mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Jody B. Hice (Republican, GA) \u2014 2020-7-1

I rise in opposition to the postal provisions in H.R. 2 and have offered an amendment to strike them from the bill. prgtoken As ranking member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations of the Oversight and Reform Committee, I was very much disappointed that we were not consulted on these provisions. prgtoken My colleagues from the Oversight and Reform Committee and I have been closely following the financial health of the Postal Service, and we receive, in fact, weekly updates on mail volume, revenue, and cash on hand. The numbers are very clear, what we have received. The $25 billion postal bailout provided in H.R. 2 is just simply premature. We don't need to go there at this point. prgtoken A few weeks ago, I asked the Postmaster General to revise the initial estimates for the direct impact from the pandemic, which included this $25 billion for modernization. The reality is that, over the last several months, the revenue trends no longer support the Postal Service's multibillion-dollar bailout request. This is because there are much better numbers and performance that has been driven by package volume. prgtoken Let me give you some examples. prgtoken During the first 11 weeks of the pandemic, the Postal Service earned $330 million more in revenue than this same time last year. The Postal Service also improved its amount of cash on hand by at least $600 million. And as of June 4, they had $13.2 billion in cash. prgtoken In addition, while negotiations with the Treasury Department are still ongoing, the Postal Service has yet to even tap into the $10 billion in lending that was authorized by Congress in the CARES Act. prgtoken A long-term plan to turn the Postal Service around is also being developed. My colleagues from the Oversight and Reform Committee and I have called for a 10-year business plan to improve the Postal Service's business model. prgtoken And given the start of the new Postmaster General's term, we are hopeful that an updated plan that outlines specific reforms to put the Postal Service on firm financial footing is going to happen. prgtoken But absent revised estimates and a business plan, it is unclear what the true needs of the Postal Service are. I will just say that the USPS was designed to be self-sufficient, a self-sufficient entity. The only way of dealing with that issue is by long-term legislative reform, not a bailout. That is the only way to do it. prgtoken So we cannot continue throwing taxpayer money away and particularly adding green new deals. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--Continued
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2020-7-1

reserving the right to object. prgtoken To date, Congress has appropriated nearly $3 trillion to protect, strengthen, and support Americans in all walks of life, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to stabilize the infrastructure and our economic system. prgtoken Senator Brown and I worked on a big part of that package together on a team which was put together by Senator McConnell to try to make sure we addressed, in a bipartisan fashion, the way to respond to this pandemic. prgtoken The CARES Act has been central to the effort and includes measures to help families directly, to provide aid to small businesses, to assist those in the medical field and on the frontlines of our response effort, and to stabilize our markets. prgtoken Soon after, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act--or CARES Act--codifying and extending these protections and providing financial relief to renters--yes, to renters. prgtoken Title IV of the CARES Act contains three housing provisions. Section 4022 imposes a 60-day eviction and foreclosure moratorium for single- family borrowers with federally backed mortgage loans. It allows struggling homeowners 1 year of loan forbearance. prgtoken Section 4023 extends similar relief to multifamily borrowers who are current on their mortgage payments. They can request up to 90-days forbearance as long as they do not evict the tenant or charge late fees during the pandemic. prgtoken Section 4024 imposes a 120-day moratorium on evictions, fees, and penalties. That moratorium will not expire until August 31. prgtoken As with much of the CARES Act, the provisions dealing with stabilizing our economy and helping to support and sustain workers, small business owners, homeowners, and home renters are all playing out right now as we speak. prgtoken Yet the real objection here is that Senator McConnell and the s have said we want to work on looking at the next package of support, but we want to see how this one is playing out first and identify those places where we need to target the relief most. prgtoken The objection is that there is a desire, once again, to go rapidly into passing the House bill and not having regular order follow in the Senate as we work to approach this issue as the existing CARES Act plays out. prgtoken All of our housing agencies have extended this eviction and foreclosure moratorium and are working to help address the issues relating to tenants. HUD has expanded issuer assistance to include Pass-Through Assistance Program support, which allows servicers to apply for assistance in meeting principal and interest payments, and the FHFA has announced that no mortgage servicer will be responsible for advancing more than 4 months of missed principal and interest payments on a loan. All of these things have been done to stabilize the housing markets and to assist low-income home ownership and home construction and assistance. prgtoken Whi
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Jeff Fortenberry (Republican, NE) \u2014 2020-7-1

