mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Ukraine (Executive Session)
Mark Kelly (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2023-10-4

over the weekend, Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown. It is ridiculous that it got this close. While we avoided this disaster for now, I am disappointed that partisan dysfunction prevented Congress from extending U.S. support for Ukraine at such a critical time. prgtoken As Ukraine continues their counteroffensive and their most recent aid package is drawn down, we must work quickly to get Ukraine more of the weapons and support they need to beat Putin, because, make no mistake, that is what this is about--whether Vladimir Putin comes out the other side of this emboldened or defeated. prgtoken Our military leaders have made clear that China's and Russia's aggression are the top threats that we face. While President Xi of China watches, Putin has authorized cyber attacks against the United States and proven himself a war criminal willing to invade his ic neighbors and intentionally--intentionally--murder women and children and abduct Ukrainian youth from their parents in an effort to recreate the Soviet empire. prgtoken Whether Putin is successful in Ukraine has serious implications for U.S. national security. Up to this point, this invasion has been a massive strategic failure for him. He underestimated the courage and the fight of the Ukrainian people to defend their homeland, which I have seen firsthand in Kyiv. He also underestimated the will of the United States and our allies to quickly and effectively support Ukraine. prgtoken Over the course of the now 20-month war, we have sent Ukraine the equivalent of a small fraction of our yearly defense budget. This has included guns, artillery, ammunition, tanks, missile systems and more. It has also included the training on how to use and maintain these systems. Now, as it should be, this support has been carefully evaluated and targeted based on what Ukraine needs most on the battlefield. It is not a blank check. It is tracked closely. I have seen this myself during two visits to Poland and Ukraine. It has also had the impact of allowing us to modernize our own stockpiles. prgtoken Think about what this support means for our own national security. Russia's massive army is now a shadow of its former self. They have lost thousands of armored vehicles, tanks, and artillery pieces. They've lost hundreds of aircraft. They are experiencing the limits of their own power, and they have resorted to forced conscription of their own citizens to fill their ranks. prgtoken China is watching this, and they are witnessing the staying power and the strength of the coalition that we lead. prgtoken Ukraine is on the move, making steady progress in a counteroffensive to take back their country. Russia is losing. prgtoken Now is not the time to let up. It is time to push forward. A majority of s and in both the House and Senate agree. We know that. So, while partisan dysfunction got in the way over the weekend, we have got to w
REMEMBERING KAREN McGINNIS
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-10-4

I rise today to pay tribute to a true public servant and an icon of the Tri-Cities community. Last month, my good friend Karen McGinnis passed away. For 20 years, Karen served as the founding director of a critically important worker training facility, the Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response, HAMMER, Federal Training Center, at the Hanford site in my home State of Washington. prgtoken Born in Nevada and raised in Oregon, Karen made her way to my alma mater, Washington State University, where she received her master's degree in agricultural economics in 1980. She went on to work at the Hanford site for almost her entire career, serving various Hanford contractors for 40 years, prgtoken including two decades as the director of the HAMMER training center. This is where I had the great fortune to cross paths with Karen. prgtoken Karen and I worked together from the get-go, along with Sam Volpentest, to plan, fund, and build HAMMER. I was so proud to stand with Karen and Sam at the groundbreaking for HAMMER in 1995, and I still have the shovel from that event in my office today. It serves as a reminder of what just a few people with a real passion to make a difference can accomplish--and if anyone had passion for this effort, it was Karen. Her work was essential to getting HAMMER off the ground and growing it into the world-class worker training center that it is today. prgtoken Beyond founding HAMMER, one of Karen's crowning achievements was the many, many partnerships she was able to forge. She brought Federal, State, and local agencies together with organized labor, Tribal governments, contractors and management, safety professionals, and community leaders to form a coalition that made HAMMER flourish. Her leadership earned HAMMER the Federal Government's top safety award through the Star Program of the Voluntary Protection Program. Karen was also honored with a Special Achievement Award for her role in getting there, and she was later appointed to sit on the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, FLETC, Advisory Board. Her leadership and coalition-building ensured that workers at the Hanford site and emergency responders around the world continue to receive the training they need to remain safe on the job today. Their work is dangerous--but vital. Without HAMMER, the Hanford cleanup mission would not have the trained workers necessary to continue making progress safely. prgtoken Ultimately, the entire safety culture at Hanford can be traced back to Karen's leadership, her dedication and infectious optimism, and her ability to bring people together. Former AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka recognized her work as one of the most important partnerships between labor and management in the country. I find it hard to disagree. Her incredible leadership and dedication to protecting workers' health and safety was essential in making HAMMER into a globally recognized wo
Ukraine (Executive Calendar)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-10-4

