mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MEMORIALIZING THE HONORABLE JOHN LEWIS
Sean Casten (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-7-22

John Lewis was a legend. He was also just a man. I knew the legend, but I was only just getting to know the man. And I guess I just hope we remember both, because somehow the legend feels unattainable. prgtoken On our best days, none of us are half the man that John Lewis was every day. And the real inspiration, I think, is the man, because it was that proof of his life that showed us our potential: if only we can summon his decency and his courage and his conviction. prgtoken The legend was the guy whom I could never muster the courage to call anything but Mr. Lewis. And the man was the guy who always said, ``Just call me John.'' prgtoken The legend was the orator at this podium, or that one, or the one down there. And the man was the guy who would sit there and pull me aside and say, ``How are you doing?'' prgtoken But somehow, the legend and the man are one in the same, because it was a man who stood on that bridge, and it was a man who made all that ``good trouble,'' and it was a man who showed us that the amount of love we can spread into this world isn't constrained by our mortality, but by our ambition. prgtoken Thank you, Mr. Lewis. And while I never quite mustered up the courage to say this while you were alive, thank you, John.
TAXPAYER FIRST ACT OF 2019
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-7-22

green spaces should be a right for everyone, regardless of where they live or the color of their skin. prgtoken Unfortunately, for too many Black, Brown, and Native American communities, parks are considered a privilege. Today, we can change this injustice. prgtoken The Great American Outdoors Act will create more local parks in low- income and urban neighborhoods. Minority communities across the country lack access to green spaces. prgtoken In my district, in Compton, we only have about half an acre of parkland for every thousand residents, well below the averages in the rest of Los Angeles County and the Nation. prgtoken Voting ``yes'' means more outdoor recreation opportunities, including sports fields and trails. Voting ``yes'' means all kids, no matter their ZIP Code, have the right to play on green grass and explore the natural world. prgtoken I am proud to vote ``yes'' to secure this right for our young people today and for future generations.
PAYING TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS
Andy Levin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-7-22

. Madam , I rise today in honor of our friend and colleague, Congressman John Lewis. prgtoken With every march, every sit-in, every time we reject unjust rules and institutions designed to oppress any group, we honor the legacy of John Robert Lewis. prgtoken A record number of Americans have stood up, spoken up, and laced up their marching shoes in recent weeks. Millions of them are too young to know about the man in whose footsteps they are following as they make what he so rightly called good trouble. prgtoken May we all model his grace, courage, kindness, and commitment to nonviolence as a way of life and continue the good trouble he started even when--especially when--it is unpopular. prgtoken I feel so much gratitude to have learned from this giant of history, this singular American genius, and to have served, however briefly, alongside him. His loss is devastating. His memory everlasting. prgtoken Rest in power, my beloved brother.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2020-7-22

before I call up my amendment and get to the issue of our veterans in this country, I want to say a few words about a good friend and a legendary Montana conservationist named Jim Posewitz, who passed away a few weeks ago. prgtoken He was a towering figure in Montana and in the history of conservation in our great State. He was a man who knew right from wrong, and Montanans know that he was almost always right and seldom wrong. prgtoken Poz's accomplishments are too long to list, but any Montanan who fished in the Missouri River, learning the ethics of hunting or hiking in Montana's Rocky Mountain Front, owes a deep debt of gratitude to Poz's more than 30 years of work for the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and to his post-retirement work as a conservation advocate, ethicist, and leader. prgtoken The Wilderness Act of 1964 says that America's wildest places are those where man himself is a visitor. Poz understood that power, that magic, and the importance of these places. He was relentless in his fight to protect them, and he was uncompromising in his faith that they bring us closer to nature, to each other, and to ourselves. He never stopped fighting for Montana and for the wild places in Montana. prgtoken My heart goes out to Poz's family, including his life partner Gayle; his sons, Brian, Allen, Carl; Matthew and Matthew's wife Heather and their daughters, Sarah and Lindsay; his son Andrew and Andrew's wife Kelly and their daughters Madison and Charlotte; his stepdaughter Ann and Ann's husband Nate and their children, Joslin and Lyzander; his stepson Clayton and Clayton's wife Michelle and daughter Ayla. Poz is also survived by his brother John and John's wife Mary and their four children. prgtoken He will be greatly missed. He is somebody they only make one of, an incredible human being. Amendment No. 1972, as Modified
PAYING TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-7-22

