mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE LIFE OF JOHN JOSEPH HEBERT, SR.
Brian Babin (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-10-20

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of a community leader and friend, John Joseph Hebert, Sr. of Liberty, Texas, who passed away on Monday, October 12, 2020, at the age of 82. John was a friend of many, myself included, and was a pillar of the community in Liberty. prgtoken John was born on January 15, 1938, in Houston, Texas, to parents Horace Hebert and Marguerite Egan Hebert. He grew up in the Heights and attended St. Thomas High School. After a short stint as a salesman, John worked at a Gulf service station and made assistant manager before he was drafted into the Army at age 23. After completing Basic Training in Colorado, he went on to serve in the Army in Anchorage, Alaska. prgtoken John was a loving and devoted grandfather, father, husband, brother, and friend. On June 29, 1957, John married the love of his life, the late Constance Catherine ``Connie'' Hebert. They went on to have many adventures and raise three children together. John and Connie were devoted Christians and lifetime members of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Liberty, Texas. prgtoken In 1972, John and Connie moved to Liberty, where he established his own company, John J. Hebert Distribution. He worked in petroleum marketing for over 60 years, and was awarded numerous sales achievements and national customer service awards. He was a humble man who didn't like to speak of his accomplishments, though there were many--including, but not limited to: prgtoken Former President of the Liberty Dayton Area Chamber, Liberty Dayton Chamber Citizen of the Year in 1983, East Texas Man of the Year in 1989, Masonic Lodge Community Builder Award, Volunteer of the Year for the Texas Council of Child Welfare, Liberty Rotary Club Community Service Award in 1980, Member of Liberty Lions Club since 1972, Lion of the Year in 1980, Past President Liberty Lions Club, Melvin Jones Fellow in 1992, Texas Lions Foundation Fellow, Past Grand Knight-- Knights of Columbus, Commissioner Port of Liberty, Texas Workforce Commission Gulfcoast Workforce Development Board, HGAC Aerco Board, Liberty County CPS Treasurer, Bridgehaven Children's Advocacy Center Board of Directors, and Friends of Scouting Boy Scouts of America. prgtoken John was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife of 57 years, Connie Hebert; sister Rosemary McKeon; brother, Horace William ``Bill'' Hebert; and sister Primrose Kitchen. He is survived by his loving daughter, Donna Catherine Ramirez and husband Danny; son, John Hebert, Jr. and wife, Amy; son, Stephen Hebert and wife, Julie; grandsons, Josh Burk and wife, Kristin, Jeremy Burk, Daniel Hebert, David Hebert, Ryan Hebert, Christopher Hebert; granddaughters, Emily Hebert, Megan Salazar and husband Daniel; great-grandsons, Chandler Sanders and Preston Yawn. In addition, he leaves behind numerous other loving family members and friends. prgtoken Madam , I would like to thank my friend John Hebert, Sr. for his many years of
HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
Jenniffer González-Colón (Republican, PR) \u2014 2020-10-20

. Madam , it is with great respect that I pay special tribute to the organization of Disabled American Veterans (DAV). prgtoken This year marks the 100th anniversary of the formation of this organization created by and for disabled American veterans on September 25, 1920. prgtoken The DAV provides assistance to more than 1 million veterans every year to connect them with healthcare, disability, employment, education, and financial benefits they have earned through their military service. prgtoken Puerto Rico joined the DAV in 1973 and has since faithfully endeavored to fulfill its mission of empowering veterans to lead high- quality lives with respect and dignity. prgtoken This commendable organization has submitted more than 11.7 million claims nationwide for the past century on behalf of service members as they make critical transitions into civilian life. A transition that is particularly difficult to those returning home after enduring wars and are in special need of attention and care from our grateful nation. prgtoken Sadly, this year alone, military suicides have increased by as much as 20 percent compared to the same period in 2019 as members struggle under COVID-19, war zone deployments, national disasters, and civil unrest. prgtoken The DAV not only provides a place of trust and compassion to our wounded veterans but most importantly a place to outreach veteran concerns before Congress and federal agencies like the Department of Veterans to bring representation to these service members. prgtoken On this day we pause to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the DAV, worthy of our gratitude to the sacrifice of countless men and women from all corners of our great nation who together with their brothers and sisters in arms from Puerto Rico, answered the call of freedom and the defense of Democracy around the World. prgtoken Veterans need our help today as much as they did 100 years ago. For this reason, I'm proud to recognize the Disable American Veteran on their 100th Anniversary and commend their outstanding support to America's injured and ill veterans and their families.
SPINA BIFIDA AWARENESS MONTH
Kevin Hern (Republican, OK) \u2014 2020-10-20