I thank the gentleman for yielding, as well as Mr. DeFazio for his leadership on this bill. prgtoken , the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, I believe, is the single most exciting policy development in the conservation space in decades. prgtoken As an amendment to today's bill, we are doing three things here: We are protecting ecosystems; we are enhancing community; and we are supporting recreation. prgtoken I also add my thanks to Representative Debbie Dingell, who has been a tremendous leader in this particular effort, as well as Jamie Raskin, the Congressman from Maryland, for joining us. prgtoken , most Americans don't know that the Federal Government requires that States do wildlife management planning. This amendment funds that Federal mandate in a more creative fashion, by connecting resource extraction with prudent resource recovery, to help States improve their plans and create a continuity of habitat for multiuse opportunities within communities. That is why we have such a diverse group of persons supporting this bill: Hunters and anglers and birders and hikers and other wildlife enthusiasts, as well as those who are involved in the burgeoning field of ecotourism. prgtoken , here is another benefit. When something goes wrong, of course, we tend to act. And in this regard, we act through a very important law prgtoken called the Endangered Species Act. But this amendment puts preventative measures in place, moving upstream from the emergency room enactment of the Endangered Species Act and moving us from regulation and litigation to collaboration and conservation, which saves huge amounts of government resources, societal resources, while it also enhances our environmental security. prgtoken And while there are some structural difficulties with the overall bill from my perspective, nonetheless, this provision is a winner.
CELEBRATING LIFE, LIBERTY, PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS THIS JULY FOURTH
Dusty Johnson (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-7-1

on July 3, 1776, John Adams expressed his belief that the signing of the Declaration of Independence should be commemorated ``with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.'' prgtoken Well, I actually think we are going to check most of those boxes this July 3 in South Dakota in the beautiful Black Hills, as President is there to watch fireworks over the incredible Mount Rushmore. prgtoken Now, I know there is a lot of political unrest in this country. On any given day, there is plenty of political unrest in this Chamber. But July Fourth should be a time for us to come together and celebrate what binds us together: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Garret Graves (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-7-1

. Madam , I have expressed my frustration about the fact that so few amendments have been allowed to even be debated, yet this is the one en bloc amendment. This is block G, and there are eight amendments--eight--eight amendments where we actually get to debate. And, of course, they are all wrapped in. Our amendment is No. 349. And, as I have mentioned before, nearly 380 or 390 amendments on this bill. prgtoken Our amendment amends page 1968 that I am sure everyone here has read, and what this does is it very simply--it very simply says that, in order for this brand-new urban park grant program that has not been through the committee of jurisdiction, the Natural Resources Committee, if you are going to take money from one area and give it to this urbanized park grant program, you at least need to make sure that the area where the revenues are coming from, which happens to be the area that I represent, that it is sustainable, that it is ecologically sustainable and the community is sustainable and that it would be a better investment for taxpayers to invest in the urban parks than it would be to ensure the ecological and the community resilience or sustainability of these regions. prgtoken That is it, a very simple amendment. prgtoken I would love to have anybody come explain to me why they are going to vote ``no,'' because we are going to see this amendment voted down in just a few minutes. I would love for anybody--and I would be happy to yield time, Madam . I would be happy to have anybody explain to me why they are opposed to this amendment and what they are going to explain to people next time we have a hurricane and these communities are decimated. That is what I would love to hear. prgtoken So, Madam , I yield my remaining time to my friends on the other side of the aisle to explain to me the opposition to this amendment.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Kelly Loeffler (Republican, GA) \u2014 2020-7-1

