mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NOMINATION OF AMBER FAYE McREYNOLDS
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2021-5-12

I wanted to come to the floor tonight to spend just a few minutes to speak about Amber McReynolds, President 's nominee to serve on the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service. prgtoken Everyone in America relies on the Postal Service, but hardly anyone knows about the Board of Governors and how much it matters to all of us. The Board sets the policies for the Postal Service. It directs its budget and reviews its practices. It also selects the Postmaster General. prgtoken But the Board's most important job is to represent the public interest, not special interests, and to help manage prgtoken the Postal Service in a way that is competent, professional, and completely nonpartisan. That matters for a lot of reasons, but one of the most important is the critical and growing role that the post office plays in our democracy. prgtoken Over the past year, States all across the country followed our example in Colorado by giving people the freedom to vote by mail. As we have learned in my State, the case for voting by mail is overwhelming. It is more convenient. It is more accessible. It costs a lot less to administer and, during a pandemic, it is a lot safer than voting in person. But it only works if people have confidence that the post office can deliver their ballots in a way that is reliable, secure, and completely free of politics. prgtoken That is why I can't think of anyone better to serve on the Board of Governors than Amber McReynolds, who is one of the most respected election officials not just in Colorado but all across the country. prgtoken Ms. McReynolds spent 13 years serving in Denver's Elections Division, including for 7 years as the city's director of elections. Under her leadership, Denver became a national model for making it easier for people to vote while increasing election security prgtoken She oversaw Denver's transition to a fully vote-by-mail system, where every active voter can receive and return their ballot by mail or by taking it to a drop box in their community. Last November, we saw images on television of people lining up in this country for hours and hours on election day to cast their ballots. prgtoken In Colorado, I left my ballot in a secure drop box. There is no line. There is no wait. The whole process took 30 seconds, if that. It is like that all across Colorado. It is like that all across my State because we have made it incredibly easy and secure for Coloradoans to cast their ballots. prgtoken Ms. McReynolds had a lot to do with that by introducing one popular reform after another. She helped to make Denver the first city in America to adopt a ballot tracking system, which notifies voters when their ballot is mailed, when it is delivered and counted so they can have transparency about the process every step of the way. prgtoken I never have to wonder whether my ballot is in the mail or not or whether I sent it back or not because I get an email from the cle
NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Jerry McNerney (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-5-12

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. No one can be a better spokeswoman for this issue than Mrs. Demings, who proudly represents her district in Florida and served as the police leader in her hometown. prgtoken , as we remember the police officers who have fallen in the line of duty, it is with great sadness that I must add another name to that list. prgtoken Officer Jimmy Inn of the Stockton Police Department was killed yesterday while responding to a domestic violence call. prgtoken Just 30 years old, Officer Inn joined the force in 2015 and was a member of the Honor Guard. He was a husband and a father who leaves behind a 7-month-old son, a stepson, a stepdaughter, and a wife, who also serves as a Stockton police officer. prgtoken Officer Inn is remembered as a kindhearted, selfless, and positive person. His commanding officer, Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones, said that he was the epitome of what a police officer should be. prgtoken Officer Inn's last act was to help a woman and child in grave danger. Officer Inn sacrificed his life in service to others, and I ask everyone to join me in honoring his life, his service, and his memory.
PUPPIES ASSISTING WOUNDED SERVICEMEMBERS FOR VETERANS THERAPY ACT
Kathleen M. Rice (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-5-12

. Madam , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1448, the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act. No group in America is more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions than our veterans. prgtoken Tragically, as my friend Congressman Stivers just said, this means that 22 veterans are dying every single day by suicide. This is a crisis. We cannot look the other way. We must make sure that our veterans have access to every available mental health resource out there. prgtoken The research on this issue is clear. Service dogs are proven to help people suffering from a wide array of mental health conditions, including PTSD. I have seen the evidence of this with my own eyes. Veterans have told me that they would not be here today if it weren't for their service dog. That is how much these dogs mean and that is why this bill is so critical. prgtoken By creating a pilot program on dog training therapy at the VA and providing service dogs to veterans, this bill won't just improve lives; it will save them. prgtoken I am incredibly proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill, and I thank my friend, Representative Steve Stivers, who is a great American and a true gentleman, for introducing it. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill today. Madam , I also thank the great chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Congressman Takano.
U.S. Postal Service Nominations (Executive Calendar)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2021-5-12

