mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SUPPORTING H. RES. 823--CONDEMNING OF IRAN'S STATE-SPONSORED PERSECUTION OF ITS BAHA'I MINORITY
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-12-10

. Madam , I'm elated to announce that earlier this week my colleagues and I were able to unanimously pass H. Res. 823, which condemns Iran's state-sponsored religious persecution of its Baha'i minority. Iran has gone too long depriving its citizens the most fundamental of human rights, and I'm proud that we were able to call out Iran and hold them accountable for their atrocities against their own people. prgtoken I firmly believe that it is our duty in Congress to stand up to this tyrannical regime, and I have been committed to that cause since I first came to the House of Representatives. One of my first ever bills in Congress, the Iran Human Rights Act of 2007, focused on improving the respect for fundamental human rights of the people of Iran. It specifically recognized the plight and suffering of the Baha'i minority and that they face significant discrimination, including imprisonment, harassment, and intimidation. prgtoken The Iranian state's treatment of the Baha'i people is deplorable, and the fact it is motivated simply because of their faith is wholly unacceptable. Religious freedom is an issue that personally touches me, as I have had family and friends who have been victims of religious persecution. This makes me especially conscious of the incredible importance of ensuring that religious freedom is respected around the globe. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and all people deserve a government that will respect their rights. prgtoken Our darkest moments as a human race have come during times when those who knew better stood silently, making excuses for passivity and allowing injustice and persecution to reign. While I celebrate the passage of H. Res. 823, I recognize there is more we can do. As Co- Chair of the International Religious Freedom Caucus and member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Executive Committee, I stand with the Baha'i people against the injustices wrought against them by the Iranian government, and I call upon the United States and the international community to continue pressuring Iran to cease the persecution of its religious minorities and its violations of basic human rights. The Baha'i people deserve no less.
LONG BRIDGE ACT OF 2020
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2020-12-10

I thank Chairman Huffman, Ranking Member Lamborn, and my colleague, Representative Don Beyer for the united effort to make sure that we get this Long Bridge bill passed, to make sure we get a new Long Bridge built, because we know that this is critically important, not just for Virginia, for the District, and for Maryland, but for the Nation because of the critical link point that it is for transportation. prgtoken As we know, this is in some ways looked at as a regional project, but it is actually more than that. prgtoken The First District of Virginia, the district that I represent, spans the I-95 corridor in Northern Virginia, which includes one of the worst traffic hot spots in the Nation. That is undeniable. In fact, who knows it better than Members here in Congress what they have to deal with each day in their commute. prgtoken As a daily commuter myself, I understand the frustration that folks have. This is going to be a critical point for us to be able to use rail as a very efficient means by which to move people and to move commerce throughout the region. Incredibly important. And with passage of this bill, Congress is providing the adequate resources to leverage the Commonwealth's investment to address issues on I-95. prgtoken It has been a great cooperative agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and CSX, who owns the line, to make sure that this gets done. It is really unprecedented in what they have agreed to, and it is not just this line, but it is also all the connectors. So this is a great step to really enhance our rail system, which we know is incredibly important to address transportation issues, not just across the eastern seaboard but really across the Nation. prgtoken An important component of this in reducing traffic congestion in this region, as I said, is commuter rail. And this bridge spans the Potomac, one of those chokepoints, the major chokepoint here on the eastern seaboard. prgtoken It is very heavily traveled. There has to be a balance between transit from a commuter standpoint, passenger rail, and freight rail. And many times there is a battle back and forth, and, unfortunately, freight rail prevails in that since freight companies own the rail. We want to make sure that there is balance there, and this provides a balance. prgtoken And I have to give CSX credit for coming to the table and saying, listen, we understand how incredibly important passenger rail is. Even though that is not within their purview, they do see how important that is. So it is a real testament to a lot of different entities coming together to make this work. prgtoken And just as Representative Beyer said, the existing bridge is at 98 percent capacity during peak hours, and is used by both VRE, the Virginia Railway Express, Amtrak, and CSX. There is a lot of traffic coming across that bridge; we want to make sure that it can all be accommodated. prgtoken We know the proposed design for a new track
DRIFTNET MODERNIZATION AND BYCATCH REDUCTION ACT
Tom McClintock (Republican, CA) \u2014 2020-12-10