. Madam , I ask unanimous consent to address the House for one minute, and to revise and extend my remarks. prgtoken I rise today in honor of National Spina Bifida Awareness Month to pay tribute to the numerous individuals and their families across our country living with this condition. prgtoken Spina Bifida is a condition I am very familiar with. My sister and my niece both suffer from spina bifida. I know how it can impact a family. prgtoken Spina Bifida is the nation's most common permanently disabling birth defect compatible with life. Because Spina Bifida stems from a hole in the spinal cord, a condition known as a neural tube defect, as the spinal column fails to close properly during development in the womb, it impacts virtually every major organ system. Children born with Spina Bifida typically undergo dozens of surgeries before they become adults. Adults living with Spina Bifida face myriad physical health, mental health, and other challenges, such as unemployment and limited access to quality primary and specialty care. prgtoken There are currently an estimated 166,000 individuals in the United States living with Spina Bifida, approximately 65 percent of whom are adults. This disease is now witnessing its first generation of adults, an incredible milestone, considering that the original designation of Spina Bifida as a childhood condition meant that the vast majority did not experience life beyond youth. prgtoken We have taken tremendous steps forward in recent years due to dedicated medical research, but there is so much we still don't know. prgtoken Unfortunately, funding for Spina Bifida is limited. The only place in the federal government that is specifically studying this complex condition for children and adults is the Spina Bifida Program at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the CDC through the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry and the Spina Bifida Collaborative Care Network prgtoken People with Spina Bifida deserve no less than the rest of us as we age. We must ensure that adults with Spina Bifida can receive high- quality medical care, and that researchers have the funds necessary to continue the development of treatments for spina bifida.
Iowa Agriculture (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-10-21

Iowa, my State, has a rich legacy in leading the Nation and the world in agriculture production and innovation. Iowa is first in corn production, first in eggs, ethanol, and pork, and second in soybeans. Family farms are the main institution for producing all this. So those family farms are how many Iowans leave their mark on our world, by passing their legacy to their children. prgtoken In the Senate, Senator Ernst and I have the great privilege of representing these family farmers. Senator Ernst and I have worked with the administration to make biofuels a priority. We have secured E15 year-round--15 billion gallons of ethanol are blended annually as the law requires--new ethanol infrastructure through the USDA, and secured an extension of the biodiesel tax credit. We have secured and expanded trade agreements with our largest trading partners, which add value to Iowan commodities. prgtoken We also helped to put an end to the ridiculous -era waters of the United States rule that would have regulated 97 percent of Iowa's farmland as navigable waterway. Just as the harvest comes to an end, usually in November, our work will not stop in November. Senator Ernst and I will continue to focus on Iowa farm families and ensuring their success for years to come. prgtoken .
UIGHUR INTERVENTION AND GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN UNIFIED RESPONSE ACT OF 2019
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2020-10-21

I rise this afternoon in full, complete, and all-inspired support for the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. prgtoken Her qualifications are not in dispute and have been mentioned repeatedly on the floor and in other public forums. prgtoken I have had a chance as a Member of the Senate to vote on four Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: Kagan, Sotomayor, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh. I was a Member of the House of Representatives down the hall here during the confirmations of Justices Alito and Roberts, and I was old enough to pay close attention to the confirmations of Justices Breyer and Thomas. I can say to my colleagues today, I have never witnessed a more impressive display of poise, knowledge, and temperament in a candidate for the Supreme Court than I have witnessed during the confirmation process of this particular candidate. I think that is why, perhaps, there was objection to the process. prgtoken No doubt there was objection to the process in the timing of this nomination and this confirmation among a lot of people around the United States, but as the confirmation wore on and as more and more people came to know Judge Amy Coney Barrett--the student, the parent, the member of her community--and as more and more people have seen her and listened to her, public opinion has moved in her favor to now where a majority of Americans support the elevation and confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. I certainly am delighted to see that and am not surprised based upon the absolutely phenomenal way she has conducted herself. prgtoken I think it is worth noting that she is from Middle America. While all of our 50 States are great and all of our law schools undoubtedly have things to recommend them, I kind of like that she grew up in my neighboring State of Louisiana. I kind of like that she graduated with stellar marks from a very impressive college in my neighboring State of Tennessee, at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, just an hour and a half up the road from where I make my home. prgtoken I think Harvard is a great law school. I think Yale is a great law school. I think it is OK that we have now a prospective Justice of the Supreme Court who went someplace else: Notre Dame. prgtoken So, to me, she represents Middle American values, and there is something to be said for that on the highest Court of the land-- Louisiana values, Tennessee values, Indiana values. prgtoken I think she is an inspiration to young women across this country. I have two daughters. They have become professional successes in their own right. I have five granddaughters. The oldest one is 10. I think Justice Amy Coney Barrett will prove to be an inspiration to these five granddaughters and to my grown daughters also. prgtoken There is much talk about predicting how this Justice or how any candidate for the circuit court or the district court will rule. I have seen
UIGHUR INTERVENTION AND GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN UNIFIED RESPONSE ACT OF 2019
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2020-10-21