I rise today in support of the two U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors nominees that are before the Senate this afternoon, as well as a third nominee under consideration later this month. prgtoken Like our Presiding Officer, I had the privilege of serving our country in a time of war and a time of peace, with three tours in Southeast Asia and a good deal of time in the Cold War after that. My dad had many years in the Navy, and my uncle, my mom's youngest brother, was an enlisted man, a third-class petty officer on an aircraft carrier in 1944, the USS Suwannee. There was a kamikaze attack, and it never recovered. prgtoken I know how important it was to my uncle, to my dad, and to myself when we would receive mail, whether it was in Southeast Asia, whether my uncle was deployed on his aircraft carrier or my dad was deployed around the world--how important the mail was. prgtoken I know how important the Postal Service was to tens of millions of people who voted last fall in local elections, State elections, and Federal elections across this country--more than ever, ever in the history of our country. prgtoken There are some people I know who think that the Postal Service is a relic and is not something that we need. Ask the people who receive their medicine, not just their mail today, not just the things that they have ordered to come and are delivered by the Postal Service--all kinds of stuff--but also the people who receive medicines, whether they are veterans or other people from all walks of life. prgtoken The Postal Service today has had a profoundly challenging year. It has had a profoundly challenging year with the global pandemic. Drastic reforms were made without full knowledge of their service impact, and a busy holiday season created tremendous challenges for this venerable institution. prgtoken Delays in mail and package delivery increased last year while employees struggled with the effects of the pandemic on themselves and their families. At a time when reliance on mail and package delivery was perhaps higher than ever, the U.S. Postal Service struggled to deliver mail and packages in a timely and a predictable way. prgtoken Delays in the mail service have real world impact in communities large and small. In Delaware, veterans of our Armed Forces had to wait longer for lifesaving medications and delayed packages. Our Delaware congressional delegation heard from literally hundreds of constituents in our State about missed paychecks, credit card bills, and court notices. ``Mom and Pop'' shops in my State--and I guess in Arizona, the home of our Presiding Officer--may have suffered from the delays. ``Mom and Pop'' shops in my State and across the country have suffered from delayed deliveries of important supplies to run their business and to stay in business. Many poultry farmers, particularly in more rural parts of Delaware and on the Delmarva Peninsula, to include the Eastern Sho
YSLETA DEL SUR PUEBLO AND ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBES OF TEXAS EQUAL AND FAIR OPPORTUNITY ACT
Veronica Escobar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-5-12

I rise today to call on my colleagues to support H.R. 2208, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas Equal and Fair Opportunity Act. prgtoken On March 26 of this year, I introduced this important bipartisan bill with my colleague, Representative Tony Gonzales from the Texas 23rd Congressional District, to ensure that Native American Tribes are covered by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. prgtoken Specifically, this bipartisan bill aims to correct a problem of exclusion that has been affecting only two Tribes in the entire United States--the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas--since 1987, when Congress passed the Restoration Act and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. prgtoken The passage of these 1987 laws inadvertently created uncertainty about which law these Tribes were covered under and what gaming activities they were allowed to offer on their reservations. prgtoken Passed in this Chamber during the 116th Congress, this bill offers a commonsense solution that will ensure that the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes are covered by the Indiana Gaming Regulatory Act, which would provide these Native American communities with a critical economic lifeline and an opportunity to recover from the harmful inequity that they have faced. prgtoken Simply put, this bill would provide fairness for these two Tribes, like the only other federally recognized Tribe in our State, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join me in protecting our Native American Tribes' sovereignty and ensuring that they have the ability to engage in the same way other Tribes are able to. prgtoken The coronavirus pandemic has impacted everyone, but the economic and health crisis has been devastating to our Tribes, and this bill offers an opportunity for them to safely rebuild their economies. The reason our Tribes have suffered so disproportionately is because of long-term disinvestment and generational lack of adequate access to healthcare and economic assistance. prgtoken Communities around the country are eager to repair their economies following the impact of COVID-19, and our Tribes are no different. But they need the clarity this bill would provide so that they can better control their economic future. prgtoken The parity this bill would create for these Tribes would also create long overdue opportunities for them to succeed by supporting job creation and their ability to generate revenue that would fund new housing, educational programs, and medical facilities for their people and the surrounding communities, among so many other things. prgtoken Now, more than ever, more must be done to protect other Native American Tribes, their families, businesses, and their economic prosperity. prgtoken By passing this bill, Congress would finally grant the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes the rights, opportunities, and stab
EXPANDED CHILD TAX CREDIT
Jesús G. "Chuy" García (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-5-12

