mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMEMBERING THOMAS JAMES LONEY
Tim Ryan (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of Thomas James Loney, of Youngstown, Ohio who died on September 10, 2020 at the age of 83. prgtoken Tom was born July 28, 1937, in Youngstown, the son of Emmett and Ann Haney Loney. He was a 1955 graduate of Wilson High School and was a member of the Pipefitters Union Local 396 for over 62 years. He had worked for various local contractors and was employed by the Youngstown Board of Education as a pipefitter for over 13 years. He was a member of St. Charles Church. prgtoken Mr. Loney enjoyed following Notre Dame football, the New York Yankees and playing golf, but most importantly, spending time with his family and being the center of attention. prgtoken Tom was married to the former Margaret Ann Murphy, whom he married July 18, 1959, until her death Jan. 16, 2019. prgtoken Mr. Loney is survived by his five children, Mike Loney of Boardman, Teresa Loney (Mark Biroschak) of Boardman, Katie Loney of Austintown, Thomas (Colleen) Loney of North Lima and Marty (Lisa) Loney of Boardman; one sister, Mary Clayton; nine grandchildren, Joseph (Jessica) Irwin, Alex (Matt) Roth, Matthew Loney, Ryan Loney, Colin Loney, Kevin Darby, Maggie Loney, Abbey Loney and Erinn Loney; and four great-grandchildren, Hank and Nora Irwin, and Owen and Eli Roth. Tom had 31 nieces and nephews, who all thought they were his favorite. prgtoken He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Peggy; his brothers, Jack and Jerry Loney; and his sister, Ann Clifford. prgtoken I am very honored to be friends with Mr. Loney's son, Marty, who exemplifies the work ethic that Tom instilled in each of his children and grandchildren. My deepest condolences go out to Tom's family and to all whose lives he touched.
VOTE EXPLANATION
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-9-16

I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Brett H. Ludwig, of Wisconsin, to be U.S. district judge for the prgtoken Eastern District of Wisconsin. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted in support of cloture. prgtoken , I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to confirm the nomination of Brett H. Ludwig, of Wisconsin, to be U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted in support of confirmation. prgtoken , I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Christy Criswel Wiegand, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. district judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted in support of cloture. prgtoken , I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Hala Y. Jarbou, of Michigan, to be U.S. district judge for the Western District of Michigan. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted in support of cloture. prgtoken , I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to confirm the nomination of Christy Criswell Wiegand, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. district judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted in support of confirmation. prgtoken , I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Thomas T. Cullen, of Virginia, to be U.S. district judge for the Western District of Virignia. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted to oppose cloture. prgtoken , I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Diane Gujarati, of New York, to be U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of New York. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted in support of cloture.
WILDFIRES RAVAGE WEST COAST
Scott H. Peters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-16

I rise today to address the wildfires currently ravaging the West Coast of the United States. prgtoken More than 85 major fires, spanning from Washington State to Southern California are burning, as I speak. Thirty-five people have died, only ashes remain in hundreds of communities, tens of thousands have fled their prgtoken homes and many individuals are still missing. Some survivors compare the site of the flames to the gates of hell. prgtoken This year alone, California has seen over 2,600 more fires and a nearly 2,000 percent increase in the acres burned compared to this time last year. That is according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal-Fire. prgtoken The frequency and intensity are no accident. We used to refer to early fall as ``wildfire season'' but the threat of these fires is now present throughout the year. prgtoken In San Diego and in other areas of Southern California, dry and arid conditions, paired with high temperatures, can make for a deadly combination. The Valley fire in eastern San Diego County, which is now 87 percent contained, burned almost 18,000 acres of land and prompted the closure of the Cleveland National Forest. prgtoken That fire started 10 days ago, but smoke and haze across the county are barely now beginning to clear. The air quality continues to pose a risk for sensitive groups. This fire is only the latest in a long history of destructive fires in San Diego County. prgtoken I call on my fellow Members of Congress to accept and recognize this truth: Our actions don't exist in a vacuum. The consequences of our actions lead to rising temperatures and more extreme natural events, including hurricanes, droughts, and flooding. prgtoken It is not a matter of belief. Yearly patterns show us how these changes aren't natural. They are man-made. They are climate change. prgtoken We owe it to every single firefighter and first responder to act on this issue now. Every day, they risk their lives in the blistering heat, not knowing if they will make it back home. We are beyond grateful for their bravery and their unwavering dedication to public safety. prgtoken These conditions leading to the devastation on the West Coast are preventable, but the only way forward is through bipartisan partnerships to address the key drivers of climate change. Saving lives, infrastructure, and our lands from the effects of severe weather require concrete and swift action on the climate crisis now. Recognizing Alice Johnson on Her 100th Birthday
