mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IN RECOGNITION OF BRYCE BONEAU
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-30

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the achievements of Bryce Boneau, a phenomenal North Texas student and athlete. Mr. Boneau, a 2021 graduate of Keller High School, was presented with the prestigious Gatorade National Player of the Year Award. With this achievement, he joins a select list of elite athletes across the nation, including Lebron James, MLS Cup Champion Alecko Eskandarian and former U.S. National team star Claudio Renya. prgtoken Through his competitive spirit and drive, Mr. Boneau led the Keller High School Boys Soccer Team to a remarkable 17-3 season while contributing 18 goals and 19 assists in only 20 games. Under his leadership, the KHS Indians reached the Class 6A Region I Semifinals. Mr. Boneau suffered an ACL injury prior to the match, and his team unfortunately lost to Allen High School. prgtoken In addition, Bryce Boneau has been recognized for his stellar academic ability and community contributions. He graduated from Keller High School with a 4.0 GPA and actively volunteered in St. Barnabas Anglican Church's youth ministry and outreach to provide refurbished sports equipment for underserved youths. prgtoken Mr. Boneau's athletic talents have earned him a spot on the roster at Notre Dame's Varsity Soccer program where he will enter, and no doubt impress, as a freshman in fall 2021. It is my privilege to congratulate Bryce Boneau for his outstanding contributions to the Keller High School Soccer team, and I wish him continued success in his educational, athletic and professional endeavors.
RECOGNIZING AND HONORING JOSEPH SIVEWRIGHT
Ann Wagner (Republican, MO) \u2014 2021-7-30

. Madam , I rise today to recognize and honor the incredible work and service of Joseph Sivewright. At the end of 2021, he will officially retire as the Chairman of Nestle Purina PetCare after over 30 years of outstanding leadership. prgtoken Since joining Nestle Purina in 1985, Mr. Sivewright has held various positions throughout the company as he proved himself to be a treasured employee. Prior to his role as Chairman, he was appointed as the company's President & Chief Operating Officer and was then named President and Chief Executive Officer. prgtoken Under Mr. Sivewright's leadership, Nestle Purina has grown through numerous product innovations and the company has been recognized as one of the ``best places to work'' by several St. Louis and national organizations. prgtoken I want to personally thank Joe for his many years of friendship, as well as his desire to ensure Nestle Purina is a strong community partner. His distinguished career and tremendous leadership are celebrated by our St. Louis community. I personally appreciate the impact his work ethic and constant drive to improve the lives of those around had on his employees. As a former Purina employee myself when I was just out of college, I know how important it is to have a smart and driven leader at the helm to set the tone for the rest of us and help us achieve even greater heights. prgtoken Joe had a tremendous impact not only on all of those with whom he worked throughout his many years at Purina, but also on those he worked with outside of work as a dedicated member of our St. Louis community. We all appreciate everything he has done so far, and look forward to seeing what else he will accomplish in the coming years.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Jim Hagedorn (Republican, MN) \u2014 2021-7-30

. Madam , had I been present for Roll Call No. 231, On Motion to Adjourn, I would have voted YEA; for Roll Call No. 232, on the Motion to Table the Motion to Reconsider, l would have voted NAY; for Roll Call No. 233, on the Motion to Adjourn, I would have voted YEA; for Roll Call No. 234, on the Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 567, I would have voted NAY; for Roll Call No. 235, on H. Res. 567, I would have vote NAY; for Roll Call No. 236, on Ryan Amendment En Bloc No. 1 to H.R. 4346, I would have voted NAY; for Roll Call No. 237, on Ryan Amendment En Bloc No. 3 to H.R. 4346, I would have voted YEA; for Roll Call No. 238, on the Motion to Recommit H.R. 4346 with Instructions, I would have voted YEA; for Roll Call no. 239, on Passage of H.R. 4346, l would have voted NAY; for Roll Call No. 240, on Lee Amendment En Bloc No. 2 to H.R. 4373, I would have voted NAY; for Roll Call No. 241, on Lee Amendment En Bloc No. 3 to H.R. 4373, I would have voted NAY; for Roll Call No. 242, on the Motion to Recommit H.R. 4373 with Instructions, I would have voted YEA; and for Roll Call No. 243, on Passage of H.R. 4373, I would have voted NAY.
National Whistleblower Appreciation Day (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-30

