mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-7-24

. Madam , I appreciate Congressman Bilirakis being here tonight. Great observations, history of family devotion to this country, very impressive. I appreciate the bringing up of the once great cathedral being made into a mosque. I had seen it in the news. It is very concerning. prgtoken You look at our country: Where are we going? It helps to know where we have been. prgtoken Mr. Faddis points out that at this time of nationwide insurrection: ``Monuments have been defaced, statues toppled, and the commercial centers of our great cities gutted. Yet, throughout, most of our mass media has characterized violence and lawlessness on an unprecedented scale as `peaceful protests.' The scope of the destruction has been concealed. The demands of the anarchists and Marxists rampaging across America seemingly systematically mischaracterized simply as demands for justice and reform. ``What's going on? How, in a nation rooted in the rule of law and respect for the democratic process, have we reached a point where violence and lawlessness are not only condoned but championed? Why are the guardians of the First Amendment seemingly in league with groups dedicated to destroying existing social order? ``Some of the explanation no doubt lies in the fact that much of what passes for our mainstream media is simply so blind in its hate for that it will support anyone and anything that seems to oppose him. There are other factors at work, however, and some of what is transpiring may, in fact, be due to a decidedly anti-American agenda and the desire of a particular foreign actor not only to damage this great Nation but to promote its own particular ideology. ``The Chinese Communist Party uses propaganda and influence operations as a means of projecting its power and weakening its enemies. Chief amongst the targets for these kinds of operations is the United States. These operations are not run on some kind of ad hoc basis. They are coordinated and directed at a national level by the CCP's United Front Work Department. ``The CCP's United Front system mobilizes the party's `friends' to strike the party's enemies. The system has existed for a long time, but it has been greatly energized and expanded in recent years by Xi Jinping. It operates inside foreign political parties, diaspora communities, colleges, and corporations, all with the goal of promoting the party's interests. The express goals of the United Front system include undermining social cohesion, exacerbating racial tension, and influencing politics.'' prgtoken I want to insert parenthetically here, a lot of people were led to believe that Vladimir Putin in Russia had a number one desire of seeing elected President, but Russia also did some things to help Hillary Clinton with her campaign. prgtoken But anybody who studies Putin and studies Russia would understand his number one goal and some of the former communist leaders' goals in Russia
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-7-24

. Madam , look, obviously, we can have a disagreement over whether or not there should be a proxy voting system. But if there is going to be, I would just hope that we would see an increase in the integrity of that. prgtoken I mean, for a Member to literally be here physically on the House floor, and then later in that same day, sign a document--it is not a notarized document, but you are signing a document on your stationery to the Clerk of House saying you are physically unable to be here when you were physically here that day. It reduces the integrity when we see roughly a 15 percent increase in people that are here all week that all of a sudden sign a document saying they physically can't be here on the fly-out day. It reduces the integrity. prgtoken So if it is going to continue--clearly, our side does not want to see it continue, but if your side feels it should continue, I hope you would at least look at strengthening the integrity so if somebody signs a document, that you have confidence that that document is an accurate depiction to the Clerk of the House.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2020-7-24

. Madam , from Texas. It is very gracious of him to yield me time. prgtoken I just wanted to point out, in the recent CARES Act, there was money to be directed to our State and local governments around the country. In my own home State of California, larger governments have been fortunate enough to receive aid from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, but many of our smaller counties and cities have not. prgtoken Under 500,000 population, there seem to be strings attached to distributing that money. The problem is that is not State money; that is Federal dollars directed to go to local governments. prgtoken So, at the hands of our California Governor, many of our rural counties are facing extreme budget deficits as a result of the coronavirus and have yet to receive a penny of those allotments from that fund that we in Congress federally have set up for them. prgtoken While the virus cases increase across the country, counties that have yet to receive the aid will have to bear the brunt of even more coronavirus costs, as well as the other issues that they deal with in their budgets, keeping law enforcement on the road, our highways and roads repaired that are county jurisdiction, and all that. prgtoken As the House and Senate plans to take up more coronavirus relief in the coming days and weeks, we need to make sure that the localities that the money we sent to in the CARES Act actually have the money distributed to them as it was intended by the Federal Government, to those local smaller entities, cities, and counties. This is before we even consider sending even more money to the States or other forms of local government. prgtoken It is not the State's money. The next bill needs to go directly to all those forms of local government that was implied and promised and intended by Congress.
BUST OF JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHALL
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2020-7-24

