mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-11-17

Donna Villere will make 70 years old on December 1, 2020. Donna was born at Touro Hospital in New Orleans; Donna has lived her whole life in Jefferson Parish, except for 1 year in New Orleans when she was first married. Donna grew up in Harahan; her maiden name was Gunckel. Donna attended St. Rita's Church and was the first person to be baptized, make their first communion and confirmation, and be married at St. Rita's. Donna attended Chapelle High School and LSUNO College. prgtoken She is married 51 years to Roger Villere; they have 3 sons Roger, III, Mark, and Jacques; four granddaughters Madison, Masey, Victoria, and Shelby; and 2 great-grandsons Isaiah and Myles. Donna is co-owner of Villere's Florist, which she opened when she was only 18 years old on the corner of Focis Street and Metairie Road. Donna is Secretary/ Treasurer, Villere Corporation. prgtoken Donna's hobby is volleyball; she is a great volleyball player, and she started varsity as a freshman at Chapelle HS. Donna has been a volleyball coach for over 35 years at Lakeshore playground in Metairie and has coached at Metairie playground and Harahan playgrounds. Donna likes to attend volleyball tournaments, one of her favorite is Fudpuckers in Destin, FL, and she has attended for over 20 years. Donna supports local tournaments at both Coconut Beach and White Sands Beach volleyball locations in Jefferson Paris. prgtoken Donna loves to babysit with her two great-grandsons and her nephew Jaxon.
REMEMBERING SCOTT IRVING PEEK, SR.
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-11-17

today, I honor the life and legacy of Scott Irving Peek, Sr who passed away on November 10, 2020 at the age of 94. Known to many as Scotty, he was raised in Jacksonville, FL, with a strong work ethic that carried him through a storied life and career. After high school, Scotty served in the U.S. Merchant Marines during World War II. He then went to the University of Florida on a track scholarship in 1945; however, his service to our Nation took precedence, and he served in the U.S. Army from 1946 through 1948. He then returned to UF, where he played both football and track and in 1952 earned his degree in physical education, health, and recreation. prgtoken After college, Scotty heard the calling for public service and began a career on Capitol Hill, serving as an aide to Florida's U.S. Senator George Smathers. His advice and counsel was lauded, and he quickly became an integral member of Senator Smathers' team and family. He served his State and Nation with honor. It was in Washington, DC that he met his wife, Lillian Barretto, and perhaps his greatest accomplishment, together they raised six children: Nancy, Rosemary, Scott Jr Catherine, William, and George. prgtoken After returning to Florida, Scotty started a public relations firm and enjoyed a successful career in many ventures, including real estate. If you knew Scotty, you knew he was passionate about his family and the University of Florida. He served in multiple capacities for the UF Foundation, and that incredible work was honored by three UF Presidents. prgtoken Through his devotion to his wife of 65 years, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, family and friends, there is no doubt that Scotty left a mark on this world. I honor his life and continued legacy.
CELEBRATING NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-11-17

today, Jim Jordan, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, and myself are sending a letter to Chairman Nadler and Chairwoman Maloney, the chairs of our respective committees, requesting a hearing on the election process, the integrity of the election process. prgtoken Just last night, we got a report that over 2,000 ballots had just been found in Georgia. Ironically, despite the fact that all these absentee ballots have been breaking overwhelmingly for the and for in the Presidential race, this particular batch of ballots broke 800 votes in favor of . prgtoken Now, I have been hesitant to criticize the election process without facts. We have facts here. prgtoken It is a fact that there has been a history of problems with Dominion and different election software programs that have been used in several of the States that are in question in this Presidential election. prgtoken We have had all of these hearings in the Judiciary Committee and all of these hearings in the Oversight and Reform Committee on Russia collusion that never proved anything, but we have a Presidential election that every American is watching. Why can't we have hearings on that? prgtoken , we are here for the next 2 weeks. I strongly encourage the Judiciary and Oversight and Reform Committees to hold a hearing on our election integrity.
THE FOUNDATION OF DEMOCRACY IS THE INTEGRITY OF THE VOTE
Tom McClintock (Republican, CA) \u2014 2020-11-17

