mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO DR. MICHAEL CARTER
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-1-21

for more than two decades, my friend Dr. Michael Carter has made Campbellsville University an oasis where students can answer their calling. Nestled in the heart of Taylor County, CU offers quality Christian higher education to thousands of future leaders. As the school's president, Michael accomplished one remarkable goal after another. He also set the university on a path toward long-term success. At the end of last year, Michael began a richly-earned retirement leaving behind a grateful university community. I would like to take a moment today to recognize my friend for his servant leadership and his lasting impact in Kentucky and beyond. prgtoken According to CU's board chair, Michael's leadership ``forever transformed'' the century-old school. I couldn't agree more. When Michael came to campus in 1999, the university was home to around 1,600 students and 74 full-time faculty. His tenure has seen the CU family grow to include more than 13,500 students and a record-setting freshman class despite the coronavirus pandemic. CU recently graduated its first class of Ph.D. students, marking a major milestone for the school's academic excellence. He also nearly tripled the faculty ranks with leading scholars and dedicated educators. prgtoken To accommodate the new students and faculty, Michael undertook an ambitious plan to grow CU's physical footprint. That plan--like everything at CU--was centered on faith. Michael embarked on the construction of a landmark chapel anchoring the entire community in its mission. Then, under the steeple of the new Ransdell Chapel, the growth has continued to surpass expectations. prgtoken CU's expansion wasn't limited to the city of Campbellsville, either. Michael oversaw the opening of eight additional centers of learning in Kentucky and around the country. The university was even approved for a new international arm in Ontario. Today, CU properties account for 1.1 million square feet, giving it the ability to serve current students with plenty of space to expand its reach. prgtoken In each of my visits to the school, I have been impressed by the remarkable development under Michael's leadership. From its 850 student athletes to a $137 million economic impact in Taylor County, Michael has helped CU reach previously unbelievable heights. With the rest of his all-star leadership team, including my friend Dr. John Chowning, Michael drove the school's growth while keeping focus on an unmatched student experience. prgtoken When CU bid farewell to its president, the community also said goodbye to its consequential first lady. Debbie Carter has a long list of accomplishments in her own right. She took a leadership role in securing a national accreditation for CU's Carver School of Social Work. She was also a driving force to create pathways for students with financial needs to attend CU. Michael and Debbie made an incredible team that changed this university and our C
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2021-1-21

I rise today in opposition of the legislative waiver for the nominee to become the next Secretary of Defense. prgtoken Since the inception of our Republic, civilian control of our military by democratically-elected civilians has been fundamental to American Government. This principle was firmly established as General George Washington famously resigned his commission to the Continental Congress in 1783, when he might have easily positioned himself as the leader of the fledgling American Government instead. With this bedrock principle in mind, Congress in 1947 established a limitation on former military generals serving as Secretary of Defense without a sufficient number of yes in civilian life. Today, Active-duty military members must have been retired for at least 7 years before becoming eligible to serve as Defense Secretary. prgtoken Four years ago, despite great concern for what I saw as an erosion of the principle of civilian control of our military, I voted in support of granting a ``one-time exception'' to the statutory requirement for the confirmation of Gen. James Mattis. Until Congress prgtoken granted a waiver of this requirement in 2017 for General Mattis, Congress had approved a waiver only once before, in 1950 for General George Marshall. With the nomination of Gen. Lloyd Austin, what I had thought would be a once-in-a-generation waiver in 2017 now appears to be the start of an unwelcome trend. prgtoken To be clear, I do not believe that General Austin himself poses a specific risk to the civilian control of our military. By all accounts, he is a dedicated public servant and patriot with more than 40 years of successful military service. However, I do not believe that President has offered a strong enough justification for granting another legislative waiver in so short a time. prgtoken Should a waiver for his service be approved over my objections, which appears likely to occur, I intend to support General Austin's nomination based on his merits and qualifications. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, including as commander of U.S. Central Command during one of the region's most challenging periods for the United States, he has served with professionalism and diligence and has earned the trust of President . prgtoken General Austin has committed to uphold the principle of civilian control of the military and pledged to ensure civilian leadership and oversight over the Pentagon's strategic and operational planning. I commend General Austin for once again answering the call to serve, and I look forward to working with him to rebalance our civil-military relations toward civilian control. prgtoken In November 2018, the congressionally appointed National Defense Strategy Commission concluded that, ``There is an imbalance in civil- military relations on critical issues of strategy development and implementation. Civilian voices appear relatively muted on iss
HONORING THE LIFE OF RONALD FRANCIS DWYER
Darin LaHood (Republican, IL) \u2014 2021-1-21

