mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING MELINDA STENTOFT OF SCOBEY
Greg Gianforte (Republican, MT) \u2014 2020-5-22

. Madam , I rise today to honor Melinda Stentoft of Scobey for providing Eastern Montana's health care providers with personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 outbreak. prgtoken Let me start of by saying Melinda wants everybody to know she doesn't think she deserves this recognition. She said, ``I just honestly felt like it needed to be done.'' prgtoken That speaks volumes to the type of person Melinda is. She owns a boutique in Scobey, Montana. Once the COVID-19 outbreak forced everyone indoors and businesses, like hers, to close their doors, business really started picking up on line. In fact, her numbers doubled in the past two months. prgtoken But through all this success, she saw the harsh reality of the coronavirus and its impact on her community, state, and nation. When health care providers indicated they had an immediate need for PPE, Melinda realized there was a way she could help. prgtoken Melinda's boutique sells cloth masks to the public. She says everyone was ordering them, so she pledged to help with Eastern Montana's health care PPE shortage. For every five masks her business sold, she would donate two to health care systems like Daniels Memorial in Scobey, Roosevelt Memorial in Culbertson, and the Billings Clinic. Thanks to her efforts, hundreds of masks will be delivered to protect providers. prgtoken This unprecedented time has reminded Melinda of her childhood when, she says, people were so close, and the sense of a tight-knit community came back because of the outbreak. Instead of rushing all the time, Melinda feels people are taking more time to talk to each other, and she loves how people have found their own way to help. prgtoken Madam , for identifying the needs of her community and selflessly giving back, I recognize Melinda Stentoft of Scobey for her Spirit of Montana.
TRIBUTE TO JOHN F. PRENTICE
Ken Calvert (Republican, CA) \u2014 2020-5-22

. Madam , I rise today to honor and pay tribute to an outstanding individual, John Prentice, who passed away at the age of 66 on April 30, 2020. John was a loving husband, a dedicated community member, and a dear friend of mine. He will be deeply missed. prgtoken John was born on December 2, 1953, the son of Rita and George Prentice. John and I grew up together in Corona, California and had an incredible friendship that spanned from kindergarten to today. After graduating at the top of his class from Corona High School, John attended Cal Poly Pomona and earned a Bachelor of Science degree which led him to become a Certified Public Accountant. prgtoken In 1980, John married the love of his life Melody Cissna, a wonderful woman who I have the pleasure of also calling a friend. Together they shared almost forty years of marriage filled with exciting travels, and lots of skiing, boating, and golfing. John and Melody took on their adventures together and surrounded themselves with good friends . prgtoken John was an active CPA for more than 40 years, joining Eadie & Payne, LLP as a staff accountant in 1976. He worked his way up to becoming the firm's managing partner in 2000 and served in that role until he retired in 2017. John served as my accountant for many years, and I can personally attest to the many lives he touched throughout his career where he was known for his humor, warmth, intelligence, and optimistic outlook. prgtoken John was an active member of the Rotary Club of San Bernardino and Inland Action, organizations which he graced with his time, leadership skills, and wit. He made lifelong friendships through his associations in professional accounting, agricultural, and construction trade groups. John was incredibly dedicated to his colleagues, clients, friends, and family. prgtoken John is survived by his wife Melody, mother Rita, and his brothers Dan, Joe, and Jim Prentice. He is fondly remembered by his cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends for his generosity and kind spirit. prgtoken I had the pleasure of knowing John both personally and professionally throughout most of my life. He was a wonderful friend, a talented professional and a passionate advocate for our region. He was a great American and I extend my heartfelt condolences to my dear friend Melody and to all those who knew John. Although he may no longer be with us, he will continue to have a lasting impact on the lives of his family and community.
RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF EL NUEVO DIA NEWSPAPER
Jenniffer González-Colón (Republican, PR) \u2014 2020-5-22

. Madam , I would like to recognize an important anniversary in Puerto Rican journalism. prgtoken Fifty years ago, what is today the leading newspaper in Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Dia, was launched under the direction of the late editor Carlos Castaneda. It was his vision and leadership that transformed one of our older regionally-oriented papers into a major islandwide publication, marking a new era in the Puerto Rico press. prgtoken During its half century of existence El Nuevo Dia newspaper has been home to valued and respected reporters, commenters, photojournalists, analysts and writers. I congratulate each one of these distinguished individuals who have helped make El Nuevo Dia newspaper what it is today--from the many figures long established when the paper came into existence, to those who made their careers reporting for El Nuevo Dia newspaper, to those who have moved on to other outlets, to those who are just getting started. It is their collective efforts that have kept the record of moments of joy and of pain, of achievements and challenges, of history in the making, often pioneering new ways to cover daily news, politics, economics and business, sport and cultural events. Even today, as we face this ongoing pandemic, El Nuevo Dia newspaper continues to find innovative ways to bring timely news to the people of Puerto Rico and beyond. prgtoken A dynamic free press is essential to a dynamic free society and its role is vital in the process of informing the people and of maintaining accountability, especially in times of uncertainty. I wish to congratulate the Ferre Rangel family and the whole family of El Nuevo Dia newspaper, past and present, on this anniversary, and extend my best wishes to continue a path of success.
CELEBRATING THE CAREER OF PAM BROWN LARSEN
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2020-5-22

