mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FISCAL STATE OF THE NATION RESOLUTION
Derek Kilmer (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2021-11-3

. Madam , I thank Chair McGovern for yielding. prgtoken Madam , I am going to start with a bit of an embarrassing admission. For a number of years, I avoided stepping on a scale because I was about 90 pounds heavier than I am now. Madam , eventually, I figured out that you can't really get a handle on things by ignoring them. So, occasionally, you have to step on that scale, and that is really the ethic that this bill embraces. prgtoken It simply says that if we are going to get a handle on our long-term fiscal challenges and have an economy that works better for everyone, then we have to occasionally hear a clear statement of how we are doing and a clear statement of the Nation's financial realities from a nonpartisan, unbiased source. That is what a fiscal state of the Nation address would do. prgtoken As the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress looked at proposals to improve the budget and appropriations process in the 116th Congress, all 12 members of the committee unanimously recommended this as an important reform. I would acknowledge that there was great bipartisan and bicameral support for this notion as part of the Joint Select Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform as well. prgtoken The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress believed that providing Members of Congress with access to nonpartisan information about the many factors contributing to the Nation's fiscal challenges would allow Congress to develop sound fiscal policies and meet the long-term needs of our Nation. In its final report from the 116th Congress, the committee noted that a fiscal state of the Nation address would also encourage communication between the executive and legislative branches and improve the ability for all parties involved in the budget and appropriations process to make decisions based on a common set of facts. That is why this bill has such strong bipartisan support. prgtoken I want to congratulate Congresswoman Rice and Congressman Barr for their progress on this effort. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and s, to support this bill.
Jon Ossoff (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2021-11-3

the State of Georgia is mourning legendary broadcast journalist Jovita Moore. Jovita was a trailblazer, a great journalist, and an Atlanta icon. She began her career in journalism in Memphis, TN, and Fayetteville, AR, before joining WSB-TV in Atlanta in 1998. She became a full-time anchor at WSB-TV in 2012, delivering Atlantans the news each afternoon and holding the powerful to account. prgtoken Born in New York, Jovita earned a bachelor of arts degree from Bennington College in Bennington, VT, before earning a master of science degree in broadcast journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in New York City. prgtoken Jovita's career helped blaze the trail for other women and those from diverse backgrounds in journalism. She was a member of the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists and won multiple Emmy awards throughout her time at WSB-TV. Her excellence and example have undoubtedly inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps. In 2017, Jovita was inducted into The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Southeast Chapter's Silver Circle, one of its most prestigious career awards. prgtoken Jovita gave back to the community, taking time out of her busy schedule to mentor others and help them realize their true potential. She and her family would help deliver meals during the holidays, demonstrating commitment to helping those in need. prgtoken Jovita's spirit, optimism, and kindness radiated in everything she did. When she was diagnosed with glioblastoma earlier this year, the city of Atlanta and the entire Nation rallied around Jovita, just as she had for them throughout her career. She never gave up hope, using her diagnosis to spread awareness and encourage others to visit the doctor, stay vigilant, and get regular screenings. Jovita put her community first. Jovita Moore was a loving mother, daughter, and friend. She said her children were her life's most important accomplishments. prgtoken s in the U.S. Senate for joining me in honoring the life and legacy of Jovita Moore and sending our deepest condolences to her children--Lauren, Shelby, and Joshua--to her mother, family, and friends and the entire WSB-TV family. May her memory be a blessing.
Remembering Abner Linwood Holton, Jr., and Voting Rights (Executive Calendar)
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-11-3