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken In October 1995, the Black clergy in my community asked if I could get Congressman John Lewis of Georgia to come to New Haven for our local elections. I was honored to welcome John to my hometown. Here is what I said about him that evening. ``John Lewis is a true hero of the cause of progress. It is often said that John Lewis is `one of the most courageous persons the civil rights movement ever produced.' The most astonishing thing about that sweeping statement is that it probably doesn't go far enough to describe the heroics of the man you see before you. John Lewis has dedicated his life to protecting human rights, securing personal dignity, and building what he likes to call `The Beloved Community.' His display of ethics and morality has won him rare admiration from both his House colleagues and from leaders around the world over.'' prgtoken He thanked me for the introduction, and he said to the congregation, ``I love my sister Rosa DeLauro.'' prgtoken And I loved that our offices, when I first came to the Congress, were next to each other. prgtoken I served with Congressman John Lewis for 30 years, and I consider myself blessed. My grandchildren, Teo, Rigby, Sadi, and Jasper, met John Lewis. He signed for them his book, ``March.'' prgtoken John Lewis' ``March'' tells the story of a poor sharecropper's son who transformed America and so much more. There are few in the world who change it. John Lewis changed it. prgtoken The Black clergy in my community, my grandchildren, my family, you can be sure we will carry on your work, John Lewis. Count on it.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2020
Tom Malinowski (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-7-22

over the last 3 months, the people in my State of New Jersey have pulled together in extraordinary ways to fight the coronavirus. Our leaders made good decisions. But, more important, all of us understood that public health had to come first. prgtoken The sacrifices we made were worth making. Today, all our numbers are looking good. The rate of spread of the infection, testing positivity are way, way down. If all of America were New Jersey, we could stand here today and say that America is beating COVID-19. But that doesn't make the sacrifices any less hard to bear. prgtoken And among those who sacrificed were our young people who were looking forward to graduation; not just the formal ending of their high school education, but the celebration of it with family and friends, the dances, the big games, the rites of passage that all of us experienced when we were their age and that we want for our kids. prgtoken Many of our graduating seniors did end up having outdoor graduations, but they came late and with social distancing. And let's face it, a socially distanced graduation is kind of an oxymoron. But we have also seen our communities come together in creative ways to celebrate the accomplishments of our young people, and I want to recognize those efforts today. prgtoken In Hunterdon County in my district, the parents, teachers, and school administrators implemented an Adopt a Senior program, where volunteers adopted a graduating student to send a letter, a card, or a gift to let them know their communities are rooting for them. prgtoken In Berkeley Heights, the light poles downtown are decorated with seniors' pictures, announcing what college they will be attending in the fall. prgtoken In Bridgewater, an administrator visited the home of every senior in a bus with a banner celebrating the class of 2020, dropping off a graduation package and a personalized Bridgewater-Raritan High School lawn sign for each senior. prgtoken In Mount Olive, posters celebrating the graduating class were placed throughout town. prgtoken In Springfield, the school surprised students with a display of personalized banners on the fence outside of the high school, each one bearing the name and photo of a member of the graduating class. prgtoken In Westfield, a video slideshow played in the window panels of the historic Arcanum Hall, with montages of senior portraits, pictures from school events, and a countdown clock to graduation. prgtoken These efforts from our communities are wonderful to see and, I am sure, are tremendously appreciated by the recipients. prgtoken During my time in Congress, I have worked hard to reach out to young people to encourage their interests and involvement in the conversations that are happening every day here in Congress. I have visited dozens of schools throughout the 75 towns of my district and have hosted two classes of my youth advisory council. prgtoken This year, about 170 kids in my youth council spen
VOTE EXPLANATION
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-7-22

