mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MEMORIAL DAY
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-5-25

I rise today in remembrance and recognition of the tremendous sacrifice of America's fallen military members who have given their life in service to our Nation and defense of our freedoms. prgtoken As we commemorate Memorial Day this year on Monday, May 31, we honor and remember the brave men and women whose lives have been lost in defense of the freedoms we hold dear. Without their incredible sacrifice, our Nation and the very ideals of democracy, freedom, and liberty we so proudly represent would not have endured. prgtoken On this occasion, as we express our Nation's gratitude to our fallen heroes, we remember the words written by President Abraham Lincoln to Mrs. Lydia Bixby following the loss of her five sons. In his letter, dated November 21, 1864, President Lincoln wrote, ``I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.'' prgtoken Our Nation can never fully repay the debt of gratitude owed to these fallen heroes and their families. Each year, on Memorial Day, we pledge that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten. prgtoken We also take this opportunity to thank the many men, women, and organizations that work every day to support our military and veteran community, as well as the families of fallen heroes. I especially would like to recognize the work of American Legion Post 135, in my hometown of Naples, FL. The work American Legion Post 135 and the many other veterans and military organizations do to support our families and communities is greatly appreciated. prgtoken I ask that all Floridians and all Americans join me today in pausing for a moment to reflect on the sacrifice of America's great heroes and all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to us and this great Nation.
IN MEMORY OF CATHERINE ANNE ``CATHY'' GOVAN
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Madam , Cathy battled with breast cancer over the years but was in remission when she succumbed to complications due to Covid-19. prgtoken Beloved daughter of the late Edmund Joseph and Lorraine Govan. prgtoken Dear sister of the late Phillip Govan, Marge Govan, Michael (Gretchen) Govan, Anne (Dr. Soumi Eachempati) Govan Dickerson, Jim (Dorothy) Govan and Char (Brian) Bond. prgtoken A Cherished aunt of Phillip (Dr, Jamie Aprile) Gordon, Ellie (Jake and Reagan Rose) Berkey, Michael Govan, Brandon (Lezane) and Dawn Dickerson; on, Carter and Gracen Govan; Kenneth, David and Alexis Bond. prgtoken Cathy was raised in Detroit and dedicated her later years to consulting Detroit mayors and serving as the executive director and founder of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation. prgtoken Donations can be made in Cathy's honor to the Detroit Public Safety Foundation. prgtoken Online condolences can be left at http:// www.obriensullivanfuneralhome.com/. A ceremony honoring Cathy's life will be organized this summer when COVID restrictions are eased. On behalf of the Govan family, we thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.
ISRAEL
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-5-25

the world is relieved that Hamas has stopped firing rockets at Israel's cities and, for the moment, the fighting has stopped. prgtoken Israel's response to Hamas's terrorism was entirely justified. It was targeted, restrained, and extraordinarily precise. So it was disappointing to see disproportionate blame heaped upon Israel, the victim, and disproportionate pressure put on Israel's democratic, coalition government to spearhead the cease-fire with the aggressors. prgtoken Israel's actions appear to have helped restore some measure of deterrence and damaged Hamas's ability to wage terror, but we have every reason to expect the terrorist commanders will seek to rebuild their arsenal with assistance from their sponsors in Tehran. prgtoken The administration must not pursue Iran policies that make this process even easier. We should not lift terrorism and missile sanctions just to leap back into discussions over the flawed -era nuclear deal. Already, this administration removed terrorism sanctions on Iran's Houthi proxies in Yemen, hoping to encourage negotiations. Instead, the Houthis have escalated their offensive, rejected diplomacy, and actually fired into Saudi Arabia. Likewise, giving Iran relief from sanctions will just yield more support for terrorists like Hezbollah and Hamas. prgtoken Now, I am encouraged that the President has committed to refilling Israel's Iron Dome stockpiles. I hope his budget proposal coming this Friday will make room for increased military assistance to Israel and reflect the fact that America's interests are not served by cutting our own defense budget. prgtoken Sadly, here in Congress, more and more are falling under the anti-Israel influence of the farthest left branch. From the junior Senator from Vermont, we have a resolution to block a routine sale of precision-guided munitions that would make it harder for Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it defends itself; from a Congresswoman from New York, the accusation that Israel is an ``apartheid state.'' prgtoken Historically, support for Israel has been bipartisan. During the last major flare-up with Hamas back in 2014, when hundreds of rockets were fired at Israel, the Senate passed a resolution reaffirming our support for Israel and making clear Hamas's responsibility for the violence, and we did it by unanimous consent. prgtoken Back in 2019, after another rocket attack, the ic leader insisted, ``No government can allow its civilians to be subject to rocket attack.'' He said he stood ``shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Israel . . . and doing what they must do to defend their homeland.'' prgtoken That was true in 2019. Well, this month's attacks involved not hundreds but literally thousands of rockets. Yet, instead of vocal support for Israel, 29 Senate pressured Israel's coalition government to stop defending itself. One of our colleagues who ran for President sai
