannot tolerate police violence, and we cannot tolerate police brutality. prgtoken George Floyd was murdered by an out-of-control police officer. When will it end? prgtoken Amadou Diallo, 42 shots, police officers found not guilty. prgtoken Sean Bell, 50 shots, police officers found not guilty. prgtoken Eric Garner, choked to death, police officers let go by the grand jury. prgtoken Decade after decade after decade, when will it end? prgtoken This time must be different. Those perpetrators must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and Congress must do everything in its power to stop this type of tragedy from ever happening again.
RECOGNIZING JOE JOYCE
Max Rose (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-5-28

I rise today to remember all those who we have lost to the coronavirus, and one man in particular who is close to my heart and the hearts of thousands of people in my district. prgtoken Joe Joyce may best be known for his bar in Bay Ridge, J.J. Bubbles, but the truth is he served our community much more than cold beer. His generous spirit touched countless lives on both sides of the Verrazzano. prgtoken Joe was an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, and after he returned home his service continued. He worked as a phys ed teacher for disabled students on Staten Island, supported the Special Olympics, and would offer up his bar to host fundraisers for any organization who asked. That was one thing that never changed over the 42 years Joe was in business. As soon as you walked into J.J. Bubbles you were family. prgtoken Today, we remember and think of Joe's family: his wife, Jane; his children, Eddie, Kristin, Kevin; and his six grandchildren. Joe's loss can be felt all throughout my district, but his gift to all of us was his unique ability to bring people of all stripes together, and that is a gift we need now more than ever.
MOTION TO GO TO CONFERENCE ON H.R. 6172, USA FREEDOM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2020
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-5-28

. Madam , let me just say, first of all, of course, much of what the distinguished gentleman from Ohio said is fiction, as we all know. prgtoken But, second of all, this bill as of yesterday noon was supported by s and was supported by the gentleman from Ohio as making sufficient reforms, as making the reforms that we all recognize we need in the FISA system. prgtoken Madam , I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), who is the distinguished majority leader.
RECOGNIZING ANTHONY D. GIAMPETRO
Tim Ryan (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-5-28

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Anthony D. Giampetro, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on June 9, 2020. prgtoken Mr. Giampetro served proudly with the U.S. Army Air Force for three and a half years during World War II. He was a Ground Crew Mechanic, working on single engine fighter aircraft. At various times, he was based in England, Tunisia, Algeria, Sicily, and mainland Italy. prgtoken After his military service, Tony became a principal in the accounting firm of Reali, Giampetro, and Scott. He has long since retired, but to this day, he still performs accounting and tax service for some of his long-term clients. He is also retired from volunteering with Trumbull County Mobile Meals. prgtoken Tony was married to his beloved wife Rosemary, from November 28, 1946, until her death on October 18, 1994. They have one daughter, Annette, who is married to Robert Meek. Tony has two grandsons and two great grandchildren. prgtoken Tony lives in Youngstown but has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Girard-Liberty for 37 years. It is my honor to wish Mr. Giampetro the happiest of birthdays and thank him for his dedicated service to our country and community.
MOTION TO GO TO CONFERENCE ON H.R. 6172, USA FREEDOM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2020
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-5-28

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken The information I had was, as the chairman has indicated, that the gentleman who just spoke appeared before the Rules Committee in support of this bill. And we can get the transcript. I don't have it right now, but perhaps somebody can get that transcript for me. prgtoken For my entire career in public service, I have supported efforts to make America both strong and safe and a force for peace and reconciliation. In the course of those years, I have striven to draw an acceptable balance between our national security and the protection of our personal liberty and the right to privacy central to our unique extraordinary democracy; a government of laws, not men. prgtoken Pursuant to that principle, as the majority leader, I scheduled the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for floor consideration over 2 months ago. prgtoken Previously, in 2008, Roy Blunt, then the minority whip, and myself, the majority leader; Senator Kit Bond, Senator from Missouri; and Senator Jay Rockefeller, Senator from West Virginia, worked together, at a time of great controversy with respect to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, to forge a bill that would garner bipartisan support. It was a difficult bill, with the same kind of principle differences that Chairman Nadler spoke of earlier and I am going to speak about again. prgtoken We passed that bill in a bipartisan fashion with, as we have today, people on the right and people on the left concerned about its content. So there was bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition. Pelosi and to-be President , then in the Senate representing Illinois, voted for that bill. I have tried to continue to forge that balance through the years. prgtoken The bill I brought to the floor a few months ago was a bipartisan effort to achieve that critical balance, and when it came to a vote, it received two-thirds of the votes from both and s. This bill essentially had two-thirds of the votes on the side and two-thirds of the votes on the ic side, so obviously, two-thirds of the votes of this House. prgtoken As I observed yesterday, Americans must have been heartened by the fact that we could reach a bipartisan agreement on such a difficult bill. It was not a partisan bill. The leaders, all three top leaders, on both sides of the aisle supported, essentially, this bill. prgtoken That bill, upon Senate consideration, was amended by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote to strengthen the protections of privacy, which should have been heartening to those on the right and the left, and it was certainly heartening to me. prgtoken And then, what did they do? They passed it, with 80 Senators, 48 s supporting this bill; 48 out of 53 supporting this bill. But this is not a partisan bill; and this bill is about that balance. prgtoken Mr. Nunes and Mr. Schiff supported this bill and supported this balance. An
IN MEMORY OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN SAM JOHNSON
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-5-28

