mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING OLA KIRK
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2020-8-18

. Madam , I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant, Lieutenant Ola Kirk (Calvit) who retired from the Mississippi State Highway Patrol after 32\1/2\ years of service. She was among the first African American women to enter this service within the State of Mississippi. She has served the State with integrity, dignity, and of good principle. She worked primarily in the Mississippi Delta and Jackson areas. Her journey has not been an easy, however, ``Nevertheless, She Persisted''. Concurrently, she also served in the United States Army Reserve for 21 years, retiring as a 1st Sargent. She is also a graduate of Mississippi Valley State. She has been a mentor for many of her peers, as well as a contributor to the communities in which she worked. She established a non-profit faith- based agency ``Operation Outreach'' which provides support to ``at- promise'' children and youth to equip them with the tools needed to navigate society. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Lieutenant Ola Kirk.
HONORING THE LIFE OF WILLIAM HAROLD ``SONNY'' FLOWERS, JR.
Joe Neguse (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2020-8-21

. Madam , last month, Colorado lost one its most brilliant legal minds, a mentor treasured by generations of lawyers and Coloradans, Mr. William Harold ``Sonny'' Flowers, Jr. prgtoken Sonny was raised in Boulder, Colorado by his mother Ruth and father William Harold, Sr. Since his days as a university student in the 1960's, Sonny was a fierce, vocal advocate for social justice and racial equality. This was a commitment he kept throughout his life by traveling our state to recruit students of color, helping to establish CU Boulder's Black Alumni Association, and creating an endowed scholarship for students of color at both Colorado Law and the University of Denver. prgtoken Sonny is remembered not only for his intelligence and commitment to justice, but also his great kindness, radiant laughter, and the kinship he formed with those great many people he encouraged and guided throughout his lifetime. I count myself so lucky to have been among the countless individuals that Sonny supported, and can say with certainty that I would not be where I am today without both the great many paths he forged on my behalf and his caring, devoted mentorship. prgtoken Sonny's legacy will be felt by those throughout the Boulder community and the whole of Colorado. I share my deepest condolences with Sonny's wife Pam, his entire family, and all those whom he impacted throughout his lifetime. prgtoken Let us remember Sonny by one of the last messages he sent to a friend: ``With enough voices, mountains may indeed be moved!'' prgtoken Sonny certainly moved mountains for each of us, and it is in his honor that we continue to champion the justice and equality for which he dedicated so much.
CONGRATULATING EUGENE ``GENE'' MOY ON BEING AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
Adam Smith (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2020-8-21

. Madam , I rise to honor and recognize Eugene ``Gene'' Moy for his courageous service to our country during World War II and celebrate him being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. prgtoken Gene Moy is a Chinese American veteran who accepted the call to serve his country without hesitation. Gene served in the Pacific on New Caledonia, Guadalcanal, and the Philippines. However, like so many minorities, Chinese American veterans did not receive the recognition they deserved for their service. prgtoken Gene, who the Chinese American Citizens Alliance said is the oldest living Chinese American World War II veteran, recently turned 103 years old and was finally awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, an honor he should have received long ago. He had planned on traveling to Washington DC to attend a ceremony to receive his medal. Unfortunately, the global health crisis has caused the ceremony to be postponed. prgtoken Madam , it is with great admiration and gratitude that I recognize Gene Moy on being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and honor all Chinese American veterans for their distinguished service to our country during World War II.
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF ROLAND JOHNSON
Debra A. Haaland (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-8-21

. Madam , it is with great pride and deep sadness that I rise to honor my dear friend and former Governor of the Pueblo of Laguna, Roland Johnson. I join his family and our shared Laguna Pueblo community in honoring his memory and life's work, which he always dedicated to helping others. prgtoken Throughout his career in public service, Roland led by example, always doing the most to elevate the Laguna Pueblo culture and traditions that he cherished. At age 22, he was elected Secretary of the Pueblo and was the youngest person yet elected to office. In the years that followed, he went on to join the Federal Service, serving the Southwest Bureau of Indian Affairs region intermittently for 30 years. In between this service, Roland led his people as Governor for three terms (1975 through 1977, 1995 through 1998, and 2003 through 2006). prgtoken While in office, Governor Roland Johnson bolstered Laguna's economic standing and supported job creation by opening an electronics component manufacturing plant. Roland also worked diligently to preserve Laguna traditions through his fluency of our Native Keres language. Governor Johnson incorporated this gift into the work he did with outside partnerships so that the tribe's interests were always at the center of decision-making processes. prgtoken A born leader, Roland Johnson has left a lasting impression on our Laguna Pueblo and has inspired a long and growing list of current and future tribal leaders. This is thanks not only to his ability to make respectful and practical decisions, but also to his use of traditional values to guide his professional career. prgtoken His legacy is rooted in the importance of education: by cultivating a solid foundation in the Pueblo tradition, he dedicated his career to both preserving Pueblo culture and creating opportunities for the Laguna people close to home. Additionally while in office, Governor Johnson responded to the need for graduate education support by implementing the Laguna Graduate Scholarship Program. prgtoken He will be remembered as an historical visionary--someone who always looked to the past to guide his plans for the future. I send my deepest condolences to Roland Johnson's family and friends.
CONGRATULATING GENE FRANTZ FOR HIS ELECTION TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-8-21