HONORING DR. DIANE CULPEPPER FOR HER SERVICE TO LAKE TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Daniel Webster (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Madam , it is with sincere appreciation that I recognize Dr. Diane Culpepper for her leadership and service as Executive Director of Lake Technical College. After more than a decade of service, Dr. Culpepper will retire from Lake Technical College this August. prgtoken Dr. Culpepper earned both her bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Marketing and her master's degree in Vocation Administration from the University of Central Florida. She earned her Ph.D. in Workforce Education from the University of South Florida. Dr. Culpepper has taught at all levels of education from elementary to university. Before coming to Lake Technical College, Dr. Culpepper served for twenty-three years in the Career and Technical Education Department for Orange County Schools at both the school and district levels. prgtoken In 2010, Dr. Culpepper's passion for education led her to Lake Technical College. Under Dr. Culpepper's leadership, Lake Tech has increased enrollment, fostered new partnerships with business and industry, and enhanced the quality of academic offerings. Most recently, at the direction of Dr. Culpepper, in 2016, Lake Tech entered a partnership with Lake Sumter State College (LSSC) and began offering Practical Nursing, Nursing Assistant, prgtoken Paramedic, GED and ESOL programs on the LSSC South Lake and Sumter campuses. And, in the Fall of 2017, Lake Technical College opened the Center for Advanced Manufacturing to meet the growing need to prepare skilled technicians in machining, welding, fabrication, and other manufacturing careers. prgtoken Dr. Culpepper has been a dedicated servant to our community throughout her education career. She also volunteers on several boards including CareerSource Central Florida, the Manufacturing Association of Central Florida, Florida Leaders for Career and Technical Education, and the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council. prgtoken It has been a personal honor to work with Dr. Culpepper. Her attitude of servant leadership and her dedication to quality education for Lake Tech's students has been a testimony to her personal modesty and humility. prgtoken I am honored to recognize Dr. Culpepper and thank her for her dedication and many contributions to the Central Florida community. Her commitment to excellence, leadership and service is to be admired, and may it inspire others to follow in her footsteps. My sincerest wishes and congratulations to Dr. Diane Culpepper and her family on her retirement.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Resumed
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-5-25

today the Senate will vote on Kristen Clarke's nomination to head the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division--one of the most powerful positions at the Department of Justice. I will, of course, oppose her nomination. prgtoken We get a lot of partisan nominees around here. So that is not very surprising. But Ms. Clarke isn't just partisan. She is extremely partisan. She called Senator Murkowski ``shameful.'' She accused Senator Manchin of being disingenuous. And she casually slandered 200-- 200--sitting, Senate-confirmed judges as ``white male extremists.'' If confirmed for this position, she will be entrusted with representing the U.S. Government in front of those very judges--not exactly a credible advocate for our people, if you ask me. prgtoken Ms. Clarke's radicalism doesn't stop with ad hominem insults. It thoroughly infects her professional judgment as well. Ms. Clarke has consistently demonstrated that she is more interested in attacking police and calling everybody a racist than finding the facts or reviewing the evidence. prgtoken When it comes to racially incendiary cases, she proudly fans the flames of division. Last year, she repeatedly--repeatedly--spread the falsehood that Jacob Blake, who had a knife and was actively resisting arrest, was, in fact, ``unarmed'' when he was shot by the police. In part because of falsehoods like that one, riots engulfed the city of Kenosha, WI. prgtoken She also claimed that Officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, was only exonerated ``based on racism.'' When I asked Ms. Clarke if she had reconsidered that unsubstantiated opinion, she pretended not to know enough to answer the question, at first, which is remarkable given that the shooting in Ferguson is one of the most publicized and explosive cases in recent years; also remarkable because she apparently knew enough to tar a grand jury of normal American citizens as yes, once again, racist, but not enough to answer simple questions. prgtoken Ms. Clarke's opinion on the Ferguson case sets her apart from other staunch liberals like Vanita Gupta and Eric Holder. Both have acknowledged that Officer Wilson was justified in the use of force, echoing the Department of Justice, which came to the very same conclusion. In defiance of all evidence, in spite of her good friend Ms. Gupta's views, Ms. Clarke still dissents from this conclusion. So I cannot believe it--I am genuinely astonished--but has somehow found a nominee more radical than Vanita Gupta. That is an impressive accomplishment, one that should give Senators who supported Ms. Gupta more than ample ground to oppose Ms. Clarke prgtoken Moreover, Ms. Clarke is a firm and, until very recently, a vocal supporter of defunding the police. Ms. Clarke wrote an article less than a year ago--not some college paper. Less than a year ago, Ms. Clarke wrote an article with ``Defund the Police'' in the ti