the nature of democracy is that in every election there is a winner and a loser. The success of democracy depends on the loser believing the vote was fair and accepting the result. You see, the vote is not the foundation of democracy, the integrity of the vote is its foundation. prgtoken That is just as important for the winner as it is for the loser. The winners depend on the integrity of the vote for their legitimacy. The loser depends on it for their acceptance. prgtoken That is precisely the issue in the aftermath of this election. The widespread allegations of illegal votes and illegal processes must be resolved before the election can confer legitimacy. Among those questions are the acceptance of ballots received after election day, votes cast by ineligible voters, backdated ballots, illegally duplicated ballots, voting systems that misallocated votes, and the counting of votes outside any meaningful observation. prgtoken Now, there is either evidence to support these allegations or there is not. Fortunately, we are blessed with a well-established system of administrative and judicial review to answer these questions. prgtoken Georgia, for example, is now undertaking an audit and hand count. The audit should resolve some concerns over illegal votes, and the hand count should resolve concerns over illegal processes. Meanwhile, judges across the country are hearing complaints and weighing the evidence to support similar concerns. prgtoken So I rise today to ask that we all calm down, stop the hyperbolic rhetoric, and allow this process to unfold as it should. Our system is more than capable of working through these issues and providing answers that can satisfy both sides. prgtoken We also need to ask ourselves why so many Americans currently believe the election was riddled with fraud. I think it is because so many safeguards built into our system have been removed. prgtoken We call it ``election day'' for a reason. Until recently, we all waited until the campaigns were over and every candidate had their say. prgtoken Then on a single day, election day, we personally went to the polling place in our community in what George Will calls ``the communion of democracy.'' We all took the time because we knew it was important. We brought our children to watch the process, and we taught them to respect it. prgtoken The polling place was often at a neighbor's garage or the local elementary school. Each of us looked our neighbors on the precinct board in the eye as we identified ourselves and signed the roll. They then handed us our ballot. We immediately took that ballot into a curtained booth where no one could look over our shoulder or plead or threaten or cajole us to vote a certain way. We cast our vote in absolute privacy, according to our own conscience, and then handed the ballot back to our neighbor, who immediately placed it into a locked box in the presence of observers from all parties. prgtoken It was very
Religious Freedom (Executive Session)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2020-11-17

in my neighborhood and my community, you can walk down the street and visit with some really great neighbors--Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus. They all live in the same neighborhood and are friends. prgtoken My kids are grown now. We watched all our kids playing together in the community and in the neighborhood. We can see just from this one community and just from this one neighborhood this beautiful thing our Founding Fathers dreamed of--the right of every individual to be able to choose a faith of their own decision, to be able to live that faith out, to be able to change that faith if they choose to, or to be able to have no faith at all. prgtoken There are plenty of people in my neighborhood that I have no idea what faith they have. They don't have to post it. They don't have to print it. They don't have to say it because they are an American. They don't have to be a certain faith or be able to maintain that faith. prgtoken The Declaration of Independence makes known that every person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our Constitution protects our right to a free press, to speak, to assemble, to petition the government, and to have any faith we choose and to be able to live that faith without fear that the government is going to impose a faith on them. prgtoken Our founding government documents explicitly state these rights. We know that, inherently, these rights should be for all people. As such, I believe it is the responsibility of every American not just to cherish the freedoms that we have but to also be able to state those freedoms worldwide and to be able to encourage people worldwide to also live those basic human rights and dignities. prgtoken The administration is heavily focused on sharing these ideals with the world. In fact, right now, Poland is hosting the Third Ministerial to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief Alliance. The United States has hosted the first two of those. In fact, I was a participant in the second one, and I was a participant online with the third one that was just in process. prgtoken It was implemented with the help of Secretary Pompeo and Ambassador- at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. It brought people of all faiths and of all countries together who choose to discuss religious liberty. prgtoken This year's ministerial definitely looks very different based on COVID worldwide and its restrictions, but it is remarkable to see Foreign Ministers from all over the world, many from countries that don't practice religious liberty, in the middle of a conversation about religious liberty. prgtoken Eighty percent of the world's population live where religious freedom is threatened or denied, which puts an extra obligation on those of us who live in freedom to be able to display that freedom to people worldwide. We should condemn religious persecution and work to ensure that all people have the freedom of
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Bill Huizenga (Republican, MI) \u2014 2020-11-17

