mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2020-6-17

I want to thank my colleague from the great State of West Virginia for his work on this over the past many, many years, as we have worked on, individually, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Restore Our Parks Act, for his leadership on the Energy and Natural Resources committee. I am grateful to Senator Manchin for his leadership and friendship. prgtoken So many people worked on this together: Senator Burr and the work he did, tirelessly, year after year, on the Land and Water Conservation Fund; of course, Senator Heinrich, Senator Warner, Senator Portman, Senator Alexander on the Restore Our Parks Act, Senators King, Cantwell--all crucial to the success this bill will see today--Senators across both sides of the aisle coming together for what one newspaper in Colorado described as the holy grail of conservation legislation. prgtoken But it is the staff as well. I start with Senator Daines and his leadership on the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Restore Our Parks Act, his prgtoken leadership on the Parks Subcommittee and the Great American Outdoors Act; Senator Daines and his staff, Jason Thielman, Darin Thacker, Joshua Sizemore, Holly Hinojosa; Senator Warner, Elizabeth Falcone, Micah Barbour; Senator Portman, along with Pam Thiessen and Sarah Perry--incredible work by staff members. prgtoken In Senator King's office we were greatly aided by Chad Metzler and Morgan Cashwell; Senator Alexander's great team of David Cleary, Allison Martin, and Anna Newton; Senator Cantwell's, Amit Ronen; and Senator McConnell, Terry Van Doren. prgtoken Obviously, for the floor time, I am very grateful to Senator McConnell for bringing us to the floor to allow this debate to take place over the last week and a half and the work that we did to achieve and secure the President's support for the Great American Outdoors Act. prgtoken Senator Heinrich, Lio Barrera, Maya Hermann; Senator Manchin, Lance West, Renae Black, David Brooks; Senator Burr's staff of Natasha Hickman, Joshua Bowlen; and of course on my team, the outstanding work--they have to overcome a lot working with me, Ashley Higgins, Spencer Hamilton, Dustin Sherer, Jennifer Lorain, and Curtis Swager. I am grateful to all of them for their work and their support. prgtoken The Great American Outdoors Act is the culmination of two things that have taken this Congress a long time to be able to pass. In fact, we tried last Congress to get it out of the House, and we couldn't do it alone under the Restore Our Parks Act. We tried and we got pieces and parts of the Land and Water Conservation Fund done, but we couldn't quite get the whole thing until we brought these two bills together. prgtoken Senator Manchin, Senator Burr, Senator Daines--the whole group of people whom I mentioned, working bipartisan across the aisle to make this happen. prgtoken The two bills together will help create significant opportunity for all of America. This isn't a bill th
Nomination of Justin Reed Walker (Executive Session)
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-6-17

I am here today to talk about the death of democracy, and I am here today to talk about how we can stand with those who are fighting to preserve it. prgtoken In the United States, the death of democracy might seem like a distant and unfamiliar thing. We study examples in the history books. We read of nations and peoples who are forced, through no choice of their own, to surrender their basic liberties. We remind ourselves of the need always to stay vigilant, to stay aware, but we are seeing today the death of democracy unfold in realtime, right before our eyes, in the city of Hong Kong. prgtoken A diverse and global city, rich in culture and arts and commerce and people, Hong Kong is an outpost of liberty. For decades, under a special set of laws and protections, it has stood as a haven of liberty--a beacon, a light--but I fear that light is fast dimming, nearly overcome by darkness and by tyranny. prgtoken This body, along with all free peoples, has a special responsibility to take a stand for the freedom-loving people of Hong Kong. We must take a stand to ensure that the light of Hong Kong does not go out forever. We must take a stand to ensure that this outpost of liberty lives on. We must take prgtoken a stand so that the flame of freedom is not extinguished forever by the Chinese Communist Party. prgtoken On May 28, Beijing announced that it would adopt legislation that will essentially jettison the basic law under which Hong Kong has been governed for decades. It is legislation that will trample upon Beijing's own treaty commitments in the 1984 Sino-British Treaty, legislation--they call it legislation, but, of course, what it really is is just fiat, fiat by the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing--that will strip Hong Kong of its basic liberties, strip Hongkongers of the right to freedom of speech, strip Hongkongers of the right to peacefully assemble, strip Hongkongers of their rights to redress in fair and open courts with some process of law. prgtoken Beijing wants to deny the people of Hong Kong all of these things because liberty is a threat to the authoritarian Communist regime in Beijing. Oh, it fears that more than anything else. It fears the people. It fears the will of the people, and it fears the liberty of the people. It is trying to destroy the last outpost of liberty in its nation--the great city of Hong Kong. prgtoken Now, we were promised that it would not come to this. We were told, when China joined the World Trade Organization, when China was given permanent normal trade relations, when China was ushered into this so- called community of nations, that it would liberalize China and that it would make the Chinese Communist Party more moderate. Well, I think we know how that has turned out. prgtoken After decades now of stealing our jobs, decades of ripping us off in trade, decades of impoverishing our own workers here in this country while stealing our intellectual property,
JUSTICE Act (Executive Session)
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-6-17

