mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IN HONOR OF THE LATE PETE FRATES
Lori Trahan (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-12-12

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of the late Pete Frates, a global icon and champion for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research and awareness. A lifelong resident of Massachusetts and former Boston College baseball player, Pete Frates passed away on December 9, 2019 after a hard-fought battle with ALS. Diagnosed with the disease in 2012, Pete spent his numbered days raising funds and awareness for ALS research through his social media phenomenon, the ``ALS Ice Bucket Challenge,'' sparking a global movement that ignited 17 million people into action in order to raise $115 million for the cause. Pete lived his life selflessly, leaving behind a strong legacy and lessons we can all learn from--be kind to one another and when faced with adversity, face it bravely and help others like you. Eight years ago, Pete received a terrible diagnosis and a hopeless prognosis. Instead of falling into a cycle of self-pity and remorse, Pete saw this as an opportunity to help others suffering with ALS. At the time, Pete looked at the one life he had and saw its incredible worth. He then took this one step further, springing into action to improve the lives of others. My heart goes out to Pete's mother and father, wife, child, and friends. I know they will carry on his legacy and continue his courageous work to bring the world one step closer to the eradication of ALS. Madam , I rise today to honor a man whose life is an inspiration to us all. Pete Frates did not die in vain.
TRIBUTE TO MELISSA MATTHEWS AND BELLE RAE ZACHESKY/COPP
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-12-12

I am proud to recognize Melissa Matthews and Belle Rae Zachesky/Copp of Raymond as December's Granite Staters of the Month for seeking to turn their own grief into positive change and mental wellness for their community. prgtoken In the last few months, both Melissa and Belle have lost someone dear to them. Melissa lost her husband, Graham, to suicide on September 30, 2019; and her niece, 8-year-old Belle, lost her father, Jesse, to an opioid overdose the next day, on October 1. prgtoken In response to their shared grief and to distract from their sadness Melissa and Belle are seeking to raise awareness about the importance of mental wellness in their community. Belle and Melissa have started promoting wristbands with the slogan ``Lets change the `I' in mental illness with `WE' for mental wellness,'' to help spread this important message to others. prgtoken The two have also started a Facebook page to try to create an online community of support and positivity. The group's name, MW Warriors--MW standing for mental wellness--was inspired by the song ``Warrior'' by singer Demi Lovato, who has struggled with drug addiction and depression. prgtoken Their story is another inspiring example of how people across New Hampshire come together during difficult times to support one another. This is particularly true as the opioid crisis continues to ravage our State, and it is crucial that we continue to be there for the loved ones of those whom we have lost. prgtoken Melissa and Belle are trying to do the challenging but important work of promoting positive change, all while battling their own loss and channeling their energy to help others. prgtoken Thank you, Melissa and Belle, for your strength and courage.
TOWNHALLS ESSENTIAL TO CONGRESSIONAL WORK
Antonio Delgado (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-12-12

. Madam , I rise today because tomorrow I will be holding my 33rd townhall since being sworn in, with three in each of the 11 counties making up my district. prgtoken I promised my constituents that I would be transparent, accountable, and accessible. New York Congressional District 19 is nearly 8,000 square miles, larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. In the past year, we spent hours in the car, driving in the rain, snow, and sleet to meet folks where they are. prgtoken We have held townhalls in fire departments, schools, small businesses, and theaters, and even had crowds spilling into the hallway. When the broadband signal was strong enough, the entire conversation was streamed on Facebook Live. prgtoken These open forums are essential to my work to represent our district. That is how democracy is supposed to work: civil conversations with my constituents, finding common ground, and concluding with legislation reflecting the needs of the community. prgtoken Townhalls are a true highlight of my first year in office, and we are just getting started. I look forward to meeting more folks tomorrow at the Highland Middle School in Ulster.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2019-12-12