I rise today to offer a tribute to one of my best friends and my political hero, my father-in-law, Linwood Holton, who died last Thursday at age 98. prgtoken I wanted to talk about Linwood and his influence on my life, but there is no more appropriate time to talk about him than right now, as we are about to cast a vote to proceed to the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. prgtoken Abner Linwood Holton, Jr was born September 21, 1923, in Big Stone Gap, VA. Big Stone Gap is a tiny town in the far southwest corner of Virginia, a few miles from the Virginia-Kentucky border. prgtoken He was the son of a dad who helped run a small railroad--the Interstate Railroad--that would bring coal out of the coalfields to connect with a larger rail line that ran north and south through the Great Valley of Virginia. prgtoken Growing up at that time, with three siblings, with parents who cared deeply about him, he saw the challenges of the Depression. And my father-in-law was a very remarkable youngster because he had a deep empathy for other people that sometimes young folks don't always have. prgtoken My father-in-law wrote an autobiography called ``Opportunity Time'' in the early 2000s, and he described an experience in his life that was pivotal to the rest of his life. He was young, 8 or 9 years old. He lived in a community that was predominantly White folks. There were few African Americans in his town. It was a community that was connected to coal mines in Appalachia. He saw a friend of his talking to an elderly African-American man in an incredibly mean and disrespectful way, and it shocked him. prgtoken So he asked the man, after his friend had gone: Why did you let him talk to you that way? I can't believe that a youngster would talk to an adult that way. prgtoken And the man basically just pointed to the color of his skin and said: What choice do I have? That is just the way we get treated. prgtoken When Linwood wrote his autobiography--I can almost quote this directly from memory--he described that instance, and he said: It caused me to feel such shame then, and I feel shame as I write these words today. prgtoken Sometimes young people watch how others treat people, and they just absorb, OK, I guess that is the way you treat people. But Linwood, as a youngster, immediately could grasp, no, that is not the way to treat people. prgtoken I think he connected the discrimination against this African-American man with a discrimination that he kind of felt being from Appalachia. There were stereotypes about Appalachians--hillbillies or whatever else they might be called--and he resented that. He didn't like anybody looking down on him, and he decided that the answer to that was not for him to look down on others, but that, instead, anybody looking down on anybody else was doing wrong. I think this was also partly out of Lin's deep religious faith. He was raised in a Presbyterian church, in Big Stone GA, VA. prgtoken My
TOXIC MILITARY BURN PITS
Tim Ryan (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2021-11-3

. Madam , I want to thank the gentleman from California for his leadership. I want to thank Chairman Takano, who has been responsible for really taking care of the veterans. He helped us rename our clinic back in Youngstown after Carl Nunziato, who is a tremendous Vietnam veteran. I also want to thank the gentleman from Cincinnati, my home State, for being a part of all of this and being a leader in all of this. I want to thank him for that. prgtoken Madam , I rise tonight in honor of the memory of Ohio Army Guardsman Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson. I met Heath's daughter, Brielle, a few months back and heard the story of Heath from his mother-in-law, Susan. prgtoken These stories, as you have heard tonight, are heartbreaking. Because when you look at Brielle and his wife, Danielle, this is more than just we have got to get something fixed to take care of a veteran who served their country. This is the modern version of Agent Orange. prgtoken But this is bringing so much heartbreak to so many families and to so many communities in States like Ohio where we have so many veterans who served their country. prgtoken On March 21, 2017, Heath and his wife, Danielle, were sitting in an exam room at Zangmeister Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio, when Heath was given a terminal diagnosis. He had only 6 weeks to live. prgtoken At only 35 years old, Heath was suffering from gushing nosebleeds and bleeding from his ears. Dozens of doctors were unable to provide answers, but they all did have one question: What in the hell have you been exposed to? prgtoken It turns out that Heath, a combat medic, had spent every day for 3 months within 15 yards of a massive burn pit at Camp Liberty complex in Iraq. prgtoken Heath was afflicted with a rare autoimmune disease that mostly strikes elderly women and an extremely rare form of lung cancer that, according to 20 oncologists, could have only been caused by a prolonged exposure and inhalation of toxic substances. prgtoken Madam , how can we pretend that both the VA and we, as a Nation, do not owe the veterans like Heath and their families both the care and the benefits that they have earned, often with their very lives? This is not who we are as a country. prgtoken We have got to fix this in Congress. The time is now. Not next year, not 5 years from now, but now, right now. prgtoken Servicemembers like Heath, and countless others, thousands, maybe tens of thousands, spent the last 20 years fighting our Nation's longest war. We cannot turn our backs on them. prgtoken I have introduced legislation to help collect the data so that the VA has it and that every 3 months they report to this Congress as to what the data is and what the claims are so we can hold them accountable. prgtoken Most importantly, I want to thank Danielle, I want to thank Susan. And I want to let Brielle and Danielle and Susan know, and their family, that there are so many prayers coming to them from this Congress. <|p|
GOOD BILLS
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2021-11-3

. Madam , the House continues to pursue the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better bill. There will be a Rules Committee meeting today on those bills. Hopefully, they will come to the floor and will pass with bipartisan support, as the infrastructure bill was passed with bipartisan support in the Senate. prgtoken The House has been working to get the framework improved to include other issues. There are so many good issues that we can have in this bill, and we hope to have the maximum possible. prgtoken But as a baker once said, and my father implored me as a child: Look at the doughnut, and not at the hole. prgtoken We will pass a very good bill, hopefully bipartisan.
EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY WITH CUBAN CITIZENS FOR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
Theodore E. Deutch (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2021-11-3