for one, I would like to say something about Senator Scott. I know how hard it is to work on this, and it has not been an easy enterprise for Tim. He is a conservative , who happens to be African-American, and he has decided to take the lead on something that is very important to the country. prgtoken He has had experiences that I don't have. He has been stopped multiple times on Capitol Hill. I have never been stopped. One year, he was stopped seven times for lane changes. The point is that Tim believes--and every African-American male I have talked to in the last couple of weeks is told early on, if you are stopped by the cops, watch what you do; keep your hands on the wheel and don't go toward the dash because that could end badly. I don't know how that happened, but it is real. For us not to realize that would be a huge mistake. prgtoken Let me be on record as saying I understand that if you are an African-American male, your experience with the police is different than mine. It is unacceptable, and it needs to stop. prgtoken So how do you stop it? You bring about change. So what kind of change are we looking for? Our ic friends have a list of changes. I think it is Justice in Policing. The House is marking it up. Here is what I would say to my ic colleagues: Stop lecturing me. You had 8 years under President to do the things in the Justice in Policing Act, and 90 percent of it you never brought up. I am not saying we are blameless, but there has not been this sense of urgency to deal with these problems institutionally like there is today. Why? Because of Mr. Floyd and a few other things all happening together. prgtoken Tim said in 2016 we had our chance. These episodes come and they go. The question for the country is, Will anything ever change? The only way it is going to change is to find common ground. So the proposal Senator Scott has collected, along with other colleagues, has bipartisan support, but if it is not enough, I am willing to listen regarding doing more. prgtoken Senator Sasse was with me yesterday. We had a 5-hour hearing, and I learned a lot. I learned that a police department looking like the community is important, Senator Lankford, but, more importantly, is that you live where you police. prgtoken I asked a gentleman from New Jersey: What is more important, race or community attachment? He said: Community attachment. You are less likely to hurt somebody in a community you feel a part of. prgtoken Now, having said that, we need more African-American police personnel. We need more women. Apparently, women do their jobs a lot better than men. I haven't heard one person come forward and say: I had a bad experience with a prgtoken policewoman. More women would be helpful. But the main thing is, we need people from the community being in charge of policing that community with a system that is more accountable. prgtoken So Cory Booker and I have wor
2020 SERVICE ACADEMY APPOINTEES FROM UTAH
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-6-17

I rise today to honor 14 exemplary young Utahns who have answered the call of service to our country. prgtoken Each year, Members of Congress are authorized to nominate a number of young men and women fro their district or State to attend our Nation's service academies: the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy. prgtoken The men and women whom I nominated on behalf of the State of Utah this year are some of the best and brightest in our country. prgtoken Each of these students is of sound mind and body, which will serve them well in Colorado Springs, West Point, and Annapolis. But the journey on which these young men and women will soon embark demands more than strength of mind and strength of body. It demands strength of character. It requires qualities of leadership, courage, honesty, prudence, and selfdiscipline. It calls for a commitment to service and a love of country. And ultimately, it requires a willingness to give the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the safety and security of our Nation. prgtoken These students have already displayed the qualities of character and the standards of excellence upon which our service academies are built. prgtoken Today, I would like to take a moment to honor and congratulate these talented and generous young men and women. prgtoken James Soren Beck has accepted an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He is a graduate of Lone Peak High School, where he was captain of the soccer team, a member of the National Honor Society, and CEO of his entrepreneur class. James is an Eagle Scout, a member of the Teenage s, and has been a volunteer to serve veterans at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City. prgtoken Abigail Renee Belko graduated from Saint Joseph Catholic High School and will soon enter the U.S. Naval Academy. She has made it a priority to look for ways to help others and has completed over 100 hours of community service. She served as one of the school's student ambassadors and as a member of the National Honor Society, captained the track team, and played volleyball. prgtoken Carson Shaun Cox, from Milford High School, has accepted an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The school's Sterling Scholar in Social Science, Carson also served as a class senator and founded the Tech Theatre club. He attended Boys State and was a captain of the two-time State champion football team and a member of the State champion baseball team. prgtoken Alexander Javier Gustat accepted an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He is a graduate of Juan Diego Catholic High School, where he served as a student ambassador and as a senior class officer. He holds a number of records in swimming and was the 4A state champion in the 100m breaststroke. Alexander was the president of the Pre-Med Club, and a member of both the National Honor Society and the Social Justice Committee. prgtoken Lily Faith Hawkins will be joini
The Great American Outdoors Act (Executive Session)
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-6-17

