mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CHINA AND THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-5-19

I am deeply concerned about reports that China began hoarding medical supplies in early January while working to prevent the World Health Organization from sounding the alarm about the virus pandemic. prgtoken By analyzing international trade data, the Department of Homeland Security assessed that the Chinese Government intentionally concealed the severity of COVID-19 from the world in early January in order to stockpile medical supplies. Furthermore, the Chinese Communist Party Government tried to hide its actions by denying there were any export restrictions. They even tried to obscure and delay its trade data so it wouldn't get caught. prgtoken These acts are outrageous. prgtoken Even worse, the CIA and foreign intelligence agencies have found evidence that China threatened the World Health Organization to stop cooperating on efforts to combat COVID-19 if the organization declared a global health emergency early on. So it was declared, and, hence, there was valuable time lost in fighting the virus. prgtoken This is simply unacceptable behavior. The Chinese Communist Party ought to be held accountable for the countless lives that have been lost around the globe due to its nontransparent, aggressive, inhumane behavior. prgtoken The World Health Organization is composed of many honorable and dedicated medical professionals who believe in the WHO's mission. If any of them were privy to what was going on by the Chinese Communist Party, he ought to step forward and shine light on any misdeeds by the organization's leadership. prgtoken Whistleblowers are necessary to prevent corruption within any institution, which is why I have a longstanding reputation of protecting whistleblowers. The world deserves to know what the World Health Organization's leaders knew and when they knew it. The evidence is quickly becoming crystal clear--that China is responsible for tremendous suffering worldwide through its lies and active coverup. Telling the truth about the Chinese Communist Party does not, as some have suggested, have any bearing on how we analyze our domestic response. prgtoken We should learn from democratic countries that have been successful in containing outbreaks, like Taiwan and South Korea. However, in going forward, everyone around the world should have his eyes open about the true nature of the Chinese regime. prgtoken .
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 658
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2020-5-19

this may be a rare moment of some collegiality on the idea in general. I think the American public and, especially, I, who is one who has watched this place operate for so many years in my leading up to the point when I ran for the Senate, accept the kind of guidance that there may need to be more fleshed out, and the Senator objected to it. prgtoken Yet I think the American public deserves action out of this place, and so often it seems we dawdle and do not get to the point. Look at how long it took the body to come to an agreement on criminal justice reform. One of the first questions I asked when I got here was, How long have you been working on it? The answer--10 to 12 years. When you look at what we do get accomplished here, I think we need to figure out how we become more effective, how we get things done more quickly, and how we pay for it in the long run. prgtoken So I am going to savor the moment we have here. We are at least talking about it. Hopefully, we will be able to work with my neighbor from Illinois to still push the idea that this is a critical time and that we need to get something done. prgtoken .
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2020-5-19

I was sitting through the last two speakers and listening to them. You can tell that it is an election year. The want to defeat President , and I think sometimes a tactic to use is to get someone's strongest point and try to turn it into his weakest point. In this case, we have heard in just the last few minutes that the President is handling the coronavirus completely wrong, that he is critical of and then he was friendly to--I couldn't quite figure out the relationship with China. I know the in this Chamber are generally perceived as the close friends of China and President Xi and the rest of them. prgtoken Also, to talk about what Pelosi has done in terms of the bill that was passed in the House and the criticism that we are not taking up that bill, well, all that bill is--we are not supposed to be talking about anything in all of this heavy spending except doing something about coronavirus. This is something that no one had anything to do with. We didn't know it was going to happen. We had no preparation for it. I have never experienced it in my life. Yet I do remember so well when this body, this Senate, was working on a coronavirus bill and we were to be voting on it on a Sunday at 6 o'clock in the evening, and the of the House, Nancy Pelosi, came dancing in. It was the first time I even knew she was in town because the House wasn't in session, and she stopped it. She used her influence to try to stop it and successfully did stop it. The vote was taking place at 6 p.m. on a Sunday night, and nothing happened except a stall from then until 6 p.m. on Thursday night, when we finally did vote on it. In the meantime, how many days passed? How many people died in the meantime? prgtoken Then, when they come up in the House and they come up with a bill that is supposedly their answer to the coronavirus, it has nothing to do with coronavirus. It has to do with the very liberal ic agenda taking advantage of the fact that this crisis is on us in order to use this to try to get things passed. I am talking about--now, I don't have any notes down here with me. I don't know whether she is using gun control or what other efforts they were using in that bill, but it is one that has no place in the discussion when we are talking about coronavirus. prgtoken The tragedy there, the people dying--and to credit this President, I have to say, he has done a great job in addressing this. He is the one who, every single day, is there with top medical people and afterward, at the end of the day, having a news conference and getting from the public what can we do better that we haven't been doing. He has handled it in a very, very effective way. But that is not why I am here on the floor
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-5-19