HONORING GOVERNOR CARLOS ROMERO-BARCELO
Don Young (Republican, AK) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Madam , I rise concerning the passing of my long- time friend and a great leader, Carlos Romero-Barcelo, former governor of Puerto Rico. Carlos passed away on May 2, 2021 at the age of 88. I offer my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, as well as those whose lives he impacted during his tenure. prgtoken Carlos Romero-Barcelo was a timeless crusader for Puerto Rico. Throughout his life, he led the fight for equal recognition of Puerto Ricans, and I was especially proud to work with him while he served as the Resident Commissioner for the island in Congress. prgtoken Carlos lived a life of public service for Puerto Rico. He served as Mayor of San Juan and then as Governor before being elected to be Resident Commissioner for Puerto Rico in 1992. He dedicated his life to achieve equal rights for the U.S. citizens of Puerto Rico. I was truly honored to know him and call him a friend. prgtoken I was proud to serve with him on the House Natural Resources Committee. There we worked together advocating for Puerto Rico, and I was proud to support his efforts to achieve equality for the U.S. Citizens of Puerto Rico. His tireless work deepened Puerto Rico's relationship with the United States, and I was proud to stand by him as a leader of the island. prgtoken We honor his legacy and mourn his loss alongside his family--his wife Kathleen, and his children Carlos, Andres, Juan Carlos, and Melinda-- and our friends, the people of Puerto Rico.
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Resumed
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2021-5-25

I rise today to speak on amendment No. 1565 to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, or USICA, the underlying bill. prgtoken My amendment preserves the constitutional authority of Congress over international trade. It does so by ensuring the President cannot waive or modify congressionally approved trade agreements, including the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, or TRIPS--the TRIPS Agreement. And the reason is that the TRIPS Agreement, like the USICA, contains provisions that facilitate the leadership of the United States in scientific and technological innovation. prgtoken China is challenging that leadership through predatory practices aimed at our highest value sectors, including our pharmaceutical sector. Plain and simple, China wants our intellectual property. prgtoken Remarkably, the administration announced, without consulting Congress, that it would support a waiver of U.S. intellectual property rights under the TRIPS Agreement with respect to vaccines. Moreover, the U.S. Trade Representative declined to confirm that she would oppose letting this waiver extend to China. prgtoken Colleagues, there are vaccines precisely because the innovative U.S. firms exist because of strong IP protections. The problem with access to vaccines is not intellectual property. The problem is the manufacturing capacity. prgtoken This amendment I am proposing allows the administration to proceed, providing it is willing to make the case, including by presenting evidence and respecting Congress's authority. The outcome is subject to congressional approval, just like the original TRIPS Agreement. prgtoken I also demand real consultation with Congress. My colleague's amendment provides only that the administration will provide relevant proposals and pertinent documents to Congress related to the final agreement. There is no reason to grant this leeway to the administration given its existing failure to consult with us. prgtoken My amendment requires the administration to provide the text of any U.S. proposal to Congress 5 business days before it is tabled in a trade negotiation, not after it has agreed to amend a congressionally approved agreement. prgtoken With respect to that agreement and the other WTO agreements, we have spoken clearly as a body that the United States can withdraw from these agreements if, and only if, Congress passes a resolution to that effect. prgtoken For example, it requires reports on issues central to whether the administration's decision makes sense and provides for consultation by the administration with the public and Congress concerning its proposal. This will facilitate transparency, identify any national security risks presented by the administration's proposal, and, importantly, will stop an action that does not further vaccine access or present a risk to our national security. prgtoken Accordingly, if the administration's proposal is determin
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WAUPACA FIRE DEPARTMENT