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate Gene Frantz of Sugar Land, prgtoken TX on being chosen as one of the 87 new members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). prgtoken The NAE is a highly elite and notable institution that provides advice and input to the federal government in the fields of technology, engineering and overall quality of life. Members include individuals who have made revolutionary contributions to the engineering field. It is one of the highest professional honors an engineer can receive-- there are only 2,300 members out of the two million engineers and computer scientists in America's workforce. prgtoken Mr. Frantz is a Professor at Rice University, my alma mater. He also co-founded Octavo Systems, a systems-in-package company where he serves as Vice President. Frantz gained recognition by his work in developing digital signal microprocessors. Frantz is a graduate of the University of Central Florida and Southern Methodist University. prgtoken On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, I congratulate Gene Frantz on this lifetime accomplishment. He has made TX-22 very proud.
REMEMBERING M.L. COFFER
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2020-8-21

. Madam , I rise today to remember and honor Martin L. ``M.L.'' Coffer, who passed away on June 23 at the age of 83. prgtoken M.L was a lifelong resident of Fleming who loved the Lord, his family, and farming with his whole heart. He was a faithful member of Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church, and held several positions. M.L. always served others with such kindness and sincerity everywhere he went. prgtoken He met his lovely wife, Beverly Black, in Clarkesville when he attended the North Georgia Trade and Vocational School in Clarkesville on a baseball and basketball scholarship. M.L. worked at Savannah Electric and Power Company for 15 years and retired from Coastal Utilities after 33 years of service. prgtoken He was the first President and charter member of the Liberty Coastal Lions Club, First Citizens Bank Board of Directors, Soil and Water Conservation Board, Resource Conservation and Development Board, and Liberty Hunting Club. prgtoken M.L. was also Chairman of the Liberty County Commissioners for 16 years and Secretary and Treasury of the Coastal EMC Board of Directors. He owned BevMar Logging and BevMar farms, as well. prgtoken He was a fearless leader and a cowboy at heart. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on for countless years to come. prgtoken My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this most difficult time.
IN CELEBRATION OF DEDE ABTS' 100TH BIRTHDAY
Greg Pence (Republican, IN) \u2014 2020-8-21

