mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING EVA JONES
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2019-10-30

. Madam , I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant, Mrs. Eva Jones who has been a servant leader for most of her adult life. She began in her church organizing health fairs, women empowerment sessions, teen summits, and domestic abuse conferences that focused on raising awareness and ending dating and sexual assault violence in the Metro Jackson community. After raising her three sons, Mrs. Jones returned to college as an adult learner and earned a B.S. in Criminal Justice and Sociology from Mississippi College to enhance her knowledge in order to help women, men, and children who are victims and survivors of abuse and violence. prgtoken In 2010, Mrs. Jones founded Butterflies by Grace Defined by Faith, an organization that strives to educate, empower, and advocate awareness to change the hearts of people and propose policy and legislation to protect victims and survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence. Butterflies by Grace Defined by Faith also strives to empower individuals and educate the community to create social change within the community. Butterflies by Grace Defined by Faith is a true ministry which has changed hundreds of lives. prgtoken Mrs. Jones has had the privilege to serve and volunteer on various boards and organizations such as the American Medical Technologist, Sickle Cell Foundation, SIDS, Diabetes Foundation, Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Susan Komen Breast Cancer and many more. She has been honored by many civic organizations and most recently Black Girls Rock, AMT Distinguished Achievement Award, National Visionary Award and Hero of the Year Award recipient. Mrs. Jones is an active member of her church and has worked as a registered medical assistant for over 30 years. Mrs. Jones is a proud wife, mother of three sons, and grandmother of 7 grandchildren. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Eva Jones.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN...
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-10-30

the substitute amendment to H.R. 3055 contains the Appropriations Committee-reported versions of four bills: Agriculture; Interior; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, one bill; and Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. prgtoken I was very excited to see today's earlier cloture vote, which passed 88 to 5, which means that we can see those four bills to help fund government move forward. prgtoken The Commerce-Justice-Science portion of this minibus, or CJS, was reported out of the Appropriations Committee on a unanimous 31-to-0 vote. I particularly care about this bill as ranking member on that subcommittee. prgtoken The CJS bill provides $70.8 billion to protect the Nation from criminals and terrorists, warn us about violent storms and climate change, enable fair trade, promote manufacturing and sustainable fisheries, partner with State and local law enforcement, and provide resources for the census to count every person in the United States fairly and accurately. prgtoken CJS Subcommittee Chairman Moran and I took a collaborative approach to drafting this important bill. The CJS Subcommittee held substantive hearings, considered 1,564 individual and group requests from 75 Senators, and worked in a bipartisan way to meet the needs of the Nation and our individual States. prgtoken Under the Constitution, since 1790, every 10 years the United States has conducted the census, and we only get one chance every 10 years to get it right. In addition to determining the number of Representatives each State will have, Federal programs rely on census data to distribute more than $900 billion annually, nearly $4 billion of which goes to my home State of New Hampshire. prgtoken Chairman Moran and I have worked together to make sure the census has the resources it needs. The bill provides $7.6 billion for the Bureau of the Census--nearly double the amount provided in fiscal year 2019. This fully funds the life-cycle estimate for the 2020 census, along with contingencies that have been recommended by Secretary Ross but were not requested in the budget. prgtoken The bill also directs the Census Bureau to invest in partnership and communication efforts in hard-to-count areas in order to increase self- response rates and offset the need for expensive door-to-door followup. prgtoken Once again, the subcommittee has provided increases to law enforcement and grant programs that fight gun violence and violent crime. The bill includes at least a 3-percent increase for Justice Department law enforcement agencies--more than $476 million higher than the fiscal year 2019 level for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and the Marshals Service. prgtoken Especially important, we have provided $131 million for the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS--$24 million more than last year. This system is the key to making s
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN...
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-10-30