I come forward today to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Veterans Guest House. prgtoken The Veterans Guest House has long been one of Reno's best kept secrets. This ``home away from home'' is one of the only facilities of its kind in the country serving U.S. military veterans and their families, providing temporary overnight accommodations for veterans receiving treatment at a medical facility in the Reno-Sparks area. In the early 1990s, veterans visiting the Veterans Administration Medical Center of the Sierra, VAMC, in Reno noticed that the family members of veterans were sleeping in their cars because they couldn't afford lodging while their loved one was in the hospital. Even some veterans were sleeping in their cars so they could arrive for appointments and other treatments. It was clear that this was not acceptable, and so our generous Northern Nevada community went to work to do better for our veterans. prgtoken In 1994, Reno's Spouse House opened its doors in an old bungalow- style home right near the VAMC in Reno. It had a handful of beds, and in those early years, the House provided lodging to about 800 guests each year. In the 25 years since that time, the Veterans Guest House has evolved and expanded to better meet the needs of our veterans and their families. In 2002, the nonprofit took the name ``Veterans Guest House'' to reflect its broader mission of assisting both veterans and their families, and in 2004, a new 12-bed home was built. By 2012, the nonprofit had acquired another property and expanded the bed total to 17, allowing them to provide more than 5,000 guest nights that year. Recently, construction concluded on the latest expansion bringing total capacity to 33 beds. prgtoken The Veterans Guest House is key to connecting our community to our veterans, providing a variety of ways to show our support for our veterans and their families and the sacrifices made by both. Volunteers are welcome at the Veterans Guest House to help provide the organization ongoing support doing everything from cleaning rooms, to assisting in small repairs, to helping with fundraisers. Community groups, families, and businesses also are encouraged to provide a home- cooked meal for the guests or help fill the needs of the agency's ``Wish List.'' Most guests reside more than 30 miles away from the hospital, and so having that support for them and their families is crucial. Guests are asked to make a donation to support the work of the House, but no one is turned away because they can't pay. The organization relies completely on donations and receives no Federal or State funding. prgtoken I am so pleased to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Veterans Guest House and the critical services and support it provides to our veterans and their families.
LOWER DRUG COSTS NOW ACT OF 2019
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-12-12

. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken I rise today in support of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. prgtoken The rising costs of prescription drugs is one of the top issues I hear about from my constituents, and it has been getting worse. prgtoken This year alone, I have received nearly four times as many calls and letters about prescription drug prices than all of last year. And there are many, many stories, but I would like to share one today to remind us why this legislation is so necessary. prgtoken A constituent of mine, Dana from Kenmore, Washington, has lived with type 1 diabetes for nearly 14 years. When Dana was first diagnosed, insulin cost her $50 each month. Today that same insulin costs over $600 per month. That is an 1,100 percent increase for the exact same product. prgtoken We talked about innovation, but there have been virtually no changes to insulin since Dana's diagnosis, so the price spike is inexplicable. prgtoken Dana is not only a diabetes patient, but she is also a nurse practitioner and a diabetes educator. And she has told me about her patients that go to Canada where they can get insulin for just $40 a month. She has also shared stories of her own patients who can't afford their medications, who ration their insulin, which we know can lead to poorer health, vision loss, kidney failure, and even death. prgtoken H.R. 3 will finally give the Health and Human Services secretary the power to negotiate a fair price for insulin, which will dramatically help patients like Dana and all the patients that she serves. prgtoken Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
LOWER DRUG COSTS NOW ACT OF 2019
Chrissy Houlahan (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-12-12

I stand here in strong support of Ms. Scanlon's amendment to H.R. 3 and in strong support of H.R. 3, as well. prgtoken I can say, as a freshman Member of this delegation and this Congress, the number one thing that all of our constituents ask of us each and every day is to address this issue of prescription drug pricing and transparency into that process. prgtoken This bill and the underlying amendment therein support and affirm both those things. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill and its underlying amendment. prgtoken , .
TRIBUTE TO KIAH MORRIS
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2019-12-12

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with my friend, former Vermont State Representative Kiah Morris, who among many distinctions was only the second African-American woman ever elected to the Vermont Legislature. Kiah's talents are far-reaching. She has also been an actress of stage, film, and television, spoken word performance, as a singer, dancer, and arts manager. Whether as a legislator or on a theater stage, Kiah's work has focused on amplification of the voices of oppressed people, on human rights, and on social justice. prgtoken It was in keeping that Kiah recently traveled to El Salvador and Honduras under the auspices of Oxfam America to meet with families struggling with the violence, poverty, lack of opportunity, injustice, and hopelessness that is causing thousands of destitute, frightened people to abandon their homes to seek refuge elsewhere. In those countries, Kiah saw where people had been gunned down, victims of gangs or corrupt police. She listened to the stories of threats and extortion, of kidnappings and deadly attacks, of fear and desperation. Inspired by the people she met and outraged by the brutality they described, she wrote a poem. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that Kiah's poem, which captures the essence of what the debate here over Central American refugees should be about, be printed in the Record.
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT IT IS THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES TO COMMEMORATE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-12-12