. Madam , I rise today to honor a mother, friend and fellow Hoosier, Virginia ``Dede'' Abts, who will be celebrating her 100th birthday on August 20, 2020. prgtoken After graduating from Indiana University in 1942 with a degree in Spanish, Dede became a cultural asset in my hometown community of Columbus, Indiana. prgtoken Dede is a true philanthropist and a pillar of the community. As the co-founder of Uncommon Cause, Dede inspires hope in others while supporting the Columbus Area Arts Council. prgtoken Columbus is a better place to live because of the work that Dede has done throughout her life. I am proud to join the Columbus community in recognizing Dede's accomplishments and I wish her many more healthy years. prgtoken Happy 100th Birthday, Dede.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Rob Woodall (Republican, GA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam , I don't know how many more times I will be on the House floor between now and the end of the year. It is a great honor I have to serve with the chairman of the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern of Massachusetts. I think all the time about all the things we could do together; and, candidly, we have done a lot of great things together. This body, when it acts together, does amazing things. prgtoken But an unfortunate thing has happened in politics these days, Madam . We talk more about the bills that we pass than the changes that we make. My friend from Massachusetts has talked time and time again about a unilaterally drafted bill passed by this House in the spring that purports to address families in need, but that included no input, no partnership, had a veto message from the President, and had no chance of getting through the Senate. prgtoken We are here on exactly that same exercise today with this manufactured Postal Service bill. The Postal Service has the money that it needs. I will just tell my friends that President won the mail-in vote in the great State of Georgia. That year I won the mail-in vote 2-1. There is absolutely no effort at voter suppression here. As my friend from Connecticut pointed out earlier, that is illegal. That is off the table. prgtoken We are talking about, Is there enough money to fund the Postal Service or not? prgtoken My friend from Massachusetts references a supervisor's report from the spring when they thought mail delivery was going to go down in volume. In fact, it has gone up in volume. Revenues are higher than they expected. If the Postal Service faces a revenue shortfall, I commit to my colleagues we will be there together arm in arm to make that happen. But today, when the Postal Service is sitting on $15 billion in cash and an unused $10 billion line of credit, a blank check of another $25 billion does not solve any of the challenges that you and I know exist or solve any of the problems that all of our constituents have. prgtoken Madam , the frustration you hear from my colleagues on this side of the aisle is that we are back in an emergency session working on language that is going nowhere, that will help no one. We can pound on our chests all we like about all the wonderful things that we think--unilaterally by themselves, without any bipartisan input-- crafted and put in this bill. But we all know from year upon year upon year of painful experience, the only things that get done in this town get done together. In a divided government you cannot bully your way to success, Madam , you have to partner your way to success. prgtoken I know my friend from Massachusetts believes that. That is the kind of leadership style he brings to the committee on which I have the honor of serving. I understand my friends have a job to do today. They need to pass this bill. They are going to do
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Fred Keller (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-8-22