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Madam , today I rise in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Waupaca Fire Department. The Waupaca Fire Department was formed shortly after the founding of the city of Waupaca on May 11th, 1871. As the Waupaca community celebrates this milestone, we look back on the outstanding history of the department and critical role they have played in the community. Throughout their history the department has grown immensely and now provides service to approximately 150 square miles. For 150 years, the department has remained committed to serving the city of Waupaca and surrounding communities to the highest degree. In total, the Waupaca Fire Department's Fire Inspection Division works incredibly hard to keep the community safe, conducting an impressive 550 inspections for commercial business in 2019 alone. Their work demonstrates not only the amount of expertise and knowledge the department holds, but the importance the department places on keeping their communities safe. prgtoken Over the last 150 years, the department has faced many challenges, but their efforts to give back to the community have never wavered. From participating in the Annual Battle of the Badges Softball Tournament, where the Fire Department takes on the Police Department, to hosting corn roasts and raffles, the Waupaca Fire Department is a true pillar of the community and Northeast Wisconsin. Many Waupaca families have benefited from the department's thoughtfulness and generosity. When the department is not fighting fires and saving lives, their members donate their time and efforts to making Waupaca a better place. The department played a key role in countless improvements around the city, such as the playground in South Park and the construction of multiple shelter homes. I commend the department's dedication and commitment to the Waupaca community. The Waupaca Fire Department supplies the community with incredibly trained individuals who are able to handle fire and other emergencies at a moment's notice. It is evident that the knowledge, dedication, and perseverance conveyed through the men and women of this department are deserving of the highest degree of admiration. prgtoken I invite all members of this body to join me in celebrating the sesquicentennial of the Waupaca Fire Department. The Waupaca Fire Department is a true credit to the community and deserving of the highest degree of recognition
CONGRATULATING MASTER SERGEANT LOUIS C. GRAZIANO ON HIS DECREE AND MEDAL AS A CHEVALIER IN THE 'ORDRE NATIONAL DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR'
Jody B. Hice (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to Master Sergeant Luciano ``Louis'' C. Graziano, a resident of the Tenth Congressional District of Georgia and the last known surviving witness to the German surrender of World War II. His story is truly incredible, and his contribution during his tour of duty with the U.S. Army in Europe is worthy of our nation's everlasting gratitude. prgtoken On June 6, 1944, D-Day, Louis was aboard a landing craft with his men and landed upon the sands of Omaha Beach in Normandy France. Once beached, Louis drove a truck full of gasoline onto the sand. With no place to go, he abandoned the vehicle and gathered his weapons to get into the fight. He took up a position at the base of a cliff and fired a burst from a flame thrower to take out a German machinegun nest. prgtoken But, Madam , further up the cliff were even more enemy machinegun nests. In quick thinking, Louis took a flare gun and fired a flare into those positions hoping to direct the fire of allied ships cruising just off the beach. The gun crews on the ships responded as hoped, unleashing their fire from larger caliber guns destroying those positions beyond. prgtoken Advancing beyond the shores of Normandy, the French city of St. Lo and Reims were soon liberated. It was in Reims that Louis's skill in his craft would come into play and eventually afford him a seat to history itself. Upon establishment of a command post within the heavily mined city, Louis was ordered to install General Eisenhower's phone line. This phone line was vital for the General's real time communication, helping to bring about a timelier allied victory. prgtoken As allied forces fought to reclaim the town of Bastogne, the Germans mounted a last-ditch counteroffensive known as the ``Battle of the Bulge.'' In response, all troops were being mustered to come to the rescue of encircled troops near the Belgian town of Bastogne. In a dangerous mission, Louis and his Captain had to search and find the lost armored element. They suffered frostbite, but their effort was successful. After, Louis returned to Reims to recover. prgtoken Among the buildings in Reims, there was a ``Little Red Schoolhouse'' where General Eisenhower had his headquarters. It was there that the unconditional surrender of Germany was signed in the early morning hours of Monday, May 7, 1945. Louis was there, in the room, as General Yodl of the German Army signed the articles of surrender. prgtoken Madam , Louis has served our Nation with integrity, excellence, and courage, and we, as Americans, owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for his incredible sacrifices to serve and protect our country at home and abroad. He not only has earned the admiration of his fellow Americans but that of our allies as well. On April 6, 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron approved awarding him the French Legion d'honneur, which is the highest French order of merit that can be bestowed upon an individua