160 years ago, Abraham Lincoln reminded us that ``at all times . . . all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in the bonds of fraternal feeling.'' prgtoken That bond--our commitment to coming together to move our country forward, our embrace of the challenges our country faces because we know we will come out of these moments strong--has made the United States exceptional. prgtoken As we approach the Fourth of July holiday, I want to take a moment to recognize what makes America who she is today and the values that have allowed us to carry on the Great American Experiment for 244 years. prgtoken The United States--the shining city on a hill, the land of opportunity, the land of the free and the home of the brave, the red, white, and blue--our country is exceptional precisely because we have never settled for anything less. prgtoken It was that very reason it was Americans who first discovered electricity, built the airplane, put a man on the Moon, developed chemotherapy, and that other countries look to us for leadership during troubled times. It is why we prevailed in two world wars, defeated the axis of evil, and have since maintained the greatest Armed Forces in the world. It is why the ideal of the American dream exists. prgtoken Importantly, it is the American people, past and present, who have shaped our American character--the 56 men who put their lives on the line to draft and sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776; the volunteer army of farmers and shopkeepers who defeated the British and today has grown into the best fighting force the world has ever seen. prgtoken Fifty-five Americans came together to write the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing the freedoms for Americans to worship, to speak out, to bear arms, and to peaceably assemble. In the years that followed, America fulfilled its promise to form a more perfect union while acknowledging it is not perfect but always striving to do better. prgtoken We ended the injustice of slavery; 100 years ago this year, gave women the right to vote; overcame the Great Depression; fought for the equal rights of all Americans during the civil rights movement; and persevered after September 11. prgtoken Today we still have those heroes who make America what she is today. We see these works in our midst every day: our service men and women who bravely protect us across the globe and keep the enemy away from our shores; the dedicated men and women of law enforcement who work tirelessly to keep our communities and our families safe; our teachers, who provide the gift of education to our youth; our doctors and nurses, who save lives every day and have bravely taken on the challenge of COVID-19. prgtoken American exceptionalism started with our humble beginnings, and it has endured throughout the challenges our country faces. prgtoken It is tempting to focus on the divisions in America today, but we have much more
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Kevin Brady (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-7-1

. Madam , I first want to thank the ranking member for his insistence that both parties work together to develop and fund infrastructure priorities in America. This is the way it ought to work. This issue has never been partisan in the past. Mr. Graves has made the point, we will go to the table and work together. He is exactly right, and I support his efforts. prgtoken I rise today to support Representative LaMalfa's amendment to strike certain credit risk premium provisions in the underlying bill. The amendment protects Federal taxpayers all across America, makes sure they are not stuck holding the bag when a specific railroad defaults on its loans. prgtoken The author of the original provision readily admits that this is an earmark for Texas Central Railroad in Texas. This is a private company that had claimed for years that they would fund this privately and it would be a State railroad, but they have reneged on that. They are now considering one of these loans to build a high-speed rail between Houston and Dallas. prgtoken But Texas Central's train is so risky and their financial situation so poor, they say they can't even pay the risk premium upfront. And for this reason, they request that legislators change the Federal law in order to help the company qualify for a loan they would never receive under standard rules. prgtoken This is a huge red flag if I have ever seen one. That is why I feel it is important for legislators of both parties to support Representative LaMalfa's amendment, to ensure that we don't lose important taxpayer protections for these RRIF loans and allow for a prolonged CRP payment schedule. prgtoken Here is the situation: Texas Central Railroad is privately funded and a State railroad, and it has always promised to Texas that this ``project does not need, does not want, and will not ask for government grants for construction or public money to subsidize operations.'' prgtoken Yet it is now clear that promise, which was used to gain support from citizens in communities across Texas, was misleading. In April, Texas Central announced they would renege on their original promise; they would now seek Federal stimulus money. prgtoken And there is a reason they are doing that. The project's costs have tripled from its original estimates of $30 billion. These ballooning projections are especially concerning, considering the project also faces other significant hurdles: prgtoken Lack of financial feasibility; prgtoken They have no power for eminent domain, thank goodness, although they are coming to Washington for power to seize people's lands without their consent; prgtoken There are potential safety and funding issues; and prgtoken Near uniform opposition from local and State officials along the rural route of this railroad. prgtoken Texas Central is now asking House in the House to include a change in the Green New Deal legislation to make it easier to renege on these loans. We should not
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2020-7-1

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken This amendment, which mirrors bipartisan bill H.R. 380 is straightforward. It requires the Federal decision makers at the Department of the Interior to consider the threat of invasive species when installing fishways. prgtoken We all know that over time, the number of dams in this country have decreased. As the number of dams has decreased, a benefit is a lot of times fish are able to swim upstream, spawn more, and improve the overall health of our rivers. prgtoken However, there are times where there are some fish that are not so good, and that is when we have invasive species. I have a big problem with that on the most significant river in the State of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin River. There is a dam there, and they were talking about putting up a fishway, which, on the face of it, sounds nice. prgtoken The problem is, below the dam we have Asian carp; they are large fish, not native to Wisconsin. It would be devastating to the local fish. If they were ever able to work their way over the dam, they would not only pollute the Wisconsin River, but the lakes which feed into the Wisconsin River all over northern Wisconsin could also be polluted. And it is even possible that because there are areas that are kind of dicey, they could even work their way into the Great Lakes and all the way up the Saint Lawrence River. prgtoken I appreciate the fact that we have considered this amendment. I hope it is adopted as part of the en bloc.
U.S.C. IS AMONG THE TOP 100 WORLDWIDE FOR PATENTS RECEIVED BY FACULTY
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-7-1