, the ranking member on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He is really a friend on not only energy matters but on so many of the other initiatives we have worked on. prgtoken As he mentioned, every now and again, our two States might see things differently, but we have come to understand where we come from, what we bring to the table, and figure out how we can work together collaboratively and then set that collaborative tone for the full committee as a whole. I appreciate the opportunity to highlight a few of the accomplishments we as a committee have achieved over this past year. prgtoken We had a holiday lunch at the first of this week with both of our staffs assembled--had some good food--and I was able to share with all of the staffs that I felt like we were the committee that was kind of like ``The Little Engine that Could''--the children's storybook wherein the tiny little engine is kind of plugging along. We are not typically the headline-grabbing committee in this Senate, but just like the little engine, we kind of put our heads down and get to work, and we achieve a lot. prgtoken In our case, even in a divided time, we are seeing good, strong bipartisan legislation that is helping just about every Member of our Senate in all areas of the country. prgtoken Think about where we started off this year. You will recall that it was unfortunately in the midst of a government shutdown. But what we were able to do even at that time was to move through a significant victory, and that was the passage of our sweeping lands package containing more than 120 individual measures that reflected the priorities of dozens of Members in the Senate and the House. We passed that out of the Senate 92 to 8, the House passed it out 363 to 62, and the President signed it shortly thereafter. It was sweeping. We recognized that it provided for economic development for so many small communities, protected treasured landscapes, addressed a range of sportsmen's priorities, and permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund. prgtoken It took a long time. There were many initiatives we had been working through for a considerable period of time. But our ability to be able to pass it shortly after this government shutdown underscored that even at a time when we are known for our divisions, we can still achieve bipartisan success. prgtoken The committee really took the momentum, and we ran with it--as Senator Manchin has pointed out, some 51 bills, 52 bills here. Today, we just moved 19 bills out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee markup. We have moved out measures that are focused on energy efficiency, renewables, energy storage, advanced nuclear energy, carbon capture, utilization, and storage. We focused on mineral security, cyber security, and a range of additional technologies that really work to ensure that energy becomes more affordable as it becomes cleaner
LOWER DRUG COSTS NOW ACT OF 2019
Jodey C. Arrington (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-12-12

I thank my friend and ranking on Ways and Means for the opportunity, and I thank him for his leadership on this important issue. prgtoken , we all agree that the prices of drugs are too high. We agree that something needs to be done to fix this for all Americans, not just our seniors. prgtoken The problem I have--and it is a big problem--is the way we go about doing this. It is like a rerun of Care. It is this government knows best, this top-down, government-controlled, let's tax, regulate, and mandate our way to a better system. It doesn't work. prgtoken So we are doubling down on a failed philosophy on how to deliver affordable quality products to the American people. prgtoken The approach should be more choices, more competition, a healthier market, and greater transparency. prgtoken By the way, we have worked on those issues in a bipartisan fashion. I have introduced two pieces of legislation with my friends that would do just that. prgtoken The problem here is not just this top-down, heavy-handed government knows best, let's fix the crisis and assume nothing bad will happen. It is that nothing is going to come of this H.R. 3. It is a messaging bill. It is purely political, and it won't help the people whom we all intend to help. prgtoken I do not judge the motives of my colleagues. I think they want to help our seniors just as I do. But we can't do it with partisan messaging bills. We have to do it by working together. prgtoken In a former life, I was vice chancellor at Texas Tech, and I was responsible for bringing new drug technologies, therapies, and biologics to market.
LOWER DRUG COSTS NOW ACT OF 2019
Devin Nunes (Republican, CA) \u2014 2019-12-12

. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding to me. I want to speak in opposition to H.R. 3. prgtoken Saying that drug costs are too high for many Americans, s and can agree on that. That is why we spent the better part of a year working toward a bipartisan solution to lower out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and crack down on overpriced drugs. prgtoken Sadly, abandoned that effort in favor of the socialist policies in H.R. 3. For , the answer is always more government, and H.R. 3 is no exception. prgtoken The bill gives the government sweeping new powers to allow government bureaucrats to arbitrarily set drug prices. keep calling it negotiation. prgtoken Here is how negotiation works under H.R. 3. The Federal Government will tell a drug company what the drug price is going to be. If the drug company doesn't like it, they have two options: pay a 95 percent tax on their revenue or leave the U.S. market. That doesn't sound like negotiation to me. prgtoken The Congressional Budget Office claims this will result in such low drug prices that some of the lifesaving cures won't even come to market. Under this arrangement, there is very little incentive for drug companies to invest the time and money it takes to create new cures and treatments. We know it takes $2.6 billion and 10 to 15 years, on average, to bring one drug to market. prgtoken This bill's arbitrary action against drug companies carries a steep cost to the American people in the form of fewer future cures. What cures will those be? Alzheimer's? Cancer? Schizophrenia? prgtoken Killing drug innovation and ending the development of lifesaving cures is unacceptable. We can't take that risk. We have to do better for sick Americans hoping and praying for a cure for themselves or their loved ones. prgtoken We can solve this problem, but not with the ' fewer cures act. We have to do this in a bipartisan way. prgtoken Fortunately, there is an alternative to the ' proposal. This week, s have introduced H.R. 19.
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT IT IS THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES TO COMMEMORATE THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-12-12

I rise today to celebrate yet another major bipartisan victory that is included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act that the House has passed and the Senate is preparing to pass. prgtoken As it so happens, today is the 1-year anniversary--1 year to the very day that the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to condemn the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany. By a vote of 433 to 105, the Members of the European Parliament called for the project to be cancelled because ``It is a political project that poses a threat to European energy security and the efforts to diversify energy supply.'' prgtoken In the coming days, the U.S. Congress will answer the call to stop this profoundly dangerous project. The House has acted, and the Senate will act very soon. prgtoken As part of the National Defense Authorization Act, sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline are included. The Cruz-Shaheen legislation-- legislation I introduced, bipartisan legislation--Senator Shaheen and I and the Foreign Relations Committee brought our legislation to a vote. We won an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote--a vote of 20 to 2--out of the Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In the past weeks and months, there have been extended negotiations to include this legislation, these sanctions, in the National Defense Authorization Act. We have negotiated with s and -- s and on the Senate Armed Forces, on the Foreign Relations Committee, on the Banking Committee, in leadership, and also s and on the House Armed Services Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, Banking Committee, and leadership--and we have achieved a remarkable consensus. prgtoken Part of the reason we were able to achieve this bipartisan victory is that the sanctions are narrowly targeted, precisely targeted. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a pipeline from Russia to Germany to carry natural gas that, if completed, would generate billions of dollars for Putin and billions of dollars that would fund Russian military aggression. prgtoken Not only that, if completed, this pipeline would make Europe even more dependent on Russian energy and even more vulnerable to Russian blackmail. Putin has demonstrated that he is more than willing to cut off the gas in the dead of winter as economic blackmail against his neighbors. prgtoken This pipeline is being built this very moment. It is near completion. The legislation we are passing is designed to operate like a scalpel, specifically directed to the ships that lay in the deep sea pipeline needed to complete Nord Stream 2. prgtoken There are only five companies on the face of the Earth with the technological capability to delay the deep sea pipeline. Russia does not have one of those companies. prgtoken The Russian Government lacks the expertise to lay this pipeline. As a result, Russia has contracted with the Swiss company, Allsea
100 SEASONS OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-12-12

today I wish to recognize the 100th season of the National Football League. prgtoken Ohio has a rich football history. In 1920, 10 teams gathered in Canton, OH, to form the American Professional Football Association. Of those original 10 teams, Cleveland, Canton, Akron, Columbus, and Dayton were all in the lineup. Further, the Dayton Triangles hosted the first- ever NFL game in 1921 against the Columbus Panhandles. prgtoken Home to the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals, Ohio has continued to embrace the legacy and tradition of America's game. The birthplace of the NFL, Canton's Pro Football Hall of Fame sees 225,000 visitors annually. Additionally, Ohio natives Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Paul Brown, Roger Staubach, and Cris Carter are among the 326 players who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Further, Cleveland looks forward to hosting the 2021 NFL draft, and I was proud to advocate for this selection last year. prgtoken Since its first season in 1920, the NFL has grown from humble beginnings to a national pastime known as America's game. Represented in 22 States by 32 teams, the NFL has united communities across the Nation through live games and televised events. In fact, the Super Bowl has become the single most-watched annual television event in the United States. prgtoken I commend the NFL for their continued philanthropic and volunteer efforts. Through working to honor veterans, promote cancer awareness, and encourage healthy lifestyles, the league has embraced community through sport. I applaud the commitment of the NFL, its staff, and all who were involved in reaching this milestone and making the first 100 seasons of the NFL a success.