I rise to sound the alarm on the administration's expected announcement of its withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, while pursuing means to limit it even further to 1.5 degrees. prgtoken Article 28 of the Paris Agreement that was entered into in COP 21 2015 specifies that after joining, no country can withdraw for 3 years, after which a 1-year waiting period must occur before the withdrawal takes effect. The United States entered into this historic agreement on November 4, 2016; thus, the earliest date the United States can initiate withdrawal is November 4, 2019. After the U.S. files withdrawal documents, the 1-year waiting period begins, making November 4, 2020, the earliest possible date the United States can fully--and I might add, recklessly--get out of this agreement. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support a Senate resolution that I certainly will be filing expressing our need for U.S. climate diplomacy. Withdrawal is terrible. The cost of inaction is high. prgtoken For example, in my State of Maryland, by the year 2100, climate change could force the Navy to relocate the U.S. Naval Academy from where it has made its home in Annapolis, MD, since 1845. prgtoken Surrounded by water on three sides, the Naval Academy is especially vulnerable to sea rise. The Severn River runs along the east, Spa Creek extends to the south, and College Creek runs along the north. Parts of the academy adjacent to the water stand 3 feet above the waterline. Sea levels around Annapolis have risen about 1 foot over the past 100 years. The Naval Academy is only one of scores of U.S. military bases that may be inundated by rising seas. prgtoken Unlike this administration, the academy is taking action. In 2015, the Sea Level Rise Advisory Council formed to create an adaptation plan and make decisions about flood-related matters. Staff are installing door dams and flood barriers on doorways, repairing seawalls, and installing backflow preventers in storm drain systems to reduce funding. Newly constructed buildings will have elevated entrances and limited first-floor openings to keep rising water out. But these actions have high costs that are compounded by inaction. prgtoken On October 12 of this year, a combination of seasonal high tides, a full Moon, and a tropical storm stalled off the eastern seaboard caused a ``nuisance flood'' in downtown Annapolis, disrupting the festivities at the annual Annapolis Boat Show, flooding booths at the city dock and closing streets. prgtoken One week later, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation--the key nonprofit partner in the restoration effort--announced that it will close the Fox Island Education Center due to subsidence and rising sea levels
COLORADO OUTDOOR RECREATION AND ECONOMY ACT
Joe Neguse (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2019-10-30

. Mr. Chair, we will continue to do that important work, and I appreciate the gentleman's statement in that regard. And I concur with it. prgtoken It is worth mentioning--I don't know that it has been mentioned yet during this debate: We have worked very hard. I have a stack of emails. This is literally 35, 40 pages of emails, exchanges between my staff who work on public lands with the Representative from the Third Congressional District over the last 8 months, working, trying to get that consensus. prgtoken I will certainly pledge to the gentleman that we are going to keep doing it. prgtoken Mr. Chair, with that, I am ready to close as well, but I will reserve the balance of my time.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AND THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2019-10-30

I rise to join my colleague Senator Mark Warner and the entire Senate ic caucus to force a vote on his resolution to protect Americans with preexisting health conditions and stop the administration from using American taxpayer dollars to promote junk insurance plans that don't even have to cover people who have preexisting health conditions. prgtoken The difference between the two sides of the aisle here is really clear. The Senate s have worked with President to pass repeal plans that would take people's healthcare away and allow insurance companies to charge more for people with preexisting health conditions. prgtoken When their effort failed legislatively, instead of working in a bipartisan way to lower healthcare costs for working families, President and his administration spent 2 years working to sabotage our healthcare system. The administration's sabotage has made it harder for people to sign up for quality, affordable coverage, and there are more Americans who are uninsured today than when President took office. prgtoken The administration is even in court to support a lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act completely, which will take away guaranteed health protections and raise costs for Americans with preexisting health conditions. If they succeed, insurance companies will again be able to deny coverage or charge higher premiums for nearly 130 million Americans who have preexisting health conditions. prgtoken Meanwhile, this administration has expanded what we call junk insurance plans. These are plans that can deny coverage to people with preexisting health conditions and don't have to cover essential services like prescription drugs, emergency room visits, and maternity care. prgtoken I ask my friends on the other side of the aisle to think about this for a moment. President supports overturning the law that provides protections for people with preexisting health conditions while he expands these junk plans that don't provide those protections. This is what the Senate s support. This is their plan. prgtoken Last year, we forced a vote on my legislation to block President 's expansion of junk insurance plans that don't have to cover people with preexisting health conditions. The final vote tally was 50 to 50, with the entire Senate ic Caucus and one prgtoken Senate voting in support of my legislation. Those who say they support healthcare coverage for people with preexisting health conditions should support the No Junk Plans Act. Today, I want to take another vote. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of S. 1556 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered mad
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY AND THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-10-30