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H. Res. 760, introduced by my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, together with my friend, Congressman Diaz-Balart, and chair of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Congressman Sires, supports the basic human rights of the Cuban people and stands with them in their right to peacefully protest their own government. prgtoken In July, the largest protest in decades swept the island of Cuba. Activists, in turn, were beaten and jailed by the government. Many remain jailed. According to Human Rights Watch, many have been subjected to abuse and torture simply for standing up for access to food, to medicine, to information, and to have their rights respected. prgtoken This resolution expresses solidarity with the Cuban people ahead of planned nationwide protests for November 15. The organizers of these protests sought approval from the government, as the Cuban constitution allows for legitimate protest. They were denied. prgtoken We must stand with the people of Cuba as they exercise their right to free expression. We must condemn the violent response to peaceful protests by the Cuban people. That is what this resolution does. prgtoken , s for working to bring this resolution to the floor, and .
HAZARD ELIGIBILITY AND LOCAL PROJECTS ACT
Lizzie Fletcher (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-11-3

. Madam , I am delighted to bring my bill, H.R. 1917, the Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects, or HELP Act, to the floor today, and I thank Congressman Pappas, and s on both sides of the aisle on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for agreeing to move this bill forward. I am so proud of the HELP Act and all that it represents. It is bipartisan, commonsense, meaningful legislation, that was born out of a real partnership with local officials in my district in prgtoken Houston that will benefit all Americans. prgtoken As many in this body will recall, Hurricane Harvey hit my district in Houston and the entire Texas Gulf Coast in August of 2017, causing great devastation, dropping nearly 60 inches of rain, claiming 68 lives, and causing an estimated $125 billion in damages. It was the second-most expensive hurricane in the United States' history. Members of this body responded to Harvey's devastation with the speed and purpose we needed for our recovery, passing three supplemental appropriations bills, sending billions of dollars in aid to Texas through different programs. But our recovery was and still is slow, slower than many expected, and slower than any can afford. prgtoken Before I was sworn into Congress, I met with our local officials at home to talk about the impediments to our recovery. How could we speed it up? Where was recovery delayed? What could the Federal Government do? And one impediment that had significant impact on our recovery was the process for the award of mitigation project funding from FEMA. prgtoken Here is why. As Mr. Pappas noted, section 404 of the Stafford Act provides that FEMA may grant up to 75 percent of funds for cost- effective mitigation projects through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, HMGP. When States or municipalities apply through the HMGP program, projects, regardless of size or scope, require a comprehensive review to make sure all requirements of NEPA or other statutory requirements are met. prgtoken Importantly, these hazard mitigation grants do not allow for the reimbursement of costs incurred before a grant is approved. As a result, many areas recovering from disaster must wait for the FEMA review before purchasing land or starting construction on a project designed to mitigate damage. This FEMA review can go on for months or years at a critical time for decisionmaking and recovering. prgtoken In the case of natural disasters, local governments need to move quickly on projects like land acquisition; for example, buying land or buying out homes that have been damaged or other land acquisition projects. In Houston, this was true for us when we were looking to buy a golf course to create additional stormwater detention. The chief recovery officer for the city of Houston has told us that FEMA's pre- award cost policy--that is, not allowing reimbursement of costs incurred before grant approval--is a limiting factor in recovery, espe
TOXIC MILITARY BURN PITS
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-11-3

