mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEBBIE SMITH REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2019
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise in strong support of H.R. 777, the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2019. prgtoken The Debbie Smith Act, named for a courageous woman who has fought for the rights of survivors of sexual assault, is critical to helping States process DNA evidence and reduce the Nation's large backlog of untested DNA samples. prgtoken The law, which I helped author and enact in its original form in 2004, was developed in response to a crisis of untested DNA samples, a problem that we have helped to reduce but which, unfortunately, still requires our urgent attention today. prgtoken Over the past several decades, evidence from DNA samples has helped us solve an increasing number of criminal cases and has been particularly valuable in identifying the perpetrators of the horrible and all-too-common crime of sexual assault. prgtoken The use of DNA evidence kits in sexual assault cases is critical, and it is imperative that the evidence that is collected is analyzed as soon as possible. When the evidence is collected and processed, the DNA profile is added to the Combined DNA Index System so that matches against other DNA profiles can be sought, increasing the scope of the database. prgtoken By testing the DNA evidence left at the scene of a rape or sexual assault, we can increase the likelihood of identifying the perpetrators, making it more likely that they will be captured, punished, and prevented from doing it again. This, in turn, allows victims to obtain some measure of justice and society to take violent criminals off the streets. DNA evidence also allows us, definitively, to exonerate the falsely accused. prgtoken Over time, however, crime labs across the country, regrettably, developed a large backlog of DNA samples that they had not tested, an intolerable situation calling out for Federal action. prgtoken In response, in 2000, I cosponsored the passage of the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act, which provided $40 million to help States analyze DNA evidence; and in 2002, I introduced the Rape Kit DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act. This legislation authorized funding to help police departments finance the testing of rape kits to reduce the backlog. Working with my colleagues and with advocates, we maintained the pressure to address this problem. prgtoken Then, in 2004, I was the original cosponsor of the Justice for All Act, introduced by our colleague Jim Sensenbrenner. That bill included many of the provisions of my 2002 bill. prgtoken Title II of that bill, named the Debbie Smith Act by Congresswoman Maloney, authorized substantial funding for DNA testing and strengthened the ability of State and local law enforcement specifically to test rape kits. We subsequently reauthorized the Debbie Smith Act in 2008 and again in 2014. prgtoken In recent years, the grants we have reauthorized under the Debbie Smith Act have supported the work of crime labs
INTRODUCTION OF THE VISION ZERO ACT OF 2019
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam , today I introduced the Vision Zero Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation makes the development and implementation of Vision Zero plans eligible for federal transportation funding under the Surface Transportation Block Grant program, the Highway Safety Improvement Program, and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program. prgtoken Traffic fatalities in the United States claim more than 36,000 lives every year, that is one life approximately every 14 minutes. Fatal crashes are especially common for the most vulnerable road users, that is, pedestrians, cyclists, older Americans, and children. Just yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released their annual traffic fatalities report which found a decrease prgtoken in total traffic fatalities but an increase for vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. We need a new approach. The only acceptable number of traffic fatalities is zero. prgtoken In more than 40 urban, rural, and suburban communities across America, residents, activists, and elected officials have come together to adopt and implement Vision Zero plans. The goal of Vision Zero is the elimination of all transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, motorists, and passengers. Vision Zero is an innovative, multifaceted approach to improve transportation safety across all transportation modes by using data, new partnerships, safe planning, and community- focused solutions toward zero traffic fatalities. prgtoken The Vision Zero Act of 2019 integrates Vision Zero into federal transportation policy so that safety, equity, and proper planning are finally prioritized.