. Madam , the Columbia Business Report of June 22 reported another success of the University of South Carolina with the leadership of President Bob Caslen. prgtoken U.S.C. is among the top 100 worldwide for patents received by faculty The University of South Carolina ranked among the top 100 universities worldwide for number of U.S. utility patents received by faculty members in 2019, marking the eighth consecutive year the university made the top 100. USC ranked 90th in the world in 2019 with faculty named as the lead on 31 patents, according to a news release from the university. The annual list (.pdf) has been published by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association since 2013. Rankings are based on the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that list a university as the first assignee. ``Our faculty's ability to create new technologies and innovate year after year is one of our great strengths as a university,'' said Bill Kirkland, executive director of USC's Office for Innovation, Partnership and Economic Engagement. ``Their continued contributions to scientific discovery ultimately improve the quality of life not just our state, but all over the world.''
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-7-1

. Madam , I thank my good friend, Judge Al Green. He is a brother, and I appreciate him very much. We have differences of opinion, but I know we are going to end up the same place together. prgtoken Madam , there is so much that has been going on that has been disrupting the country, and I am not sure what all my good friend, a former judge in Houston, was saying. I didn't get to hear that. But I believe he was addressing some of the unrest. prgtoken He and I both want to see freedom. We want to see equality. We want to see people treated fairly and equally. Those are things we share, and I know that is what is on his heart. prgtoken But I am highly concerned about the legitimate peaceful protests that were taking place as a result of the cruel death, the killing of George Floyd. And his family, and the way they approached it, was inspirational. There deserve to be protests over that horrendous death. prgtoken The Floyd family pointed out they did not want the legacy of George Floyd to be violence and suffering and death and looting. That was not, and is not, what they want for the memory and legacy of George Floyd. prgtoken But the movement has been hijacked. The violence they don't want, just the justice they want. It has been hijacked. And it is very important that Americans understand what is going on here, so that it is not just those who have spent our lifetimes studying history that see so clearly what is going on by instigators who want to see the country that has been in an ongoing state of getting better and better--for years, even with unfairness and inequality, it has still been the hope of the world when it comes to freedom and a shot at equality. prgtoken Antifa, short for antifascist--and there has been no greater irony in the world that Hitler and Stalin--two mad men, evil men with a globalist desire--ended up against each other. Of course, it is quite ironic that when they got together and signed a treaty, both of them, behind the scenes, were talking about the day when that individual would breach the treaty with the other. prgtoken One of the things Stalin was so furious about when Hitler moved east was that Hitler broke the treaty before Stalin had the chance to. They were two evil people, and they were pushing an evil idea: with Hitler, the evil of fascism; with Stalin, the evil of Marxism, communism, socialism, whatever you want to call it. It is all about the same thing. prgtoken So, you have communism and fascism. Both of them want globalism. They want to control the world, and they don't want anybody else to control it. They want to control it. prgtoken The treachery and the evil that went under both of those leaders is legendary. Hitler killed over 6 million Jews in some of the most horrific and evil ways conceivable. Stalin did the same thing, except he killed many millions more. prgtoken Then in China, decades after that came Mao, who brought communism to China. It is hard to get your ar
SIDNEY AND KINSEY IRRIGATION DISTRICTS SHOULD NOT LOSE POWER
Greg Gianforte (Republican, MT) \u2014 2020-7-1

the Sidney and Kinsey Irrigation Districts serve more than 130 family farms that irrigate nearly 12,000 acres of farmland in eastern Montana. prgtoken A recent decision by the Bureau of Reclamation has upended 70 years of how Sidney and Kinsey irrigators have received project use power to pump water. prgtoken The change will increase power costs from 2.5 percent of their annual budget to nearly 40 percent. prgtoken Losing this power would put these family farmers and companies out of business. prgtoken My amendment will fix this issue by restoring the original arrangement that has been in place for 70 years. prgtoken I urge support for it. Montana Should be Able to Sell its Coal Overseas