it is 2 o'clock on a Friday afternoon, and it looks like we are going to grind through this bipartisan infrastructure bill this weekend, as Senator Schumer has ordained, but we have now had a couple of votes--actually, three votes now--to proceed to a bill that hasn't even been written yet in totality, and indeed the reason we were delayed this morning was because some of the text that was written did not comport with the agreement between the negotiating parties. prgtoken I have said this from the beginning; that Senator Schumer should not rush a bill to the floor before it is ready. It is simply not a good practice. And we are talking about more than $1 trillion in spending that will affect every man, woman, and child in America. It is more important to get things right than to get it done fast. prgtoken For weeks now, the bipartisan group of Senators who have been negotiating this bipartisan infrastructure package have been engaged in intense negotiations with the White House to find common ground. Over the last several days, in particular, colleagues have logged countless hours to nail down specific provisions and how it would be paid for. prgtoken I want to commend all of them for their efforts on both sides of the aisle. It has been a long road, but we still have a long road ahead, and I appreciate both sides working in good faith to try to reach an agreement. prgtoken Like all my colleagues, I am eager to see the text in the bill to understand the specifics and how it impacts my State, what is included and what is not included. To gain my support, this legislation must accomplish two things: First, it must send sufficient resources to Texas to build and maintain our vast network of infrastructure projects. We are the fastest growing State in the Nation, with 29 million people, and we need to make sure our infrastructure is up to the need. We have the largest network of roadways of any State in the country, with more than 680,000 lane miles. We are also home to more than 55,000 bridges, far more than any other State. prgtoken We have water ports along the gulf coast, as the Presiding Officer knows, having lived in Houston, and ports of entry along the border with Mexico and Canada, all of which are critical to our economy, as well as airports, levees, waterways, and countless other infrastructure projects that are vital to our communities across the State. prgtoken The pandemic has also highlighted the importance of broadband, including the need to expand access in unserved parts of the State. It is figured that we have about a third of our State without adequate access to broadband, and, of course, that became critical when our children were studying remotely from home or when people attempted to see their doctor using telehealth. Broadband has gone from a convenience to a necessity. prgtoken It is going to take a little while to comb through the specifics of this massive bill--I think at
RECOGNIZING THE EFFORTS AND SERVICE OF P. EARLE GLEASON, WHO SERVED HIS NATION AND COMMUNITY ADMIRABLY
Tom Reed (Republican, NY) \u2014 2021-7-30

. Madam , today I rise to recognize the service of P. Earle Gleason as an honored Vietnam Veteran, Yates County Veterans' Service Agency Director, and Chairman of the 23rd Congressional District's Academy Selection Committee. prgtoken P. Earle Gleason served his nation upon being drafted into the United States Anny in January 1968. A distinguished Vietnam War combat veteran, who served with the America Division, Mr. Gleason was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge; the Bronze Star; and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant in September 1969 after a tour in Vietnam. prgtoken As a lifelong resident of Yates County, Earle Gleason has dedicated a lifetime of commitment and service to his country and to his community, particularly in service to local veterans. His efforts benefiting veterans began with his career with the Yates County Veterans' Service Agency as Service Officer in July 1994. He later became Director of the Agency in September of 1994 and retired in December 2014 with twenty years of service. prgtoken For more than two decades as Director, Earle was respected as a tireless advocate for his county's more than two thousand veterans. He was also recognized by the community at large through his dedication to community service within the Johnson Costello American Legion Post 355, and as a Milo Town Councilman for twenty-four years. He is currently serving as a Yates County Legislator. prgtoken While Earle gives so much of himself in many areas of our community, we also greatly appreciate his efforts as part of our Academy Selection Committee. He has recently resigned from this work, but we would like to thank him for his time and dedication to the committee, especially in his role as Chairman. prgtoken Given the above, I ask that this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations and join me in recognizing the efforts and service of P. Earle Gleason, Vietnam Veteran, Yates County Veterans' Service Agency Director, and devoted Chairman of the 23rd Congressional District's Academy Selection Committee.
EXECUTIVE SESSION--Continued
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-7-31