IN RECOGNITION OF IVAN ``BUD'' WARREN ATWOOD, JR.'S LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO THE VETERAN COMMUNITY
Jahana Hayes (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Ivan ``Bud'' Warren Atwood, Jr of Torrington, Connecticut, who passed away on October 20, 2019 after a long battle with cancer. As a decorated member of the U.S. Army and a longtime advocate for veterans, Mr. Atwood lived a life that was truly emblematic of service to his community. prgtoken During his time in the U.S. Army, Mr. Atwood proved himself to be a dedicated and brave soldier. As a result, he was awarded a series of medals and decorations, including the National Defense Service Medal, the Marksman (Rifle), the Good Conduct Medal, a Korean War Service Medal, and a Letter of Appreciation. prgtoken However, work for the Armed Services and his country continued long after he left the Army. After retiring, Mr. Atwood turned his attention to veterans. He became the Director of the Torrington Veterans Service Office, where he had the privilege of providing services and final honors to countless veterans for at least eighteen years. In addition to this, Mr. Atwood served with the Northwest Connecticut Honor Guard and was instrumental in organizing local events for veterans such as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Veterans Day, National Vietnam War Veterans Day, National Korean War Armistice Day, and many more. prgtoken Mr. Atwood's work in the military community shows his character and integrity. His legacy lives on through the veterans for whom he advocated tirelessly, the organization which he championed, and his family members who have inherited his commitment to service. It cannot be understated how much he will be missed. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Ivan Warren Atwood, Jr. as he rests in peace after such an extraordinary life. He truly made our community a better place.
STOPPING HARMFUL INTERFERENCE IN ELECTIONS FOR A LASTING DEMOCRACY ACT
Elissa Slotkin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of this amendment to the SHIELD Act, the digital citizenship and media literacy amendment. prgtoken We have said it before. No matter who we are, , s, or Independents, we should all agree that we don't want foreigners manipulating our citizens, sowing discord in our society, and playing in our political process. prgtoken We know that foreign entities continue to target social media ads and disinformation at voters, particularly in swing States like mine, Michigan. These ads are horrible. They seek to divide us and influence our political process. prgtoken The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released a bipartisan report late last month and said that the public needs to be informed and both understand and identify disinformation that is critical to preventing foreign influence. This means our citizens, and especially our kids, need to have the tools to spot this disinformation. prgtoken In this new age of digital warfare, we need education. Education is critical. This study helps us get at this so that we can all understand how to identify propaganda and flag it.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, RELATING TO...
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-10-23

thank you and a huge thanks to my colleague for not just deferring to me to make comments, which I am going to make very brief, but also for the leadership of the subcommittee and the bipartisan work. It is the way the Senate should work. Let's just expand that spirit to the entire Chamber, and we will make a lot of progress. prgtoken This bill maintains funding for important rural development programs, including housing and rural broadband, which is essential all across America. It provides assistance with farm ownership and farm operating loans because access to credit to farmers is critical to stay in business, and it helps new farmers come into the farming and ranching community, including minorities, women, and veterans. prgtoken It provides critical funding for SNAP. In our country, no one should go hungry. It assists with school meal equipment grants, the Farmer's Market Nutrition Program, and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, all relevant to making sure our children and our families have basic nutrition. It assists on the international front with Food for Peace, the McGovern-Dole program that feeds millions of children around the world. prgtoken I was down in Central America and found that the average child in Guatemala at 9 years old is 6 inches shorter than the average Guatemalan child raised in the United States--stunning. It is a huge factor and affects the entire course of the mind. America is doing incredible work around the world in poverty-stricken countries. This food program also increases school attendance, particularly among girls. prgtoken Critical funding for the Food and Drug Administration is part of this bill for a whole host of reasons. prgtoken There is only one thing in this bill that I have disagreement with, and that is funding for the relocation of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Economic Research Service. I think those organizations do a far better job when they are here networking with the other key critical policy groups and when folks coming from Oregon and places remotely around the country visit NIFA and ERS at the same time as visiting other programs. Tribute to Bob Ross prgtoken , for 11 years, Bob Ross has been a detailee from the Department of Agriculture to our subcommittee. That is because he is fabulous, and we just couldn't let him go here in the U.S. Senate. Most people in rural America haven't heard of Bob Ross, but millions and millions have benefited from his work, particularly his superb work on rural housing. He has been invaluable to us. Few people get a chance to leave such a mark to make the world a better place as much as he has. prgtoken He is on to the next chapter of his life, retirement, and perhaps many adventures in retirement. Bob is sitting behind me. We thank him for his years of service and wish him all the best of luck in the chapters to come. prgtoken I thank t
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Lori Trahan (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam , I rise today on behalf of millions of Americans to call ``foul'' on Major League Baseball. prgtoken This week, Major League Baseball is discussing a proposal to cut the number of minor league franchises by 25 percent. The Lowell Spinners, a Red Sox affiliate, is among the 42 teams being forced out. prgtoken This plan is a betrayal of the fans and players as well as stadium vendors and employees around the Nation. It is an affront to the people of Lowell who swung for the fences in building LeLacheur Park, one of the Nation's best minor league parks. prgtoken As the World Series gets underway, remember that the minor league system produces the talent we see on the baseball diamond. MLB's plan is way off base and will hurt so many communities across the country that rely on minor league teams' presence. prgtoken Let's call it a balk and get back to rooting for the home team.