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I implore the majority to consider the damage that it will do with this bill. The West Coast swordfish fishery is healthy and, indeed, underutilized. The drift gillnet results in very little incidental take of other species. To put a number on it, in 17 years, only 10 whales interacted with these nets, and 4 of them were released alive. Six of them were killed. prgtoken Now, to put that in perspective--6 in 17 years--roughly 80 whales are killed by ships off the California coast every year. Six were killed by driftnets in 17 years; 80 are killed by ship collisions every year. prgtoken Does my friend see the difference? prgtoken Banning the nets will reduce the catch below the level that is economically viable. It will shut down the industry. The result will be devastating to the families that run these businesses. It will be harmful to the consumer who will pay higher prices for this product, and it will encourage increased use of driftnets in foreign waters to fill the shortage caused by banning them in our own. prgtoken Why in God's name would anyone want to do that? prgtoken , .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--CONFERENCE REPORT--Continued
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-12-10

I want to talk today for a few minutes about something that I don't think has gotten the attention it deserves, and that is the many successes in foreign policy over the last 4 years. prgtoken I think at the top of my list of foreign policy successes in terms of unanticipated accomplishments that we would not have thought would happen would be the Abraham accords that were signed at the White House in September. This agreement paves the way for normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Israel and Bahrain and I believe really establishes a way where the rest of the Middle East could hopefully follow this step in the right direction. I think not only is this one of the most significant moves in decades to promote peace and understanding in the Middle East, but, frankly, it probably wouldn't have happened if we hadn't had a President who hadn't spent years hearing how something like this was impossible. The President believed it was possible, and it was because of his strong leadership that the countries involved made it a priority to bridge the gap that everyone thought was unbridgeable, that really had separated these neighbors for generations. prgtoken What we see when we look at this and other events in recent times is that when our friends become friends with each other, we win. The United States wins when our friends also become friends with each other. prgtoken This agreement can be a model for future progress in the region. It is the first time in four decades that any Arab country has recognized Israel, and you can see it is already making a difference. We had debate on the floor yesterday about our continued partnership--our defense partnership--with the United Arab Emirates, and this was, obviously, an element in that debate. That partnership, over three different administrations, produced something that nobody would have anticipated in any of the earlier decades. prgtoken The President started his Middle East efforts by acknowledging Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in his first year in office. A few months later, he moved the U.S. Embassy there. Now, was this a new idea? Absolutely not a new idea. American Presidents have been saying for years that this was a good idea. Party platforms have said for years that Israel should be able to have their capital in Jerusalem acknowledged, but nobody had done it before. Congress had said repeatedly this should happen, but it hadn't happened and didn't happen until the administration decided to make it happen. prgtoken Critics actually said that moving our embassy would hurt our credibility in the region, and, 3 years later, the Abraham accords proved that that was 100 percent wrong. prgtoken Another reason American credibility has soared in the Middle East is that President took a strong stance against Iran. He did that by dealing with the nuclear agreement that President and the administ
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--CONFERENCE REPORT--Continued
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2020-12-10

I have to tell you, every day, I am hearing from Tennesseans who are asking what we are going to do about COVID relief. It is coming up in nearly every conversation that I have--with our county mayors, with citizens, with employers and employees; conversations with those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Why can't we get something done? prgtoken The phones really started ringing last week when Pelosi, the of the House, accidentally revealed that it was politics and not principle that convinced her to spend months--months--standing between the American people and targeted relief that they are asking for and that they desperately need. It was politics--all politics to her. People were pawns that she was moving around, trying to get her way. prgtoken It is disgusting. It is a tragedy. But I will tell you this: It is nothing new. In fact, since July, have continuously blocked efforts to provide targeted relief. The minority leader obstructed these efforts in the hopes of passing a $3 trillion bill. That is right, trillion--$3 trillion bill. It was filled to the brim with partisan proposals that had nothing do with the pandemic and a bailout for fiscally irresponsible States and cities. prgtoken Tennesseans are very much opposed to having their hard-earned dollars that are tax dollars that come to the Federal Government used to bail out States that have chosen not to be fiscally responsible. They say: Above all else, do not bail out these States, these cities, these pension funds. prgtoken Let's be clear to the American people. It is the of the House and the minority leader who are holding noncontroversial relief--they are holding it hostage. There should be another round of PPP. There should be another increase, a plus-up, of unemployment. There should be more money for vaccines, testing, and getting children back to school. But, oh, no. For months, what did they want to do? Play politics. Play politics with people's lives. If that isn't the most tone-deaf thing that I have ever heard, I don't know what is. Perhaps some of my friends across the aisle should check their mail and make certain that their office phones are being answered. People are quite upset with them. prgtoken It doesn't stop there. I wish it did. It only gets worse. In the fall, the filibustered targeted relief proposals not once but twice and rejected prgtoken a much needed extension of the Paycheck Protection Program almost as soon as it was proposed. This month, more of the same. Their refusal to negotiate in good faith has made it abundantly clear to the business owners, the healthcare providers, and millions of other struggling Americans that partisan grandstanding is more of a priority for than doing their jobs. prgtoken The American people are not pawns, and it is time my colleagues in the minority stopped treating them as such. The House and Senate might
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--CONFERENCE REPORT--Continued
Ron Johnson (Republican, WI) \u2014 2020-12-10