. Madam , today, the Tri-Cities community celebrates and honors the career of Pam Brown Larsen. For the past 25 years, Pam has served as Executive Director of Hanford Communities, an intergovernmental cooperative organization embraced by four cities, two counties, and a port district. Pam began this journey in 1994 when she became the first and only person to fill the position created by the City of Richland. prgtoken Throughout her career, Pam has been a steadfast advocate for the cleanup of the Hanford Site and for the people and communities surrounding it. Her leadership has been crucial to the progress seen at the 586 square mile site. Pam has played a pivotal role in increasing the public's access to information about prgtoken Hanford, and her efforts advocating for a cost-effective, safe, and prompt cleanup will continue to shape the mission at the site in the years to come. prgtoken Pam has not only been an expert on nuclear cleanup issues at the local level; she has also shared her collaborative leadership model at the national and international levels as well. prgtoken The Tri-Cities was the only Department of Energy community with a government advocacy association at the time of its creation. Since then, communities like those in Los Alamos, New Mexico and Oak Ridge, Tennessee have followed the example of Hanford Communities in creating their own associations. Pam has gone on to share her model of waste cleanup community advocacy with agency leaders in Fukushima, Japan. Her leadership has made, and will continue to make, a sustaining mark on the cleanup efforts of the future. prgtoken Pam, it is an honor to know you, both as a constituent, and as a friend. I know I am not alone in thanking you for your years of service and in wishing you the very best in retirement. Congratulations.
RECOGNIZING SOURCE VERO BEACH
Bill Posey (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-5-22

. Madam , COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges in each of our communities, but it has shown us what we have to be grateful for and who we should be grateful to. Today I would like to recognize a local homeless outreach ministry, The Source Vero Beach, whose volunteers have been working tirelessly to provide essential services to the needy in Indian River County, during this pandemic. prgtoken The Source has been a community leader since its establishment in 1995 as a homeless ministry that provided free meals and Bible Study sessions in Indian River County. They have since grown into a comprehensive assistance center that prides itself on providing essential services to people from all walks of life, no matter background or struggle. Whether it be a free dinner, clothing, counseling, showers, access to a telephone, or just a listening hear, they have welcomed anyone and everyone into their care. Now more than ever, the community relies on their assistance. prgtoken While The Source faced its fair share of hardship during the pandemic in continuing many of these essential services, they saw an opportunity to invest in and give hope to those who have been recently displaced from work, developing a new culinary training program that feeds the community. This program called ``Dining with Dignity'' provides these individuals with 18 weeks of hands-on kitchen training, knife skills, financial literacy, interpersonal skills, and a weekly stipend. Upon completion of the program, participants receive a State of Florida ServSafe/SafeStaff certification, a graduation bonus, and job placement within the restaurant industry. prgtoken This back-to-work program has seen major success so far, providing life-changing training to fight chronic unemployment caused by COVID- 19, while delivering over 550 meals a day, 7 days a week to the needy. To thank for the development and implementation of the program, is Executive Director of The Source, Mr. Anthony Zorbaugh, along with the rest of the outreach staff who are dedicated to serving our community, no matter the challenges they face. prgtoken I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to please join me in recognizing the staff of The Source Vero Beach for their altruism and public servant hearts. Our community will be forever grateful for their investment and service to those who need it most.
CONGRATULATING HAYDEN MARIE MARCHANT ON HER EIGHTH-GRADE GRADUATION AT THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL ON MAY 21, 2020
Kenny Marchant (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-5-22