ELECTION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH ACT OF 2020
Zoe Lofgren (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , I rise in support of H.R. 4990. prgtoken Voting is the bedrock of our representative democracy. The integrity of our election infrastructure is essential to free and fair elections. Votes are cast and counted using a variety of systems, from hand-marked paper ballots to direct-recording electronic machines. There is a whole host of other technology that also supports the process, including electronic pollbooks, voter registration databases, and other components of comprehensive systems. prgtoken I support H.R. 4990, the Election Technology Research Act of 2019, because it invests in science to bolster the resilience of election technology, and commend its sponsor, Representative Sherrill, for authoring the bill. This legislation is in keeping with other bills this House has passed in the 116th Congress to protect our democratic institutions, including H.R. 1 (the For the People Act), H.R. 2722 (the SAFE Act), and H.R. 4617 (the SHIELD Act). prgtoken Russia attacked our democracy in 2016. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation confirmed that Russian GRU officers ``targeted individuals and entities involved in the administration of the elections. Victims included U.S. state and local entities, such as state boards of elections (SBOEs), secretaries of state, and county governments, as well as individuals who worked for those entities. The GRU also targeted private technology firms responsible for manufacturing and administering election-related software and hardware, such as voter registration software and electronic polling stations.'' prgtoken In July 2020, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published an election infrastructure risk assessment. It found that ``compromises to the integrity of state-level voter registration systems, the preparation of election data (e.g ballot programming), vote aggregation systems, and election websites present particular risk to the ability of jurisdictions to conduct elections.'' prgtoken Our elections remain under threat from foreign adversaries. In August 2020, the Director of the United States Counterintelligence and Security Center said that foreign states may use the 2020 elections to ``seek to compromise our election infrastructure for a range of possible purposes, such as interfering with the voting process, stealing sensitive data, or calling into question the validity of the election results.'' prgtoken H.R. 4990 is commonsense, bipartisan legislation that responds to these ongoing threats. It authorizes new research and standards for election infrastructure security. It directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to carry out research that will increase the understanding of cyber and other threats to voting systems. It will lead to the development of technology, processes, and policies for more secure and accessible elections. This includes the cybersecurity of
RURAL STEM EDUCATION ACT
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken I would like to take a moment again to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) for working with the members of this committee on this legislation and thank Mr. McAdams and Dr. Baird. prgtoken It is my hope that we can pass this bill out of the House today and, hopefully, work with our colleagues in the Senate to get this bipartisan bill, as well as many others, of course, we have sent over there passed into law. prgtoken This bill is needed more now than it was when we started out, so I would hope that the Senate will see the need to pass this bill as soon as possible. prgtoken Madam , .
CELEBRATING PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate one of the longest running weekly newspapers in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Gay News, which has been dedicated to lifting the voices of the LGBTQ community since 1976. prgtoken PGN was founded by a pioneer for the LGBTQ community, Mark Segal, and has provided reliable and accessible news ever since. prgtoken PGN has been at the heart of the fight for equality, diving into the challenges facing LGBTQ people and lifting up their vices. prgtoken At the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, PGN was vital to ensuring people had the information and resources they needed to make informed decisions about their safety, health, and well-being. prgtoken Today, PGN is the largest East Coast LGBTQ newspaper, with over 25,000 weekly readers. In a recent interview, Mr. Segal said that this journey was not without struggle. ``At times, we had to fight to keep the doors open,'' but PGN pressed on. prgtoken In March, PGN was awarded a historical marker to honor the remarkable impact this paper has had. Just last week, PGN was awarded the best overall nondaily newspaper by the Society of Professional Journalists. prgtoken We are grateful for the leadership of Philadelphia Gay News and its founder, Mark Segal. prgtoken To the entire PGN family, congratulations, and keep making good trouble.