. Madam , I represent a working-class district in Chicago, and my community has been especially hard-hit by the pandemic. prgtoken I have one of the largest percentages of school-age children in my district, and my neighbors are worried about putting food on the table. I have seen the lines at food banks grow and grow. prgtoken But the expanded child tax credit in the American Rescue Plan changes that. Nearly 90 percent of the children in my district will benefit. And more than 40,000 households will get an average of $3,300, parents like Jaime in Logan Square, who will finally be able to send his son to college this year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign thanks to this tax credit. prgtoken This program is about helping their children thrive, and in my community, it is already working.
NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Norma J. Torres (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-5-12

I rise today to honor National Police Week, and the brave, dedicated, and selfless heroes who work tireless long hours to keep the public safe in communities across this country. prgtoken This is deeply personal to me, as someone whose own loved ones wear a badge, and as someone who worked for nearly 18 years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department. prgtoken So I want to take this moment to say thank you, not just to the men and women in uniform on our streets, but also to their counterparts in service who answer the call whenever someone dials 911. prgtoken Dispatchers have a unique vantage on police work--they know how harrowing the situations police officers face are; how important police work is to people in their most vulnerable moments; and how committed officers are to serving the public. prgtoken After all, dispatchers are the ones who answer those calls for help in the first place. prgtoken But dispatchers also play a key role in keeping our officers safe. They gather situational awareness, so our officers know what to expect when they approach a scene; they send backup when more support is needed; and they send medical help if the unthinkable happens and an officer is hurt. prgtoken So as we honor those who serve, let's also honor the people who keep them safe every step of the way. prgtoken Public safety workers of all types are under new stresses right now as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the uptick in gun violence that is tragically endemic to the United States. prgtoken So as we honor this valiant profession and acknowledge the harrowing circumstances they face, we must also take time to make sure they have the support they need, from PPE to mental health reources and everything in between. prgtoken Today, , it is my honor to recognize National Police Week and the men and women who keep us safe at great personal sacrifice, and at great sacrifice to their own families.
MEMORIAL DAY
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-5-12

I rise today to pay special tribute to the veterans throughout Michigan's history who have given their lives while serving our country. Whether they served in the Civil War or the Korean war, in the Middle East or the South Pacific, we owe these heroes so much. prgtoken Aleda E. Lutz is one of those heroes. She grew up in a large family; she was the youngest of 10 children--and her parents were immigrants from Germany. She graduated from Arthur Hill High School in Saginaw and the Saginaw General Hospital School of Nursing. When World War II broke out, Lutz felt called to serve her Nation. prgtoken She enlisted in the Army Nurse Corps in 1942 and began working as a general duty nurse at Selfridge Field. When she had the opportunity to become a flight nurse, she signed up. It wasn't easy; it required a lot of training. But Lutz, known as ``Lutzy'' to her friends, was smart, determined, and extraordinarily brave. She made the cut and joined the elite 2 percent of World War II nurses qualified as flight nurses. She was promoted to first lieutenant and transferred to the 802nd Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron, which soon deployed to North Africa. prgtoken Lutz transported more than 3,500 patients from the frontlines while earning six battle stars. She was known for her professional skill and her courage under fire. During her 196th mission, her C-47 plane crashed while carrying 15 wounded soldiers. There were no survivors. Lutz is known to be the first military woman to die in a combat zone during World War II. prgtoken Lutz is one of the most highly decorated women in American military history. She was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart. An 800-patient hospital ship was named in her honor, as was a C-47 cargo plane. And in 1990, the Saginaw veterans hospital, long known by her name, was officially rededicated as the Aleda E. Lutz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. It remains a fitting memorial to honor a nurse who gave her life while serving her country. prgtoken Not all veterans have had to give as much for their country as Aleda Lutz did, but all of them are willing to. It is what sets them apart. It is what makes them heroes. prgtoken This Memorial Day, we honor 1LT. Aleda E. Lutz and all of the Michigan prgtoken veterans who gave their lives in service to our country, and we thank our veterans who are still with us, as well as their families. Their courage, selflessness, and sacrifice bring honor to our State and our Nation.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2547, COMPREHENSIVE DEBT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1065, PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Lois Frankel (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2021-5-12