. Madam , I rise today regarding missed votes due to a death in the family. Had I been present for roll call vote number 219, On the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 327, the Wounded Veterans Recreation Act, I would have voted ``yay.'' Had I been present for roll call vote number 220, On the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 3147, the Improving Safety and Security for Veterans Act, I would have voted ``yay.''
TEAM VETERAN CAREGIVERS ACT
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-11-17

. I further ask that the committee-reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Peters substitute amendment, which is at the desk, be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; that the committee-reported title amendment be considered and agreed to; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
RECOGNIZING THE BICENTENNIAL OF TOURMALINE IN MAINE
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2020-11-17

this year, in addition to celebrating the bicentennial of the State of Maine, we are also commemorating the bicentennial of the first major find in North America of the treasured semiprecious stone tourmaline in the mountains of western Maine. It is a fascinating historical coincidence that the State of Maine and the discovery of its official State gemstone share the same anniversary. prgtoken Maine became our Nation's 23rd State on March 15, 1820. In late autumn of that year, college students Elijah Hamlin and Ezekiel Holmes were pursuing their studies in mineralogy on an expedition to Mount Mica in Paris, ME. As they headed down the mountain at sunset, they spotted a vivid green sparkle amid the tangled roots of a fallen tree. The beautiful crystal was an exciting find, but the encroaching darkness prevented further exploration. prgtoken Their plan to continue their search the next morning was cancelled by an overnight snowfall that blanketed the ground until spring. When the two students did return months later, they were astonished by the amount and variety of the crystals among the rocky ledges. The many shades of green, red, white, and yellow translucent stones they found explain why the word ``tourmaline,'' which comes from an ancient language of Sri Lanka, roughly translates to ``many colors.'' prgtoken News of the discovery spread, and the region soon became the foremost hunting grounds in North America for these remarkable gems, rivaling famous sites in South America and Asia. Among the early Maine rock hounds was Elijah Hamlin's younger brother Hannibal, who four decades later would serve as President Lincoln's first Vice President. prgtoken Today, Maine tourmaline is treasured by jewelers, artists, and collectors. Our distinctive watermelon tourmaline, which combines pink, white, and green in one stone, is especially prized. Residents and visitors alike delight in searching for these gorgeous stones amid the marvelous scenery of our western mountains. prgtoken The Hamlin Necklace, containing stones of various colors from the original find, can be seen at the Harvard prgtoken University Mineralogical Museum. In 1972, a spectacular discovery in Newry, ME, yielded hundreds of pounds of red and green crystals, including the ``Jolly Green Giant,'' a 10-inch crystal now in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History collection. The State of Maine tourmaline necklace was designed using Newry gems and presented to the State in 1975 by the Maine Retail Jewelers Association. prgtoken On Presidents Day 2010, a major discovery included a 120-carat blue tourmaline crystal, among the most rare of hues. This was named ``The President'' and was cut into nine gems. The largest was presented as a gift from the State of Maine to President when he visited that year. prgtoken How and why such large deposits of tourmaline are found in Maine, so distant from the usual locales, remains
FRAUD AND SCAM REDUCTION ACT
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2020-11-17

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I have said before and I will say it again: I don't think there is a more fierce advocate for consumers than the gentlewoman who chairs the subcommittee. She has, once again, brought solid legislation to the floor. We appreciate her and her team working with us to make this bipartisan. prgtoken , I urge passage, and .
CLOTURE MOTION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-11-17

. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander), the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). prgtoken Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Alexander) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Iowa (Mr. Grassley) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea.''
BLOCK, REPORT, AND SUSPEND SUSPICIOUS SHIPMENTS ACT OF 2020
David B. McKinley (Republican, WV) \u2014 2020-11-17

. Madam , I rise in support of H.R. 3878. While Congress has understandably been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic has not gone away. In fact, across the nation overdose deaths are up 13 percent from this time last year. prgtoken In West Virginia, nearly twice as many people have died from drug abuse than from COVID. prgtoken Last Congress, the Energy and Commerce Committee conducted an investigation that found massive evidence of pill dumping. One example in the report was that nearly 9 million pills were distributed in just two years to a single pharmacy in West Virginia. Finally, two years later we're passing legislation that would help address the problem. prgtoken I am proud to work with Mrs. Dingell on this nonpartisan bill. The Block, Report, and Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act would require drug wholesalers and manufacturers to report and stop unusually large orders. We are hopeful this bill will be another positive step in addressing America's opioid epidemic. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 3878.
COMBATING PANDEMIC SCAMS ACT OF 2020
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-11-17