while I am so sad to be here, I am always glad to have the opportunity to recognize Senator Kay Hagan. prgtoken There are certain people who carry with them a warmth and kindness that lift up others, even in places that are not always warm or kind and even when the going gets tough. Kay was exactly that kind of person and one of the best examples I can think of. She wasn't only that--not at all. As another mom in the Senate, I saw how deeply she was dedicated to her family--her husband, Chip, and her children, Jeannette, Tilden, and Carrie. Kay was smart, witty, and fierce, and she was an unwavering champion for North Carolina families and communities. prgtoken Nine years ago almost to this week, Kay came to the floor to advocate for health reform, and she did it as she always did--by putting North Carolinians first. prgtoken Kay came here and she shared the story of Tim and Marilyn, a family from Mooresville, NC. They had racked up tens of thousands of dollars in debt because Marilyn's preexisting condition meant her only option was a high-cost, high-deductible plan. Kay called powerfully for protections for preexisting conditions. prgtoken Nearly a decade has now passed since the Affordable Care Act became law, so not everyone remembers how, in that fight, every single Senate vote mattered, and there were certainly some Senators who listened to the pundits and the naysayers at the time who wanted the bill to fail. Kay tuned out all of that and listened to people from her home State, like Tim and Marilyn, instead, and because she did, more than 4 million North Carolinians with preexisting conditions have protections in law today. They have the peace of mind Kay wanted so badly for Tim and Marilyn and every one of her constituents. prgtoken are going to be talking a lot about healthcare this week, and in particular, we are taking a very important vote on upholding those protections that Kay fought so hard for. So especially throughout this week, I will be thinking about Kay. I will be thinking about the difference her love for her State has made in the lives of people across North Carolina and our country. I will be grateful, as so many others are, for her amazing friendship, her wisdom, and her willingness to stand up for what is right. prgtoken . prgtoken .
WELCOMING BISHOP ROBERT BARRON
Thomas R. Suozzi (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-10-30

. Madam , I rise to welcome Bishop Robert Barron, who gave the opening prayer today, here to the Chamber. prgtoken Bishop Barron is the second-most followed Catholic on social media after the Pope. He is a remarkable man who prgtoken has inspired me and my wife and my family for many years, and I am honored to have brought him here to the Nation's Capital where, yesterday, he addressed several dozen Members of Congress, as well as their staff members. prgtoken Bishop Barron was ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago 33 years ago. In July 2015, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Barron to be the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, an innovative new hub for spiritual and intellectual formation, where he produces daily meditations, weekly homilies, movies on pivotal players in Catholic history, reviews of movies, and debates with sometimes-controversial thought leaders of today's culture. prgtoken Bishop Barron, as I said, is the second-most followed Catholic on social media, second only to the Pope. His regular YouTube videos have been viewed over 40 million times, and he has over 1.7 million followers on Facebook. prgtoken He is a number one Amazon bestselling author and has published 16 books. He has created the groundbreaking documentary ``Catholicism,'' which aired on PBS. He has eight other films and study programs. prgtoken He is a religious correspondent for NBC and has appeared on FOX News and CNN, as well as other stations. He has been invited to speak about religion at the headquarters of Facebook, Google, and Amazon, and, now, the United States Congress.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN...
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-10-30

