mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE LIFE OF JASBIR ``GUDDI'' KAUR SIDHU
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-15

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate Mrs. Jasbir ``Guddi'' Sidhu who tragically passed away on Sunday, October 6, 2019. Guddi will be remembered for her dedicated service to the Sikh community of Fresno, California. prgtoken Guddi lived an admirable life and made countless contributions to the city of Fresno. For 25 years, she had a weekly television show and was a founding member of KBIF 900, a local radio station. Her weekend program featured interviews with community members, cultural figures and well-known international songs. Her station was aired not only in Fresno, but also in India and streamed by thousands on social media. prgtoken Guddi was a well-known and well-respected leader in the Punjabi Sikh community. She was a member of numerous local groups and worked hard to preserve the Punjabi culture and Sikh religion for children and families in the community. Guddi was a member of the Sikh Women's Organization for 15 years and was Vice President Sikh Institute of Fresno. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and service of Jasbir ``Guddi'' Sidhu. She was a respected member in the community and had a passion for the people of the Central Valley.
TRIBUTE TO SCOTT KAUFMAN
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-10-15

today I wish to recognize Mr. Scott Kaufman's term of service as chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, which includes the contributions he has made to Metro Detroit and its Jewish communities. prgtoken Founded in 1926, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit has supported the Jewish population in the greater Detroit area by addressing their health, welfare, educational, cultural, and spiritual needs, not only in Southeast Michigan, but also in Israel and throughout the world. Under Mr. Kaufman's stewardship, the federation has expanded these efforts, which have strengthened the Jewish community, and Southeast Michigan, as a whole. prgtoken Mr. Kaufman has been with the federation since 2007, serving in a variety of roles including director of strategic initiatives and director of the federation's yearlong effort to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Israel in 2008, as well as leading multiple family missions to Israel. prgtoken Mr. Kaufman has also ensured the longevity of the federation by encouraging its engagement of young Jewish people. Mr. Kaufman's leadership in those efforts led to the development of programs such as CommunityNEXT and NEXTGen Detroit. These programs have gone on to become models of engagement for Jewish organizations across the country. His initiatives have focused on addressing crucial needs within the community, such as JHelp, where individuals in need can find resources to aid them in areas such as housing, disability services, and mental health. These efforts have led to the expansion of the federation's scope and mission, as well as the impact it continues to make in Metro Detroit. prgtoken The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit is a dynamic organization whose endeavors have been felt far and wide in communities across metro Detroit. Its rich history of service to the Jewish community and all residents of Southeast Michigan continue to enhance of vibrancy of Metro Detroit. As the federation celebrates and reflects on the end of Mr. Kaufman's term as CEO, I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating him, as well as the employees and volunteers of the federation, whose impact has and continues to improve the lives so many. I wish the federation success in the years ahead as it continues in its mission, and I am confident Mr. Kaufman's will continue to lead endeavors in metro Detroit that strengthen the community.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-10-15

over the past month, evidence has emerged that the President of the United States pressured a foreign leader to investigate one of his leading political rivals. A whistleblower inside the intelligence community first raised alarms that the President applied pressure on Ukrainian President Zelensky that would benefit President politically. The President himself then released a memorandum of his conversation with President Zelensky, which demonstrably validated the whistleblower's concerns. prgtoken In the weeks that followed, the House has received testimony from a number of State Department officials who have filled in additional pieces to this very troubling puzzle. Rudy Giuliani's efforts to dig up dirt on the President's political rivals were well known within the State Department and the National Security Council. The Ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, was heavily involved with Mr. Giuliani, and we continue to receive additional information about Mr. Sondland's participation. His scheduled testimony in the coming days will undoubtedly be relevant and important. prgtoken Amidst all of this, the White House has engaged in stonewalling and outright defiance of congressional prerogatives. The State Department instructed its officials not to comply with congressional subpoenas, the White House has refused to cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry, and the President has publicly and repeatedly sought to bully and intimidate the whistleblower. prgtoken As additional facts are unearthed, we have a responsibility to consider them with the best interest of our country in mind. The whistleblower was doing a courageous and patriotic act and must be protected. He must be protected. The Constitution made Congress a coequal branch of government. That role must be respected. The matter at the heart of the inquiry concerns the very integrity of our democratic elections, and it must be investigated thoroughly, completely, and in a nonpartisan manner. prgtoken Our Founding Fathers feared foreign interference in our elections and considered it one of the greatest threats facing our fledgling Republic. Once again, the wisdom of the Founding Fathers shines through. If a foreign country can meddle in or affect the outcome of our elections, Americans will quickly lose faith in our democracy. If Russia or China or Iran controls our elections, what the heck do we vote for? So the alleged offense by the President is clearly serious enough to warrant an investigation by Congress, and that is exactly what the House of Representatives is doing in its impeachment inquiry, and it must continue unimpeded. prgtoken We can do two things, and we must do them. We can protect the Constitution and take action to help average working families at the same time. Here in the Senate, we can do both: protect the Constitution and help average working families. It is not either-or. It is not one or the other.
IN MEMORY OF DR. CORNELIUS W. GRANT
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-10-15

. Madam , I rise today to honor a strategic thinker, a great motivational speaker, an excellent entrepreneur, a man of God, a friend of longstanding, and my fraternity brother, Dr. Cornelius W. Grant. Sadly, Dr. Grant passed away on Saturday, September 28, 2019, at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Georgia. His homegoing service was held on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. His passing leaves a tremendous void in the lives of his family, friends, and the countless students he mentored as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Albany State College (now University) and those he touched in his many other endeavors. prgtoken Dr. Cornelius ``C.W.'' Grant, also affectionately known as ``Dean Grant'', was born on February 10, 1931, to the union of the late Reverend Everett Grant and Mrs. Elberta Clark Grant. He was a product of the public-school system in Jacksonville, Florida, graduating from Stanton High School. The next step of his life's journey took him to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). He took a brief respite from FAMU to serve our country in the United States Army. After a successful tour of duty, he returned to FAMU and earned his Juris Doctorate Degree. He began his career at Albany State College in 1966 as the Vice President for Student Affairs where he retired in 1996 after an incredible 30-year career. prgtoken Because of the solid spiritual foundation that was instilled in him at an early age by his parents, he enjoyed a strong relationship with God. He was an active member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia for many years, serving under the leadership of Dr. E. James Grant and Dr. Daniel B. Simmons. In later years, he continued his walk with the Lord at Second Mount Zion Baptist Church in Albany under the leadership of Dr. Theodus Drake. God indeed ordered the steps of his life. prgtoken He was highly sought-after as a public speaker, lecturer, and consultant. Dr. Grant gave many speeches all across the country. He always left a mark and very often ended his speeches with his legendary phrase, ``If it is to be, it is up to me!'' prgtoken Dr. Grant was armed with a servant's heart and gave of himself in selfless service to many local, state, and national organizations to include: The National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP); the American Association of Law Librarians; the Benevolent Elks; the Pinochle Club; Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (Delta Delta Chapter); The Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany; Albany Civil Rights Institute; the American Red Cross; The Dougherty County School Board; and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Grant was a leader and not a follower. He served as President of the Albany Civil Rights Institute Board of Directors, Chairman of the Dougherty School Board and also served as President of NASAP. Dr. Grant was also a trailblazer and a history maker. As a life member of Kappa
TRIBUTE TO COLONEL STEVEN D. WEINTRAUB (RET.)
Kyrsten Sinema (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2019-10-15

today I wish to honor the career Col. Steven D. Weintraub Retired, a veteran, community leader, and member of my Veterans Advisory Council. Colonel Weintraub began his service in August 1987 and continued to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps in various Active-Duty and Reserve roles until his retirement in August of this year. He is highly regarded by his fellow marines as a devoted officer and proud Arizonan, eager to accept the call of duty. prgtoken Colonel Weintraub's career of more than 30 years is distinguished by his commitment to public service. Upon completion of his basic training in August 1987, then-Private First Class Weintraub returned to Arizona State University to complete his bachelor's degree in order to enter the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course and receive a commission as a second lieutenant. In April 1992, then-First Lieutenant Weintraub deployed to Mogadishu in support of various humanitarian aid missions. In February 2003, while in the Marine Corps Reserves, then-Major Weintraub deployed to Kuwait, where he was responsible for the implementation and operation of expeditionary hose reel fuel systems during Operation Iraqi Freedom. In November 2004, then Major Weintraub selflessly volunteered to mobilize to Active Duty in order to return to Iraq. For his work as a command inspector general and G-4 with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade, then-Major Weintraub was promoted to lieutenant colonel in June 2005 and eventually colonel in December 2011. From the time of his promotion until his retirement in August 2019, Colonel Weintraub continued to serve in various esteemed logistical command roles, strategizing the practical implementation of new technologies and ensuring that Marine installations around the world had what they needed to get the job done. prgtoken For his courageous service, Colonel Weintraub has received the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and various other campaign medals, ribbons, and unit awards. Colonel Weintraub continues to serve his fellow soldiers as chief strategy officer for the Veteran Tickets Foundation, Vet Tix, a national nonprofit organization that provides free event tickets to veterans and servicemembers to help them reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, and stay engaged with local communities and American life. prgtoken Please join me in honoring Colonel Weintraub's esteemed career and wishing him a joyful retirement.
Pensions (Executive Session)
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2019-10-15

I want to thank my colleague from Ohio, Senator Brown, and also Senator Stabenow, Senator Casey, and all those who feel as strongly as we do and have constituents in our States who really helped build this country and deserve the respect we give them and also the hard fight to make sure we do the right thing for them. prgtoken We are here today to bring attention to the issue of American workers' pensions. I thank you for allowing me to speak to the ever- present issue that our retired workers face, which is the security of their pensions. My colleagues and I have come to the floor to speak on behalf of some of America's hardest workers. prgtoken It has been 285 days since I introduced the American Miners Act, which would protect miners' pensions from becoming collateral during coal mine bankruptcies. This is something that should have been done. It has been on Leader McConnell's desk for quite some time. We could have taken care of this a few years ago. We got the healthcare part done, but they split it apart, and we weren't able to get the pensions. prgtoken Miners rely on their hard-earned pensions in retirement. They should be secured even if the coal companies file bankruptcy. We must act, and this cannot happen without bipartisan support. The coal miners, autoworkers, Teamsters, steelworkers, and every other worker that invest in their pension funds deserve to have stability and security in their retirement. The multiemployer pension system in the United States is in crisis. prgtoken Approximately 130 multiemployer pension plans, including the United Mine Workers of America 1974 Pension Fund, are expected to become insolvent in the next few years. The miners' pension fund alone, a critical plan that covers 82,000 retired miners--25,000 of those in West Virginia and 20,000 fully vested current workers--is projected to become insolvent by 2022. Remember that date, 2022. But there is a catch to that. We have one major coal company in the United States on the fringe of bankruptcy as I speak to you today. If they fall into bankruptcy, this whole pension plan for the miners goes into turmoil. By September 2020--within a year from now--the coal miners could see drastic cuts to their benefits if we don't act. If the UMWA Pension Fund becomes insolvent, there will be a snowball effect for the central pensions. prgtoken It has been said that the recession of 2007 and 2008 will be a blip on the radar screen compared to what this will do to our economy nationwide. The companies are going to walk away scot-free. It is unacceptable that some of our hardest workers have to beg for the money that they put into the pension fund over years and years of hard work. prgtoken Yet this is not only coal miners' pensions. It is bringing attention to all the pension plans in America. Everyone deserves to have stability in their retirement, especially those who have paid into pension plans for decades. This fight i
HOMELESS VETERAN FAMILIES ACT
Julia Brownley (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-15

providing housing to our Nation's homeless veterans is an essential first step and critical to everything in a veteran's life, including getting the healthcare they have earned, taking advantage of veteran education benefits, getting a job, and having the quality of life they have earned and deserved--and what our country has promised. prgtoken Passage of this legislation will benefit veterans of all eras and their minor children who are struggling and suffering with homelessness. prgtoken My bill has over 300 cosponsors, which is indicative of the bipartisan support for addressing this important and time-sensitive issue. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I thank the chairman for bringing my bill to the floor.
ESTABLISHING A GRANT PROGRAM FOR CEMETERY RESEARCH AND PRODUCING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-15

the balance of my time. prgtoken In closing, I do want to mention a couple of important stories related to the Veterans Legacy Program. prgtoken Earlier this year, Professor Hedge Coke of the University of California, Riverside presented testimony supporting H.R. 2385, as amended. prgtoken Her research on the veterans buried at the Riverside National Cemetery--by the way, the largest national cemetery in terms of its geography in my district. She developed teaching curricula for local teachers. She has remarkable energy in the remarkable attention that she has brought to the cemetery. Her students use her educational programs to revitalize the stories of the men and women buried there. prgtoken And, , at our hearing, Professor Hedge Coke told us that the Veterans Legacy Program doesn't just bring students and community members to the cemeteries; it takes the history of the cemeteries back to the classrooms. Undergraduates, graduate students, and recent alumni of UC Riverside go to local classrooms, from kindergarten through high school, to foster this programming. prgtoken She said that in almost every classroom, a good third of the students have significant ties to the cemetery they didn't know anything about. This allows discovery of family and neighborhood ties and encourages cultural development within the community. prgtoken To date, her program has produced dozens of lesson plans, and she has worked with over 2,700 students in local public schools, including the Sherman Indian High School. prgtoken I also want to say that one of the heroes that is buried at that cemetery, Riverside National Cemetery, is Ysmael ``Smiley'' Villegas from Casa Blanca, who earned the Medal of Honor by charging enemy foxholes in World War II. He was killed 1 day short of his 21st birthday. prgtoken Smiley Villegas' neighborhood, Casa Blanca, is a small neighborhood of about 225 families; yet this neighborhood of 225 families sent 254 troops to serve in World War II. prgtoken , the Veterans Legacy Program helps to memorialize veterans like Smiley and the enormous contributions of minority communities like Casa Blanca. prgtoken The program recently created an interactive web app and digital mapping of Riverside National Cemetery. It includes gravestone tributes from local students, along with information about the cemetery's construction, history, and notes of interest, such as Native American and indigenous American veterans buried there. prgtoken In Professor Hedge Coke's words: ``The Legacy Program delivers this terrific meeting of story and culture to the university, K-12 schools, and the surrounding cultures and communities that make up our region.'' prgtoken , I wholeheartedly encourage all of my colleagues to join me in passing H.R. 2385, and .
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2019-10-15

. Madam , since St. Augustine, Florida, was founded as the first permanent settlement in 1565, the Hispanic and Latino communities have laid the foundations of the prosperous country we are all proud to call home. prgtoken Last Friday, October 11, I had the privilege to honor several south Florida leaders for their contributions. prgtoken Christina Campos is a Mexican-American mother of two who was raised in Homestead and now serves as Homestead Senior High School's community liaison. prgtoken Dr. Guilarte immigrated to the United States from Cuba when he was 10. He is a respected scientist and educator who became the dean of the FIU College of Public Health. prgtoken The Mexican-American Council's Homestead Mariachi Conservatory was recognized as Florida's premier mariachi music school for children. prgtoken Maria Nardi leads the Nation's third-largest accredited park system in the country, providing welcoming environments for all families in Florida. prgtoken On this final day of National Hispanic Heritage Month, let's remember that for many Americans across all parts of our country, Hispanic heritage is celebrated as something that we live every day.
NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-10-15

during National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are called to honor the contributions of a critical community--that of Hispanic Americans. Now accounting for 60 million individuals in the United States, these men and women are an essential pillar of our society. Although this group has grown significantly in recent decades, individuals of Hispanic descent and culture have been with our Nation since its very founding. prgtoken Hispanic identity is a complex concept, at least with respect to how many in the United States traditionally understand race and ethnicity. The word ``Hispanic'' stems from ``Hispanic,'' the Latin name for the ancient Roman colonies on the Iberian Peninsula that also serves as the origin for the modem state of Espana, or Spain. It was there that the Spanish or Castilian language, culture, and people developed out of the convergence of Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Celts, Basques, Visigoths and Arabs, in addition to Christians, Muslims, and Jews. prgtoken The story does not end there. Along the hallowed walls of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda are two paintings by John Vanderlyn depicting key historical scenes. In 1492, the Spanish Catholic Monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella agreed to sponsor the journey of Christopher Columbus in search of a passage to the East Indies. Columbus failed at this goal, but, as the Landing of Columbus illustrates, he did land in the island now named San Salvador in the Bahamas. This voyage prompted the Spanish exploration and colonization of the Americas, including North America, reaching as far as Mississippi in 1541, as depicted by William Henry Powell's Discovery of the Mississippi by De Soto, and even deep into the Pacific Northwest. prgtoken Even then, however, we are still missing other key elements of the story. The Spanish were not alone. They encountered vast empires, the Aztecs and the Incas, in addition to hundreds of other peoples, from the Mapuche in Argentina to the Maya in Guatemala. Colonization was a bloody process that uprooted and killed millions of indigenous people. Moreover, the Spanish brought millions of Africans to the Americas as part of the Atlantic slave trade. Men, women, and children had to struggle in cruel and terrible conditions as the property of others. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that the indigenous and African communities have helped make the Hispanic community what it is today, whether it's in culture, art, music, food, language, or even the genetic makeup of the people themselves. Significant portions of the Hispanic community can trace their descent to these two groups--at least in part, if not entirely. prgtoken The exploration and colonization that would lead to the creation of the Hispanic world in the Americas would, in turn, set the stage for English to do the same later, beginning with the first permanent settlement in Jamestown, VA, in 1607. Eventually, these English colonies would sever themse