I would like to address what I guess I will refer to as the statue bill that we passed a couple days ago in this House. prgtoken It was well known all the statues that were supposed to be removed there. And to be honest, I always bristle a little bit when I hear Mr. Stephens from Georgia, the former vice president of the Confederacy, getting a statue in this building. prgtoken However, I don't think enough people knew that in that bill, we are also going to require a statue or bust of Thurgood Marshall. prgtoken In 1973, during Roe v. Wade, Justice Marshall was one of seven Justices who found a right to abortion, after it was illegal in this country for years and years, found a right to abortion in the Constitution put together by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. prgtoken Worse, in the deliberations, there originally was going to be abortion allowed in the first 3 months. Justice Marshall, along with Justice Brennan, weighed in to make it until viability. So the United States is, right now, one of only seven countries in the world to allow abortions this late, which is really just a horrific thing. prgtoken I will say, if his bust is ever put in the Capitol, or a statue, I will always remember in 1973 when Justice Marshall was one of the ones who weighed in to legalize abortion in the country as well as weighed in to make sure we were one of seven countries to allow abortion up to viability.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IS MASKING A DIFFERENCE ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-7-24

. Madam , the following was published in the Aiken CEO on Thursday, July 23, 2020: As the coronavirus continues to impact the Palmetto State, South Carolina Association of Habitat for Humanity announces a statewide effort to ensure nonprofits have the resources needed to safely serve communities during the pandemic. Masking a Difference is a one-day collaboration which will distribute 175,000 masks and 2,800 gallons of hand sanitizer among nonprofit organizations and Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) partners at 17 Habitat locations throughout SC. ``Our toolkit has expanded beyond hammers and shopping carts,'' shared Nancy Lee, executive director of the state association of Habitat for Humanity. ``As nonprofits are being called on to do more with fewer resources, I'm grateful Habitat has been given the opportunity to share these supplies with our fellow philanthropic partners.'' Since February, Habitat for Humanity has been working alongside state and federal agencies to ensure the safety of Habitat teams, partners, and communities. Habitat credits South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for enabling this collaboration to occur. As of July 12, Habitat for Humanity has already distributed over 150,000 masks and 630 gallons of hand sanitizer throughout 37 counties. Upon conclusion of Masking a Difference, Habitat will have dispersed a total of 325,000 masks and 3,400 gallons of hand sanitizer to assist in South Carolina's coronavirus response. Nonprofit organizations seeking additional information are encouraged to visit southcarolinahabitat.org. Masking a Difference request forms for cloth face coverings and 50- gallon drums of hand sanitizer will remain open through noon on July 20, 2020. Submissions from eligible organizations will be accepted in the order received. Notifications will be sent out the week of July 20 announcing the locations of pick-up and official distribution date of Masking a Difference.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-7-24

. Madam , let me respond to my friend. prgtoken Obviously, if there is money that we have already appropriated that is not needed and not disbursed, I think the gentleman is right that we can reallocate that and repurpose that money. So, that can be part of it. But we sort of need to get to some parameters that the other side, meaning the Senate, can put forward. prgtoken Secondly, let me say, I did, in fact, say when we were out for some period of time that I would give 72 hours' notice. I can't promise that today. The reason I can't promise it today is because we are going to have literally millions of people who are without help after the 31st of this month. prgtoken As you know, the unemployment insurance goes out. In the HEROES bill, of course, we extended that unemployment insurance until January 31 of next year, as you know. prgtoken What I can say and what I have told my Members is that if in fact we can't get an agreement, and it doesn't appear that we can come to the floor Monday or Tuesday, I think that is the 3rd or the 4th of August-- I think the 1st and 2nd of August are Saturday and Sunday. So, the 3rd and 4th or 5th, if we can't get an agreement before then, there is no point in having Members sitting in their offices, twiddling their thumbs. I agree with that. prgtoken I will have discussions with you and with Leader McCarthy. We will certainly not want to keep your Members here just waiting while negotiations are going on. prgtoken I certainly will assure every Member that they will have 24 hours' notice. But the need for action is so great and the consequences of inaction so harmful, that I think we need to act as soon as we possibly can. And that 48 hours difference may make a difference to a lot of people. So, I will give an assurance that there will be 24 hours' notice, but I cannot give a 72-hour notice assurance.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-7-24