I rise today to celebrate the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. The passage of this historic legislation marks a once-in-a-generation step by this body to restore and conserve our national parks, as well as our country's national heritage. It builds on an American tradition of conserving our natural wonders and shared public spaces. It reaffirms our commitment to preserve them for future generations. prgtoken It is also important to note that this is a jobs bill. According to a recent study, the Great American Outdoors Act will help create or support 100,000 jobs all over the country, including 10,000 in my home State of Virginia, at a time when millions of Americans are out of work. prgtoken Currently, the National Park Service has a deferred maintenance backlog of $12 billion. A chronic lack of funding from Congress has forced the Park Service to defer maintenance on countless trails, buildings, and historic structures, as well as thousands of miles of roads and bridges. Today, over half of all Park Service assets are in desperate need of repair. prgtoken To address these needs, a little over 3 years ago, I approached my colleague and friend, Senator Rob Portman, with an idea. What if we took unobligated Federal energy revenues and used them to address the maintenance backlogs at our national parks. So we came together, in a bipartisan partnership, and introduced the National Park Services Legacy Act. A little over a year later, we combined our efforts with Senator Alexander and Senator King to introduce our Restore Our Parks Act. Earlier this year, this legislation was combined with Senator Gardner and Senator Manchin's Land and Water Conservation Fund legislation to form the Great American Outdoors Act. prgtoken This legislation represents one of the largest investments in the infrastructure of our national parks in its over 100-year history. Over the next 5 years, the Great American Outdoors Act will fund more than half of all the deferred repairs and completely fund the Park Service's highest priority needs. As my friend from Maine, Senator King, has noted, deferred maintenance is really simply a debt for future generations. With the passage of this bill today, we are one step closer to paying down that debt. prgtoken Few States in the country are as impacted by the Park Service's deferred maintenance backlog as the Commonwealth of Virginia. In the Commonwealth, we have a maintenance backlog of over $1.1 billion. That is the third largest behind California and DC. I want to give a few examples of how this legislation will help preserve our historical heritage and create jobs in my State. prgtoken Here in the National Capital Region, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, which is managed by the National Park Service, has over $700 million in deferred maintenance. As a matter of fact, anyone in this Chamber who travels on that road actually knows that we had a sinkhole appear i
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2020-6-17

. I have got David Brooks, who has been on the committee for 30 years. He probably knows more about this process. I know he is fretting over is every word right, is every comma in the right place, every dot in the right place, but we have confidence in David and Sam Fowler and Renae Black doing a great job with the committee on the ranking member's side. prgtoken To every one of them who have worked so hard, thank you. God bless each and every one of them for a job well done, and it is something that we can all take pride in. prgtoken Someone said: How was your work in the Capitol? I said: We had a great week. We had a great week, and today is going to be the culmination of that great week. prgtoken So I want to thank you, , for allowing me to make these comments. I want to make sure we enter into the Record all the people who deserve the credit. I want to thank my colleagues for being here also. prgtoken .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-17