DEBBIE SMITH REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2019
Scott H. Peters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam , had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' on rollcall No. 568 (H. Res. 630 final passage); ``yea'' on rollcall No. 569 (H.R. 4406 final passage); ``yea'' on rollcall No. 570 (H.R. 4407 final passage); ``yea'' on rollcall No. 577 (H.R. 2513 final passage); ``yea'' on rollcall No. 578 (H.R. 2426 final passage); ``yea'' on rollcall No. 583 (H.R. 4617 final passage); and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 584 (H.R. 777 final passage). personal explanation
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, RELATING TO...
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-10-23

I am here today because, unfortunately, our elections still remain vulnerable to foreign election interference. prgtoken Earlier this month, the Senate Intelligence Committee, which I am proud to serve on, released its report on Russia's use of social media to undermine our democracy. prgtoken The committee's bipartisan conclusion was clear. Russia attacked our democracy in 2016; their efforts on social media are ongoing; and they will be back in 2020. Frankly, they never left. prgtoken This echos all of the evidence we have seen from the intelligence community and from companies like Facebook, whose CEO, Mr. Zuckerberg, is testifying on the other side of the Capitol today on some of the ongoing efforts. We have seen this evidence, as well, from Special Counsel Mueller and many, many others. prgtoken The alarm bells are going off, and what are we doing? We are running out of time to do something about it. prgtoken Twice in recent weeks I have come to the floor to make a unanimous consent request on bipartisan legislation, which I have introduced, called the FIRE Act, and twice this bipartisan legislation has been blocked by my colleagues. Actually, their actions earned applause from the President on Twitter. prgtoken Again, let me once again go forward with what this bill does. It is pretty simple and very straightforward. It would say to all Presidential campaigns going forward: If a foreign power reaches out to your campaign, offering assistance or offering dirt on a political opponent, the appropriate response is not to say thank you; the appropriate response is to call the FBI. prgtoken When I first introduced this legislation, we were concerned about the Mueller report's finding that the campaign welcomed the assistance of the Russian Government during the 2016 election. prgtoken At the time, I was also deeply alarmed by the President's comments in the Oval Office during the summer that he would entertain offers of foreign assistance in future elections. prgtoken A lot has happened since then, which makes this legislation more necessary than ever. In the time since I last spoke on the FIRE Act, the President has used his office to seek dirt on a political opponent, Mr. . It appears he pressured the Ukrainians. In the middle of ongoing trade negotiations, he went on national television to call on China to investigate Mr. . prgtoken He also, during this period of time, has used the bully pulpit to intimidate and threaten an intelligence community whistleblower. I am glad to see that many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have stood up for the integrity of the whistleblower program and the notions that whistleblowers are a critical part of keeping our system on the up and up and that whistleblowers should not be threatened. prgtoken We have also heard in these past few weeks--I am not going to get into all of the details--a lot of contradictory and, frankly, a
THE NEW NORMAL: BLACKOUTS
Josh Harder (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam , I rise in frustration for my constituents in California's Central Valley. Folks across my community are reeling from blackouts caused by greed, corruption, and mismanagement at our State's largest utility, PG&E. prgtoken I am not the only one who is fed up. More than 1,000 people in my district had their power cut by PG&E, some for days. prgtoken Now the company is saying more blackouts could be coming this week and that it could be the new normal for the next decade. I refuse to accept that. prgtoken Regular people can't choose to not pay their bills, and PG&E shouldn't be able to abuse that fact by refusing to invest in their grid. These blackouts are happening because rich executives decided to give themselves millions of dollars in bonuses instead of investing in their crumbling infrastructure. prgtoken Hundreds of thousands of people lost power because of these executives' greed. PG&E even proposed handing out another $16 million in additional bonuses this year. It took a judge to stop their plan. Meanwhile, their shutoffs are estimated to cost our families more than $2 billion.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2019-10-23