. I must point out that our support is the leading edge of worldwide support. Our NATO allies have stepped forward, and countries around the globe understand that this battle between democracy and freedom and autocracy and inhumanity must be won. prgtoken President Zelenskyy came to this very building 2 weeks ago to ask for our support. He received overwhelming bipartisan promises from Members of both the Senate and the House. Of course, I was proud to pledge my support, and I know nearly all of my Senate colleagues were also. prgtoken It is shameful that on the heels of that visit, after looking President Zelenskyy in the eye and promising to stand with him, our House colleagues decided to strip all Ukraine funding from their continuing resolution. That decision contradicts the will of the majority of Congress and the American people, and it breaks faith with the people of Ukraine, who are in a battle to preserve their nation and their lives. And their battle is our battle. Their battle against unprovoked aggression by Putin against a democratic neighbor is a battle that we must ensure they can win because he won't stop there. prgtoken We can't allow the obstinacy of a few Members of the House of Representatives to force a cruel deal on those who least deserve it-- the Ukrainian people. prgtoken As I said, this conflict matters not just to Ukraine but to our own security here at home. It is clear that if Putin succeeds in Ukraine, he will not stop. He made this clear years ago when he talked about that his mission in life, his sole, overwhelming preoccupation, was to recreate the Russian Empire--the Balkans, parts of Poland, Moldova, Georgia. He is very clear. prgtoken It is ironic in history how dictators can be so clear about what they want to do but ignored by people who should stand up to them. Hitler was very explicit in ``Mein Kampf'' on what his goal was. Yet world leaders appeased him. Will we appease Putin and cut off aid to the Ukrainians? If we do, it will be our problem. prgtoken He will seek to destabilize other countries in the region, including our NATO allies. If that happens, under article 5 of NATO, we have a legal and moral obligation to go to their aid. That means the blood that will be shed is not Ukrainian blood but the blood of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardians, and coastguardsmen. The cost of that, in my view, is priceless. prgtoken Our job in some respects is to ensure by our actions here that we continue lowering the probability that American men and women in our service will suffer and die in action. If we renege on our commitment to Ukraine, that probability will go up, not down, and we will regret it immensely. prgtoken We have seen colleagues on the other side speak out, but they have to speak out more vigorously. prgtoken Leader McConnell said recently: With Ukraine bravely defending its sovereignty and eroding Russia's capacity to threaten NATO, it is not t
Nomination of Brendan Abell Hurson (Executive Session)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2023-10-4

I rise today in strong support of the nomination of Brendan Hurson to be a U.S. district court judge for the District of Maryland. I urge my Senate colleagues to confirm his nomination. prgtoken I joined with Senator Van Hollen to recommend Judge Hurson to President . President nominated Judge Hurson for this position in March of 2023. Senator Van Hollen and I worked to establish a judicial selection committee in Maryland, including an open application process. In particular, we sought out a highly qualified and diverse application pool. Our committee interviewed several dozen applicants. Senator Van Hollen and I then personally interviewed the finalists, those who were considered to be the top candidates, before making any recommendation to the White House. prgtoken I strongly agree with President 's goal to nominate judges with excellent legal credentials from diverse backgrounds, from both a professional and demographic perspective. Today, we have such an example in this excellent nominee for this district court judgeship. prgtoken Judge Brendan Hurson lives in Baltimore and serves as a U.S. magistrate judge in Baltimore. He has been nominated to fill a current vacancy in the U.S. district court for the District of Maryland after the retirement of Judge George Hazel in February of 2023. prgtoken Judge Hurson received his undergraduate degree in 2000 from Providence College in Providence, RI, where he majored in public and community service studies with a minor in Black studies. After college, he served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in California as an advocate for poor and marginalized communities in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. In 2005, Judge Hurson graduated Order of the Coif from the University of Maryland School of Law. prgtoken After completing a judicial clerkship, in 2007, Judge Hurson joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Baltimore, where he defended individuals charged with felonies and misdemeanor offenses in Maryland's Federal court. He was named senior litigation counsel in 2015. prgtoken In 2017, Judge Hurson joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he represented people charged with violating Federal and territorial laws on the islands of St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix. In 2008, he returned to the Public Defender's Office in Baltimore. prgtoken In February of 2022, Judge Hurson was sworn in as the U.S. magistrate judge and sits in Baltimore. As a sitting magistrate judge, he presides over both preliminary and criminal proceedings, civil lawsuits by consent of the parties, and also coordinates the District of Maryland's Social Security appellate docket. Judge Hurson, therefore, brings a remarkable experience to this position, having served as a Federal public defender for over a decade and a half and now serving as a magistrate judge for over a year and a half. prgtoken If confirmed, Judge Hur
Climate Change (Executive Calendar)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-10-4