. Madam , today I rise to celebrate the life of a trusted colleague, dear friend, proud Texan, and true patriot, former Congressman Sam Johnson. prgtoken What impressed me the most is that, after serving in the Air Force during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Sam Johnson did not disappear into what would have been a well-deserved retirement. His love for his country and affinity for public service led to a fruitful career in the House of Representatives. Known for his tenacity as a legislator and shrewdness as a statesman, Sam Johnson certainly left his mark on this institution. As senior members of the Texas Congressional Delegation, he and I made progress together on important issues that will benefit our home state for years to come. prgtoken Madam , on behalf of the Texas Congressional Delegation, I'd like to extend my sincere condolences to Sam Johnson's family, friends, and loved ones during these trying times.
VETERANS' COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2020
Elaine G. Luria (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-5-28

I rise today to speak in support of my bipartisan bill, H.R. 6168, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2020. prgtoken During these trying times, I continue to keep our Nation's veterans at the top of my mind as they face unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. This bill will provide the economic relief and pay raise that our veterans have earned. prgtoken It is an honor to represent more than 102,000 veterans, the highest total of any district in Virginia, and one of the highest in the country. Our veterans put their lives on the line and deployed far from home to keep America safe. As a 20-year Navy veteran myself, I am proud to bring a bill to the floor that protects the benefits our veterans have earned from their service to our country. prgtoken H.R. 6168 provides cost-of-living increases for wartime disability compensation, compensation for dependents, clothing allowance, dependency and indemnities compensation for spouses, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving children. prgtoken Congress must honor our commitment to those American heroes who served in harm's way so that we could live in peace at home. As we continue to fight this pandemic, I ask that we all keep in mind those who have kept us safe at home and abroad. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6168, and join me and Ranking Member Mike Bost in protecting the earned benefits for our Nation's veterans.
PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 2020
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-5-28

I thank the chairwoman for her leadership with the ranking member, Mr. Phillips and Mr. Roy. prgtoken , I stand in strong support because 100,000 people are dead. Small businesses are living in the midst of those communities of devastation, but they are trying to keep their doors open so they can help their fellow citizens. prgtoken I am grateful that we will allow an extended period of time, 24 weeks, for allowing for forgiveness. I am very grateful we have extended the date, for extending the program to December 31, and, of course, the payment, the loan period to 5 years. prgtoken I know the mom-and-pop barbershops and cosmetology shops and nail shops and restaurants; they are crying out to survive. Some of their very workers have died. They are taking care of families. And so to ensure the full access to payroll tax deferment for business tax, that takes PPP loans. prgtoken In addition, I support the TRUTH Act because the money that we give must be used right, and transparency on who gets the loans is important. prgtoken , this further relief for small businesses is well placed because they are the anchor of the economy. prgtoken I say to Houston small businesses: We are coming to help you. We will be speaking to you this week. prgtoken , I support this bill, and we should move this forward as quickly as possible. They are the anchor of the economy of this Nation.
PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 2020
Joe Neguse (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2020-5-28

I rise today in support of the bills before the House. prgtoken In Colorado, our small businesses are struggling under these unprecedented economic circumstances. From the mom-and-pop taverns in Gilpin County and Winter Park; the restaurants in Loveland, Fort Collins, and Boulder; Main Street businesses in Nederland and Breckenridge; and the many Colorado businesses that rely on outdoor recreation and ski season, in particular, they never could have planned for this pandemic. We cannot expect them to weather this crisis alone. prgtoken The Payroll Protection Program has provided critical funds to keep many of these businesses afloat and workers employed. But as we have heard from both sides of the aisle today, many fixes are needed, and that is what we are here today to do. prgtoken We must ensure that loan forgiveness periods are extended so that small businesses are not on the hook for this money while their doors remain shut. We must extend the program past June 30 as so many of our businesses face increased uncertainty and as our country faces uncertainty about what the future holds in the coming months. We must expand access and transparency and prioritize our veteran-owned and economically disadvantaged businesses. prgtoken At the end of the day, we must continue to support our local small businesses because they are the lifeblood of our communities, for the sake of our families, our local economies, and our future. prgtoken , I thank the chairwoman for her strong leadership over the course of this pandemic and my freshman colleague, Representative Phillips, for his leadership in bringing this bill forward. I am proud to support it. Let's get this done for small businesses in Colorado and across America.
PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 2020
Josh Gottheimer (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-5-28

