mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RESILIENCY OF FLORIDIANS
Ross Spano (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-7-30

today, I rise to once again express my full support of President 's efforts to secure our borders, restore law and order, and complete the wall on our southwestern border. prgtoken Since I joined Congress, time and time again, in this Chamber and their allies have sought to stop the President from securing our borders and protecting the American people. prgtoken Even this week, ic leadership has continued this attack on the President and on the American people. In multiple portions of the bills meant to fund the government next year, have not only prohibited funds from being used to build the wall, but they have also sought to rescind funds already allocated for border security by President . prgtoken I have traveled to the border myself, and I will tell you this: Walls work. And the Border Patrol officers I spoke with when I was there agree: Walls work. prgtoken According to Customs and Border Protection, during the first 6 months of 2020 this year, 180,000 people were apprehended or deemed inadmissible. In 2019, last year, during the same period, this number was almost 600,000. That is a reduction of 416,000 people, or a whopping 70 percent. prgtoken A more secure border means safer communities across America, and as of July 27, 256 miles of the border wall system has been completed. prgtoken As our Nation experiences social unrest from coast to coast, it is critical that we restore law and order, to include our borders. President has pledged to continue to do just that, and I am proud to stand with him in this effort.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2020-7-30

I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. prgtoken , one in five households with a disabled family member falls below the Federal poverty line. These families rely on home healthcare providers who are often family members of the disabled to care for them and to improve their quality of life. These providers receive modest compensation for their efforts provided by dedicated State Medicaid dollars. prgtoken For decades, Federal law has required that Medicaid providers be paid directly and in full for the services they provide. However, some States, including my own home State of Washington, have been withholding union dues via payroll deductions from payments to Medicaid-subsidized home caregivers. In many cases, this is done without the knowledge or the consent of the caregiver, and it is in clear violation of the law. prgtoken Now, this is no small problem. In 2017 alone, $150 million was diverted to unions from Medicaid payments to 350,000 caregivers. Fortunately, last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized a rule to stop this predatory practice that takes money out of the pockets of in-home providers. However, language in the bill would defund implementation of this rule and allow States to continue to circumvent Federal law. prgtoken My amendment strikes section 245 of the bill to ensure that CMS can enforce the law and protect home healthcare providers from having their Medicaid payments diverted to third parties. prgtoken , let me be clear: Ending this illegal deduction does not prevent caregivers from joining unions if they wish; rather, it empowers them by giving them the choice to do so. My amendment gives them that choice. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Pete Stauber (Republican, MN) \u2014 2020-7-30

I thank the chairman and ranking member for including my amendment in this en bloc amendment. prgtoken , my amendment is simple. It gives the Secretary of the Navy the authority to solicit contracts from non-homeport shipyards for maintenance work to meet surge capacity should the shipyards meet the Navy's requirement for ship repair work. prgtoken Currently, the Navy has a tremendous maintenance backlog, but under current law, there are certain restrictions that limit where naval vessels can undertake maintenance repair. Unless these restrictions are lifted, the Navy's backlog will only increase exponentially. prgtoken At the same time, there are qualified shipyards in the rest of the United States, including the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, and Alaska, that can perform repair work for certain types of naval vessels. These yards have the capacity and skills to do this work. They just need the chance. prgtoken Last year, an amendment of mine was adopted into the 2020 NDAA. It requests the Navy report on the feasibility of doing maintenance work on naval vessels at shipyards other than shipyards in the vessel's homeport. The report was produced this spring, and within the report, the Navy concluded that the law could be modified to allow the Navy to use non-homeport shipyards to meet surge capacity. prgtoken We have done the proper examination. Now it is time to give the Navy the authority it needs to reduce its maintenance backlog. This amendment provides an opportunity for the Navy to diversify their industrial base, create resilience, and improve our military readiness. prgtoken , I thank Congressman Tiffany and Congressman Cox for cosponsoring this amendment.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Tim Walberg (Republican, MI) \u2014 2020-7-30