. Madam , I rise today to honor my granddaughter, Hayden Marie Marchant, upon her eighth-grade graduation at The Hockaday School on May 21, 2020. Located within my congressional district in Dallas, Texas, Hockaday was founded in 1913, and has since developed into a beacon of educational excellence that draws students from across the country and around the world. prgtoken As Hayden successfully completes her middle school education, our family is proud to celebrate her impressive accomplishments. Aside from managing her academic responsibilities, Hayden has proven to be a dedicated athlete by participating in volleyball, basketball, soccer, and softball. Off the field, she has excelled in other extracurriculars, as demonstrated by her multiple awards at the State Fair of Texas Lego competition and her recent portrayal of Von Hussler in Hockaday's performance of Mary Poppins. Hayden has also displayed an entrepreneurial spirit by launching her own business, ``Rocking M Beads'', which she continues to run and operate. Her friends and relatives all agree that she is outstanding in her field. prgtoken Students at Hockaday celebrate the conclusion of their middle school experience by arriving at their graduation ceremony in traditional white dresses and listening to congratulatory remarks from the administration, faculty, and a chosen student speaker. This final event serves as a rite-of-passage that prepares students to assume the added responsibilities of their upper-school years. prgtoken Hayden continues to make her parents, Matthew and Lindsay, extremely proud. Her two sets of grandparents, Donna Marchant and myself, and Rod and Sherry Hill of Frisco, Texas, could not be prouder of the young woman that she is becoming. Hayden truly embodies the four cornerstones of The Hockaday School: character, courtesy, scholarship, and athletics. Our entire family is excited for Hayden's continued progress. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Hayden Marchant and The Hockaday School Class of 2024 on their eighth-grade graduation. As every school across the nation has been negatively impacted over the past few months, I would also like to recognize the teachers, administrators, and support staff that have been working hard to meet the educational needs of our youth.
HEALTH AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY OMNIBUS EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS ACT
Ron Wright (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-5-22

while I am not able to attend the vote for H.R. 6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act on May 15, 2020. I want to express my strong opposition to this legislation, and I plan to vote against it. prgtoken This 1800-page bill is anything but heroic. It reads more like a Christmas list. Instead of crafting law, the wrote and dropped a political bill that she and the rest of her party know is dead on arrival in the Senate. This is not a serious attempt to pass more relief for American workers, businesses, and health professionals. Changing election laws, incentivizing illegal immigration, bailing out mismanaged pensions, and spending the cap on state and local tax deduction for the top 1 percent have nothing to do with the Wuhan Virus and do not address the real needs of the American people. prgtoken As usual there are positive elements upon which there could be bipartisan support: more small business relief, help for our agricultural sector, additional resources for front line health care workers, and more funding for testing development and deployment. No doubt, these provisions will be cynically heralded as others ensure the bill's demise. Writing a politically inspired bill behind closed doors without meaningful negotiations with the minority, the Senate, or the White House is not how law is crafted. Rather, it's how mockeries are made that further erode the faith and confidence of the American people in Congress. prgtoken Rather than spending another $3 trillion to push a socialist agenda and further expand government, we should be working together to assess how effectively the previous $3 trillion has been spent, and then identify the needs that are appropriate for the federal government to fill. prgtoken Enough with the political stunts. Let's get back to working in a bipartisan manner so that we can re-open the economy, hold China accountable, secure our supply chain, and bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. I continue to be inspired by the steadfast commitment from the men and women that leave their families, risk their health, and go to their essential jobs every day so that we can continue fighting this war.
HONORING ELIZABETH S. ELLIS
John B. Larson (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-5-22

. Madam , I would like to include in the Record the following article honoring Elizabeth S. Ellis, the longtime influential publisher of Connecticut's Journal Inquirer newspaper, who passed away on May 4, 2020. Dedicating 53 years of her life to the Journal Inquirer, Ellis successfully expanded the small, local newspaper from five to eighteen towns. She notably broke gender barriers by directing the paper when few women were afforded leadership roles in journalism. What impressed me the most was how she was able to, in a relatively short period of time, rival the State Paper of Record the Hartford Courant. She attracted talented journalists including the state's leading sports writer, Randy Smith and editorial page editor and writer, Chris Powell. Elizabeth Ellis' dedication to her community is commendable, and I believe it deserves recognition. [From the Journal Inquirer] Portrait of a Lady, and Us (By Keith C. Burris) Seekers look for teachers. They sit at the feet of those who can teach them something about how to live. My Uncle Tom, at whose feet I sat for a time (actually we sat in deck chairs on a high-rise balcony drinking gin), was an old test and fighter pilot with an eye for character and detail. He called me ``little grasshopper'' when I was in college. But I want to tell you about another person who taught me, and did so for 21 years, never once in didactic fashion. Her name was Elizabeth Ellis, and she was my boss, mentor, friend, life coach, and master teacher for all those years, at the Journal Inquirer. Betty died this week at the age of 92. The first thing she taught me was to be independent--to steer my own path and not to be intimidated. I never saw or heard her worry about ``what people might say'' or think. She had a worldview. I would call it Roosevelt liberalism, but this worldview was as practical and subject to empirical testing as it was principled. She was an intellect, but she did not live in the world of abstraction. She lived in the world of the possible. An early lesson in her independence and pragmatism was the case of two young, inexperienced cops shooting and killing a man who was high and charged at them, threatening to take them out. He had a knife, but was otherwise unarmed. I wanted to hammer the cops in an editorial. I wanted to say their lives were never at risk and they should have shot the guy in the foot or leg. And, anyway, their superiors should not have sent two green cops on this call. These were not unreasonable positions. Betty quietly asked me some questions: Had I considered the dilemma from the young cops' point of view? How long did they have to think? What information did they have? What did I know ab
HONORING THE LIFE OF MS. CAROLINA WINSTON BARRIE
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-5-22