I rise today to discuss the need for meaningful, long-term reform for the United States Postal Service. prgtoken The USPS provides an essential service to every community in the Nation, yet this agency has lost $78 billion in the last 13 years. In 2009 the Government Accountability Office published a report placing USPS on the high-risk list, doubting the self-sustaining financial viability of this agency. The financial state of the USPS has progressively worsened due to declining mail volume, liabilities, and debt. Proposals to give the USPS $25 billion in cash without serious reforms will not address the fundamental issues that the agency faces. prgtoken The proposals before us today only delay real reform and throw taxpayer dollars at a problem with no clear vision forward. Rather than politicizing the mail, we should be working to give the USPS longevity through comprehensive reforms. Rather than trying to fix a problem by simply spending more taxpayer money, we should be enacting reforms to equip our Nation's outstanding postal workers with the tools they need and deserve to continue delivering the mail. This is the only way we will ensure that Americans continue to receive this vital service without interruption.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Steve Womack (Republican, AR) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I thank my friend Rob Woodall for yielding. prgtoken When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for Saturday morning. Saturday morning in our house, my brothers and sisters, we would get up, and we couldn't wait to watch our favorite cartoons. prgtoken Now, decades later, here I am again, on the floor of the House of Representatives, watching a cartoon about the only outcome this debate is going to have today: one of entertainment value, nothing substantive. prgtoken The chairman of the Rules Committee called this a five-alarm fire. Now that the ic Convention has concluded and the Convention is about to begin, we have a catastrophe. prgtoken It is not going to build infrastructure. It is not going to give aid to people suffering from the pandemic. It is not going to fund the government by October 1. It is not going to become law. prgtoken Just like the previous attempts, my friends on the other side of the aisle have had to derail a duly-elected President. This, too, will fail. I urge a ``no'' vote.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for yielding. prgtoken When you think about why we are here on a Saturday, I would think if we are being brought here on a Saturday in the middle of a pandemic, it is to help those millions of families who are struggling, Madam . prgtoken I would think if we are going to come here on a Saturday, it would be to help those millions of small businesses, the restaurants in south Louisiana and New Orleans that don't even know if they are going to open again because of where we are right now. prgtoken In this pandemic you would think that is what we would be here for. prgtoken But instead, Madam , why are we here? prgtoken For a fabricated crisis. prgtoken The Wall Street Journal: ``Nancy Pelosi Goes Politically Postal. Congress ought to be embarrassed by this evidence-free conspiracy theory.'' prgtoken The New York Times: ``I Was a Postal Service Regulator for 18 Years. Don't Panic. The service is perfectly capable of handling election mail.'' That was a Bill Clinton-era appointee. prgtoken Then you look at, again, this fabricated crisis that, oh my gosh, there are mailboxes being closed. prgtoken Let's look at the record. During the - years--just 4 years--11,560 mailboxes removed. prgtoken Where were the hearings for that? prgtoken Where were the Saturday votes to decry that they were closing mailboxes? prgtoken It never happened because it is not a real crisis. prgtoken Even the Postmaster General just testified yesterday: ``The Postal Service is fully capable and committed to delivering the Nation's election mail fully and on time.'' prgtoken That is the Postmaster General. prgtoken If you would have listened to him--I know there is a hearing Monday. Maybe if you would have waited to see what he actually said Monday in this committee, Madam , you would have known that this is a fabricated crisis. But you knew that before. prgtoken Madam , they knew this was a fabricated crisis. prgtoken In fact, when we talk about the money, oh my gosh, the post office is going to run out of money. Well, the problem is the facts decry even that. They have got a surplus of over $12 billion sitting in the bank today and then they have got--this is the Department of Treasury, Madam , a $10 billion line of credit that they can't even access because they have too much money in the bank right now. prgtoken Imagine small businesses watching on a Saturday because they can't open. They are not even sure if they are going to be in business next week because they have no money in the bank, and they are hearing about this crisis. Congress is coming in on a Saturday. prgtoken Then they find out the post office has over $12 billion in the bank and they have access to a line of credit of $10 billion from Treasury that they can't get to today because they have got too much money in the bank. prgtoken Right now, it is here. This is the letter from Treasury. prgtoken It is so important, Madam , that 68 Democ
CONTROLLING INVASIVE ASIAN CARP
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , the United States Congress needs to get back to work. We need to start working on the issues that deal with our constituents. prgtoken One of those that is of great concern in Tennessee is invasive Asian carp. They are a nuisance in too many of our Nation's waterways, preventing folks from fully enjoying our Nation's lakes, rivers, and streams, and destroying our ecosystem. prgtoken Many in my district, including the residents of Tellico Village, have expressed legitimate concerns to folks at TVA and others over Asian carp and their potential spread into our local waters, and I have been proud to work with them to tackle this issue. prgtoken Madam , to control the spread of these pests, I have worked to secure $25 million in funding in fiscal year 2021. If approved by the Senate, these resources, combined with language in the Water Resources Development Act, would allow researchers to study the reproductive habits of Asian carp in the Tennessee and Cumberland River basins so we are better equipped to battle these invaders. prgtoken I thank both the Committees on Appropriations and Transportation and Infrastructure for working with my office on these requests. Problematic Asian carp harass boaters, fishermen, and swimmers across this country of ours. My constituents are passionate about getting the Asian carp population under control and keeping them out of our waters. prgtoken Madam , I look forward to working with them further on this important local issue.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
John R. Curtis (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , like many of my constituents, I have followed the allegations circling around the Postal Service. These are serious allegations. To get to the heart of the problem, I spoke directly to Utah's postal leadership. prgtoken As I asked questions and waded through the rumors, I learned four important facts: prgtoken First, it is clear that the Postal Service needs additional funding. How much and under what circumstances is a worthy debate. But let me be clear: the funding solution has no bearing on their ability to handle the upcoming mail-in ballots. The United States Postal Service has enough cash on hand to operate well into 2021. prgtoken Second, the increased demand of mail-in ballots does not stretch their capacity. Mail-in ballots will increase the demand on the system by a little over 1.5 percent. In the words of Utah's district director, not even a bump in volume. The day I spoke with him Utah's mail delivery system was 500,000 letters under capacity. prgtoken Third, the accusation that they are removing boxes and cutting overtime to thwart mail-in ballots is just plain not true. Boxes have always been moved to adjust to volume. To calm fears, the Postal Service has put a 90-day moratorium on moving boxes. prgtoken Likewise, rumors that overtime is being cut so mail-in ballots will be delayed is false. I confirmed this with Utah's district director. In his words: Never in my career have we left mail undelivered because of overtime. prgtoken Fourth, the concerns with mail-in balloting have everything to do with the State's preparedness, not the Postal Service. States who have allowed ballots to be requested just 4 days before election are irresponsible and should be accountable for mail-in ballot problems, not the United States Postal Service. Further, mail-in ballots take longer to count and delays can be expected, but not because of the Postal Service. prgtoken Madam , if you are not sure whom to believe, ask your mail carrier. Ask them if there is anything less than 100 percent effort given by them to deliver mail-in ballots and all mail, and then make sure to thank them. I am so grateful for the many men and women who work so hard to deliver our mail every day. prgtoken We need a strong and vibrant Postal Service, but this bill thrown together in the middle of the night does not deliver.