I am back for now the 290th time to urge this Chamber to act on climate change. I have my trusty graphic here, which after nearly 300 of these is getting a little battered. prgtoken This evening, I would like to talk about two things: First is the grim parade of climate-driven disasters the United States and the world has experienced over the last several months. Then, our hearings in the Budget Committee on the enormous budgetary and economic dangers caused by fossil fuel emissions. prgtoken Let's start with the unprecedented warming the world is experiencing. This June was the hottest June on record. Then July became the hottest month on record. Then August became the hottest August and the second hottest month on record, and September was just declared the hottest September on record and by the largest margin. prgtoken Here is what that looks like when you compare it to previous years. We have popped out of the zone of previous experience. prgtoken So 2023 will almost certainly become the hottest year on record, with the first significant chance that global average temperature will hit 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial average. Exceeding that 1.5 degree-Celsius point will expose us to dangerous tipping points, things like ice sheet collapses that could cause dozens of feet of sea level rise. prgtoken More than 6,500 daily heat records were broken in cities and towns across the United States this summer. Phoenix experienced a record 55 days this year with temperatures above 110 degrees, with a 31-day streak. People who fell on Phoenix pavement required medical attention for burns. The Midwest experienced its worst drought in over a decade, with huge swaths of the Midwest, Southwest, and the South still under the most severe drought designation. prgtoken Extreme drought in Hawaii set the conditions for its lethal wildfire. In Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania, storms triggered deadly floods. Florida's gulf coast was hit by Hurricane Idalia, which intensified rapidly over warmed-up waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Wind speeds increased almost 55 miles per hour in just a 14-hour window. prgtoken Around the world, Europe baked; China hit record high temperatures; Italy suffered its worst flooding in a century; and more than 21,000 Libyans are dead or missing after massive flooding. Recordbreaking fires ravaged Greece and Canada. prgtoken Canada's fires burned an area roughly the size of Oklahoma. prgtoken The smoke. Here is the annual acreage of Canadian wildfires, and here is this year. Top year before, down here. This is what we got last year. The smoke from these fires blanketed the eastern seaboard for weeks. Here in Washington, doctors said that breathing the smoke-choked air was worse than smoking a half pack of cigarettes. New York looked like this. prgtoken The list of unprecedented, record-breaking, and worst in history climate events goes on and on. These disasters seen separat
RECOGNIZING PENELOPE GROSS ON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2023-10-6

. Pro Tempore, I rise to congratulate Penelope ``Penny'' Gross on her retirement after 27 years of serving as the Fairfax County Mason District Supervisor and 21 years of chairing the Potomac Watershed Roundtable. prgtoken Elected in 1995 to represent the Mason District, Penny has been an advocate for affordable housing, expanded public transportation, and violence prevention. Penny represents Fairfax County on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the INOVA Health System Board of Trustees, and the Potomac Watershed Roundtable (PWR). prgtoken Shortly after becoming the chair of PWR, she encouraged the VA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to help in developing strategies that will bring the state of Virginia up to the standard that Maryland had already set, regarding efforts that support the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Program. With that, in July 2003, the Potomac River Tributary Strategy was developed by DCR. prgtoken In January 2004, Penny led the PWR in discussions for a 2004 vision, whose focal points influenced many water-related issues, such as Stormwater Management, Wastewater Treatment Plants, and Total Maximum Daily Load. In April later that year Penny was appointed by then Governor Mark Warner to the Chesapeake Bay Blue Ribbon Funding Panel. A panel tasked with finding alternative sources for funding the Chesapeake Bay Cleanup. By October 2004, Chairman Gross announced some recommendations on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay Blue Bay Ribbon Finance Panel. prgtoken On the state and national level, Penny is a past president of the Virginia Association of Counties, vice-chair of the National Association of Counties' Energy, Environment, and Land Use Committee, and past president of the National Association of Regional Councils. She was first appointed by Governor Mark Warner to the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) to the Chesapeake Executive Council, which she chaired from March 2006 until August 2008, and continues to serve. prgtoken I had the great pleasure of serving with Penny during my 14 years on the Board, first representing the Providence District and then as Chairman. The work that she has done for Fairfax County is outstanding and we will continue to honor her legacy as a public servant. Penny Gross's commitment to our community and the mission of local government is unparalleled. She leaves behind a legacy that will enrich our community for generations to come. Her career in public service is truly commendable and deserving of our heartfelt gratitude. All through her tenure as Chair of the PWR, she proved to be an exemplary leader, and continues to attract very influential and dedicated environmentally minded individuals to the roundtable prgtoken , Pro Tempore Penny Gross's commitment to public service is through her work in Fairfax County. Though she may be retiring, I suspect that she wi
RECOGNIZING COLONEL WALTER L. MODDISON
Haley M. Stevens (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2023-10-6

