mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2020-8-22

even during this pandemic with most agencies down, we had not heard complaints from the Postal Service until Louis DeJoy was appointed Postmaster General. On the contrary, the pandemic had not kept our mail from being faithfully delivered. prgtoken Almost immediately after DeJoy assumed office, pandemonium broke out. For example, in Ward 8 of my district, there was no mail for 2 weeks. And the District and 46 States have been warned by the Postal Service itself that it cannot guarantee that all mail ballots will arrive in time to be counted. prgtoken Mr. DeJoy did not tell the truth at the Senate hearing yesterday. We know that from a July 15 memorandum directing employees explicitly to leave mail behind and to significantly cut overtime. We know that from an August 7 Postal Service action that reassigned 23 top executives with decades of institutional knowledge of postal operations in order to centralize operations. We know and will bring out before this hearing is over today that the Post Office continues to be sabotaged.
DEGRADING THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I thank the extraordinary men and women who serve us in the United States Postal Service. prgtoken I rise today to highlight President 's shameless attempts to degrade the United States Postal Service, a revered American institution. These actions not only undermine our elections, they are gambling with people's lives. prgtoken These past several weeks I have received thousands of emails, calls, and letters from constituents pleading that these changes be reversed. Just this week I heard from a constituent with diabetes who feared her family was at risk of losing their insurance after learning her payment had arrived 1 month late after it was mailed. Her story is, sadly one of many being heard across the Nation. prgtoken COVID-19 has already brought on significant financial trouble for so many families. To further hurt working families now facing late fees on rent or car payments through no fault of their own is unconscionable. prgtoken House have promised to get government working for the people, and today's bill is another example of that commitment. prgtoken Everybody loves the Post Office. It has been with us since the founding of our country, knitting together communities, and this attempt to undermine and degrade services is not only undermining services to our constituents, it is threatening our democracy.
HONORING DR. BENJAMIN BELL AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK
Cynthia Axne (Democrat, IA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Dr. Benjamin C. Bell, Jr a longtime pastor and community and family counselor in Des Moines, as our Iowan of the Week. prgtoken One of the strongest traits that unites Iowans is our love of community. Whether it's a favorite spot to fish, a connection group at church, or the best restaurant to grab a burger, we love to share stories about the people and places that give our shared home character. What's even better than Iowans' love of community is their unparalleled dedication to investing in it. Through service of all stripes, Iowans strengthen their communities each day. prgtoken Dr. Benjamin C. Bell, Jr. is a shining example of an Iowan who not only loves his community, but also has gone above and beyond to improve it for those around him now and for generations to come. prgtoken Born and raised in Des Moines, Dr. Bell's life has been shaped by service to country and community. He learned about hard work and giving back by watching his father work the night shift and his mother cook at Drake University, where she'd provide extra food to those who didn't have enough to eat at home. After graduating high school, Bell served several years in the United States Marine Corps before finishing his tour and moving back home to Iowa to be near family and raise one of his own with his wife, Julie. prgtoken Since then, Dr. Bell and Julie have put their community-mindedness and drive to help others to work. For nearly three decades they co- pastored in church to provide community value and help people feel like they have somewhere to belong, especially in times of crisis. prgtoken Dr. Bell co-founded Dads with a Purpose (DWP), a transformational counseling program for fathers and mothers to reach their potential as parents and to help effectively build strong families. Dads with a Purpose has been nationally recognized for its curriculum: a series of expert-led classes and resources provided in a safe space for parents in challenging circumstances to talk about past barriers and how they can grow to create positive, generational change. DWP helps fathers and mothers to learn about themselves as men and women, as individual parents, and as part of a co-parenting team to create a healthier future for themselves and their children. It helps hundreds of Iowans each year, including men and women transitioning out of correctional facilities, gain employment and improve their circumstances. prgtoken Dr. Bell also lends his expertise to the 5th Judicial District to help men who have previously been domestically violent learn how to process anger, respect women, and resolve conflict. He serves as the Fatherhood Outreach Director at the YMCA, providing classes on how to communicate more effectively, deal with tough issues that affect fathers, and help successfully navigate child-support--which can drastically change an individual's credit score
STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Xochitl Torres Small (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I rise today to recognize my vote on July 24, 2020 in favor of H.R. 7608, the State- Foreign Operations, Agriculture, Interior-Environment, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs agencies appropriations package for fiscal year 2021. prgtoken Right now, it's more important than ever that we work together to keep all of us, especially our veterans, safe and healthy. This bill provides relief to an outdated and overburdened VA system, invests in rural and water infrastructure systems in need of repair and continues efforts to combat the global pandemic and spur economic recovery. prgtoken As we fight to save American lives and rebuild our economy, reports indicate China may have exploited the pandemic for its own advantage. This is unacceptable, which is why I strongly support the Countering Chinese Influence Fund. While the motion to recommit purported to increase funding for the Countering Chinese Influence Fund, it actually defunded the Countering Chinese Influence Fund in a separate account. This type of politically motivated procedure is only a distraction that prevents us from moving forward real, bipartisan solutions that help hold China accountable. Moving forward, I will continue to support legislative measures that hold China accountable for exploiting COVID- 19, its combative trade policy, and malign initiatives that threaten our national security.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Brenda L. Lawrence (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-8-22

obviously, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not aware that fraud is a Federal--voter fraud is a crime. We have already established and funded the United States Postal Inspection Service. prgtoken Little do they know, whenever an employee is in a postal facility, there are internal galleys in every facility where you are observed for 24 hours a day by postal inspectors I am very comfortable that we will adhere to those laws. We have clerks who have sworn duties to protect elections. prgtoken But let me tell you, , 3 months ago this House passed the HEROES Act, and I ask my colleagues to prgtoken open their mail because we sent them a letter that will protect the Postal Service. We sent them a letter saying that we need to send funding to the States and local governments so they will not defund the police departments. prgtoken If you want to know who is defunding the police department, the lack of a movement in the Senate to send that necessary money to cities who must balance their budget. And the only way they can balance their budget is to cut because they don't have the funding that has been taken away from them because of COVID. prgtoken So you have the responsibility, , the s have on their hands the defunding of our police department. I wanted, too, to be very clear that we have heard repeatedly that the had manufactured a crisis at the expense of this President, and that the emergency funding is ``an unnecessary bailout plan.'' prgtoken We do not need to help the current President to create a crisis. We have seen every single day statements from the White House about what we are doing and what we should not do with the Postal Service. I want everyone here to know that every postal employee takes an oath that they will adhere to the Constitution, that they will serve and protect. prgtoken The majority of the postal workers are veterans who have served in the military, who continue their service in the Postal Service. I want it to be very clear that this election that is being held hostage right now by the Postal Service's internal decisions to tear it apart, where you have over 600,000 employees reporting to work who want to uphold their oath of office. prgtoken I want to say today, , that the Postal Service motto is neither rain, snow, heat or gloom of night you will not deter these carriers from their mission. And we are standing here today saying, no. Return to sender this unnecessary MTR. That we, as , we are putting forth this bill to ensure that we are not in that place where we are going to try to deter the Postal Service from doing their job. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to wake up, to understand that this is not a or issue, because the ballots that are going to be moving through the Postal Service, some of them may even go to them, they better protect the Postal Service. prgtoken , .