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today to support my bipartisan amendment, which would help provide critical protections for all Americans and their right to due process under the Constitution. prgtoken My amendment would prohibit the use of funds for the Department of Justice to implement its adoptive seizures policy. These forfeiture adoptions provide a loophole that helps law enforcement evade stricter laws governing civil asset forfeiture by seizing property and transferring it to Federal authorities in exchange for up to 80 percent of future proceeds. prgtoken Now, while I support law enforcement and oppose the ridiculous idea to defund law enforcement, for many years I have worked in a bipartisan way to highlight civil asset forfeiture abuses and call for reform to the practice. And s, Representatives Raskin, Amash, Rush, Gabbard, and McClintock, for joining me on this bipartisan effort today. prgtoken The Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund contains proceeds from equitable sharing agreements between the Federal Government and local law enforcement. These arrangements create perverse incentives to seek out forfeiture opportunities, and it is used to circumvent State- enacted--like Michigan's--civil asset forfeiture reforms. prgtoken In recent years, we have learned of a growing number of instances across the United States where the government has confiscated property from citizens and small businesses without any criminal conviction or any criminal charges being brought. Moreover, civil forfeiture disproportionately affects minorities and individuals who cannot afford to represent themselves. prgtoken , current civil forfeiture practices are deeply unpopular with the public, and there is strong bipartisan support for reform. As such, proponents for reforming forfeiture practices include a broad coalition, like the ACLU, FreedomWorks, the NAACP, and Americans for Prosperity. prgtoken , the current civil asset forfeiture system is ripe for abuse and has undermined the constitutional rights of far too many Americans. This amendment has already passed the House twice by voice vote. I ask my colleagues to once again support this bipartisan amendment and protect the right of due process for all Americans. prgtoken , .
UIGHUR INTERVENTION AND GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN UNIFIED RESPONSE ACT OF 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED
Martha McSally (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2020-7-30

this is disappointing and a political stunt and a game. For all the normal people watching out there who don't understand why Washington is so dysfunctional, we are just looking for a 7-day extension so they can get another check and pay their rent. prgtoken I asked the question: Who could possibly be against this? prgtoken Well, we found out. It is the Senator from New York. So you can clip the tape or put his picture on your refrigerator when you open it up because it is the minority leader who is against this, on his path to try and become the majority leader. And that is unfortunate. Arizonans deserve better.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Randy K. Weber, Sr. (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-7-30

. Madam , I rise in support of my amendment, which emphasizes the need to provide adequate funding for construction of the Department of Energy (DOE)'s Versatile Neutron Source or Versatile Test Reactor. prgtoken The Versatile Test Reactor is a critical piece of DOE R&D infrastructure that will allow U.S. nuclear researchers to test and validate a wide range of advanced nuclear reactor designs on U.S. soil. Any responsible U.S. nuclear energy strategy must include robust support for this user facility. prgtoken Last Congress, my bill, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act (NEICA), was the first step towards making this DOE user facility a reality. To build on the success of NEICA, the central piece of my nuclear legislation this Congress, H.R. 6796, the Nuclear Energy for the Future Act, is the authorization of full funding for this necessary work. prgtoken That's why I am very concerned to see that the 2021 appropriations bill provides less than a quarter of the funds needed to keep the Versatile Test Reactor project on budget and on schedule. If we are serious about our clean energy future and if we want to decrease our dependence on competitors like China and Russia for advanced nuclear R&D, we must continue to strengthen our advanced nuclear energy industry by prioritizing our investment in essential research infrastructure. prgtoken The United States should lead the world in advanced nuclear research and development. I believe that this amendment identifies one of the fundamental and immediate needs of the U.S. nuclear industry and provides a strong commitment to addressing it. Moving forward, I will continue to work with my colleagues to prioritize fundamental research that will support nuclear innovation and keep America safe, independent, and globally competitive. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Lee M. Zeldin (Republican, NY) \u2014 2020-7-30

I thank the ranking member for yielding. prgtoken I rise today in support of my bipartisan amendment to halt the sale and marketing of Plum Island, New York, by the General Services Administration. prgtoken Situated at the gateway of the Long Island Sound, Plum Island is treasured by our local community in both New York and Connecticut. prgtoken Since World War II, Plum Island has been utilized as a research laboratory. In 2005, the Department of Homeland Security, which currently has jurisdiction over the island, announced that the Animal Disease Center would be moved to a new Federal facility in Kansas. prgtoken To offset the cost of this relocation, a law was enacted in 2008 that called for the sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder. prgtoken However, according to a DHS report issued in April 2016, the new site in Kansas is already fully paid for through a combination of Federal appropriations and funding from the State of Kansas. prgtoken The current law is the wrong path forward. The better way is to provide for public access, permanent preservation of Plum Island, and continued use of the state-of-the-art research infrastructure. prgtoken That is why I have been working with my colleague from Connecticut, Congressman Joe Courtney, and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers from both sides of Long Island Sound to repeal this flawed mandate. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues' support.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Ken Calvert (Republican, CA) \u2014 2020-7-30