I come to the floor today, 71 days in the fiscal year, 71 days into a continuing resolution. It is unfortunate. I am placing no blame. prgtoken It is unfortunate we have not considered on the floor of the U.S. Senate--not 1 of the 12 regular order appropriations bills. The appropriations process is completely broken. Quite honestly, it has been broken since I arrived here in the Senate in 2011. prgtoken I ran for the U.S. Senate primarily because I was concerned about the fact that we were mortgaging our children's future. Back then, we were $14 trillion in debt, and that was extremely concerning to me. Now, 10 years later, 71 days into the 2021 fiscal year, we are $27.4 trillion into debt. That is an increase of $13.4 trillion. It is almost double since I have been here in just 10 years. prgtoken Again, the appropriations process is so broken. During that timeframe, we had to pass 36 continuing resolutions. The debt limit has no power in terms of controlling our out-of-control spending. We either raised or suspended the debt limit nine times. prgtoken Unfortunately, during that time, that 10 years, we have also--because of the broken process here--we have shut down the government three times, costing our economy, costing our government billions of dollars, and hurting real people. prgtoken I come from the State of Wisconsin, where, if the legislature can't get its act together and we don't pass appropriations bills and we are at an impasse, we don't shut down the government. We don't even shut down a particular agency. What we do is we do something that is pretty practical, the type of commonsense legislation that Wisconsinites would embrace. We just appropriate. We just fund the agencies or the entire State government at the previous year's level. prgtoken Doesn't that make sense? I think it makes all the sense in the world. prgtoken Again, here we are, 71 days into the fiscal year, and we haven't passed an appropriations bill. We have to pass, within the next 24 hours or so, our 37th continuing resolution to kick the can another week so we can get our act together and pass some kind of massive omnibus that nobody is going to be able to read before they actually vote for it. It is a completely broken process. prgtoken I recognize that as chairman of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, a certain part of this government shutdown--this broken process--some of these elements weren't in my committee's jurisdiction. We had a number of pieces of legislation; one by Senator Portman; one by Senator Paul; one by Senator Lankford, who had been working on a similar piece of legislation from being in the House, to end government shutdowns forever. prgtoken As chairman of the committee, I had to take a look at these pieces of legislation and decide which one did I want to bring up to my committee, pass out of my committee, and bring to the floor of the Senate. prgtoken I chose Senator Lankford's because h
FAREWELL TO CONGRESS
Denver Riggleman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2020-12-10

I rise today, after 2 years of service, to address this Congress for perhaps the last time. I rise today humbled by the opportunities granted to me by this great country and the citizens of the Fifth District. That I could go from living on food stamps decades ago to serving in this hallowed body is a testament to the American Dream and the opportunity provided by this land of liberty. prgtoken I would be remiss if I did not begin this address by thanking my beautiful wife, Christine, and my three daughters, Abby, Lauren, and Lily, for their support throughout this journey. I married Christine fresh out of high school at the age of 19, and she has been my rock ever since. And to have my two new granddaughters in Washington, D.C with me today is an overwhelming blessing. prgtoken I never intended to enter politics or subject my family to the challenges and strains that accompany public life, but they have taken on every challenge and continue to inspire me every day. prgtoken I have spent most of my life in service to this country as an enlisted and commissioned airman in the United States Air Force and working for and with intelligence community and Department of Defense organizations. I served in the Balkans during Operation Allied Force, spent time in the Middle East, and deployed immediately after 9/11 as part of a team that mission planned the first bombing runs into Afghanistan. prgtoken I was taken away from my family in service to the country I love. And while my family is with me now, I know that they made countless sacrifices to help me get to this point. prgtoken Though my time in this Chamber will be shorter than I may have hoped, I am proud of what we have accomplished. Just 2 weeks ago, this House passed H.R. 2466, the State Opioid Grant Authorization Act of 2020. A bill that might seem like a footnote in the Congressional Record to some can save countless lives. One of my priorities during my time in Congress has been addressing the very real crisis of opioid addiction, which has devastating consequences for families across this great Nation. prgtoken I was sitting at my desk in Congress about 1 year ago when I got the call that my cousin, Trey, had overdosed not far from where I was sitting. prgtoken I talked about this with my friend and colleague, Congressman David Trone, the ic party lead on the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization bill and the leader of the Freshman Working Group on Addiction. He had lost a nephew, Ian, to the scourge of addiction. We knew that something had to be done, and we came together in a bipartisan way to accomplish something great. prgtoken A special thanks to Representatives Sherrill and Armstrong for their incredible support on this legislation. prgtoken Trey and Ian, we worked to honor your memories and to help those who might not be able to help themselves. prgtoken During my time in Congress, I have worked to expand access to broadband internet
HONORING THE LIFE OF JIMMY ORR
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2020-12-10