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Ayanna Pressley (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I rise today to say: Enough. In a blatant attempt to suppress the vote, the occupant has continued to attack the legitimacy of our elections, denouncing the very method of voting he and his family have repeatedly used: mail-in ballots. prgtoken Hypocrisy: It should look familiar to my colleagues across the aisle. prgtoken How dare you refer to this as a sham bill. The only sham here is the patriotism that you allege to espouse while you stand idly by and are complicit in the dismantling of the United States Postal Service, which is impacting the lives of all of our constituents, disrupting services. prgtoken Patriotism: They hire more veterans than anyone else. Veterans rely on them to receive lifesaving medication. The only sham here is the patriotism which you espouse. prgtoken Enough of the criminal and corrupt mismanagement of the Postmaster General. The changes he has brought to our Postal Service during this pandemic are brazen acts of sabotage intended to slow down operations and to delay mail delivery. prgtoken This is a hell of a way to repay 600,000 dedicated letter carriers and postal workers who have put themselves in harm's way in the midst of this pandemic, who find dignity in their work and are worried about the impact on services and fear for their very livelihoods and retribution for the calls that they have made to all of our offices. prgtoken How dare you. prgtoken While the administration and its allies continue to gaslight the American people, we actually listen to our constituents and their lived experiences and how this has disrupted their lives, what you are referring to as fakes news, constituents like Cassandra, a freelancer from Somerville who waited for 2 weeks for a check from a client to arrive. ``Freelancing is already unstable,'' she told me, ``and post office delays mean I have even less assurance that the money I have worked for will reach me in a timely fashion.'' prgtoken Or Brendan in Charlestown, who requested an absentee ballot more than 3 weeks ago so he and his pregnant wife could vote without risking their health but has yet to receive it because, in the Massachusetts Seventh Congressional District, nine mail sorting machines have been removed. prgtoken There must be accountability. It is time to pass the Delivering for America Act.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Doris O. Matsui (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , over the past few weeks, we have seen the reports of decommissioned sorting machines, removal of postboxes, and the cutting back of hours for the U.S. Postal Service employees. prgtoken In my district of Sacramento, I have never seen such an outcry, an outrage amongst my neighbors and constituents. prgtoken This is serious business. We are feeling the effects of delayed mail delivery and seeing the real-life consequences of these operational changes: Financial documents are late; prescriptions are stuck in transit; and we worry about our future ballots being counted. prgtoken That is why this administration's attacks have alarmed so many Americans. We recognize it is about more than just getting letters from A to B. It is about the fabric of our democracy. prgtoken The Postmaster General has made his political preferences and business interests no secret. The U.S. Postal Service should not be manipulated as a political or business tool. prgtoken Hundreds of millions of Americans across this country rely on the Postal Service for lifesaving medications, Social Security benefits, paychecks, and mail-in ballots. The Delivering for America Act will help ensure that those services continue as needed. prgtoken This bill takes critical steps to halt the damage being done, while providing $25 billion to put the Postal Service back on track. prgtoken While the Postmaster has recently claimed that he will halt operational changes until after the election, he has also stated he has no intention of recommissioning sorting machines and postboxes that have already been shuttered. The damage has already been done, and it is unacceptable. prgtoken We must pass the Delivering for America Act to provide emergency funding and put protections in place to support reliable mail delivery for all Americans. prgtoken As I said, this is serious business. The post office is important for the fabric of America.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-8-22

I ran to the floor when I heard that our Members on the side of the aisle are trying to use as an excuse we have not had a hearing. Oh, yes. You have had a hearing. You have had a hearing from the American people who are shocked that the President and DeJoy are out there dismantling and destroying our Postal Service. prgtoken For 3 years I warned the American people and my colleagues that this President was a threat to our democracy. Yet, here we are today voting on a measure to save the Postal Service because it is being sabotaged by a desperate President in order to cheat in the 2020 elections. prgtoken Since our country's founding, the people have relied on the Postal Service for everything from delivery of letters to our seniors wanting their medicines delivered on time. Veterans want their disability checks on time. Social Security recipients want and need their money. prgtoken So I want to say to the Members on the opposite side of the aisle: You had better get some courage. If you are afraid of the President, you had better step up to the plate on this. We will not allow the United States Postal Service to be destroyed by you. prgtoken And another message to the President: Stop removing our blue mailboxes from our neighborhoods.