let me thank Chairman Sanford Bishop and Chair Nita Lowey. I also appreciate the commitment that Ranking Members Jeff Fortenberry and Kay Granger have shown to support the hard work of our farmers and the safety of consumers. I had the honor of chairing this subcommittee a number of years ago, and I know firsthand the amount of work it takes. We face a health crisis and an economic crisis that have exposed serious disparities in our systems. This pandemic has further demonstrated how many were living on a knife's edge, and I strongly believe we must be doing more, not less. prgtoken This 2021 bill is recommending an increase of $487 million, almost $24 billion. It builds on the work we have done in the emergency response bills for our nation's farmers, families, frontline food workers. This pandemic has pinpointed to us where our system of supports, our social safety net, is not as strong as we believed it to be, as strong as our families, our farmers and our food workers need it to be. So, I am glad this bill is making short-term and long-term investments. Let me touch on a few areas of strength. prgtoken The bill makes strong investments to address the scourge of hunger in our country. The Census Bureau recently conducted a Household Pulse Survey to gather household information during the COVID-19 Pandemic. They found, quote, ``Households with children were more likely to report permanent loss of employment and food shortages since the start of the pandemic.'' prgtoken Along with providing the necessary funding for the Food Stamp Program, Women, Infants and Children, and Child Nutrition Programs, the bill includes language to block implementation of rules that would threaten benefits for hundreds of thousands of people. I want to remind my colleagues that food stamp spending is a powerful anti-recession tool. It has previously been estimated that for each dollar spent from benefits, a $1.70 is generated in economic activity. prgtoken The bill also takes action to ensure the safety of our nation's food supply, as well as the health of the workers producing that food. Workers on the frontline of our food supply chain--food processing, meat and poultry plant employees, and farmworkers--play an essential role in the availability of food. man for his leadership on including language to prevent USDA from granting linespeed waivers to corporate meatpackers as well as the inclusion of language encouraging USDA to prioritize financial assistance to employers of farmworkers who can show they are complying with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. We must push for leadership and accountability. prgtoken Recently, FDA Commissioner Hanh refused to refute the president's false claim about the severity of the virus. As has been reported by the Boston Globe, quote, ``the World Health Organization has said about 20 percent of those diagnosed with COVID-19 progress to severe disease
30TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-7-24

30 years ago this Sunday, President George H.W. signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law and ushered in a new era of equality and justice for people with disabilities. prgtoken This law was ushered through Congress with the great leadership of people like Senator Tom Harkin; Congressman Tony Coelho; our current majority leader, Steny Hoyer; Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner; and countless others who rallied behind this cause, including from the private sector, people like Justin Dart. This was an extraordinary grassroots effort from around the country. prgtoken The ADA guaranteed that the one in four Americans living with a disability have the right to learn, work, and live in their communities, free from discrimination. prgtoken As someone who has lived with a disability since the age of 16, I have witnessed the transformation we have made into a more accessible and inclusive society. In fact, without the ADA, I quite possibly wouldn't have the privilege of representing Rhode Island's Second Congressional District in the United States Congress. prgtoken However, our work is not yet finished. We must strengthen the promise of the ADA to ensure that all people with disabilities can pursue the life that they choose. Accessible transportation, comprehensive home and community-based services, inclusive workplaces, and universally designed technology are only a few of the challenges that we must tackle moving forward. prgtoken Madam , inclusivity benefits us all, and we must continue fighting for a world where accessibility is the default, not an afterthought. prgtoken Happy 30th anniversary to all those who have been a part of this effort to include all those with disabilities in achieving a more active and inclusive life in our country.
MEMORY OF OSCAR TEMORES
TJ Cox (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-7-24

. Madam , we pray for the soul and family of Navy Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Oscar Temores. prgtoken Oscar, a native of Lemoore, California and a dedicated husband, father, son and brother, was proudly serving his country and protecting his fellow sailors at Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story, Virginia Beach, when he tragically lost his life in December 2019. prgtoken Unfortunately, the tragedy did not stop there for the family of Oscar Temores. When Bethany Temores, the wife of this fallen hero, joined the Congress as my guest for this year's State of the Union, I learned just how difficult the experience had been for her and the family of Master- at-Arms Temores. Numerous, compounding issues with the Casualty Assistance Program turned the process of laying Oscar to rest--one of the most traumatic things a spouse and family can endure--into what Bethany described as ``a nightmare.'' prgtoken All service-connected families deserve our respect. We owe it to our fallen heroes to honor their legacy and to ensure military families have support in their time of need, including timely communication, travel and accommodation assistance, and an understanding of all benefits and other forms of relief. prgtoken To ensure that no other family endures what the Temores family endured, I introduced an amendment to the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act that includes key changes to the way the Department of Defense (DoD) handles the transportation of fallen heroes and to direct the Department to review the current Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) procedure in order to make improvements to benefit all military families. Specifically, the amendment seeks to correct the miscommunication between the DoD, airports and transportation agencies in order to ensure survivors do not have to travel excessive distances, or experience undue effort, just to get their loved one home. prgtoken s for voting to pass the NDAA with this amendment. It is a fitting tribute to the memory of Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Oscar Temores that we continue to support our brave servicemembers and to ensure their families receive all the support and respect they deserve.
HONORING THE McALLEN POLICE DEPARTMENT
Vicente Gonzalez (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-7-24