I have 3 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 9:30 a.m to conduct a hearing. Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety prgtoken The Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety of the Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 3 p.m to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Beth Harwell and Brian Noland to be Members of the Board of Directors, and Katherine Crytzer to be Inspector General of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-5-19

Americans have come together in this moment. We have come together to defeat the coronavirus. We have come together to ramp up testing, to ramp up healthcare, and to reopen our communities and our country. prgtoken The coronavirus has brought out the best in so many ways in America and in the American people. From our frontline healthcare workers taking care of patients to scientists and researchers working on testing, on treatment, and on vaccines, to those in public service keeping essential parts of the government running day in and day out, to those working on supply chains to deliver goods 24 hours a day, and to those who are staying at home to keep themselves and keep others safe, Americans are in this together. prgtoken It is interesting because all we are seeing from the other side of the political aisle is more of the same old politics and name-calling. President prgtoken is taking cheap shots at President ; Pelosi just put out a $3 trillion bill that reads like the ic Party platform; and is holed up and hiding in his basement. Is this the best the can offer? Is this the best they can do? , , and Pelosi should be embarrassed. This is not leadership. prgtoken policies in the CARES Act that we passed actually have had significant results--real results--with the Paycheck Protection Program making sure 50 million Americans are still getting their paychecks, economic impact payments, which are reaching 130 million families. These are policies that are going to build a bridge for the country to get to the other side of the devastation done by the virus, and, still, more money and resources from the CARES Act are slated to go out to States, to hospitals, and to small businesses all across America. prgtoken All together, between Congress and the Federal Reserve, we have injected close to $9 trillion into the economy in just a couple of months. All of this money is nowhere close to having even been spent. In fact, it is only because of the steps we have taken already--the efforts of Governors across the country, the work of this administration--that the House have found themselves in a position, as they were last Friday, of wasting time and energy on a fantasy bill. prgtoken s now have two jobs. The first is to get the country back on track, and the second is to not allow the to try to exploit the crisis that is upon this country for their own political gains. prgtoken are pushing their agenda as a cure-all for the virus. Let me be clear. It is not. It is simply a solution for their electoral problems. prgtoken Yesterday, the New York Times published a front page article. Online it was called ``Seeking: Big ic Ideas That Make Everything Better.'' In the printed copy, they changed the headline to say: `` Pursues Ideas to Match Scale of Crisis,'' ``Left Senses an Opening for a Bolder
HONORING BEN KELLY
Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-5-19

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the life of Ben Kelly, an entrepreneur, surfboard shaper, and surfer on the central coast of California. Ben will be remembered for his kindness, adventurous spirit, and passion for his religious faith. prgtoken Ben Kelly was born in Orange County in Southern California. While attending Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California, where he met his wife, Katie, Ben began shaping surfboard and eventually developed his own brand, Ben Kelly Surfboards. prgtoken Following his move to the central coast of California, Ben and Katie started their social media company, named Authentic Approach. This business encapsulated Ben's quick embrace of his new community. Not only was he dedicated to the work he did with his wife to help others realize their dreams of starting and operating local businesses, but he also quickly established himself in the local surfing community on the Central Coast. Ben's friends knew him as an adventurous young man who formed tight bonds with those around him and used his supportive and sincere nature to encourage friends to excel at their goals. prgtoken Ben was especially passionate about his deeply held Christian faith. As a member of Twin Lakes Church in Aptos, California, Ben channeled his faith to guide his generous nature and devotion to helping friends and strangers. Ben's faith was a part of his daily life, finding daily lessons in the world around him and offering earnest guidance to anyone who needed help. prgtoken Ben will be remembered for his adventurous and generous spirit and his love for and devotion to his wife, Katie. We, as a community, celebrate his life well-lived. Madam , I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the life of Ben Kelly.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Vicente Gonzalez (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-5-19