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise in support of the en bloc, which includes important changes to the bill that would enable us to finish our work and deliver to the President a bill that he could sign, including removing language prohibiting the funding of the border wall. prgtoken While I certainly agree with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that wall funding should not come from the DOD, it is unfortunate that the majority continues to ignore the problem along our southern border and funds no wall construction or Border Patrol agents in their FY 2021 Homeland Security appropriations bill. In doing so, they are forcing the administration to deal with the security of our borders through any means possible, including using DOD funds to build the wall. prgtoken Finally, I will simply say that all Members should have an opportunity to have their voice heard on annual appropriation bills on the House floor. While I acknowledge the difficulty of doing our work safely during the pandemic, and I thank the chairwoman for the bipartisan en bloc, which includes many of our minority's priorities, nothing should stifle our Members from having the opportunity to offer debate and have a vote on an amendment germane to the bill. prgtoken Therefore, I urge adoption of the en bloc, and .
COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF ROBERT EDINGTON
Bradley Byrne (Republican, AL) \u2014 2020-7-30

I rise today to commemorate the life of Robert Edington. Robert's countless accolades and recognitions reflect a lifetime of devotion to his hometown of Mobile. prgtoken This impressive list includes a 2012 Mobile Area Veteran of the Year, the 2007 Mobilian of the Year, State president and national director of the Navy League of the United States, chairman of the USS Alabama Battleship Commission, and a member of the Alabama House of Representatives and Alabama State Senate. prgtoken Robert was active duty with the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955, then started in the Navy Active Reserve until his retirement as a commander in 1980. As a Navy Air Operations Officer, he received numerous awards and designations. prgtoken As a fellow graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, I had the pleasure of working with Robert on many occasions, and I will miss his passion, professionalism, and friendship. prgtoken I offer my sincere condolences to his beloved wife, Pat, and their children. They can be proud of the legacy of service that Robert leaves behind.
Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Session)
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2020-7-30

. Just 5 months ago, we had the hottest economy in 37 years. Running a business--starting it from Main Street as a little company-- it was lucky enough to grow over those 37 years. Three of my four kids run it now. prgtoken The reason I ran for the Senate was to make sure we had that kind of atmosphere in place for the productive economy, the enterprising, the hard-working Americans who work at companies on Main Street. prgtoken Since COVID arrived, of course, it shocked us all. We know it is a tricky foe. It has peculiarities. Yet the one thing that is certain is that we need to get back to the economy that was raising wages for those most in need, was doing it in a real way, and not through government. prgtoken Yes, government needs to get involved now and then, and this was the case. Like the Senator from Wisconsin stated, we moved quickly, and we did something. prgtoken What I see on the other side of the aisle, with this monstrosity of $3.5 trillion, is an effort beyond just addressing the displacement from COVID-19. I see it as an effort to try to replace Main Street and the productive economy. It doesn't work through here, and we should have never, back in late March, had something that would have incentivized not working. Of course, we tried to fix it, but friends on the other side of the aisle did not agree with us. If we want to get back to some form of a new normal--sooner or later, when we whip this foe, COVID-19--and back to what it was before, we can't do it through government. prgtoken When you look at not only this bill they have but at the other stuff that we need to keep in mind in leading up to the election, we cannot afford it, and it doesn't make sense. It is replacing enterprisers, Main Street--everything that makes this country great--with a bloated Federal Government. prgtoken When I heard that this bill was out there--coming from a quick-footed entrepreneur now here in the Senate--I didn't hesitate at all to get on it. We need to do this because we need to cut to the chase. We have hard-working Americans who are still unemployed. They have gotten displaced out of that great economy. This takes care of that without putting into place something that is so broad, so expansive, and that does not address the essence of what is at issue here. It makes sure there is a pathway so that we can get back to that economy--that economy which was working more for everyone than at any time ever before. Don't ask people who have been here in the business of government. Why don't you ask people who have been running businesses, who have been on Main Street, who have been doing it? prgtoken That is why we need to get this across the finish line. It addresses the key thing that we need to do transitionally so that we may get back to where Main Street and the real economy are running things and where there is not an attempt by the other side to replace what has been making the economy work. prgtoken I y
Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-7-30