. Madam , I would like to honor and remember the life of Ronald Francis Dwyer, who passed away on December 24, 2020, at the age of 77 after an eight-year battle with cancer. prgtoken Born in Edwards, Illinois in 1943, Ron displayed natural gravitation towards community and teaching. Ron worked in education for 46 years as a teacher/counselor, coach, and principal for Spalding High School, Limestone High School, East Peoria High School, Notre Dame High School, Armstrong Oakview Grade School in East Peoria, Paul Bolin Grade School in East Peoria and Central Junior High School in East Peoria. After he retired from 23 years in public schools and 23 years in private schools, Ron began serving for three years as a bailiff for the Peoria County Court House. Ron spent 21 years as a sports official in basketball, baseball, and football. Ron is a member of the Peoria Sports Officials Hall of Fame. prgtoken Ron was a man of deep faith and a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Kickapoo, Illinois, where he belonged to Bishop Rosati Council of the Knights of Columbus. Ron's devout service awarded him the PRO Ecclesia ET Pontific Medallion from the Diocese of Peoria in 2000, the Peoria Notre Dame Foundation award in 2004, and the Alumni of the Year Award in 2017. The religious values and foundation of faith instilled through Ron's teachings will continue to strengthen our community for years to come. prgtoken From teacher, coach, administrator, sports official, husband, father, and grandfather, Ron lived his life serving others with honesty, humility, and integrity. We mourn the passing of Ronald Dwyer, a friend and hero to many across the state of Illinois. He left a lasting impact on those who had the pleasure of knowing and learning from him.
REMEMBERING HENRY H.R. ``HANK'' COE
Cynthia M. Lummis (Republican, WY) \u2014 2021-1-21

today I am pleased to recognize Senator Henry ``Hank'' Coe, who has retired from the Wyoming State Senate after 31 years of dedicated service and over 40 years of public service to Wyoming. prgtoken A Cody, WY native, Senator Coe has shown his dedication and love for the State of Wyoming and willingness to serve its citizens. Hank was first elected to the Wyoming Senate in 1989 and served with distinction for over three decades. During his tenure in the Wyoming Senate, Senator Coe served as vice president of the senate from 1997 to 1998; senate majority floor leader from 1999 to 2000; and as president of the senate from 2001 to 2002. prgtoken Senator Coe was chairman of the Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee from 1992 to 1998, where he worked to grow the tourism industry into one of Wyoming's largest industries. He also served on the Education Committee from 2003 to 2019, working to ensure that Wyoming's children had the tools they need to succeed. These are just a few of the many roles to which Senator Coe brought his passion and expertise, and represent a cornerstone of Wyoming public policy. Prior to joining the Wyoming Senate, Senator Coe served 8 years as a Park County commissioner, and in honor of his service, the commissioners have declared April 29 ``Hank Coe Day'' in Park County, WY. prgtoken Senator Coe's service to our great State goes beyond his work as an elected official. He was a respected member of his community. He was a member of the Volunteer Fire Department, a trustee for the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a member of the Wyoming Business Alliance, an advisor for the Regional Airport board, and much more. prgtoken I had the honor of serving with Senator Coe during my time in the Wyoming Legislature. Our desks were right across the aisle from one another on the Senate floor, and we enjoyed playing subtle pranks on each other. I will also cherish many evenings at the home of his extraordinary mother, Peg Coe, retiring to the den of her sprawling home for drinks and unforgettable conversation. The Coes are a one of a kind but quintessential Wyoming family of the highest order. prgtoken Senator Coe passed away today, but I have no doubt he will be an example for generations to come of a dedicated public servant, a model of humility, and a true beacon for the values Wyoming holds dear. prgtoken Thank you, Senator Coe for your years of tireless service to Wyoming and for your friendship. I send your family my condolences. God bless.
PROVIDING FOR EXCEPTION TO LIMITATION AGAINST APPOINTMENT OF PERSONS AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITHIN SEVEN YEARS OF RELIEF FROM ACTIVE DUTY
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2021-1-21