I am thrilled and delighted to follow my outstanding colleague from Maryland coming here to talk about climate change. That is the topic that brings me to the floor today as well. Those of us who are from coastal States not only have the experience of worse flooding in our coastal communities and those coastal communities getting new conversations with their municipal bond folks about what the flooding risk means for their bond ratings, but we are also looking at projections like Maryland is of what happens if we don't act, and the very maps of our State will change. prgtoken When historians look back at why the United States failed so badly to take on climate change, they will, of course, focus on the political efforts of the world's largest oil companies: Exxon, Chevron, BP, and Shell. They will note the obstructive role of leading trade associations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the American Petroleum Institute. They will chronicle the network of phony front groups set up by Big Oil, Big Coal, and the Koch brothers to sow doubt of the science and fear of climate action. Big Oil, the Kochs, the trade associations, the front groups all will deserve plenty of blame. Their climate denial apparatus and their capture of the modern Party is a direct and deliberate cause of America's failure. prgtoken There are other less heralded but equally bad actors. I come to the floor today to discuss one of them. Future historians of ``anii i,'' take note of Marathon Petroleum. Marathon Petroleum is the largest oil refiner in the United States. It refines oil into gasoline, other fuels, and lubricants. It owns pipelines and gas stations. Its 4,000 Speedway locations and almost 8,000 independent gas stations selling Marathon-branded fuels reach across the country. It is No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of U.S. companies, and it has almost $100 billion in annual revenue. This is a big company with a big stake in blocking climate action. prgtoken What does Marathon want? Well, its annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission makes one thing very clear: Marathon sees laws and regulations that reduce carbon pollution as a threat. One threat Marathon specifically cites in its annual report is fuel economy or CAFE standards. Why? Marathon's 2018 annual report reads: ``Higher CAFE standards for cars and light trucks have the potential to reduce demand for our transportation fuels.'' It is as simple as that. Fuel- efficient cars burn less gas, and that is bad for a big refiner. prgtoken Well, in 2012, automakers and the State of California and the previous administration got together, and they agreed to significantly better fuel economy standards. That was a good deal for almost everyone. Consumers were estimated to save more than $1.7 trillion in reduced fuel costs--up to $8,000 per vehicle for vehicles purchased in 2025. The air w
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN...
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-10-30

I am honored to join my colleague who has led this battle for the vision of the For the People Act that will restore the ``we the people'' democratic republic. prgtoken Here we are on the floor of the Senate. It is an institution that once reverberated with great debates on the great issues our Nation faced--issues of war and peace, of civil rights, of healthcare and housing, of education and infrastructure, and of living-wage jobs; issues of equal opportunity and of environmental pollution; issues that affect the fundamental success of each family in America and our collective success as a nation. prgtoken Yet, if you are sitting here today and are observing the Senate from the benches up above, you will be hard-pressed to see any of that because those debates are not happening in the U.S. Senate. This Chamber is silent on the great issues that face America. prgtoken Before he was the majority leader, the majority leader promised that things would be different under his leadership. prgtoken He said: A Senate majority under my leadership would break sharply from the practices of the Reid era in favor of a far more free-wheeling approach to problem solving. I would work to restore its traditional role as a place where good ideas are generated, debated and voted upon. prgtoken Now, one of the fundamental principles is that every Senator should be able to raise any issue and have the chance to defend it, to present it, to see it attacked, to respond to those attacks, and to have the American people see where we stand. But, today, the Senate is not operating in that manner today. The reality is reflected in a different quote by the majority leader from this past year. prgtoken He said: is still in the White House, and as long as I am Majority Leader of the Senate, I get to set the agenda. That's why I call myself the Grim Reaper. prgtoken The majority leader is taking great pride in preventing this Chamber from being the legislative body that was envisioned in the Constitution, one in which we examine the issues that the citizens of our States present to us with great concern and ask us to resolve so as to take this Nation forward. Instead, we are deeply mired in the legislative graveyard that the majority leader has been so proud to create. prgtoken How about the Bipartisan Background Checks Act? It is now engraved on a tombstone. The Paycheck Fairness Act? Engraved on a tombstone. Violence Against Women? On a tombstone--or how about Save the Internet? Or the Climate Action Now Act? prgtoken How about healthcare? Across my State, in rural areas and urban areas, everybody wants the same fair price, even if they have preexisting conditions. That is the fundamental nature of an effective insurance strategy for healthcare, but the Protecting Americans With Preexisting Conditions Act has never been debated on this floor. prgtoken The American Drea