. We are confined to watching funerals on the internet, leaving us with a sense that our expressions of gratitude and emotions are inadequate to the honor that is deserved. But fortunately for the Presiding Officer and me, the U.S. Senate does provide an opportunity, a venue, and an appropriate way to say goodbye to a friend and a mentor that is commensurate with the incredible quality of the life that we celebrate. prgtoken Senator Andrews was a giant to me for lots of reasons, not just because he was 6 feet 4 inches. But from growing up in Kindred, just about 20 miles south of the Andrews farm just outside of the city village of Mapleton at the time, to working on his reelection campaign--the first real job I ever had out of college--to seeking his guidance as I followed in his footsteps, first in the House of Representatives and then to the Senate, Mark Andrews was always a larger-than-life figure and personality to me. prgtoken Kris and I were grateful for the counsel he and Mary gave us my first year in this Chamber just last year. I am really grateful to Mark and Mary's daughter, Sarah, for facilitating a visit for Kris and me to come see her parents just last year. This picture will be important to me forever. It was an emotional time for me. I don't mind telling you that it was emotional for me to be able to go see Mark at the age of 93 and Mary at the age of 92 and say thank you for the opportunities and for the grace he afforded me when I didn't deserve it. prgtoken I mean no disrespect to any of my colleagues today, but what made me the most emotional when I walked into Mark's apartment and saw him sitting in that recliner was that it hit me for the first time in a new way that the people of North Dakota had given me a responsibility that, at that time, as I looked at my giant, I didn't feel quite up to. There it was, with this job that he had and this giant from my youth who did big things, I suddenly felt, by comparison, quite small. But, as Mark often did, he encouraged me. He offered a word of encouragement--many of them. Likewise, Mary did the same. At the age of 92, she offered Kris encouragement that only another Senate spouse really had the credibility to offer. prgtoken I was overwhelmed by the blessing of the moment. I was grateful beyond words for the opportunity to spend even 90 minutes with Fargo's most important power couple. It was pretty cool. prgtoken Mark and Mary celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary just prior to her death earlier this year, as the Presiding Officer mentioned. They met while attending Agassiz Junior High in Fargo in 1939; then they became best friends for life. It is pretty cool. Pretty cool. I love that Mary Andrews was her husband's not-so-secret weapon in all of his successful campaigns. prgtoken As the Presiding Officer said, Mark served a total of 23 years in Congress--17 in the House of Representatives and 6 here in the Senate. His hallmark was his fie
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-10-21

for months now, ic leaders have held additional COVID relief hostage. Instead of working with s to arrive at a compromise bill that both parties can support and that can make it through both Houses of Congress, have insisted that it is their way or the highway. Either s agree to a bloated, multitrillion-dollar piece of legislation filled with noncoronavirus-related measures and far-left, liberal wish list items, a bill that would never make it through both Houses of Congress, or Americans get no relief. That is basically the choice the have left the American people. prgtoken It goes without saying that this is not the attitude of a party that really wants to give help to Americans. This is the attitude of a party that wants to use this crisis for political purposes. prgtoken figure that they win either way. Either they use this crisis to force through a bunch of liberal priorities not related to COVID or they blame s for the lack of a bill. prgtoken Completely absent from their calculations is any sense of what their intransigence is costing the American people. prgtoken If had actually been willing to compromise with s to reach consensus legislation, we could have had a new COVID relief bill months ago. Americans could be enjoying additional relief right now. prgtoken s have made it clear since the summer that we were willing to compromise with on a new bill. All we asked was that come to the table with a reasonable proposal that could actually make it through both Houses of Congress. prgtoken But haven't been interested. Oh, sure, Pelosi has supposedly been working on an agreement with the White House for months. We constantly hear from the that a deal is getting closer, only to discover the next day that a deal isn't really close at all. prgtoken Let me tell you something. If you are the of the House and you really want to arrive at a compromise, it doesn't take you 3 months. It probably even doesn't take you 3 weeks. prgtoken have to know very well that there is no way for them to get a bill containing everything they want through both Houses of Congress, but could get some of what they want, and isn't something better than nothing? prgtoken Even if were right about the need for every penny of spending that they are calling for, wouldn't it be better to get some of that spending passed than to have nothing? To , apparently the answer is no. prgtoken In just a few minutes, the Senate will be voting on coronavirus legislation. Our bill would provide more money for the hardest hit small businesses, more healthcare resources to fight the virus, and money to help schools reopen and operate safely--priorities that all of us, and s, should be able to agree on. In theory, I am pretty sure we do agree on
UIGHUR INTERVENTION AND GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN UNIFIED RESPONSE ACT OF 2019
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-10-21

