mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-7-10

. Congratulations, Chairman Smith, on bringing to the floor an excellent bill. I want to also congratulate Mr. Thornberry from Texas, a responsible Member of this Congress, a responsible member of the minority, and a person who has been a strong voice on behalf of national defense. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of this year's defense authorization bill. It makes smart, strategic investments in our military to keep America safe and defend our interests overseas, and it reflects core values. prgtoken We are proud to fund the Department of Defense. I have been in this body for some 38 years. I have supported every Defense bill. Now, when I say that, very frankly, we have had some political fights back and forth and there have been political votes cast where we thought that there were things being done that shouldn't be done. But I have supported a strong national defense. I supported most of Ronald Reagan's build-up which was, by the way, started by Jimmy Carter. prgtoken I have supported making sure that we had weapons we needed and the personnel we needed. prgtoken We are proud as to stand behind our men and women in uniform. As a matter of fact, some of the great victories of democracy have been led by people like Woodrow Wilson in World War I, Franklin Roosevelt in World War II, Harry Truman in Korea, and John Kennedy confronting communism and authoritarianism, the people who want to rule by armed might. prgtoken This bill, the first written by a ic majority in 8 years, raises military pay by 3.1 percent and recognizes the contribution of our men and women in uniform. It supports a stronger military by prohibiting funding for discrimination against transgender, that denies us the talents and courageous service of patriotic Americans. prgtoken Now, that has happened before, and Harry Truman stepped in and said that, no, we are not going to segregate our services. We are not going to discriminate against those of color in our services. He said that in the 1940s, post-World War. And there were some who said that would destroy our military effectiveness. They are saying the same thing about gays and transgender. They were wrong then; they are wrong now. prgtoken This bill cuts $17 billion. The chairman, the ranking member, and I had discussions through the years. We need to make sure that we spend our money smartly and not just blindly spend money. We need to make sure that every dollar is spent effectively, but that our national security is not in any way undermined. I believe the savings that have been effected are focused and that we are taking that money and using it for effective items and taking it away from an expensive and ineffective wall on the southern border that the President wants to spend money on. prgtoken It also acknowledges the serious national security challenges posed by climate change. Surely, we know how critical to our national security the effects of clima
MAINTAIN CRITICAL AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PROTECTIONS
Angie Craig (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-7-10

. Madam , our work to lower healthcare costs for working families could not be more urgent. Yesterday, we heard the first arguments in the Texas v. United States case that will determine whether we maintain critical protections for patients with preexisting conditions. prgtoken We must work to improve the healthcare system that has now been in place for almost a decade, not dismantle the progress that we have achieved. If this lawsuit is successful, an additional 35,000 folks in my district could become uninsured. prgtoken We cannot allow this to happen. To be sure, we need to fix and improve the healthcare system today. What we should be here talking about is how we can do that together. prgtoken We should be talking about ideas, such as the Medicare-X Choice Act of 2019, which would add competition in the health insurance market. We should be talking about how we reduce the high price of prescription drugs. Medicare-X would create an affordable public option. The PRICED Act would shorten market exclusivity. prgtoken It is time for solutions. Americans don't have time for anything less.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2019-7-10