I voted in support of S. Amdt. 1788, which would reduce defense spending by 10 percent and invest that money into healthcare, education, and poverty reduction in communities with a poverty rate of 25 percent or more. To govern is to choose, and as we face unprecedented challenges at home, this defense budget is out of step with the values, priorities, and needs of the American people. prgtoken The unchecked growth in the defense budget is unsustainable, and the administration has exacerbated these challenges. We have a duty to ensure the readiness of our forces, and I have supported efforts to rebuild our Armed Forces after years of costly overseas engagements. But massive spending increases without clear strategic direction do not make us safer. We need to be thoughtful about our spending choices, recognizing that every dollar spent on defense is a dollar not spent on healthcare, education, workforce training, and other critical areas of need. prgtoken The National Defense Authorization Act as it is currently written would spend $740.5 billion on defense. This represents 53 percent of total Federal discretionary spending and exceeds the defense budgets of the next 11 nations combined, including our allies in Australia, South Korea, Germany, Japan, France, and the United Kingdom. It is more than twice the combined defense expenditures of China and Russia. Topline defense spending has risen by more than $100 billion since President took office; after the $74 billion cut proposed in this amendment, defense spending would still be above the fiscal year 2017 level. prgtoken Some of my colleagues have expressed unease about the across-the- board nature of these cuts, and I agree that a targeted approach is preferable. But I have seen the consequences of delaying difficult decisions and believe we can no longer wait to have difficult conversations about our defense budget. In addition, the National Defense Authorization Act is not an appropriations bill, and this amendment simply reduces the total amount of money authorized to be spent on defense in the upcoming fiscal year. The Appropriations Committee, on which I serve, will still have the task of making thoughtful, targeted reductions in areas of lower priority, while preserving funding for high-priority items. I encourage my colleagues to confront these challenges for the good of our country and make adjustments as needed during conference negotiations with the House while remaining under the cap set by this amendment. prgtoken I am glad that this amendment protects salaries and healthcare from cuts, and would have preferred that it go further in making targeted cuts in order prgtoken to reduce the impact elsewhere in the defense budget. In particular, we should have taken this opportunity to scale back our country's trillion-dollar nuclear modernization efforts. Modernizing our nuclear weapons in a manner that makes them easier to u
QUESTION OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-7-23

. Madam , from Michigan (Representative Lawrence) for her comments. prgtoken As I had indicated earlier, having a daughter does not make a decent man, having a wife does not make a decent man, but treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man. I am incredibly thankful to have the honor and privilege to serve with decent men in this body each and every day. prgtoken Madam , it is an honor and I am thankful to serve with Representative Al Green, who is a sterling example of such a decent man. prgtoken Madam , from Texas (Mr. Green).
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-7-23

. I close by way of saying that I came to the floor some time ago to ask unanimous consent to make sure that this weekend, when millions of people are hurting--remember, the suffering starts in 2 days. It starts on Saturday--2 days in Florida, in Oregon, in Wyoming, and all over the country. Mitch McConnell's response was: Let's take a break; we can take off. He didn't seem to see those hurting people in Kentucky. Maybe they will have something to say to him this weekend. prgtoken I will tell you, I think it is a big mistake for Senate s to have frittered away weeks on end, when we could have had a dialogue and we could have talked about ideas. prgtoken The Presiding Officer has talked to me a number of times since he has been here about healthcare. I enjoy talking to my colleagues and working on ideas to try to find a way to address concerns and solve problems. There wasn't one single effort--not one--to pick up on any of the ideas that I have been discussing here. In fact, I tried to reach out to colleagues on the other side and told them that I heard them say repeatedly that benefits should taper down as the unemployment rate goes down. Well, that is the heart of our bill on this side. prgtoken The hurt and pain that working families are going to face this Saturday and Sunday--2 days from now--did not have to happen. It didn't have to happen. Our side has a bill to work on. The other side, I gather, has some ideas. We have not seen a single piece of paper, but I know that all those people who are hurting can't eat retroactively. They can't eat all the theories about delay and haggling. prgtoken I believe these working families deserve a whole lot better. They deserve some predictability and certainty that when they are hurting-- through no fault of their own--their government isn't going to turn its back on them and say: We don't care if your kids can't eat and you don't have a roof over your head. Our country has always been better than that. prgtoken .
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Joseph P. Kennedy III (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-7-23

. Madam , . prgtoken Madam , I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this bill and for the support of this amendment. prgtoken Madam , in 1620, 400 years ago, the Pilgrims settled on Wampanoag land in Plymouth, Massachusetts. For literally four centuries, the Mashpee Wampanoag people have been fighting for their sovereignty, for their land, and for their survival. And for generations, they have been met with resistance from a government that should be protecting and empowering them. prgtoken In the last few months, Madam , their fight has arrived at a crossroads created by a administration that has treated Tribes with nothing but contempt since the day of his inauguration. prgtoken Because of decisions made by this administration, the Mashpee Wampanoag's land may be stolen from them again in the coming weeks. prgtoken We have a responsibility to do what is right, to learn from the mistakes of generations before us, to recognize that this land wasn't land to be discovered or to be taken. It belonged to Tribes like the Mashpee long before the Pilgrims arrived. prgtoken Madam , we need to pass this amendment to right the wrongs of the past, to prevent them from becoming the wrongs of the present. prgtoken Madam , .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7608, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Donna E. Shalala (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2020-7-23