. Madam , I was unable to cast my vote on May 15, 2020 for Roll Call Vote 105, Roll Call Vote 106, Roll Call Vote 107, Roll Call Vote 108, and Roll Call Vote 109 as I am on doctors'- ordered bed rest after sustaining a fall two weeks ago. Had I been present, my vote would have been the following: Yea on Roll Call Vote 105, Yea on Roll Call Vote 106, Yea on Roll Call Vote 107, Nay on Roll Call Vote 108, and Yea on Roll Call Vote 109.
HONORING THE NURSES OF PARKLAND HEALTH & HOSPITAL SYSTEM IN DALLAS, TEXAS
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-5-19

. Madam , I rise today to recognize and honor the nurses of Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Texas, for their commitment to serving their patients and our community during this novel coronavirus pandemic. prgtoken Madam , the sacrifices that the nurses fighting COVID-19 have been immense. At Parkland Memorial Hospital, over 300 medical staffers are caring for coronavirus patients in the Tactical Care Unit. One of these nurses has moved into an RV and has not seen her 7-month-old daughter in more than five weeks. Another has only had contact with her 2-year-old when she wore an N95 mask and gloves for a birthday hug. A third, who lives alone, has volunteered for every shift she can get to nurse the most critically ill COVID-19 victims. prgtoken As the first registered nurse elected to Congress, I am deeply aware of the sacrifices and expertise that medical professionals bring to their work, and I honor their selfless, dedicated service during this public health crisis. What our society is asking of them, the support staff, and all their families is immense, and we must endeavor to provide absolutely every possible resource for their work. This means that the current nationwide struggles to acquire personal protective equipment and testing materials are unacceptable, and I am committed to pushing for all our essential medical professionals to be properly equipped to provide the care our communities need and depend on at this time. prgtoken Madam , the contributions of the medical professionals serving in the city of Dallas, state of Texas, these United States, and across the globe are truly immeasurable. Therefore, on behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives and Texas' 30th Congressional District, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing and honoring the sacrifices and commitment of these essential medical staffers during this unprecedented novel coronavirus pandemic.''
HEALTH AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY OMNIBUS EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS ACT
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-5-19

I rise in support of H.R. 6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. Our nation is experiencing unprecedented job loss as our communities deal with a global health pandemic that is responsible for the deaths of more than 85,000 individuals in our country in just the past few months. We cannot wait another day, another week, or another month to take action. Our communities need help now and they are looking to Congress to lead. I'm grateful for the leadership of the House of Representatives, Pelosi, and our committee chairs and staff for working with us to put together an ambitious bill that will send needed help to individuals and families in the form of an additional direct stimulus payment; to our state and local governments, which are experiencing extreme budget shortfalls; and to our small businesses that are the backbone of our local economies and the heart of our communities. Although I am disappointed that the bill does not include several provisions including ongoing payments for individuals and families, additional funding to support child care, and a strong investment in our workforce systems, among other things, I will support this step forward. prgtoken We heard loud and clear from our state and local governments--they need more support to keep our communities safe. This bill includes $915 billion in emergency funding to state and local governments, funding that can be used to help prevent teacher job loss and funding cuts to education and, importantly, the bill expands the use of funds to cover lost, delayed, or decreased revenue from the public health emergency. The HEROES Act also includes $90 billion for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund that can be used to provide emergency support to students--including Dreamers, who were previously excluded from receiving emergency grants--schools, and institutions of higher education. These funds are critical to supporting public colleges and universities, addressing student mental health needs, and purchasing technology and mobile hotspots to support distance learning. Under this proposal, my home state of Oregon would receive approximately $980 million. prgtoken During this public health crisis, no one should have to choose between affording basic needs or making payments on their student loans. The CARES Act suspended involuntary collection like wage garnishment or reduction of Social Security payments for delinquent federally-owned student loans. The HEROES Act follows my recommendation to extend these protections to all borrowers, including those who have privately held student loans. prgtoken Building on my earlier efforts to make sure K12 students can access school meals during school closures, this legislation funds school meal and child and adult care food programs with emergency relief that will help schools continue to meet the needs of children and their families. This bill will further help fa
REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF JOHN ELLIOTT
Tim Ryan (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-5-19