EQUITY AND INCLUSION ENFORCEMENT ACT OF 2019
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , as a senior member of the Judiciary and Homeland Committees, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2574, the ``Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2019,'' which restores the power of students and parents to challenge discriminatory policies and practices in schools and other federally funded programs. prgtoken In 2001, the Supreme Court decided in Alexander v. Sandoval to overturn four decades of statutory protections against discrimination by stripping victims of discrimination of the right to bring disparate impact claims under Title VI. prgtoken However, this bill ensures that victims of discrimination no longer have to rely on the Department of Education to take legal action in order to challenge discriminatory practices in their schools. prgtoken Instead, individuals will once again have the ability to address instances of racial inequities themselves. prgtoken The Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act further protects students by making positive and substantive changes to Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance. prgtoken For example, the bill creates Title VI monitors to ensure that every school district and institution of higher education has at least one employee who is specifically responsible for investigating any complaints of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. prgtoken It also establishes an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Education to coordinate and promote Title VI enforcement in education. prgtoken In 1954, the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education struck down the ``separate but equal'' premise that had allowed segregation in our public-school system. prgtoken It has been 66 years since that monumental ruling, yet we still have not been able to fulfill the promise of equity in education for our children. prgtoken Over the past few months, the United States has experienced seismic shifts in social consciousness regarding racial inequities that have permeated every aspect of American society. prgtoken As the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, and so many others, become synonymous with today's civil rights movement, I believe this bill marks a step forward in the fight for equal rights. prgtoken We cannot achieve true racial equality without addressing the systematic discrimination in our education system. prgtoken For example, in December of 2018, Andrew Johnson, a Black high school wrestler, in New Jersey was forced to make an impossible choice when a referee told him to either cut his dreadlocks or forfeit the wrestling match. prgtoken Although Johnson wore a hair covering for the match, as dictated by wrestling guidelines, the referee rejected the covering and gave the student 90 seconds to cut off his dreadlocks. prgtoken In 2016, a Black teenager was escorted out of his high school graduation ceremon
ENSURING CHILDREN AND CHILD CARE WORKERS ARE SAFE ACT OF 2020
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam , I wish to once again thank Representatives Finkenauer and Guthrie for their leadership in crafting this urgently needed bipartisan bill and all of my colleagues who have spoken in support of the Ensuring Children and Child Care Workers Are Safe Act. This is such an important issue. prgtoken Today's children are tomorrow's leaders. This bill will help make sure that childcare providers who are entrusted with the health, safety, and development of our Nation's very future have the support they need to succeed. prgtoken I also want to note, as my colleague from Iowa noted, that the consideration of this bill comes after the House passage of the Child Care is Essential Act, which will provide $50 billion in direct grant funding to help childcare providers cover operating expenses, purchase PPE and cleaning supplies, pay providers through the pandemic and beyond, and, importantly, give struggling parents relief from high-cost copayments and tuition. prgtoken This is a good investment in our children, our families, our economy, and our future. I continue to urge Senator McConnell and the full Senate to take up the Child Care is Essential Act, as well as this excellent bipartisan bill. prgtoken Madam , I urge all of my colleagues to support the legislation before us today, H.R. 7909, and .
LENNY KRAWCHECK
Joe Cunningham (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , I rise today to honor the service of Lenny Krawcheck to the city of Charleston in his time as the chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals. In his more than four decades on the board, Lenny played a critical role in shaping Charleston into the destination it is today, a consummate tourist attraction that has never lost its charm or sense of self. prgtoken Lenny became chairman of the board in 1979 at the request of Mayor Joe Riley. During his tenure he helped revitalize the city, while staying true to Charleston's unique history and culture. Lenny quickly developed a reputation as a knowledgeable and fair arbiter. Even if folks disagreed with the final decision made by the Board of Zoning Appeals, they respected Lenny's integrity and commitment to do right by the city. prgtoken As he leaves public service to focus on his personal life, the city of Charleston owes Lenny Krawcheck an enormous debt of gratitude.