. Madam , I rise to celebrate the life of Mrs. Carolina Winston Barrie--a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and dedicated advocate for veterans from California's 33rd Congressional District. Carolina passed away on April 29, 2020 at the age of 92. prgtoken Carolina was born on November 24, 1927 in Los Angeles, California. She attended Marlborough School and the University of California, Berkeley. She was the epitome of a matriarch and walked through life with confidence and strength. Not only was she adored by her family, but also by those whose lives she touched. prgtoken She was the great-niece of Arcadia Bandini de Baker, who along with United States Senator John Percival Jones, donated the first 300 acres that made up the Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers and Sailors, now known as the West Los Angeles VA campus. prgtoken Carolina and other descendants of Arcadia have for decades tried to honor the gift their ancestors so patriotically donated, most recently in 2016 by founding the 1887 Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to the physical and spiritual restoration of the five historic properties on the West Los Angeles VA campus, including the Wadsworth Chapel. Her advocacy for the campus and veterans was unparalleled. In addition to overseeing the 1887 Fund, she was an advisor to the Veterans and Community Oversight and Engagement Board, a federal advisory committee that made recommendations to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs regarding the West Los Angeles VA Master Plan, as well as outreach and services for veterans. prgtoken Carolina was a woman of faith, compassion, intelligence and wit. Her legacy, not only for her family, but also to veterans, will forever carry on through her efforts to have veterans return to their rightful home at the West Los Angeles VA campus. As Carolina once said, ``We don't have to go back to 1887 to do right by our veterans.'' prgtoken Carolina was predeceased by her husband, George; her three sons: Winston, Juan, Matthew; and her daughter, Louisa. She is survived by two daughters, Christine and Carolina; six grandchildren; and a great- grandson. May Carolina's memory be an inspiration and blessing to us all.
HEALTH AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY OMNIBUS EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS ACT
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-5-22

I rise today in support of House ' next comprehensive coronavirus relief package, the HEROES Act. prgtoken The HEROES Act contains an additional $75 billion for the testing, tracing and treatment required to match the threat posed by the coronavirus. We have also ensured that access to medical services is prioritized and safeguarded, such that every American can access free COVID-19 treatment. The HEROES Act eliminates cost sharing for coronavirus treatment for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as those with private health insurance, TRICARE, VA Health Care, and Federal Employee Health Benefits. Additionally, we have infused an additional $100 billion into the Health Care Provider Relief Fund and have ensured that these funds are distributed to providers in an equitable and efficient way. All these investments in our public health and medical systems will further support our communities as they withstand this coronavirus pandemic. prgtoken In order to assist the small businesses bearing the brunt of the economic impact of the coronavirus, the HEROES Act strengthens the Payroll Protection Program and adds safeguards to ensure equal funding distribution to underserved communities. These, paired with an extension of weekly unemployment payments through January of 2021, are vital lifelines to small business owners and those they employ. prgtoken The HEROES Act also commits nearly $1 trillion alone to state and local governments for the purpose of paying those workers fighting this disease and its effects on the frontlines. Additionally, it creates a $200 billion prgtoken hazard pay fund to ensure that frontline workers are compensated accordingly for their efforts in these dangerous conditions. prgtoken For those who have lost their jobs, the HEROES Act introduces funding for programs that, among others, address workplace and food security, housing assistance, health insurance, public education and direct payments to those who qualify. prgtoken , though we as Members of Congress come to this floor from all corners of the country, representing different districts and demographics, we are united today by a common issue--our communities are struggling. Tens of thousands of loved ones have already been lost and millions now find themselves without a steady source of income, to say nothing of the additional hardships that will linger for years to come. The HEROES Act is an essential step forward to assure that we are appropriately addressing the needs of our communities, therefore I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill and urge the Senate to take it under consideration.