I thank the chairman for yielding to me. prgtoken , give me a break. Since when is having babies a liberal activity? prgtoken In fact, I believe that police women have babies, too. And let me tell you about a couple of other women. prgtoken Erica was working at a warehouse lifting heavy boxes. She had been working there for years. And when she was denied her request to pick up lighter boxes, she lost her pregnancy. prgtoken Hannah gave 5 years of her life to a healthcare company, was consistently promoted; but when she disclosed her pregnancy to her employer, she was fired. prgtoken And Sara, who spent 7 years building a tech startup from the ground up and truly loved her job and had been promised a promotion when she came back from maternity leave, had it revoked. prgtoken These are all true stories of women who have faced the real-world consequence of discrimination against pregnant workers in America. So right now, if a woman becomes pregnant, she can be denied, for example, an extra bathroom break, a place to sit, a lighter lifting, or fired for asking for simple accommodations or even just disclosing that she is pregnant. prgtoken This leaves many women having to choose between the health of their pregnancy and putting foods on their family's table. We are putting women in danger every single day while we hold off on this action. They are real-world implications for women like Erica and Sara and Hannah, especially in light of how women have really suffered the brunt of the job loss during the pandemic and as we see a rise in maternal mortality rates for women of color. prgtoken , so these stories are not unique. Pregnancy should not prevent a woman from putting food on the table, for paying her bills. prgtoken , I urge everybody to pass this good and needed bill, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
CONGRATULATING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII MEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Kaiali’i Kahele (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2021-5-12

today it is with overwhelming pride that I rise to congratulate the 2021 NCAA Men's Volleyball National Champions of the University of Hawaii. prgtoken In Columbus, Ohio this past Saturday, the Rainbow Warriors dominated Brigham Young University in a three-set sweep showcasing to the Nation the qualities of a team hungry for a national championship only made possible through years of hard work, perseverance, grit, mental fortitude, and sportsmanship. prgtoken As a former Rainbow Warriors men's volleyball player and proud alumnus, I know how much this victory means to the program and all of Hawaii. prgtoken So congratulations to the head coach, Charlie Wade, the coaching staff, UH athletics programs, the players, and, , most importantly, the best collegiate volleyball fans, supporters, boosters, and Aunty's on the planet. prgtoken Hawaii is so proud of them. No Ka `Oi, and go Bows.
HAWAII NATIONAL FOREST STUDY
Ed Case (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2021-5-12

. Madam , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 297, the bill that I have co-introduced with my colleague from Hawaii, Representative Kaiali'i Kahele. prgtoken As Mr. Soto and the ranking member have noted, this legislation would require the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the State of Hawaii, to conduct a study to identify lands in the State of Hawaii that merit inclusion in the National Forest System. This would be the first step in potentially establishing a national forest in one of the few parts of our country with no such system. prgtoken As my friend and colleague, Mr. Soto, has noted, Hawaii is the most isolated island chain and one of the most ecologically diverse places in our world. Within our borders, we have 10 of the 13 world climate zones, ecosystems that range from the deserts to the tropics, where plants and animals that found their way to Hawaii evolved like nowhere else. prgtoken A 2014 survey identified 9,975 endemic species in Hawaii, many of which are reliant on Hawaii's fragile ecosystem, including our forests, to survive. However, since the onset of human arrival just centuries ago, Hawaii has lost almost half of its unique native forest cover and countless fauna and flora species. prgtoken Despite these threats to our unique biodiversity, Hawaii remains one of eight States that does not have a national forest or grassland. The study authorized by the bill would take steps to correct this oversight. It would consider how a Hawaii national forest could contribute to the conservation of this biodiversity not found elsewhere in our National Forest System while supporting the research mission of the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. prgtoken It would help inventory where Hawaii's native koa, ohi'a, and sandalwood forests can be conserved and expanded for cultural and commercial practices. It would help identify where cultural sites could be better conserved and access expanded to the public and practitioners. And it would help provide the basis to bring together local stakeholders to advance the conservation of how to responsibly establish a national forest in Hawaii in a manner that will benefit both our island communities and the National Forest Service. prgtoken Madam , s in the Hawaii congressional delegation for their support. I thank the Committee on Natural Resources and Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands chairs, ranking members, members, and staff for their support and assistance in bringing this bill to the floor. prgtoken I take my ranking member's comments to heart. I certainly hope that this study will not only evaluate and investigate how we can create a national forest in Hawaii but how we can make that a model for how national forests can and should be administered throughout our country. I endorse his concerns as to the administration of our national forests and, certainly, would look forward to working with hi