I wish to recognize the 30th anniversary of the Outdoor Industry Association, OIA. Based in Boulder, CO, OIA is the leading trade organization of the outdoor recreation gear and apparel industry. prgtoken Founded by a group of 14 brands and specialty retailers, OIA has grown to include 1,300 companies that are the backbone of an $887 billion outdoor recreation economy supporting 7.6 million jobs across the United States. For the past three decades, OIA has represented American businesses and individuals whose vocations and avocations are connected to this Nation's best idea: our public lands and waters. OIA is motivated by a shared commitment to protecting, maintaining, and expanding outdoor recreation infrastructure and ensuring every person in the United States has equitable access to nature. prgtoken From its earliest days, OIA has partnered with conservation organizations to advocate for our public land and water. OIA helped to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and they continue to press for full funding. They have also supported wildfire funding legislation, rails-to-trails, and similar transportation infrastructure programs and continue to work toward responsible climate and energy policy. The organization also produces outdoor recreation economy report that highlights the influence of the outdoor recreation sector on the national economy, including statistics on consumer spending, tax revenue, and job creation. This report is an incredible resource for lawmakers, land managers, and local planners. As a result, over the past half decade and following Colorado's leadership, States have created State offices of outdoor recreation to ensure that government leaders and business leaders are working together to grow their recreation economies. prgtoken I am honored to continue to work with OIA to protect our public land and water. Earlier this year, OIA announced their support for the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act, S. 241/H.R. 823, our bill to protect 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado while safeguarding existing outdoor recreation opportunities. OIA stated that they are ``one hundred percent in support of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act because it would protect nearly half a million acres of public lands across Colorado and support the state's $28 billion outdoor recreation economy while honoring its history in protecting Camp Hale, the origin of the 10th mountain division during WWII.'' I appreciate OIA's support for conserving public land in Colorado. prgtoken OIA members exemplify the collaborative and altruistic stewardship at the heart of the outdoor recreation industry. For that, I congratulate OIA on this 30-year anniversary and thank them for their contributions to our American outdoor heritage.
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-7-10

today I wish to again express my support for the Affordable Care Act, ACA. prgtoken We must continue fighting to protect the safeguards that were put in place by the ACA, which prohibits abusive practices that previously kept healthcare out of reach for millions of Americans, like denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions. About half of all Americans have preexisting conditions and could be forced to pay significantly higher premiums or lose access to coverage altogether if the ACA is overturned. At least 21 million people could lose their health insurance if the ACA is struck down. In my State, Minnesotans would see a loss of $364 million in premium tax credits, and roughly 272,000 people would lose their coverage. prgtoken Earlier this year, I came to the Senate floor to read 100 letters from people in my State and across the country who explained what the ACA has meant to them. These stories are just a small window into the positive impact of the ACA and how so many people would suffer if its protections were eliminated. prgtoken Instead of striking down this landmark legislation, we should build on its strengths, defend the critical consumer protections that it provides for so many, and make it stronger. We cannot go back to a time when people who are sick can be denied health insurance coverage. This is not the time to look back and try to tear things down; we should look ahead and work to strengthen our healthcare system moving forward. It is for this reason that we must and will continue to fight against efforts to take away healthcare protections from millions of Americans.
REMEMBERING CHRIS CLINE
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2019-7-10

I can't express enough what Chris Cline meant to our home State of West Virginia. He represented the very best of the Mountain State, which is saying a lot. Born in McDowell County and raised a stone's throw from the train tracks in the coalfields of Beckley, Chris's family was wealthy beyond measure in the prgtoken only currency that truly matters: love, work ethic, and profound strength of character. prgtoken One of my favorite stories about Chris is, when he was a child, he filled bags with dirt for his father, Paul, to use for blasting holes at the mine. His father paid him a penny per bag. It was once the front porch caved in that his father realized he had been getting the dirt from beneath it. Chris said that was how he learned the importance of infrastructure. prgtoken He never lost touch with the days he would come home from a shift in the mines as a young man of only 15, his face caked in coal dust. In fact, he kept his first hard hat, battered from years of hard labor, in a place of honor at his home in Beckley. From this foundation, he built an opportunity empire. From the early days of Pioneer Fuel to when Chris founded Foresight Energy, much of the success he gained was returned to the men and women who keep the lights on. He treated his workforce as family, knowing very well what it was like to be in their shoes, and so he invested in the safest, most innovative, and efficient tools and methods. prgtoken His coal enterprises took him from Appalachia to Illinois to Canada. He offered cash incentives to his miners, installed advanced and safe mining equipment, and was ahead of his time in anticipating the market for coal. Chris believed it was not enough to be innovative, you need a little luck. At Foresight, his four mine complexes were the most productive underground operations in the Nation. He bought docks on the Mississippi River and built rail spurs to haul coal onto ships bound for India, Europe, and Asia. prgtoken Chris understood opponents of burning coal while defending coal and his role in supplying the world with it. He believed that people deserved the cheapest energy they could get. He had a curious mind, was eager to learn about everything, and never stopped learning. As committed as he was to coal energy, for his Big Grand Cay property, he installed solar panels and batteries. Where renewable energy sources made sense, he was eager to embrace them. prgtoken There is no greater accomplishment in the world than to be in a position to give back to the community you love, that made you who you are. That is what made Chris the wonderful, inspiring, and generous person he was. Through the Cline Family Foundation, founded in 2009, Chris made a profound impact on Marshal University and West Virginia University. His legacy will remain forever in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him, and he will be remembered through the countless lives he benefited with his
Healthcare (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-7-10