I thank the assistant ic leader. prgtoken We come back to the floor today, the Senator from Minnesota and I, to reoffer a unanimous consent request that Senator Markey, the Senator from Massachusetts, and I offered previously. prgtoken After the death of George Floyd and, unfortunately, similar incidents, it has become increasingly obvious that our country is in need of reconciliation--racial reconciliation and personal reconciliation. prgtoken One of the things we could do to honor the memory of George Floyd and to attempt to take one small step toward that reconciliation is to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday. We previously had offered this unanimous consent request, and my friend from Wisconsin has his reasons for objecting, but one of the major newspapers in my State said to me: Try again. So I am coming here to the floor to reoffer. prgtoken Juneteenth has been a holiday in Texas for 40 years because of the distinct Texas connection. Just to remind my colleagues, Juneteenth was the day when the Union Army Major General Gordon Ganger showed up in Galveston and told people who had previously been slaves that they were no longer slaves 2\1/2\ years after the Emancipation Proclamation. prgtoken I believe, in all sincerity, we need to remember our history because, you know what, we learn from our mistakes, and if we don't remember our history, we will not learn from our mistakes, and we will commit those mistakes over and over and over again. prgtoken The tragic and brutal killing of George Floyd earlier this year has shown a light on the injustices that still exist in our society. Now, for somebody who looks like me, my experiences have been much different from those of our friend Tim Scott, the Senator from South Carolina, or the experiences of a pastor whom I encountered in Houston the other day at a roundtable that Sylvester Turner, the mayor of Houston, convened so that they could share with me their experiences. prgtoken This pastor, who was head of the local NAACP chapter, told me: I honor the police. I respect the police. I support the police. But my son, he is afraid of the police. prgtoken So, we clearly have a long way to go in treating all people the same, regardless of the color of their skin. And when the perception among some in the minority community is that they are being treated differently, that is a problem that we should all try to address together. prgtoken So one way we could attempt to make this small step toward that reconciliation and continue to remind ourselves on an annual basis of how far we have come but how far we still have to go would be to take up this bill, pass it, and get it to the President's desk without further delay. prgtoken At this point, before I ask for unanimous consent, I would yield to the Senator from Minnesota.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-7-30

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. It is nice working with the gentleman. This has been a couple of years in the making, and it is way over time. prgtoken First, let's understand one thing: name and date of birth just isn't cutting it anymore, so this ban on HHS promulgating a unique patient identifier has resulted in a lot of American lives lost. prgtoken Madam , Mr. Foster already referenced a Johns Hopkins study that said up to 250,000 deaths per year--and I want you to think about that number--250,000 deaths per year are due to medical error. When we are talking today about the number of deaths from the coronavirus, and saying now it has prgtoken gone over 145,000, these are deaths caused by a virus. And then here, we have another opportunity, if we are using the right data, we could possibly wipe out medical errors just by having access to that data and being able to cross-reference. Mr. Foster also referenced about opiates that sometimes patients are prescribed as a way to handle the pain. prgtoken Madam , I sat in the emergency room with one of my children. And a doctor said to him: We found out what you have; you do have MRSA. It is on your hip, and we are going to have to operate on you, and we are going to have to be able to try and scrape that off. Although it won't be gone forever, it will take care of the problem right now. This is what I am going to do. And he went through the procedure. prgtoken He also talked about the anesthesia that he was going to use. And he said to him: Do you have any problem with anything I have told you? prgtoken And my son said: No, none at all. prgtoken Well, luckily, I was sitting there. I said: Well, Doctor, the fact that he is a heroin addict, would that have any effect? prgtoken The doctor looked up and said: Oh, my God. Thank God you said something about it, because that would absolutely be fatal for him. prgtoken Madam , it is not just happening in studies. We are seeing it on the floor all the time in our hospitals. We are seeing that somehow data that is available is not being made available because of some archaic ban. Somebody says: No, we shouldn't have access because it just doesn't make sense. prgtoken It does make sense. It makes all the sense in the world. prgtoken In the year 2020, and what we are looking at right now, and we are talking about finding a cure for the coronavirus and doing it in a safe and smart way, why wouldn't we be able to look at all the data that is available? Why wouldn't we be able to cross-reference it? Why would we sit in the dark and say, this is my best guess? It doesn't have to be that way. prgtoken Madam , I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster). This has been over 2 years trying to get this, and I feel very certain we will get it done, but this just makes sense. prgtoken Quite frankly, the stuff we have been using for the last several decades it just--maybe back in 1999, when it was an issue for somebody, it mad