from Alabama for his strong leadership as our new ranking member, and I look forward to working with him and the chairman on what is truly still, I think, the most bipartisan committee in Congress. prgtoken I want to make clear that I have enormous respect for General Austin's service. I don't think anyone can look at his record and not come away very impressed. prgtoken But I also strongly oppose this bill. There is no waiver; we are actually changing the underlying law. This was one of the biggest talking points 4 years ago. And we should not do so lightly. prgtoken Much has been made about the historic nature of Mr. Austin's nomination, which is true but in more ways than one. If we change the law today, we will now have done so twice within 4 years, effectively destroying the historical precedent against such exemptions. prgtoken We will also invert the congressional intent in the underlying National Security Act by setting the precedent that the presumption is for approval, not the disapproval, of recently retired officers. prgtoken So the law and the norm of civil-military relations that it is meant to buttress is on life support right now. prgtoken And, as in 2017, we will be granting this exemption without a public hearing of the Armed Services Committee, which is the bare minimum of our constitutional obligations. We will be getting rolled over, to borrow a phrase that was used 4 years ago. prgtoken And I don't know, I am not in the room where these ratios are discussed, and this and that, but it seems to me that it is worth waiting a few days in order to have such a public hearing, but it is my understanding that our entire workweek next week has been canceled. prgtoken So I don't think it withstands basic scrutiny to suggest that we couldn't have had a public hearing to discuss this very, very important issue. prgtoken Now, 4 years ago, I voted in favor of the exemption for Secretary Mattis. I think it was my first vote. It was certainly my first speech on the House floor. So it is fair to ask what has changed. Well, a lot has changed. prgtoken First and perhaps most importantly, the threat from China is far greater, and we need a Secretary with INDOPACOM experience. The nominee has admitted that he is not uniquely qualified in that regard, and I don't think there is a more important aspect of his experience that we could analyze in considering whether to change the underlying law. prgtoken Second, budgetary pressures on the Department are much bigger. Particularly in the post-pandemic world, it is going to be far more difficult to build off of the success that we have had in giving the Department the resources it needs, and we will need a Secretary with political experience who can fight and win interagency battles for a higher top line. prgtoken And, third, we also have more data. Four years ago, we ran this experiment for the first time in 67 years, and we learned that recently r
FILIBUSTER
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2021-1-21

there is a lot going on in the Senate, a lot of activity behind the scenes right now. Leadership of both parties is negotiating a 50-50 power-sharing agreement, which is very important for the Senate and very important for our Nation. prgtoken One issue that is being discussed is the status of what is going to happen, possibly--hopefully, nothing is going to happen--with a really important element of the U.S. Senate: the legislative filibuster-- something that has been a hallmark of this body almost since the founding of the Republic. This shouldn't be a hard issue. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter, led by Senator Collins and Senator Coons, dated April 7, 2017, to the then- majority leader, Senator McConnell, and the ic leader, Senator Schumer
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-1-21

I want to start by congratulating President and Vice President , who took office yesterday. We have a team of former Senators in the White House. prgtoken Yesterday was a hopeful day. The Capitol Building, so recently besieged by violence and lawlessness, resumed its rightful place as the seat of our democracy and backdrop for the peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next that is a hallmark of our system of government. The faith of many Americans has been shaken in recent weeks. But yesterday reminded us that our democracy still stands and our Nation endures--bruised, maybe, but unbroken. prgtoken I also want to express my profound gratitude to the Capitol Police officers and other law enforcement who, though outnumbered and overrun, defended this Capitol on January 6, and to the soldiers and the law enforcement who have guarded this building in the days since. We live in peace and freedom because of the service and sacrifice of our military and our police officers. prgtoken After the election of November, President gave a victory speech in which he pledged to be ``a President who seeks not to divide, but to unify. Who doesn't see Red and Blue states, but a United States. And who will work with all my heart to win the confidence of the whole people.'' prgtoken He reiterated that commitment in yesterday's speech, stating: ``On this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation.'' prgtoken That is what we need right now--a President who will unite us. If President can truly be a President who governs for all Americans, who respects all Americans, and who works to win the confidence of the whole people, he will have done our Nation a great service. prgtoken And I do think President is capable of doing this, but I do want to sound a cautionary note. It is common to talk about unity at Presidential inaugurations. But all too often that commitment to unity is forgotten--by the President or by the members of his party. I hope this commitment will be backed up with action and that leaders in Congress will embrace the President's words. That means respecting those Americans who didn't vote for President as well as those who did. prgtoken It means working together to confront our Nation's challenges, instead of adopting an ``our way or the highway'' approach. It means preserving minority rights in the Senate when it comes to legislation, the heart--the heart--of what makes the Senate special and something s, I might add, defended during our time in the majority. prgtoken For the President, it means nominating individuals who represent a majority of Americans, not the far left fringes of his party. I have seen some hopeful actions from President . Several of his nominees for important posts, while perhaps not those whom I would have chosen, are public servants whom I believe w
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2021-1-21