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of John Elliott, of Fairview Park, Ohio, who passed away Friday, March 20, 2020 at the age of 83. prgtoken Mr. Elliott spent his career in law enforcement protecting the people of Northern Ohio. He played a key role at the height of Cleveland's mob wars, and even helped start the U.S. Marshal's witness protection program in Northern Ohio in the early 1970s. prgtoken John Elliott bravely served in the U.S. Navy from 1954 to 1958 and as a Cuyahoga County sheriff's deputy until 1967. From there, he spent 23 years as a Deputy U.S. Marshal. It was in this role where John earned his tough reputation by providing protection to families of those who testified against organized crime. He also took part in numerous mob investigations, including into the infamous mobster Danny Greene. prgtoken His colleagues could not speak highly enough of Mr. Elliott's bravery, integrity, and reliability. As one former police chief put it, ``he was one helluva good cop.'' Following retirement in 1990, John remained close to law enforcement while serving in the Cleveland police's Pipes and Drums Band. prgtoken John Elliott was the beloved husband of the late Clorinda (nee Calandrella) for 57 years; loving father of Peter, Thomas, Catherine and Patrick; grandfather of 12; great grandfather of 6; and brother of James. prgtoken I salute Mr. Elliot for his dedicated service to Northern Ohio. My deepest condolences go out to John's family and all those whose lives he touched, especially his son Peter, who followed in his footsteps into the U.S. Marshals Service. I thank John for his tireless work.
TRIBUTE TO MIKE DiSILVESTRO
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-5-19

I would like to echo the kind words said by the majority leader about Mike DiSilvestro as he prepares to head into retirement on Friday after 37 years of service to the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Mike serves as director of the Office of Senate Security and is in charge of the secure facility here in the Capitol where Senators can receive classified briefings and review sensitive documents. There are very few individuals who have given as much time and attention to this institution as Mike with so little recognition or fanfare--such is the nature of the job--but on the cusp of his retirement, I hope he will allow us to pay him a few compliments. prgtoken Mike's counsel is wise. His word can be trusted implicitly. His focus is always on serving the institution, never on politics or party. His judgment and guidance have always been excellent, and he did not rely on subtlety. When you walk into the Senate's secure facility, you pass a World War II-era poster reminding you that ``loose lips sink ships.'' His job has had many difficult responsibilities, and Mike was never more valuable or trusted than in difficult times. prgtoken He tracked down absent Senators on 9/11. He comforted terrified staff waiting to be decontaminated after ricin was discovered in Senator Frist's mailroom. During the anthrax incident, he donned a biohazard suit and entered the contaminated Hart building to retrieve vital documents from Senator Daschle's office. Even now, in the middle of a public health crisis, Mike has faithfully reported to duty to make sure this institution is able to complete its constitutional work. prgtoken I know he is finding this attention on the floor today uncomfortable. I don't know if he is still here. Yes, sorry for all the flattery, but it is well deserved. He is accustomed to working entirely outside the limelight. He will never be quoted in the paper, and I suspect he will never write a tell-all book about his time in the Senate, but for those of us here, Senators and staffers alike, we will long remember his sense of humor, his devotion to family, his work ethic, and his strong, principled leadership. prgtoken There are only a very few staffers who are both known and respected by every single Senator. Mike is one of the few. His absence will be felt by all of us. prgtoken Mike, I wish you well. I hope you finally get to play all the golf you want, complete the Appalachian Trail, and that you enjoy every day of your well-earned retirement. Congratulations. prgtoken .