. Madam , I rise today to honor the McAllen Police Department for another successful year lowering overall crime in the City of McAllen, Texas. prgtoken This is the 10th consecutive year the McAllen Police Department has successfully lowered crime, resulting in a 35-year low. McAllen's estimated population of 158,044 had a crime volume of 3,735 and a crime rate of 2,363 per 100,000 residents in 2019. prgtoken In 2018, the population was 154,634 with the crime volume being 3,978 and the crime rate being 2,573 per 100,000 residents. This shows that with a 2.2 percent growth in population, the McAllen Police Department was able to decrease the crime volume by 6.1 percent, and the crime rate by 8.1 percent in one year. prgtoken I want to thank Police Chief Victor Rodriguez for his leadership in achieving this incredible milestone. Though he credits federal resources, technology and home surveillance systems for his department's success, it takes a true leader and an exemplary team to make a difference of this magnitude. prgtoken I also want to thank the brave officers of the McAllen Police Department. Every day, they risk their lives in order to make our community safer. Our city is safer because of devoted officers like Edelmiro Garza, Jr. and Ismael Chavez who unfortunately made the ultimate sacrifice. prgtoken Madam , I stand here today to acknowledge the decade long achievement of the McAllen Police Department in lowering the crime in McAllen. Each member of the police department is an incredible leader in our community, and their legacy will no doubt inspire public service and volunteerism of future generations.
IN MEMORIAL: RABBI ISAAC FURMAN
Donald Norcross (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-7-24

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of Rabbi Isaac Furman. prgtoken Rabbi Isaac Furman was a pillar of the southern New Jersey Jewish community. Rabbi Furman was the Rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Voorhees, New Jersey and helped found the Beth El Academy in 1961, now known as the Kellman-Brown Academy. prgtoken An immigrant to this country, Rabbi Furman's family left Poland in 1939 after the German occupation. His family initially fled east to Siberia before making their way south and then west at the conclusion of the war. It was at the displaced persons camps of Poland that Rabbi Furman met the love of his life, Molly. prgtoken Southern New Jersey was truly fortunate that Rabbi Isaac and Molly Furman chose our community to settle down. A graduate of Yeshiva University, Rabbi Furman found his true calling as a teacher. Throughout his nearly 60 years as a rabbi in southern New Jersey Rabbi Furman taught tens of thousands of Jewish children. His former students remember him as kind, funny and generous of spirit. prgtoken Rabbi Furman and Molly raised their daughters, Esther and Phyllis in the community, and took great pride as they began families of their own. Molly Furman was an accomplished teacher who was a fixture of the community and I'm told that their love for one another lived on after her passing in 2016. Through Esther and Phyllis, the Furmans were blessed with six grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. prgtoken Madam , I am told that his family was truly much larger than his children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Rabbi Furman was beloved by generations of students, his congregation and his community. Though Rabbi Furman passed away earlier this month I know his memory will be a blessing for many years to come.
NATION'S DEFENSE WORKERS DESERVE OUR SUPPORT
Cheri Bustos (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-7-24

I rise today in support of the National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken The heart of our Nation's defense capabilities runs right through the congressional district that I serve, from the Rock Island Arsenal to aerospace manufacturing in Rockford, to the Peoria Air National Guard Base. prgtoken Because of COVID-19, the last several months have relied on the service of our National Guard in new ways. prgtoken The Peoria Air National Guard set up health clinics and testing centers in Bloomington, Illinois. They built a field hospital when Chicago needed it most. They have protected and served us throughout this pandemic. They deserve our support, and the National Defense Authorization Act will do just that. prgtoken I was proud to help secure provisions that protect the benefits of our National Guard members that they have earned, expand student loan benefits to make sure that they have a bright future ahead, and to give our men in uniform a much-earned pay raise. prgtoken The district I represent is steeped in rich tradition of service to our Nation. The bipartisan defense package that we passed this week honors and upholds that tradition.