I just want to give a quick update. prgtoken As everyone knows, we are waiting for the bipartisan group of Senators to finalize the text of their agreement. I have been informed the group is working hard to bring this negotiation to a conclusion, but they believe they need a little bit more time. I am prepared to give it to them because--because, as I have always said from the beginning, I am fully committed to passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill, and so the Senate will remain in session today so that they can bring this to a conclusion. prgtoken Again, this is an important bill. I know all the parties want to get this right. As soon as their legislative text is finalized, we will review it, and then I will offer it as the substitute amendment. After that, we can begin voting for amendments.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-7-31

. First of all, , let me thank you and all of the floor staff and others who are here. I think on a beautiful Saturday at the end of July, we all wish, perhaps, we were somewhere else other than on the floor of the Senate. prgtoken For the 30 years that I have been involved in political discussions in Virginia and some on an international level, we have had President after President and Congress after Congress talk about the generational unmet needs in infrastructure. We have seen our roads and bridges start to crumble. The estimates are that close to, depending on the survey, 14,000 bridges are in a decaying state, and in my State, over 700 bridges. We know the potholes in many of our roads and highways. We know our airports resemble third world nations, not the United States of America. We know our ports have not kept up with modern technology. We know that many of our shorelines are dealing with the unprecedented effects of sea level rise. We know after COVID that high-speed internet connectivity is not a nice-to-have but essential. It is something the Presiding Officer has taken a legislative lead on. prgtoken We know that it is time to get past talking about infrastructure and finally doing something. That is why I have been proud to be part of this bipartisan effort, working with the White House, to produce a historic piece of legislation, $550 billion of new spending over 5 years that in every category I just mentioned will make historic investments. prgtoken I have been a little surprised, to tell you the truth, that some of our colleagues on the other side who were not part of the bipartisan group have suddenly said: No, we can't do infrastructure now. They were all for it when President was in; now they find excuses why not. prgtoken I have to also say I have been a little bit surprised even with some of my colleagues on my side of the aisle, when the deal that we have structured is literally twice as much as where the earlier negotiations were between President and some of the committee chairs--committee leaders. prgtoken There has been some sense of, well, you know, infrastructure--that shouldn't be that hard to do. If it wasn't hard to do, why has it taken us 30 years to get to this moment? prgtoken I hope--and I know we are finalizing the last couple pieces of legislative language--I hope that we will get that finished as soon as possible so we can get this bill on the floor, have amendments, have a debate, but at the end of the day, pass this historic legislation prgtoken and finally put our money where our mouths have been in terms of talking about the needs of infrastructure in this country. prgtoken Now, I know, , that we do not have probably a lot of people rushing to the floor today, so I am going to take an extra minute or two. It doesn't mean you have to stay riveted to each moment. But I want to talk about this for a few moments in terms of
EVICTION MORATORIUM
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2021-7-31

almost exactly a year ago today, I stood here and called for Congress to take action to protect renters before the expiration of the eviction moratorium enacted during the early weeks of the pandemic. prgtoken Today, like a year ago, we are only hours away from a fully preventable housing crisis. prgtoken The CDC's eviction moratorium expires tonight at midnight, putting millions of families still recovering from the economic fallout of COVID-19 at risk for losing their homes, from losing the bedrock of their safety and stability. prgtoken Right now, more than 11 million renters report being behind on rent. That is one out of every seven renters. And people of color, who have been hit hardest by this pandemic, are disproportionately at risk. Nearly one-quarter of Black renters report being behind on rental payments. prgtoken Last year, Congress worked together to account for that staggering reality. We provided more than $45 billion in emergency rental assistance. That money is now finally getting into the hands of landlords around the country. It is helping families who lost jobs get caught up on the missed payments. prgtoken But the money is getting out too slowly. Some States and local governments opened their assistance programs only last month. Some hadn't spent a single dollar by the beginning of June. prgtoken Now that is starting to change. In June, States delivered more than $1.5 billion in emergency rental assistance. That money went to help nearly 300,000 households, but there are still billions of dollars to distribute and millions of families in need. prgtoken We have the tools, and we have the funding. What we need is the time. prgtoken Look, I agree that the eviction moratorium is not a long-term solution, but let me be very clear: it is the right short-term action. It is how we keep families safely in their homes while States deliver emergency aid. It is how we keep families who are starting to recover from the worst economic crisis of their lifetimes get back on their feet. prgtoken Millions of jobs have been lost, businesses are still shuttered, and childcare for too many families is still a patchwork of uncertainty. The recovery underway in this country is historic, and it will continue, but it has not yet reached every family. prgtoken But the need is not just economic. We are still in the throes of a public health emergency that is trending in the wrong direction. Cases of COVID-19 are rising. Hospitalizations and deaths are rising. The Delta variant is more contagious, threatening to spread faster among the half of the country that remains unvaccinated. prgtoken Needlessly evicting families would risk escalating our public health crisis. The CDC understood that reality when it issued an eviction moratorium in September. The Agency was clear, and I want to quote the language they used: ``Housing stability helps protect health.'' prgtoken That's right. Research shows that moratorium
CORONAVIRUS
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-8-1