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-9-16

I come to the floor today to urge that we come together and resume negotiations on a comprehensive, bipartisan COVID relief package--the kind of package that this country has been calling for. prgtoken Today, nearly 200,000 Americans, including 436 Granite Staters, have died from COVID-19, and we still have as many as 40,000 new cases each day in this country--enough people to fill a baseball stadium each day. As a result, our economy continues to struggle, with nearly 30 million Americans still out of work and more than 1 million filing new applications for unemployment each week. Many Americans have been forced to raid their retirement savings just to pay rent and put food on the table--and that is for those people who actually have retirement savings. Sadly, too many people do not. prgtoken The President's recent Executive orders have many State unemployment officers tied up in knots. Those orders affect Social Security and Medicare, and they provide no new help for the nearly 13 million households who could be at risk of eviction in the coming months. prgtoken Unfortunately, the administration and Majority Leader McConnell have refused to recognize that too many Americans are still suffering and still need help. prgtoken It has been 4 months since the House of Representatives passed the Heroes Act--a bill to provide assistance to Americans who are in need. Instead of negotiating a bipartisan bill, as we did with the CARES Act back in March, Leader McConnell has released partisan legislation-- written in secret--that is woefully inadequate and ignores many of the problems I am hearing about from Granite Staters. prgtoken Not surprisingly, the bill that was put on the floor last week--the so-called skinny bill because it didn't provide the kind of help so many people need--that bill failed. I opposed that skinny bill because I didn't believe it came close to addressing the public health and economic issues that our country is facing. It provided no funding for hospitals or healthcare providers on the frontlines, and the nursing home and hospital staff I talk to in New Hampshire tell me that more financial support is needed to stem the financial losses from this pandemic. prgtoken New Hampshire hospitals have already experienced more than $550 million in lost revenue statewide, and they don't see an end this year. Losses of that magnitude are unsustainable, and the skinny bill that we voted on last week would not have addressed those losses. prgtoken That proposal provided no support for State and local governments that are facing severe budgetary shortfalls. The State of New Hampshire expects to experience a budget shortfall of nearly $540 million, over half a billion dollars. That is about a 20-percent drop in State revenues. prgtoken In the city of Manchester, which is our largest city, they expect to spend $11 million between this year and next related to COVID-19 expenses--money they
CELEBRATING THE MOORESTOWN 8U BASEBALL TEAM, THE BABE RUTH STATE TOURNAMENT, SOUTH JERSEY CHAMPIONS
Andy Kim (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the Moorestown 8U baseball team, who on August 26, 2020, became the eight-year-old Southern New Jersey Baseball State Champions. prgtoken Led by Coach Andy Berman and Assistant Coaches Geoff Degener, Dustin Jerdan, and Ron Obermeier, the Moorestown 8U baseball team displayed incredible perseverance all season amidst a global pandemic. Their countless hours of practice, dedication to safety, and commitment to their teammates led them to win Moorestown 8U Baseball Team's first State Championship while staying safe and healthy. Throughout the entire season they dominated their opposition, losing only one game and making it to the State Final, which they won 9 to 2. prgtoken I congratulate team members Ben Berman, Braden Castner, Austin Degener, Jack Finazzo, Jace Jerdan, Jack Krumins, Shane Krumins, Matt Laufer, Brett Obermeier, Eshaan Panchal, Alex Seamon, and Nate Seibel on their incredible season and state championship. prgtoken I'm proud to be able to celebrate the success of some of the talented student-athletes from New Jersey's Third District. I want to congratulate the entire coaching staff, the team, and their parents on their tremendous season.
21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS CORONAVIRUS RELIEF ACT OF 2020
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-9-16

. Madam , I rise today in support of H.R. 8162, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Coronavirus Relief Act. prgtoken As the coronavirus pandemic continues, schools throughout Rhode Island and all across America have been forced to close their doors, some for the rest of the year. prgtoken This trend means that high-quality after-school and summer programs will be even more necessary to provide young people with a safe, enriching place to learn and grow. We have an obligation to ensure that these programs have the resources and flexibility needed to meet the needs of America's children. prgtoken Currently, more than 2 million children and families rely on Nita M. prgtoken Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers for after-school and summer learning programming. With schools across the country closing, many students are unable to obtain services provided by out-of-school programs, including academic assistance, a safe place to be when their parents are working, and access to a hot meal or healthy snack. prgtoken We know after-school programming provides one of the most effective ways to keep children safe in the late afternoon and early evening hours and keeps them on the right path to completing school. These programs help students develop essential life skills such as problem- solving, critical thinking, and healthy living. prgtoken Additional flexibility for 21st Century Community Learning Centers will help improve access to these critical programs and will make sure that after-school programming is available to students and families to keep children safe and engaged and to strengthen families and communities throughout the pandemic. prgtoken Madam , I urge passage of the bill, and I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time.