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise to speak in support of H.R. 6435, the Combating Pandemic Scams Act. This bipartisan bill was introduced by Representatives Carter, Kuster, Hudson, and Blunt Rochester. I thank them for introducing this measure to help stem the tide of scams and fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken In July, the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce held a hearing on increased risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that hearing, we heard about all the ways scammers are taking advantage of the ongoing national emergency for personal gain. Whether phishing for stimulus checks or fundraising for fake charities, scammers are exploiting Americans already struggling financially and diverting resources away from where they could provide desperately needed help. prgtoken One new scam that has emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic is the contact tracing scam. This scam, which involves fraudsters posing as contact tracers from public health departments, is exacerbating the public health crisis by undermining one of the most effective tools we have to keep communities safe. prgtoken Instead of documenting the spread of the virus or alerting those who might have been exposed, these scammers are only interested in duping Americans into turning over sensitive personal information or downloading malicious software on their device. prgtoken H.R. 6435 will establish a comprehensive national database of scams related to COVID-19 so that the public can differentiate the real contact tracers from the imposters and learn how to identify other scams on their own. It will also require the Federal Trade Commission to inform the public about mail, telemarketing, and internet scams related to COVID-19, including how to report such scams to the appropriate agency. prgtoken , as the pandemic continues, we will continue to see more scams unfold, unfortunately. But this bill will make sure that the American public is regularly updated about scams so they can protect themselves and their loved ones. prgtoken , this is an important bill. It is going to protect consumers during this pandemic, and I call on all of my colleagues to support it. prgtoken , .
Armenia and Azerbaijan (Executive Session)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-11-17

I come to the floor today in solidarity with ethnic Armenians all over the world who have experienced terrible losses in recent weeks. This is a tragic moment for Armenians everywhere. prgtoken Words cannot describe the devastation inflicted on the region by Azerbaijani President Aliyev with the full support of President Erdogan of Turkey. Thousands of ethnic Armenian civilians and soldiers have lost their lives due to Azerbaijan's aggression, with an unknown number more injured. More than half of the population has been driven from their longtime homes. Every day, more are forced to leave. prgtoken Every day, more are forced to leave. Azerbaijan's aggression has created a massive humanitarian crisis that will require a significant response, especially in light of the worsening pandemic. The historically and religiously significant city of Shushi now sits in Azerbaijani hands, and the security of many sacred Christian sites falls to President Aliyev and his backer Erdogan. The world will be watching if these holy sites are desecrated. prgtoken These are dark days, indeed, and it did not have to be this way. American leadership could have averted much of this tragedy. Unfortunately, after the conflict began in late September, the highest ranking administration officials decided to remain largely absent and silent. prgtoken Certainly, other world leaders engaged. President Macron made calls and actively tried to reduce tensions, as one would expect from one of the leaders of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Minsk Group cochair country. prgtoken Unfortunately, others with less noble goals were also at the table. President Erdogan fueled Azerbaijan's aggression, fanning the flames by providing devastating drone technology and Syrian mercenaries. prgtoken President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov worked the phones from the early days of the conflict. The result? Russia has a new foothold in the southern Caucasus. Evidently, Russia was never fully committed to the Minsk goals and now has what they wanted since the 1990s. prgtoken All of this happened while slept--yet another example of diplomatic malpractice at the highest levels of an administration which will, thankfully, conclude in January. President 's departure is little solace for the ethnic Armenians who have been driven from their homes and seen their livelihoods go up in flames. prgtoken So what is the region left with at the end of the day? The security of the Armenian people, who have already suffered brutal violence at the hands of prgtoken Presidents Aliyev and Erdogan, now rests with peacekeepers sent by Vladimir Putin--a flawed agreement that does nothing about the jihadis sent there by Turkey, who, if allowed to remain, could commit further atrocities against Christian Armenians. prgtoken Without any commitments to the status of Artsakh, there is no incentive for Azerbaijan to make peace wi