just a few minutes ago, four young people from the State of Illinois visited my office. They were a variety of different ages, from 10 years of age to the age of 17. They all came because they had a similar life experience, and they wanted to share it with me. Each one of them had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. prgtoken Ten-year-old Owen from Deerfield told a story--the cutest little kid; great reader; read me a presentation that he put together--and the young women who were with him all talked about how their lives changed when they learned at the age of 7 or 8 that they had type 1 diabetes. For each one of them, from that point forward, insulin became a lifeline. They had to have access to insulin, and they had to have it sometimes many times a day, in the middle of the night. It reached a point where, through technology, they had continuous glucose monitoring devices and pumps that were keeping them alive, but every minute of every day was a test to them as to whether they were going to get sick and need help. prgtoken It was a great presentation by these young people, whose lives were transformed, and their parents, who were hanging on every word as they told me their life stories. prgtoken They brought up two points that I want to share on the floor this afternoon. The first is the importance of medical research. As one young woman said--she is about 17 now. She has lived with this for 8 or 9 years. She said she is a twin, and her brother told her when she was diagnosed that he hated the thought that, as an old woman, she would still be worried about her insulin every single day. She said: I told my brother ``We are going to find a cure before I am an old woman.'' prgtoken Well, I certainly hope that young girl is right, but she will be right only if we do our part here on the floor of the Senate and not just give speeches. What we have to do is appropriate money to the National Institutes of Health. It is the premier medical research agency in the world. prgtoken We have had good luck in the last 4 years. I want to salute two of my colleagues and one of my ic colleagues for their special efforts. For the last 4 years, Senator Roy Blunt, of Missouri; Senator Lamar Alexander, of Tennessee; and Senator Patty Murray, of Washington, have joined forces--I have been part of that team too--to encourage an increase in medical research funding every single year, and we have done it. prgtoken The increase that Dr. Collins at NIH asked for was 5 percent real growth a year. That is 5 percent over inflation. Do you know what we have done in 4 years? NIH has gone up from $30 billion to $39 billion. Dramatic. A 30-percent increase in NIH research funding. prgtoken We are going to have a tough time with this coming budget, as we have in the past, but I hope we really reach a bottom line, as and s, that we are committed to 5 percent r
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Veronica Escobar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-7-10

I am proud to have helped craft this year's National Defense Authorization Act. This fiscal year 2020 bill incorporates ideas from both sides of the aisle to deliver essential support and a pay raise to our deserving men and women in uniform. prgtoken Our bill authorizes $733 billion to provide for a smart and robust national defense, enhances housing and financial support for military families, and addresses operational and budgetary threats posed by climate change. prgtoken I was pleased to share with my Armed Services Committee colleagues the innovative work happening in districts like mine which are home to some of the military's core training installations. This includes Fort Bliss' leadership on net-zero energy and ongoing partnership with the VA that improves soldiers' medical expertise, while also serving our local veterans. prgtoken I was proud to support our vibrant El Paso community by advancing a community infrastructure support program and ensuring promising technologies like additive manufacturing, and the unique contributions of our small businesses that always have a place in building our national defense. prgtoken Finally, our bill enhances diversity and inclusion efforts in our armed services, improves oversight and accountability of DOD support to DHS and, yes, blocks the President from robbing finite military resources for a wall that our military never requested. prgtoken This is a bill we can all be proud of. I look forward to casting my vote in support. prgtoken , I thank the chairman for his leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.
IN CELEBRATION OF PASTOR SIDNEY R. CRAWFORD'S 101ST BIRTHDAY
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-7-10