. Pro Tempore, I rise today to recognize Colonel Walter L. Moddison, call sign ``Gromit,'' upon his retirement from the Air National Guard after 39 years of distinguished service. prgtoken Colonel Moddison is from Great Falls, MT. He joined the Air National Guard in October of 1984 and completed Basic Training in June of 1985. After serving fourteen years as an enlisted member, he received his commission in 1998. He began his career as a Drill Status Guardsmen and was then hired as a full time Technician/Deputy Base Civil Engineer in 2001 following a career as a practicing architect. prgtoken After serving at the Wing level for several years, including deployment to Ground Zero on 9/12, he accepted a headquarters position at the National Guard Bureau where he served the field units and filled many key Civil Engineering and leadership roles. He assumed his current position in January of 2021 as the Deputy Director, Engineering, for the Air National Guard Director of Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, and The Air National Guard Civil Engineer. In this capacity, Colonel Moddison oversees the policy development and programs that support over $19B in world-class infrastructure and the 18,800 personnel who build, manage and protect those assets. prgtoken In addition to his numerous awards and decorations, Colonel Moddison is particularly proud to have once shot 79 on the Old Course at St. Andrews and my understanding is that he plans to devote a material portion of his retirement to his passion for golf, along with spending more time with his wife, Georgia and their dog, Maximus. prgtoken I thank Colonel Moddison for his service to this Nation. He is a Great American and will be missed in the Guard.
INTRODUCTION OF THE MEDICAID ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2023
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Democrat, MP) \u2014 2023-10-6

. Pro Tempore, I rise today to introduce the Medicaid Accountability Act of 2023. My legislation would remove barriers to operating Medicaid Fraud Control Units in the territories, advancing our ability to recover taxpayer money through the investigation of Medicaid provider fraud, abuse, and neglect. prgtoken The U.S. territories are subject to a hard, statutory cap on federal Medicaid support, unlike the 50 states and the District of Columbia. As such, any spending for the operation of an MFCU is counted against the cap and subtracts from the amount of federal funding available for the coverage of healthcare services. prgtoken Congress has acknowledged this challenge. We acted to exempt MFCU spending from Puerto Rico's cap through P.L. 115-31, Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017. This exemption was extended to the U.S. Virgin Islands through P.L. 115-123, Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. We did not, however, extend this exemption to the other territories although all territories are statutorily required to operate an MFCU. prgtoken Congress has previously agreed that spending towards systems improvement measures should be exempt from the cap. In addition to MFCUs, Congress has exempted spending related to Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System, Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program, and the design and operation of the claims and eligibility systems. prgtoken Without such exemptions, territories must choose between covering healthcare services or making systems improvements. And faced with various emergencies--from natural disasters to a pandemic--in recent years, territories have prioritized the coverage of healthcare services. Furthermore, certain territories have repeatedly exhausted their limited block grant, leaving no federal funding to support systems improvement measures. prgtoken My bill, the Medicaid Accountability Act of 2023, plugs a gap in our nation's ability to protect taxpayer money. By extending the exemption on MFCU spending to all territories, Congress can promote the success of the territories in meeting statutory obligations to combat healthcare fraud and safeguard our Medicaid population from abuse, neglect, and misappropriation of funds. prgtoken s who joined me in introducing this legislation-- Mr. Moylan, Ms. Plaskett, and Ms. Radewagen.
RECOGNIZING THE CAREER OF RICK LEE
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2023-10-6

. Pro Tempore, I rise to recognize Richard ``Rick'' Lee, owner and Chairman of the Board of Lee's Flower and Card Shop, founded in the District of Columbia in 1945. prgtoken Mr. Lee's long-standing business ties and community outreach have made a lasting impact on the District of Columbia and its residents in numerous ways. prgtoken As a business owner, Mr. Lee has served District of Columbia residents for more than 45 years. He has been named the Small Business Person of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce. prgtoken Mr. Lee served as Vice President of the U Street Business Association, under Marion Barry, who served as President, and later served four years as an appointed Statehood Commissioner under the late Harry Thomas Sr. He also held a mayoral appointment to the Board of Accountancy, also under Marion Barry. prgtoken Mr. Lee served on the Board of Directors of the D.C. Children's Trust Fund. He also served as Small Business Vice Chairman of a local chapter of the United Way, Chairman of the Banneker Boy Scouts of America, Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of NE Washington D.C Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Theatre, Member of the Board of Directors of MANNA, Vice President of the Shaw Neighborhood Association and Member of the Washington Gas Consumer Advisory Board for six years. prgtoken Pro Tempore, I ask the House of Representatives to wish Richard ``Rick'' Lee a happy 80th birthday this month and recognize his leadership of Lee's Flower and Card Shop and his distinguished service to District of Columbia residents.