. And I appreciate the remarks of the Senator from Georgia, and I come to the floor today also in support of the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken I will state that she is terrific. She is so impressive--so exceptionally well qualified to take on this new responsibility. prgtoken But the partisanship that she has experienced from --well, it has predictably backfired on them, certainly by the American people. The majority of Americans of all parties, a majority of Americans have said get her confirmed--put her on the Supreme Court because that is what they saw when they watched the hearings last week--somebody who is ready to serve our Nation and apply the law, not legislate from the Bench. prgtoken This is an important moment in our history. Judge Barrett, the Senate, the American people deserved a hearing that matched the moment and that highlighted her qualifications and capabilities. Regrettably, Americans got a weeklong lecture by which turned out to be a partisan infomercial on Care. prgtoken This is a law that 10 years on, are still trying to explain to the American people, still trying to explain how many--all these millions and millions of people who lost their health insurance, trying to explain millions and millions of people whose costs went up--more than doubled prgtoken Judge Barrett is very clear and has been clear. She has no agenda for any case, and as a judge she considers each case on the merits. prgtoken There is only one real explanation for ' fixation on Care during the Supreme Court hearing. They are trying to score political points, appeal to their far-left base before an election. It is shameful. It is a scare tactic. prgtoken I hear scare tactics and false attacks on healthcare that frighten people. That is not the way we ought to be doing things. They never mentioned that Senate s have voted now five times to protect people with preexisting conditions, including today on the bill that every one of those voted against with a targeted relief plan. There was a component in that to make sure that people with preexisting conditions were protected and that coronavirus is now listed as a preexisting condition. Every voted against adding coronavirus as a preexisting condition. Every today voted in favor. prgtoken So seem to be trying to make a standard confirmation process about anything other than the qualifications of an exceptionally qualified nominee. prgtoken The Presiding Officer has seen this, and we have talked about this. These attacks began before her nomination was even announced. She was criticized for being a mom, criticized for having seven children, and criticized for going to church--criticized for going to church. There are ic candidates now running for the U.S. Senate criticizing her religion or faith in God. Astonishing. prgtoken
UIGHUR INTERVENTION AND GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN UNIFIED RESPONSE ACT OF 2019
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-10-21

I am one of the few Senators who have appointed people to the bench, and I take this very seriously. I believe in selecting judges who respect the separation of powers and the proper role of the judiciary in our democratic system. prgtoken Their job isn't to make policy; it is to uphold the rule of law. We can't have judicial activism--something my colleagues on the other side of the aisle refuse to accept. The have made it clear they care more about the election than performing their constitutional duty to confirm judges. Because the only want judicial activists, they can't understand a judge who has no plan to change the law and the Constitution to align with their personal beliefs about how Americans should be governed. The won't engage in this process even though they know Judge Barrett is highly qualified. prgtoken When I was appointing judges as Governor, I would ask each candidate one question: Do you understand your role and the distinct branches of government? Do you want to make policy, or do you want to uphold the law as written? prgtoken That is exactly what I asked Judge Amy Coney Barrett when we met. She could not have been more clear in our meeting and throughout the Judiciary Committee hearings last week. Judge Barrett is a nominee of indisputable credentials and qualifications and will fulfill the proper role of a judge envisioned by the Framers when they designed the three- branch system of government in our Constitution. prgtoken The ic attempts to attack Judge Barrett for her faith fell flat. Quite the opposite, her faith and her commitment to family have earned her the utmost respect. The were left grasping at straws during last week's hearing because they clearly can't question her qualifications. prgtoken Her record is irrefutable. Judge Barrett's academic, professional, and judicial records clearly demonstrate her devotion to following the rule of law. She strictly adheres to the original meaning of the Constitution's provisions, setting forth the fundamental rights, liberties, and protections on which this great country was founded. prgtoken As Professor Prakash eloquently stated in Judge Barrett's nomination hearing, the ABA's rating of Judge Barrett as ``well qualified'' is an understatement. I am proud to support Judge Barrett's nomination, and I look forward to voting to confirm her to serve as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken .