mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION EXTENSION ACT
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-10-1

I rise today in opposition to this partisan bill that is not focused on helping families and small businesses. Everybody in this Chamber knows that this bill is going nowhere because they didn't even work with s to try to draft a proposal that could actually address the needs of families who are struggling. prgtoken There is a bill already filed at the door right over there, a bill that would help every small business, renew the Paycheck Protection Program using existing money--there are $138 billion frozen in an account that we unlock with Chabot's bill. Congressman Chabot has a bill with a discharge petition that would actually, in a bipartisan way, help small businesses go for a second round of Paycheck Protection funding. prgtoken And what do we get? Do we get today a bill that was brought together by both sides to solve this problem? prgtoken No, we don't. prgtoken We have a bill that was drawn up basically using the old-failed roadmap of the original Heroes Act. Now they had the Heroes Act passed in a partisan way--it was never going to go anywhere--months ago. prgtoken Did they say, okay, let's work with s? Let's work with the President? prgtoken No, they didn't. They said, Okay, we want to present a scaled-down bill. prgtoken , when they scaled the bill down, did they cut the billions of dollars of funding to illegal immigrants that was in the original Heroes Act? prgtoken No, they didn't. prgtoken Did they cut the hundreds of billions of dollars that go to failed States, prgtoken States that had billion-dollar deficits prior to COVID? prgtoken No, they kept that money. prgtoken And in fact, if you look at the things that had nothing to do with COVID--for example, mandating that States that currently require picture IDs have to remove that, ballot harvesting, which we have seen in so many States, leads to voter fraud. That is what is in the original Heroes Act. That still remains in this bill. What does that have to do with COVID relief? prgtoken And so if you look, take the original bill, the original Heroes Act had $600 million for police funding, community policing, things that have been proven effective to make our community safer, that was in the original Heroes Act. When they decided to cut--again, they didn't cut the billions for people here illegally, they still get cash payments if they are here illegally. They cut the police, zeroed out--$600 million defunding the police at a time when our communities need help. This was the original bill. The $600 million, it is gone. That is what they cut. They kept the illegal money, checks going to illegals. prgtoken Everybody knows this bill is going nowhere because it is a partisan hack job.
RECOGNIZING SWISHER ACQUISITION, INC.
Vicky Hartzler (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-10-1

I rise today to recognize the All Saints' Church in Nevada, Missouri, and to celebrate its 150th year of incorporation as a parish on All Saints Day, which will be recognized on November 1. prgtoken In November 1870, the All Saints' Church in Nevada was officially organized, and their church building was completed. The parish began making positive impacts in their local community that continue today. prgtoken The All Saints' parish expresses their love for their fellow neighbors through supporting the community outreach food pantry with donations of food and volunteering. prgtoken All Saints' also has been a pivotal supporting figure through their care for domestic violence victims and their selfless service to their neighbors and strangers alike. prgtoken I want to congratulate the All Saints' Church in Nevada, Missouri, for 150 years of service to the Lord and to the community. I wish them God's continued blessings in the coming year. prgtoken May your next 150 years be just as impactful as your first 150 years. Honoring the Life and Service of William Lane
PROTECT ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Ron Johnson (Republican, WI) \u2014 2020-10-1

reserving the right to object, I just found out about this bill a couple of hours ago. I have been busy. I haven't really been able to really research it, and that is part of the problem with what our ic colleagues are trying to do here in just quickly rushing it through the U.S. Senate. Maybe this has had a full vetting in the House of Representatives, but here, in the U.S. Senate, it hasn't gone through any committee process whatsoever. prgtoken Unfortunately, I also have to make the point--because I am sure they are trying to make a political point as opposed to trying to make law today--that I am opposed to all forms of domestic terrorism, including White supremacists. I think I speak for all of my colleagues, and I think I speak for every U.S. Senator: We all abhor domestic violence and terror, including White supremacists. prgtoken Again, I don't have much knowledge about this even though I am chairman of the committee of jurisdiction of one of the Departments that would be subject to this piece of legislation. I know that the Department was not consulted on this piece of legislation. I have been given notice here that the Department of Justice does not support this piece of legislation because it says it would seriously impede its ability to work in the domestic terrorism space. Again, I am not exactly sure why the Department of Justice does not like this piece of legislation. Suffice it to say that it doesn't. The Department of Homeland Security was not even consulted on this. As chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I don't know anything about this bill. prgtoken This is not the way to pass a serious piece of legislation that deals with a serious issue. If it is a good piece of legislation, the sponsors should have no problem running it through the normal committee of jurisdiction process. In this case, apparently, it is with the Judiciary Committee, but I would think my committee would also have some pretty strong equities in this space, not to mention the fact that I have been working with my ranking member on precisely these types of issues. prgtoken Instead of just trying to make a political point, what I have always tried to do is get a result and make law, but that has to go through a thoughtful process that uses the full committee process, which is not the case here. prgtoken So I object.
Cloture Motion (Executive Session)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-10-1

I want to talk just for a few moments about the internet and social media, and I want to make it clear, first, that I believe firmly in free will and responsibility. I believe that no matter what kind of day you are having or what is going on in your life, that you are responsible for your actions. prgtoken But I think we all know, as a matter of experience and common sense, that there are things in this world that can influence our actions. Social media, which I consider to be an American invention, has many virtues and many advantages, and we know that. I think it has brought the world closer today. I think it has given many people a voice. I think it is an extraordinary source of knowledge. prgtoken But like other innovations in this world, it has a downside. And one of those downsides is the fact that, too often, social media becomes an endless electronic brawl, and rather than bringing us together and exposing us to other points of view and causing us to test our assumptions against the arguments of others, it brings us apart. I think social media is, in part, responsible for that. prgtoken We all know that many social media platforms are free. Let's take Facebook, for example. Facebook is a free service. You open an account; you go on Facebook; and you can find out what your high school friends had for dinner Saturday night. Now, we give up a lot from that privilege of watching what our high school friends had for dinner Saturday night. Facebook collects an enormous amount of information about us. And, once again, I am not just picking on Facebook. I am using them as an example because it is such a popular platform that we all know about. Facebook uses that information in a number of ways. prgtoken First, Facebook uses it to make money. They know a lot of stuff about us from collecting information about us so they can sell advertisers' ads, and they can tailor those ads to the individuals who are on Facebook according to the information that the social media platform-- in this case, Facebook--has about them. You can even sell more ads if you can keep people who are on Facebook coming back and coming back and coming back. prgtoken So this is what happens. Some see this as a virtue, and some see it as a vice. A social media platform like Facebook gathers an enormous amount of information about us, and they learn, in intricate detail, what motivates us and what our interests are. Another way of saying that would be they learn what our hot buttons are. And they continually show us--what is the word I am looking for--advertisements, information, and postings of other people on Facebook that reinforce our beliefs, and, in some cases, they show us very radical bits of information that really push our hot buttons. prgtoken Now, why do they do that? Well, No. 1, it will keep us coming back to Facebook, and it will keep us on Facebook longer, which means that advertisers like us better because we are
MAKING CERTAIN TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO KLAMATH BASIN WATER SUPPLY ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2000
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2020-10-1

I am prepared to close, and such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I commend Congressman Greg Walden for his sponsorship of the House companion bill, H.R. 7116, that makes the needed noncontroversial technical corrections to the Klamath Basin Water Supply Act so that all the benefits can be accessed. prgtoken Congressman Gianforte is also supporting his constituents as the House sponsor of H.R. 3471, which mirrors Montana's provisions that are contained within S. 3758. prgtoken Again, I thank all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who worked hard to resolve this issue so that folks in these regions can have certainty about the water that they so desperately need. prgtoken , .
CONGRESS PASSED 600 PIECES OF LEGISLATION
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-10-2

this has been one of the most productive sessions of the U.S. House in modern history. prgtoken In less than 2 years, under ic leadership, the House has passed more than 600 pieces of legislation responding to the urgent priorities of the American people. prgtoken We have passed bills for the people, cracking down on corruption, driving down healthcare costs, and raising wages for workers. prgtoken Many of these bills are bipartisan. All are commonsense approaches for delivering results for working people. prgtoken But roughly 400 of these bills have been buried in Mitch McConnell's legislative graveyard. He won't even give them a vote. His sole purpose, it seems, is to pack the Federal judiciary with rightwing judges who will rip away healthcare from 20 million people and eliminate protections for people with preexisting conditions. prgtoken This is no way to run a democracy. The American people deserve better. That is why House will keep fighting for the people until these bills become law.
CONDEMNING QANON AND REJECTING THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES IT PROMOTES
Seth Moulton (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-10-2

in response to September 11, President and this Congress sent soldiers and Marines, like me, across the ocean to fight against extremism. The terrorists that we fought against used violence to advance their political agendas and viewed lawmakers here as their enemies. prgtoken QAnon, the proud boys, the boogaloo boys, and other extremist groups think and operate in similar ways. prgtoken But in this case, Americans do not have the luxury of looking across the ocean at this threat and just hoping and praying that it doesn't come home. prgtoken Members of these groups are American. Politicians have unforgivably embraced them. Social media platforms legitimize them to an unwitting public. prgtoken Well, I have had enough. prgtoken QAnon followers like to say, in their vague, ominous ramblings, that no one can stop what is coming. That is wrong. We can, and we will. prgtoken Do not let the unforgivable mainstream support for these groups raise doubts about our Nation's resolve in this fight against extremism, that we will stop what is coming, and then we will build a safer, stronger America.
CONDEMNING UNWANTED, UNNECESSARY MEDICAL PROCEDURES ON INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT THEIR FULL, INFORMED CONSENT
Jesús G. "Chuy" García (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-10-2

I rise in strong support of Congresswoman Jayapal's resolution to condemn unwanted and unnecessary medical procedures without the full, informed consent of individuals. prgtoken From the 1930s to the 1970s, Puerto Rican women were sterilized in order to control population growth. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, anti-immigrant sentiment resulted in the highest number of recorded state-sanctioned sterilizations of Mexican women in California. prgtoken Now, in 2020, we learn of allegations that immigrant women in ICE custody are being subjected to forced hysterectomies. prgtoken The stories we have heard from Georgia's Irwin County Detention Center are horrendous but, sadly, not new. They are a reminder of our country's dark history of forcing women of color to be sterilized. prgtoken Robbing Black and Brown women of full autonomy over their bodies and reproductive freedoms is white supremacy in action. In any other country, we would denounce these horrific incidents as violations of human rights. prgtoken I stand with my colleagues in strong support of the resolution to condemn these atrocities and hold those involved accountable. prgtoken I am disgusted but not surprised. This administration has dehumanized immigrants time and time again. Those seeking asylum have been stripped of their dignity, and some are now scarred for life. This is a violation of human rights, a violation of human dignity, and an atrocious violation of privacy and safety. prgtoken What happened in Georgia is criminal and must be condemned so that it may never happen again. I strongly urge adoption of this resolution.
CONGRESSIONAL COMMENDATION HONORING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Lucy McBath (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2020-10-2

. Madam , I rise today in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Every year from September 15 to October 15, the history and culture of Americans who are from or have ancestors from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America is recognized and celebrated. This observation was first established as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and President Ronald Reagan expanded the observance to a full month in 1988. This thirty-day period encapsulates many celebrations of independence for Latin American countries. September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile also celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18. prgtoken Our great nation would not be the same without the profound influence of Hispanic Americans across the country. Men and women from numerous countries have come to the United States in search of a better life for themselves and their families. In turn, their contributions have brought new ideas, new cuisines, new cultures to us all, and their presence here has created a more prosperous nation for all Americans. Guided by the promise of freedom and the chance to participate in the unique American experiment in democracy, some of these individuals arrived with nothing but the clothes on their back and the hope of a better tomorrow. Hispanic Americans have had influence on practically every part of American history, from politics to sports to sciences. Every day I am proud of their countless contributions to our country's story, and I would like to take this month to honor the crucial role that Hispanic Americans play in our society, and in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District in particular. prgtoken The Hispanic community in Georgia is vibrant and continues to grow significantly. I am proud to stand up and fight for the men and women who have contributed so much to our communities each day. Hispanic Americans help contribute to what makes this nation remarkable, and I am honored to lift up the voices of those who have selflessly dedicated their lives to building up themselves, their community, and this country. During these unprecedented times, we must work harder than ever to respect and encourage the diversity of our nation. I am routinely impressed by spirit of service and leadership displayed by Hispanic Americans in my district who work hard to give back to their own communities. Their work should be recognized every day, but particularly during Hispanic Heritage month. Therefore, I am honored to highlight three professionals who deserve special recognition: Gilda ``Gigi'' Pedraza, Santiago Marquez, and Vanessa Kosky. prgtoken Gilda ``Gigi'' Pedraza and her team at the Latino Community Fund-- Georgia (LCF Georgia) as they advocate for the Latino community, work to increase civic participation, provide immediate relief to the most vulnerable communities and
RECOGNIZING RETIREMENT OF BLAKE HURST
Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2020-10-2

. Madam , I rise to commemorate and thank Blake Hurst for his service to the Missouri Farm Bureau and to Missouri's agriculture community. prgtoken Blake is a well-respected gentleman throughout the State of Missouri, not just in my home district, the Fifth. He is well known in the ag community, serving as president of the Missouri Farm Bureau since 2010 and vice president and district board member before that. prgtoken I can attest to Blake's kindness and open-mindedness because he has worked with this urban representative from Kansas City. For 10 years, Blake has reached out to develop a relationship and partnership as we work together to do things for our district. prgtoken He understands the symbiosis that exists between rural areas and urban ones. He knows the importance of making sure that all families can put food on their tables. prgtoken I wish Blake well on his retirement as president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, but I know that as a farmer, he will keep busy with his family farm in northwest Missouri and their wholesale greenhouse business.
HONORING DR. BETTINA ``TINA'' ATKINS
Vicente Gonzalez (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-10-2

. Madam , I rise today to honor Dr. Bettina ``Tina'' Atkins, a pioneer in education who passed away on Saturday, August 22, 2020, at the age of 61. prgtoken Dr. Bettina ``Tina'' Atkins was born in Des Moines, Iowa, later moving to South Texas as a teenager. She graduated from McAllen High School in 1977 and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honors in Communication from the University of Texas, Pan American (UTPA) in 1981, now the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). prgtoken Dr. Atkins went on to earn a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership at UTPA in 1993 and a Ph.D. in Organization Leadership from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2015. She shared her love of and commitment to lifelong learning with thousands of children in South Texas. prgtoken Dr. Atkins' dedication to educational equality made her one of the most influential women in South Texas in the field of higher education. Dr. Atkins spent 24 years with Region One, an organization that assists school districts improve student performance and implement initiatives assigned by the state legislature or education commissioner. During her tenure with Region One, Dr. Atkins helped bring the first GEAR-UP grant to South Texas in 1999. These grants are designed to provide more low- income students with the tools and resources needed to succeed in postsecondary education. prgtoken Eventually, Dr. Atkins became the Director of several GEAR-UP grants, helping over 25,000 students and their families reach postsecondary education, changing their lives forever. Dr. Atkins also helped launch Project Heal2, which supports students who are interested in pursuing a nursing degree in high school through college. Dr. Atkins' accomplishments do not stop there, but I would like to take a moment to talk about her love for her family. prgtoken Dr. Atkins achieved all these incredible feats while being the ``happy coordinator'' for her family and her friends. She was a proud sister, aunt, and daughter. She emanated joy and positive energy everywhere she went. prgtoken Madam , Dr. Bettina ``Tina'' Atkins was an incredible leader and a shining light for South Texas. Her accomplishments will certainly be remembered for generations to come. I stand here today to thank Dr. Atkins for her contributions to the world, and I wish her family peace during these difficult times. She will be greatly missed.
CONDEMNING UNWANTED, UNNECESSARY MEDICAL PROCEDURES ON INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT THEIR FULL, INFORMED CONSENT
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2020-10-2

the balance of my time. prgtoken , let me close by saying to my good colleague across the aisle that, when he says that first reports are always wrong, let me ask, is that like the first reports of family separation or kids in cages? prgtoken When my colleague says to let the investigation continue, that is exactly what this resolution does. It specifically defines the ability to keep these women who will be witnesses in this investigation in the United States. In fact, just last week we had to, once again, make sure that a woman was not deported who had her left fallopian tube removed, and it was confirmed by independent gynecologists. prgtoken Now, , I really believe that we crafted this resolution in a way that it could truly be a bipartisan resolution and that protects the ability for this investigation to continue with all the facts on the table, and we are grateful that there is an investigation going. prgtoken But in order to have a proper investigation, we need to have these witnesses here. We need to make sure that the women who have had these procedures are actually able to get care. And we need to make sure that this House says very clearly, in any situation, that these unnecessary, unwanted medical procedures, if true, done without consent and knowledge, are wrong. prgtoken That is all this resolution does. prgtoken , I hope my colleagues on the other side will vote ``yes'' with us on this resolution, and .
HONORING THE CAREER OF JANE GOFF
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2020-10-2

I rise today to honor the career of Jane Goff, a lifelong educator who will be retiring from the Colorado State Board of Education after 12 years as a representative from the Seventh Congressional District. Jane's dedication to education for Colorado made a significant impact, which will last for years to come. prgtoken A native of Colorado, Jane graduated from Jefferson County Public Schools, where she would later spend 34 years as a French and Spanish teacher. She served on the Jeffco PTA Board of Directors and is president of the Jefferson County Education Association. prgtoken After the Columbine High School tragedy, Jane was frequently consulted on school safety and crisis response, providing a teacher's perspective to a variety of local, State, and national audiences. prgtoken After retirement from Jefferson County Public Schools, Jane was elected to the Colorado State Board of Education in 2008 and reelected in 2014. She served as a member of the National Association of State Boards of Education for 3 years before being elected president of that association in 2014. prgtoken Jane has worked side-by-side with students, educators, and me to help improve outcomes for students and our entire community. She leaves a lasting legacy for Colorado students, and she will be dearly missed on the Colorado State Board of Education. prgtoken Jane, thank you for your friendship, your partnership, and your service to public education and to the State of Colorado.