today I wish to recognize Dr. Edward C. Monahan, a professor at the University of Connecticut and longtime director of Connecticut Sea Grant. prgtoken Throughout his two decade tenure as director, Dr. Monahan positively transformed Connecticut Sea Grant, which is an integral part of a national network of programs that strive to protect and enhance our coastal and marine ecosystems through outreach, education, research, and technology. His remarkable work and visionary leadership secured vital funding for initiatives that improved the water quality in the Long Island Sound and helped establish a full-fledged Sea Grant College Program in our State. prgtoken Dr. Monahan demonstrated his excellent qualities as a leader through his decisive problem solving and readiness to find and implement solutions to critically important issues. A notable example came in 1999, when the Long Island Sound faced lobster die-off, an unprecedented disaster for the sound's resources. He responded immediately by awarding development funds for pathobiologists to investigate the cause. The issue turned out far more complicated than initially expected, but Dr. Monahan smartly worked to allocate $3 million in Federal disaster relief funds to investigate the source. Over 3 years, 65 researchers at 30 institutions too part in 21 lobster research projects. This research helped uncover essential information for lobster biologists and led to changes in State and local pesticide usage for mosquito control. prgtoken One of the other landmarks of Dr. Monahan's directorship was his expansion of Sea Grant's international collaboration. Recognizing the advantages of overseas partnerships, Dr. Monahan worked with universities and government agencies to forge new connections that would support the exchange of innovative marine education, research, and technology. Impressively, he launched the Irish-American Aquaculture Initiative. This initiative launched a formal collaboration between Northeast United States Sea Grant programs and universities in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Dr. Monahan also helped to establish relationships with Sea Grant activities in Mexico, Chile, China, and Germany, which set a new standard for international cooperation. prgtoken Among his many accomplishments as director of Connecticut Sea Grant, Dr. Monahan also served on the Sea Grant Association, a nonprofit that organizes events at the national level and advocates for better understanding, use, and conservation of natural resources. Thanks to his outstanding efforts, Sea Grant has developed into an even more successful program. In recognition of his immense and ongoing contributions, the Sea Grant Association awarded Dr. Monahan its prestigious President's Award in 2000 and 2001, along with its Distinguished Service Award in 2005. prgtoken I applaud his lifetime of dogged commitment to Connecticut's coastal and marine health and hope my co
CONGRATULATING BRIAN MORIGUCHI ON HIS RETIREMENT
Judy Chu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate Brian Moriguchi on his retirement from a remarkable career in public service and law enforcement. prgtoken For the past 34 years, Brian has served in multiple capacities with the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department. From the start of his career, Brian fought tirelessly for systemic change within law enforcement, devoting his professional and personal life to fighting for justice and fairness. While working as a Sergeant, Brian helped develop the Sheriff's Department's hate crime policy. He then became the chairperson for the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission's Network Against Hate Crimes, which develops programs to combat racism and prejudice in the county. prgtoken In 2008, Brian was elected president of the Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association (PPOA), which represents over 9,000 active and retired law enforcement officials. He held this position for more than 10 years, becoming the longest serving president in PPOA's 68-year history. As president, Brian successfully undertook a variety of initiatives. He improved communications with PPOA's members, modernized its digital presence, and improved its outreach. Brian also increased funding for the organization's Star & Shield Foundation, enabling PPOA to better assist the families of fallen officers. Moreover, Brian is also lauded for protecting the members' pensions, negotiating better contracts, and providing support for numerous local charities. prgtoken Outside of his career, Brian has engaged in a variety of civic activities to continuously improve the communities around him. He served as president of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the oldest national Asian-Pacific American civil rights organization in the country. As president, Brian helped organize protests, educational programs, field trips, and other activities to cultivate awareness of Asian-Pacific American history and the ongoing fight to combat injustice and bigotry. Brian also devoted time to other significant community organizations, serving as a board member for the McKinley Children's Center and A Safer California Foundation. prgtoken Brian's lifetime of service is a testament to the tremendous impact one person can have on a community. I thank him for his 34 years of contributions to Los Angeles and wish him nothing but the best in retirement.