. Madam , I rise today to tell the story of my constituent, Jennifer Kepner and to call for immediate action on the most pressing public health issue facing our veterans: toxic military burn pits. prgtoken Four years ago, I met a veteran named Jennifer Kepner at her home in Cathedral City, California, in my district. Jennifer, a 39-year-old mother of two, was one of the most inspiring and brave people I have ever met, and that kitchen table conversation was one of the most impactful conversations in my life. prgtoken When I met her, she was cachectic. You could see her bones. She was wasting away. She was battling pancreatic cancer and was on chemotherapy. You could see the port in her chest and you could see the loss of hair. And she was still so very full of energy inside to tell her story and sound the alarm. prgtoken Her doctor linked her exposure to burn pits during her service overseas. You see, she was described as a health nut, as someone thin, healthy, who liked to run, and jog. Her friends would say: She was one of those crazy people who would wake up at 4 in the morning and go on a 5-mile run routinely. prgtoken So when she came down with pancreatic cancer at such a young age, her physicians looked at her DNA, her family history, and they concluded that the most likely cause, given her low risk, was her exposure to toxic military burn pit smoke. prgtoken I sat with her in her home as she told me her story. She told me about her military service as an Air Force medic caring for our men and women in uniform who were injured or sick. You see, she was stationed at Balad Air Base in Iraq. She told me about her husband and their two children, Adia and Wyatt, who she loved so very dearly. prgtoken She told me about burn pits, these huge fields where the military burns trash--anything and everything--including batteries, jet fuel, medical waste, plastics, and other hazardous material causing servicemembers to inhale toxic chemicals, carcinogens, and particulate matter. prgtoken They call it the crud, you see, because after a long day in the desert serving our country, they go to their camp wanting a little rest, and they smell this black toxic chemical smoke and they get the soot on their face, in their nostrils, in their throat. They have itchy eyes, a runny nose, a sore throat. They cough, and that is just another day at a base serving our country. prgtoken Jennifer spent her last month as a leading voice for her fellow veterans exposed to burn pits which she called ``the Agent Orange of our generation.'' prgtoken Wow. ``The Agent Orange of our generation.'' We all are infuriated with the way that our Vietnam veterans were denied and their care was delayed and their recognition had been postponed when they were saying, ``We are sick.'' Their children are born malformed. They are infertile. They have other issues and syndromes and symptoms that are life- threatening and debilitating. prgtoken She is saying that
NORMAN YOSHIO MINETA FEDERAL BUILDING
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-11-3

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , H.R. 4679 names the Department of Transportation headquarters building in Washington, D.C after our former colleague Norm Mineta. This recognition is long overdue. prgtoken Secretary Norm Mineta is a great American patriot. He, along with his family, suffered the grave injustice of being forcibly relocated and interned during World War II. But he was not bitter toward his country or his government. Instead, he spent his career serving his country by participating in and improving government. prgtoken For almost 30 years, Norm represented San Jose on the city council, then as mayor, and then from 1975 to 1995 as a Member of Congress. Norm served on the Committee on Transportation and Public Works throughout his two decades in Congress, and we served together for 7 years. Norm chaired the Subcommittee on Aviation, the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, and finally the full committee. prgtoken Norm was a primary author of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, ISTEA, which, as President George H.W. said during the signing ceremony, was ``the most important transportation bill since President Eisenhower started the interstate system 35 years ago.'' prgtoken Norm was also a cofounder of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and served as its first chair. prgtoken Norm's skills and accomplishments have been widely recognized by both sides of the aisle. Norm was President Bill Clinton's Secretary of Commerce and President 's Secretary of Transportation, where he was the longest-serving Secretary of Transportation in U.S. history, January 2001 until July 2006. Norm was the first person of Asian-Pacific descent to serve as Secretary of Commerce or Secretary of Transportation, and he was the first DOT Secretary to have served in a previous Cabinet position. prgtoken Following the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, Secretary Mineta worked closely with the then-chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Mr. Mica, and myself as ranking member to create the Transportation Security Administration. prgtoken Prior to that time, the security at airports was always provided by the lowest bidder. In fact, one of the companies was owned by previous felons. We professionalized aviation security in the TSA. That agency was 65,000 employees, the largest mobilization of a new Federal agency since World War II. prgtoken For his contributions to this institution, to our government, and to the field of transportation, Secretary Mineta deserves this recognition. prgtoken Madam , .
SUPPORTING THE SECOND AMENDMENT
Mary E. Miller (Republican, IL) \u2014 2021-11-4

President and the want to defund the police, take away your Second Amendment right to self-defense, and then stand by and watch crime skyrocket in cities like Chicago. prgtoken The new push by the left, intended to diminish your Second Amendment rights, is to pass so-called red-flag gun confiscation laws. prgtoken This is a disguised attempt by Congressional and some s to seize lawfully owned firearms and violate the Second Amendment rights of American citizens. prgtoken Congressional and some s voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes red-flag gun confiscation provisions. prgtoken I urge the Senate to reject red-flag gun confiscation provisions in the NDAA. prgtoken I will always stand up for the Second Amendment rights of my constituents. prgtoken Shootings in Chicago are up 220 percent due to the pro-crime policies of the left. Businesses and citizens are leaving Illinois at a record number. Officers are retiring from the Chicago police force at a record pace. prgtoken Our Second Amendment right to defend our home and family has never been more important. I will always stand up for the Constitution and for the safety of the people in Illinois.