there are moments in history when you think: This is going to make a difference. One of them was in a first- grade classroom in Connecticut. A person walked into that classroom several years ago and opened fire on first grade students--6 years of age, 7 years of age--their teachers, and assistants. They were killed at their desks at Sandy Hook. prgtoken I thought that would make a difference. I thought there would be a national conversation about gun safety and the memory of those beautiful little children who died so senselessly because the person had a gun that gave them the power to kill them en masse. It didn't happen. prgtoken Then, when that gunman in the hotel in Las Vegas opened fire with a gun that he had converted into an automatic weapon and killed those prgtoken concertgoers at that country western concert, just shot at them at random, I thought: Now, that will make a difference. That is the moment when we can sit down and honestly talk about gun safety in America. It was so graphic, and it was so horrible that at least we can come together for a bipartisan conversation about making America a safer place for first graders in Connecticut, for concertgoers in Nevada, and for all of the many other gun tragedies we have had in America. It didn't happen. The President promised to do something. He didn't. What happened in the U.S. Senate in terms of addressing this issue? Nothing--nothing, not even an effort to keep guns out of the hands of people who have no business owning them: convicted felons, people who are mentally unstable. The types of guns that are for sale in the United States go far beyond any need for sport, hunting, and, in many cases, even self-defense. Yet we couldn't even open the conversation on gun safety in light of those horrible tragedies. prgtoken Then several weeks ago, a patrolman in Minneapolis put his knee on the neck of George Floyd, and America changed. You see that video, which we have all seen over and over again. It was so graphic, so real, so personal, you just cannot escape it. Here was a policeman, in 8 minutes and 46 seconds, killing George Floyd. What was the charge that he was being accused of? Perhaps passing a phony $20 bill--a $20 bill. prgtoken I think the image that still sticks with most of us, in the 8 minutes and 46 seconds as George Floyd died, were all the people begging the policeman to stop, imploring him: Please. prgtoken Floyd was crying out ``I can't breathe! I can't breathe!'' mentioning his mother's name in those desperate, final moments of his life as that patrolman stared into that video camera with those cold, hard eyes. You cannot escape the reality of that video moment and the impact it has had on America and beyond. prgtoken George Floyd's image and name are now the subject of rallies not just across America but around the world. In my own home State of Illinois, it is understandable that in cities like Chicago, which have a dive
NOMINATION OF JUSTIN REED WALKER
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-6-17

I am here to talk about the nomination of Justin Walker to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, but let's start with Conner Curran. Justin Walker actually has met Conner--not really, but I introduced him to Conner through this picture during his nomination hearing in the Judiciary Committee. prgtoken Several years ago, Conner was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative life-threatening disease which presently has no cure. Most people who have the disease die by their mid-20s. Conner was diagnosed at age 5. I met Conner a couple of years later. There is probably nobody who has inspired me more with his courage, his energy, his strength of character than Conner Curran and his wonderful family who live in Ridgefield, CT. prgtoken His parents were told, at the time of his diagnosis, that this beautiful young sweet child would slowly lose his ability to run, lift his arms, hug them, and he would need complex care for the rest of his life. He would need multiple specialists that would cost tens of thousands of dollars each year, which they could not afford. But they made it possible or, actually, it was made possible by the Affordable Care Act. Now, because of that act, he cannot be denied care. He is alive. He is not giving up. He is fighting for both a cure and the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken He is not the only one. There are 1.5 million people in the State of Connecticut alone and millions more around the country living with preexisting conditions. There are 182,000 children among those 1.5 million people, just like Conner, living with the potentially debilitating and even deadly effects of preexisting conditions, and there are millions more around the country. For them, for Americans, the Affordable Care Act is more than a law; it is a lifeline. Each of them can get the affordable care they need because of that lifeline. prgtoken Right now, we all know that healthcare has never been more important. We talk about it every day. We are full of rhetoric on the floor of this Chamber about the healthcare crisis, which has precipitated an economic crisis and about the disproportionate effects of that healthcare crisis--a pandemic of an insidious, deadly disease on poor and, often, communities of color. prgtoken At the time of this crisis, the President of the United States has nominated Justin Walker to be an appellate judge, a present district court judge who has said that his main mission is to destroy the Affordable Care Act. Of course, that is perfectly consistent with the administration's view of the Affordable Care Act. It is litigating in court right now against the Affordable Care Act. President has opposed it consistently, constantly, vociferously. prgtoken Justin Walker, at his investiture as a district court judge, pledged that he would continue to make destruction of the Affordable Care Act a priority. During his investiture remarks, attended by his mentor, the