I consider it an honor and a privilege to acknowledge for the official record Houston County, TN, sesquicentennial anniversary. prgtoken Each State is its own melting pot of history and culture, and Tennessee is no exception. In Houston County, the Irish roots of the pioneers who explored the Cumberland River run deep, having buried themselves in the rugged, foggy hills and creek beds that so resembled the founders' homeland. prgtoken First settled in the 1780s, the Houston County area served as a new frontier for early pioneers. What began as a small working settlement flourished into a community that bore witness at the crossroads of the Civil War, embraced the possibilities of crisscrossing railroads, and led the charge toward progress that we now look back on as a major industrial boom. prgtoken On January 21, 1871, the Tennessee legislature officially established Houston County, named in honor of Texas freedom fighter and the sixth Governor of Tennessee, Sam Houston. Since then, the people who call Houston County home have turned their little prgtoken piece of rural Tennessee into a beautiful place to live, work, and raise a family. prgtoken Congratulations are in order to the members of the Houston County Historical Society and, most importantly, to the citizens of Houston County. I ask my colleagues to join with me in wishing them another 150 years of progress and prosperity.
PROVIDING FOR EXCEPTION TO LIMITATION AGAINST APPOINTMENT OF PERSONS AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITHIN SEVEN YEARS OF RELIEF FROM ACTIVE DUTY
Chris Jacobs (Republican, NY) \u2014 2021-1-21

I rise today in support of the waiver allowing General Lloyd Austin to serve as Secretary of Defense. prgtoken Civilian leadership at the top of the Pentagon is desirable and necessary. I believe this should only be reserved for unique circumstances. Regularly nominated candidates who require waivers is not a precedent we should set. prgtoken However, examining General Austin's credentials and the circumstances facing our Nation lead me to believe the approval of this specific waiver is warranted. prgtoken The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. China is growing bolder and more prgtoken aggressive, using espionage, cyber warfare, and manipulation to undermine U.S. and global security. Iran remains an ever-present threat to the Middle East and the world. North Korea continues to pursue an ambitious nuclear weapons development program. prgtoken These issues and others require the steady hand of an experienced and qualified Secretary of Defense. General Austin meets these requirements and is more than qualified to oversee our Nation's military. prgtoken , I urge the support of this waiver. I look forward to working with Secretary Austin to confront these very real threats to our national security.
DEPARTING ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2021-1-21

. Madam , as President left office, he presented an address the evening before his departure correctly reviewing his achievements. I have had the opportunity to see his success firsthand. prgtoken Last January, I was in a bi-partisan delegation to Poland and Israel. In Krakow citizens were grateful to President placing American troops in Poland deterring Russian aggression. At the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem, citizens were so appreciative of President . Previously, I led a House delegation for the historic opening in May 14, 2018, of the American Embassy in Jerusalem with President fulfilling Promises Made Promises Kept. prgtoken Last February, I accompanied Senator Tim Scott and his mother, Frances Scott, to his hometown of North Charleston on Air Force One with President where he highlighted his heartfelt success for American families of the lowest unemployment seen ever for African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. prgtoken The Address of January 19, 2021, can be cherished by the 62,984,828 supporters in 2016 carrying 86 percent of the nation's counties, and by the 74,216,722 supporters in 2020 resulting in South Carolina having the largest majorities in 140 years. ``My fellow Americans, four years ago we launched a great national effort to rebuild our country, to renew its spirit, and to restore the allegiance of this government to its citizens. In short, we embarked on a mission to make America great again for all Americans. As I conclude my term as the 45th President of the United States, I stand before you truly proud of what we have achieved together. We did what we came here to do, and so much more. This week we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck, a very important word. ``I'd like to begin by thanking just a few of the amazing people who made our remarkable journey possible. First, let me express my overwhelming gratitude for the love and support of our spectacular First Lady Melania. Let me also share my deepest appreciation to my daughter, lvanka, my son-in-law Jared, and to Baron, Don, Eric, Tiffany, and Lara. You fill my world with light and with joy. I also want to thank Vice President , his wonderful wife, Karen, and the entire family. Thank you as well to my chief of staff, Mark Meadows, the dedicated members of the White House staff, and the cabinet, and all of the incredible people across our administration who poured out their heart and soul to fight for America. ``I also want to take a moment to thank a truly exceptional group of people, the United States Secret Service. My family and I will forever be in your debt. My profound gratitud