HONORING COACH STEELE KERRIDEN ``KERRY'' CROSWHITE
Greg Stanton (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I rise to honor the life and legacy of Coach Steele Kerriden ``Kerry'' Croswhite, who passed away Tuesday, July 21, 2020 due to complications from COVID-19 at the age of 61. For 17 years Coach Croswhite served Chandler High School as a social studies teacher, head coach for the school's swim and dive team, and assistant coach for the softball program--a true pillar of excellence for the school's academic and athletic programs, and an inspiration for the thousands of students who had the great privilege to learn from him. A beloved member of the Chandler community, Coach Croswhite embodied a steadfast dedication to public education, Chandler High School, and service to others. prgtoken Coach Croswhite's impact resonated throughout the entire Chandler High community. He was always ready with a word of encouragement and empathetic ear, and he emanated pride and joy when celebrating his students and his school. Not only an inspirational teacher and coach, Coach Croswhite was known across campus for the bagpipes he played at school events, swim meets, football games, and at the school's annual Unity Assembly, where he donned a kilt in proud celebration of his ancestry. prgtoken He was a selfless leader who devoted his career--without fanfare or in pursuit of recognition--to the students he taught and coached at Chandler High. As the head swim and dive coach, Coach Croswhite spent countless hours training and mentoring the athletes he worked with every day. Coach Croswhite always went out of his way to help others-- even jumping into action without hesitation to save the life of one of his students after she suffered a seizure in the pool. Because of his leadership and example, countless students have learned the value of camaraderie, perseverance and teamwork. prgtoken Conch Croswhite's wife, Laurie, shared that at the time of his passing, he was listening to the song ``These Are the Days'' by Van Morrison. In celebration of his life and legacy, may we think of him each time we hear this song in the future. We join his family in grief and gratitude, thankful that we bore witness to the impact he had on the entire Chandler High community. His legacy will be remembered for generations of students, teachers, and faculty to come. prgtoken Thank you to Coach Croswhite, and Godspeed.
DELIVERING FOR AMERICA ACT
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-8-22

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , Postmaster General DeJoy's attempts to push forward operational changes that delay the mail are simply unacceptable. My constituents depend on the U.S. Postal Service. In the past week alone, I received over 1,000 constituent letters expressing confusion and anger over these changes that he has planned and implemented. prgtoken A senior from Coventry wrote to me, expressing her alarm over what might happen if her diabetic husband failed to receive his medications on time. prgtoken A constituent from Wakefield, who has not missed an election since 1956, emailed me to ask if he should vote in person, despite being 85 years old with health concerns. prgtoken Madam , no one should have to wait for lifesaving medications or risk their health to cast a vote. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Millions of Americans are counting on us, and we cannot let them down.
IN HONOR OF RACHEL MEYER
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-8-25

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Rachel Meyer, Executive Director Emeritus of CuriOdyssey, a science playground and zoo for children ages 1 to 100. Rachel was executive director for 13 years, 2007 to 2020. She recently departed to find new challenges, but she leaves a legacy of love and educational achievement. prgtoken CuriOdyssey is nestled under the eucalyptus trees at Coyote Point in San Mateo. It's a spectacular setting for a science facility because the natural splendor of Coyote Point is itself something to behold. prgtoken During her tenure, Rachel really put CuriOdyssey on the map. It went from being the Coyote Point Science Museum to being the place on the Peninsula to bring small children, and those a bit older, to learn about physics, math, animals and much, much more. prgtoken CuriOdyssey is all about experience. prgtoken Rachel Meyer brought exhibits to CuriOdyssey that challenged children to immerse themselves in science. Under Rachel, exhibits reflected how children learn--through touching, listening, drawing, reading, jumping, grabbing. Many museums are static with thick glass separating patrons and the exhibits. At CuriOdyssey, it was sometimes necessary to put a warning sign discretely on the exhibit so that smaller children wouldn't overwhelm the display by trying to physically engage with whatever was moving, popping, clanging, flashing, howling or flying. prgtoken Rachel was a great fundraiser and under her leadership both attendance and donations soared. She invited the community to donate to an expanded CuriOdyssey and they responded with gusto. Her team of co- workers were talented and dedicated. They raised enough money that a new facility will open this decade, dedicated to the belief that you can't shut down curiosity even during a pandemic. prgtoken Science education is embedded in the DNA of the San Francisco Peninsula, home to some of Silicon Valley's greatest companies and to the faculty of many great universities, such as Stanford, the University of California, Berkeley or the University of California, San Francisco. These parents know quality science when they see it, and they came by the tens of thousands to witness the displays, and to teach their children, because of Rachel Meyer's energy and imagination. prgtoken Rachel did not arise from a vacuum. She was the Executive Director of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo for 11 years before her 13 years at CuriOdyssey. She learned about science education through studying under a master, Dr. Frank Oppenheimer of the Exploratorium in San Francisco. prgtoken CuriOdyssey is a zoo as well as museum. The facility is home to animals injured and unable to return safely to the wild as well as those born in captivity. Rachel was an outstanding mother to them all even though, if asked, the porcupine might not concede the point. prgtoken It takes a special kind of educator to lead an all-hands-on-deck institution like a children's experiential