. Madam , I rise today to extend my sincerest congratulations and Happy Birthday wishes to an inspirational leader and true man of God, Pastor Sidney R. Crawford, who celebrated his 101st birthday on Wednesday, June 6, 2019, with his family and friends. prgtoken Sidney Richard Crawford was born on June 6, 1918, in Bonneau, South Carolina to the union of the late Mr. William Henry and Mrs. Mary Elizabeth ``Lizzie'' Hodge Crawford. He graduated from Berkeley County High School in 1937 and went on to attend college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. prgtoken In 1941, he married the love of his life, Ms. Iva Elizabeth ``Betty'' Harper, in Heath Springs, South Carolina. That same year, he responded to God's call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by becoming an ordained Baptist Minister at Emanuel Baptist Church in Summerville, South Carolina. He pastored several churches in the Charleston and Summerville areas until 1947, when he decided that he wanted to serve not only his community, but his country. That year, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and honorably served his country for seven years. In 1954, he was called back into the ministry to preach in Adamsville, Alabama. Over the years, Pastor Crawford successfully balanced the role of Pastor at several churches in Alabama and Georgia until 1970, when he decided to return to college to enhance his studies. His hard work and dedication paid off in 1972, when he graduated with a degree from Charleston Southern University. But even with his newfound wealth of knowledge, he continued pastoring in churches and teaching at schools in South Carolina. prgtoken George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Pastor Crawford has advanced far in life because he never forgot these lessons and always kept God first. prgtoken The race of life isn't given to the swift or to the strong, but to those who endure until the end. Pastor Crawford has continued to run the race of life with zeal and dignity and God has blessed him over his lifetime. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join my wife, Vivian, and me, along with the almost 730,000 people of Georgia's Second Congressional District, in honoring an outstanding citizen and man of God, Pastor Sidney R. Crawford, for a lifetime of selfless service to God, the church, and to humankind. We extend our best wishes to him on the occasion of his 101st birthday and without reservation exclaim: To God be the Glory.
Border Security (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-7-10

a new report from NBC News last night detailed the inhumane treatment of migrant children at the Arizona border stations: allegations of sexual assault, retaliation by Customs and Border Protection officers, overcrowding, lack of showers, lack of clean clothes, and lack of space to sleep. The accounts made by dozens of children at these facilities are horrifying and are completely unacceptable. prgtoken In the wake of several similar reports about the treatment of migrants by CBP officers in Texas, in the wake of revelations of secret Facebook groups where Border Patrol officers joke about the horrid treatment of migrants, it is abundantly clear that there is a toxic culture at Border Patrol that can only be changed--only be changed--by the immediate firing and replacing of top leadership at the Agency. CBP needs to clean house. The top people at CBP ought to be fired now. prgtoken In just a few days on the job, Mark Morgan, the Acting Commissioner, has already shown himself to be far too callous about the way in which children and their families are treated. We need committed law enforcement professionals to take over the CBP, particularly those who have training and expertise in working with vulnerable populations. prgtoken There are rumors that Mr. Morgan was chosen because he is a tough guy--a tough guy--on kids. But he is a tough guy who will tolerate an out-of-control culture in many parts of the CBP. prgtoken It is a perfectly wrong choice for what is going on there. I will say this to President . He is not going to help you. Whatever Americans' views are on immigration, they don't like pictures of little children in squalid and awful conditions, whoever they are. prgtoken The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, Kevin McAleenan, who oversees CBP, needs to take this matter into his own hands. He has shown far more balance, far more expertise, and far more ability to talk about the truth--not some ideology--than Morgan or some of the others. He should take this matter into his own hands and pursue changes to the Agency that go beyond mere investigations and reports. prgtoken CBP needs a real change in personnel and in leadership, and it needs it now. The reports by NBC News and many others are a stain on this great Nation. We are not perfect. We are a lot better than most everyone else. But in the past, when there was a problem, we didn't revel in it; we tried to solve it. We cannot allow what is happening at the border to continue.