on another topic, the most frustrating aspect of America's COVID response isn't that we are being asked to wear masks again--I have my mask here--in COVID hotspots; the most maddening part of this pandemic is that Americans could have put this virus in their rearview mirror long ago. prgtoken We could have saved thousands of lives. Over 600,000 Americans are dead from COVID-19. We could have prevented a great deal of the economic pain this pandemic has inflicted on America's families and businesses. We are here now, battling a new surge and a more dangerous strain of coronavirus, in large part, because the people with big megaphones chose, cynically and cowardly and cruelly, to spread doubt and denial about this virus and the vaccines that prevent it. Their lies cost lives. prgtoken Fortunately, this past week seems to mark a turning point for America. Leaders in both the public and private sectors are stepping up for the common good and requiring their workers to get vaccinated or to get tested regularly to show they are not sick and not a danger to others. If you want the job, get the jab. It is time. prgtoken President also announced that all Federal workers must get vaccinated or tested. I commend his decision. That is leadership, and it will save lives. prgtoken And to some who come to the floor of the Senate and to other places to say that the government should operate more like a business, take note: Some of the most innovative employers--Google, Netflix, Disney-- have also announced that their workers will have to be vaccinated, and there will be more. prgtoken Recently, several of our colleagues took to the floor of the Senate. They even invited over their fan club from the House. They lined up right behind the speakers over on the side of the aisle. And they are very strong in their feelings that the of the House should not require Members to wear masks. prgtoken Well, there is a reason for it, and the suggestion that the CDC has flip-flopped or that Dr. Fauci has flip-flopped belies the reality that the virus has flip-flopped. We are now dealing with something known as a Delta variant. prgtoken There is an urgent message for all Americans who have not been vaccinated: While you have been avoiding vaccination or waiting for just the right moment, the enemy--the COVID-19 virus--has not been idle. The Delta variant has arrived in a big and deadly way. prgtoken Here is what Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the Director of the CDC, said: The Delta variant is more aggressive . . . more [transferable] than previously circulating strains. It is one of the most infectious respiratory [viruses] we know of . . . in my 20-year career. prgtoken Now, in case you dismiss Dr. Walensky as some nonsense-talking ic Socialist and you prefer the expertise of Tucker Carlson or Laura Ingraham on FOX, I hope you will not ignore the grim reality in the actual num
INFRASTRUCTURE
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-8-1

from the very beginning, my stated goal for the July and August work period has been that the Senate pass both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions. This is our so-called two-track strategy: both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions. And despite some bumps in the road, always expected on two bills as large and comprehensive as these, we have remained firmly on track to achieve our two-track goal. prgtoken On the bipartisan track, I have worked with my colleagues throughout the process to help produce an outcome that all parties find acceptable. I have tried to prod the negotiators when they have needed it and given them space when they have asked for it. prgtoken Deadlines were necessary to advance the negotiations. We are here right now, during a rare weekend session, in order to move the bipartisan bill forward as quickly as possible. prgtoken The idea here is to produce an outcome, a real bipartisan agreement that provides a significant down payment toward the level of infrastructure investment our country needs. prgtoken The process from here is simple. Once the legislative text of the agreement is finalized--and I understand it is being finalized imminently--I will offer it as a substitute amendment, as I have always promised, and then the Senate can finally begin voting on additional amendments. prgtoken Given the thoroughly bipartisan nature of the bill, I expect we will be able to consider all the relevant amendments and finish the bill in a matter of days. prgtoken But we know that this bill is not everything our country needs. That is why, after the bipartisan infrastructure legislation passes this Chamber, I will immediately move to the other track: passing a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions, which will allow the Senate to make historic investments in American jobs, American families, and efforts to reverse climate change. Both tracks are very much needed by the American people and we must accomplish both. prgtoken . prgtoken .