I rise today to remember and honor Mr. Jimmy Orr of Brunswick, Georgia, who recently passed away after a long and impactful life. prgtoken Jimmy was a gifted athlete who excelled in basketball, baseball, and football in high school and went on to attend Clemson University on a basketball scholarship. prgtoken He later transferred to the University of Georgia to become one of the Wally Boys, which was a term used for those who played under football Head Coach Wally Butts. prgtoken During his junior year at the University of Georgia, Jimmy was initially drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and was later traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers after graduation. prgtoken His exceptional performance made him an easy choice for United Press International and Associated Press Rookie of the Year in 1958. prgtoken After Jimmy's outstanding 13-year career with the NFL, he eventually led several successful business ventures before retiring to the Georgia coast, where he held a successful golfing record. prgtoken He was not only an amazing athlete; he was a loving father and husband, a wonderful friend, and a generous philanthropist who impacted the lives of countless individuals. prgtoken I am thankful for Jimmy's many years of representing Brunswick well, and I know his legacy will continue for many years to come.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--CONFERENCE REPORT--Continued
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-12-10

I am delighted to join with Senator Sanders in this important legislation. prgtoken It is very simple legislation, and this is, to my mind, a very simple proposition. Here is the proposition: that when it comes to COVID relief in the midst of this crisis, working families and working people should be first to get relief, not last. Their interests, their needs should be first on our to-do list, not last. prgtoken Now, I have heard some of my colleagues say that there just isn't enough left for working families; that once we take care of our other priorities in COVID relief, there just isn't enough left to give direct assistance to individuals. prgtoken I want to respectfully suggest that those priorities are exactly reversed. We should begin with the working people of this country, and that is why the legislation that Senator Sanders and I are introducing, which I believe every Senator voted for in March--it is simple legislation--$1,200 for each individual, $2,400 for a couple, and $500 for every dependent in the family. It is exactly what this Congress approved overwhelmingly back in March, and it was, indeed, a lifeline. I know it was for Missourians in my State, for working families in my State. prgtoken I remember, in the hours and days after Congress passed this in March, fielding call after call after call from friends, from people I didn't know in my State but whom I represent, who called me to say: First of all, is it really true? Are we actually going to be getting this support? And then just to say thank you. prgtoken And I said: Don't thank me. Thank you for being the ones who have built this country, the ones who sustain this country, the ones on whom this country depends. prgtoken And I will just say also, as a matter of fairness--if the U.S. Government is going to shut down your business, if it is going to tell you to go home for health reasons, if it is going to give you no choice in the matter, I think that there is an obligation to support and help the people who are affected, through no fault of their own. Let's be clear. The millions of Americans who are out of work because of this pandemic, they haven't done anything wrong. The 853,000 Americans who today, the new numbers tell us, filed for unemployment benefits, they are not at fault in this pandemic. prgtoken We want to support and stand with working individuals and working families. I want the working people of Missouri to know that they are first on the priority list, and when it comes to COVID relief, we will not leave this town until we have voted--up or down--until we have voted on direct relief for working people in my State, in Senator Sanders's State, and in every State in this Union. prgtoken With that, I thank Senator Sanders, and .
HONORING THE LIFE OF CHARLES ``CHUCKIE'' DaBELLA, JR.
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-12-10

I rise today to honor the life of Charles DaBella, Jr known to his family and friends as Chuckie. prgtoken Chuckie was a resident of Hastings, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. He passed away at the age of 52 this summer on June 29 after a devastating motorcycle accident. prgtoken Chuckie's sister, Charlene, said: ``Chuck was an amazing soldier, brother, father, and son.'' prgtoken His military legacy is one that he and his family can certainly and forever be proud of. Chuckie was a retired Army infantryman with 13 years of service. He was with the 3rd Special Forces Group, a Green Beret, senior parachutist, and Army range qualified, earning the bronze German Armed Forces Badge of Marksmanship. prgtoken Chuckie was also the recipient of four Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star. prgtoken The pain that comes from the loss of a loved one never truly fades, but I want the DaBella family to know that they are in my thoughts, and my prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time. We are proud of the service and legacy that Chuckie has left. prgtoken May God watch over Chuck, who left us far too soon.