I thank the chairwoman for her excellent leadership. I thank Mr. Roy for his great bipartisan work and my dear friend, colleague, and fellow problem solver, Dean Phillips, for his remarkable leadership on this important piece of legislation. He did it the way he believes we all should govern, and that is working across the aisle. I am grateful for what he did on the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, which was supported by the Problem Solvers Caucus, 50 strong--25 and 25 s. prgtoken , I have heard over and over again from businesses in my community in northern New Jersey that they are so grateful for the PPP Loan Forgiveness Program and all of the jobs and businesses it helps protect. But they need more flexibility with the formula and timeframe. They need more time with the loan and more flexibility on how to spend it, from salaries to rent. prgtoken , I am proud that this bipartisan legislation does exactly that: helps the 131,000 small businesses in New Jersey that have been helped by the PPP Loan Forgiveness Program. prgtoken And I am equally grateful for the bipartisan TRUTH Act, which demands more transparency and accountability for every single dollar that is loaned out from the Small Business Administration to our businesses. I am glad that that legislation will pass here later today and that we will know where all the loans have gone. prgtoken , New Jersey's economy, including all of our small businesses, want to make sure their businesses can stay open at the end of this pandemic. They want to keep their workers. They want to keep giving back to our communities. They want to grow their businesses and give back to our great State. But they need our help. This bill does that, and I am hoping the Senate acts quickly to take it up.
IN RECOGNITION OF KENNY BELKNAP
Susie Lee (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2020-5-28

. Madam , on behalf of Nevada's Third District, I rise today to recognize Mr. Kenny Belknap, an honors and AP government teacher at Del Sol Academy. prgtoken For decades, Clark County schoolteachers have been forced to work with a tight budget. Like Mr. Belknap told me: ``We're just trying to keep our head above water.'' prgtoken He is used to parsing materials and assigning two students to one textbook as they fight for space in an overcrowded classroom. And, unfortunately, that was before the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is devastating State and local governments. In my home State of Nevada, the Clark County School District is expecting budget cuts of $38 million this year alone. It is classes like Mr. Belknap's that will hurt the most from this loss. prgtoken Congress can help by prioritizing Federal funding to States, towns, and communities to relieve budget shortfalls so our education, healthcare, and public services don't suffer. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to help our States and local communities and give teachers like Mr. Belknap a chance to give his students the opportunities they deserve.
PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM FLEXIBILITY ACT OF 2020
Nydia M. Velázquez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-5-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise in support of the bipartisan bill before us today, H.R. 7010, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020. prgtoken We all knew the rollout of the Paycheck Protection Program was going to be rocky, given the size of the program and the speed with which it was stood up. prgtoken We are thankful for the staff at SBA for their hard work assisting small businesses during this dire time. This is, undoubtedly, the most enormous undertaking the agency has ever performed. They have done so under difficult circumstances and remarkably quickly. prgtoken With that said, my colleagues and I have been hearing from Main Street small businesses that they need changes to make the program work for them. prgtoken I think we can all agree the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19 has proven more severe and drawn out than many anticipated. In some cases, State and local governments have extended shutdowns and stay-at- home orders. Many localities are only now allowing small businesses to reopen, very gradually, in phases. prgtoken In other instances, small business owners have reported concerns that the economy will not fully recover until there is an affordable, widely accessible COVID-19 vaccine. prgtoken Regardless, the extended nature of the economic downturn has made it necessary to enact certain legislative reforms to the program. prgtoken First, we need to give borrowers more than 8 weeks to use the funds in order to qualify for loan forgiveness. Borrowers who took out PPP loans early in the program are about to reach the end of their 8-week period governing forgiveness. However, millions of small businesses across the Nation are still facing forced closures. prgtoken Those that are reopening are required to do so in an extremely limited manner, with only outdoor dining or curbside-only pickup at retail stores. Those restrictions mean small businesses continue to have a tough road ahead, and they need flexibility in how they use this emergency capital. This provision will give them that. prgtoken The bill triples the current 8-week period in which businesses must use funds to be eligible for forgiveness to 24 weeks. That will help ensure businesses have more room to breathe, even in places where reopening of the economy happens more slowly. prgtoken Second, we must extend the program through the end of the year. The unpredictable spread of the virus, shortage of widespread testing, and lack of a vaccine mean that we do not know exactly when the small business sector will fully reopen and, when it does, how the ``new normal'' will look. prgtoken The bill addresses a challenge that was created when the first set of guidelines were issued. We have heard you prgtoken loud and clear. Today's legislation strikes a balance between protecting workers by guaranteeing loans are used for payroll, with the need to recognize that many independent restaurants face difficulty
RECOGNIZING AMERICANS LOST TO COVID-19
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2020-5-28

. Madam , today we mourn the lives of over 100,000 Americans who lost their lives and pray for the recovery of over 1.75 million Americans infected by COVID-19. This represents an unimaginable pain, but the numbers really don't tell the story. I want to take a moment to describe four central Floridians we lost by this pandemic: prgtoken Rob Carlos, Poinciana, a retired Disney cast member known as Pirate Bob; prgtoken Dr. Neil Powell, Orlando, an Air Force veteran and dentist who made central Florida smile brighter; prgtoken Bill Smith of Lake Wales, an electrician who worked on national launchpads and the Magic Kingdom; prgtoken And Virgilio German of Kissimmee, a retired carpenter, who loved to sing Mexican ballads to his wife, Gigi. prgtoken These and other stories throughout central Florida will continue to be in our hearts as we do everything we can to get beyond and survive this pandemic.