the balance of my time. prgtoken With this appropriations bill we are responding to the crisis of today while preparing for tomorrow. Americans are out of work, struggling to make ends meet as this virus wreaks havoc on our health, on our healthcare system, and on our economy. prgtoken The American people deserve a funding bill that makes smart investments, and this bill does just that. It addresses the hunger that is plaguing working families. It increases broadband access. It strengthens our international alliances. It combats climate change. It increases funding to provide healthcare for veterans. This bill invests in America and our collective future. prgtoken , I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question. prgtoken The text of the material previously referred to by Mr. Burgess is as follows: Amendment to House Resolution 1060 At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 6. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall resolve into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 7733) to authorize the imposition of sanctions with respect to the deliberate concealment or distortion of information about public health emergencies of international concern, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. When the committee rises and reports the bill back to the House with a recommendation that the bill do pass, the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. If the Committee of the Whole rises and reports that it has come to no resolution on the bill, then on the next legislative day the House shall, immediately after the third daily order of business under clause 1 of rule XIV, resolve into the Committee of the Whole for further consideration of the bill. Sec. 7. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 7733.
QUESTION OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-7-23

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman for this opportunity, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez. prgtoken Madam , I am 72 years old. I have no children. But if I had a daughter, I would name her Alexandria, because my name is Alexander. prgtoken If I had a daughter, I would want her to be bold; I would want her to be courageous; I would want her to speak truth to power; I would want her to be just like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The name means helper of humankind, and that is what she is about the business of doing. prgtoken Madam , I salute Ms. Ocasio-Cortez for the positions that she has taken. prgtoken Madam , this is not the first time we have heard this ``b'' word used by people in positions of authority. A higher office in this country has corrupted the discourse. It came from a higher office, and we all took it for granted. We just assumed, well, that is just a person saying something. ``SOB": You are talking about the mother. This is unacceptable. It is absolutely unacceptable. prgtoken I believe that we must change the tide of discourse in the country, and I believe that what Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has said is something that all of us should take notice of. prgtoken She spoke from her heart, as she usually does, by the way--a brilliant head with a compassionate heart. prgtoken Madam , I am proud of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez. I will stand with her not only today, but in the future. I don't have to agree with everything she says to respect her dignity, to respect her humanity. prgtoken And finally this. I grew up in a home where scatology was commonplace. I don't think ``scatologist'' is a word, but if such a word existed, there were many scatologists in my home. ``Scatology'' is a word. prgtoken I learned early on how that impacts the psyche of people. We cannot allow what happened to go unnoticed, which is why I am here today. prgtoken Madam , this scatology with the ``b'' word is something that demeans every woman when it is used. I will stand against it, and I will stand with the Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
TJ Cox (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-7-23

I rise today to advocate for amendment No. 33 to H.R. 7608, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle have come together to support this amendment, which should appropriate $1.4 million in foreign aid for ongoing humanitarian demining in Nagorno Karabakh-- Artsakh. prgtoken USAID's demining program has eliminated nearly 4,000 landmines and over 57,000 items of unexploded ordnance, saving many lives from these remnants of war. The program has also transformed over 62,000 acres of former minefield and battlefield into land that can be used productively. prgtoken However, we know that significant landmine contamination remains. Nagomo Karabakh has suffered from one of the worst mine accident rates in the world, with nearly 400 civilian casualties since 1994--a quarter of which have been children. Just last month an 11-year old boy named Hovannes found a submunition while digging in his family's garden. Because Hovannes had received U.S.-funded mine risk education about how to identify the weapon and stay safe, he told his family about the item, who contacted the U.S. demining program. The submunition was safely removed the next day. prgtoken Continued funding for the demining program will unquestionably save lives and generate peace and stability in the region. The United States' demining program in Nagomo Karabakh represents the only source of U.S. support in the region, and the only demining assistance available to the families of Karabakh. Without an appropriation of $1.4 million, the U.S. demining program will close, and families in the region, who are still waiting for their land to be made safe, will suffer indefinitely--families that are of utmost importance to the many Armenian American communities in my district and throughout our nation. prgtoken Landmine clearance is a bipartisan U.S. priority that will provide critical humanitarian relief to countless families in Nagomo Karabakh who continue to live in constant threat of danger. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and help provide much needed stability to this region, while continuing to support a constructive relationship between the U.S Nagomo Karabakh, and Armenia.