mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE STERLING CAREER AND SERVICE OF CATHY IINO
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-1-28

. Madam , I rise today to honor the tenure of a distinguished public servant in my district, Cathy Iino, of Killingworth, Connecticut. As First Selectwoman for the Town of Killingworth, Cathy chose to not seek re-election in 2021, marking a capstone to almost 20 years in service to her local community. Leading a tight-knit community of more than 6,300 residents, Cathy has consistently gone above and beyond in working with her constituency to promote the advancement of Killingworth while preserving its small-town charm. Her approach to leadership--a prime representation of eastern Connecticut values--stressed the importance of cooperation, respect, and humility. prgtoken Cathy studied Humanities at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1973. After having already moved to the nearby city of New Haven, Cathy and her husband, Paul, were in search of a place to call home, moving to Killingworth in 1996. While working as both a writer and editor, Cathy continually came across new opportunities for her community to grow, prompting her to depart from her line of work and enter the world of politics. First serving on the Board of Finance, then she found success in 2007 winning her bid to serve on the Board of Selectman--the first woman since 1993 to sit on the Board. In 2009, she elevated her leadership in the town when she was elected First Selectwoman. prgtoken During her tenure as First Selectwoman, Cathy prioritized being present and available for her residents. In 2015, for example, Cathy implemented ``Coffee with the First Selectwoman,'' to increase transparency and citizen participation in their town government. She would make herself routinely available for residents to talk to, whether it was outside town hall or at a local business. Though there are countless examples that demonstrate Cathy's guiding philosophy of bottom-up governing, perhaps the most successful was her ability to seek out and nurture volunteers to push forward the issues that mattered to them. prgtoken Cathy truly appreciated the difference that volunteers make in small- town communities, embodying the spirit of volunteerism through her unwavering support of resident leaders. Being a smaller town, Killingworth has always had to put its resources to good use and has been best suited to rely on the voices of many rather than one. Frequently, Cathy encouraged residents to advocate for projects that they were passionate about, at which point she would lend her support and experience. This style of leadership is one of many traits that defined her time as First Selectwoman, and it reaped great rewards. One notable result of her support of volunteers is the restoration of Parmelee Farm, a historical site in Killingworth which had long been in a state of disrepair. Purely through volunteer efforts aided by Cathy's guiding hand, the farm has since become a vibrant area that connects the community together by way of recreation, education, pres
IN HONOR OF 2021 MICHIGAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR 0F THE YEAR ELIZABETH KANAGAWA
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-1-28

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Mrs. Elizabeth ``Betsy'' Kanagawa of Brownstown Charter Township, Michigan, on being named the 2021 Michigan School Counselor of the Year by the Michigan School Counselor Association. Her significant contributions to our community are worthy of commendation. prgtoken Mrs. Kanagawa is a two-time graduate of Spring Arbor University, where she studied counseling, English, psychology, and secondary education. She has been a school counselor for over nine years and works at Patrick Henry Middle School in the Woodhaven-Brownstown School District. prgtoken Known for her caring personality and innovative programs, Mrs. Kanagawa has changed her school for the better. When she noticed that students of color were getting lower PSAT scores and were at risk of being referred to the office at a high rate, she got to the root of the problem by taking the time to have important, sometimes difficult conversations with teachers and administrators and provided the interventions needed to support these students rather than discipline them. Mrs. Kanagawa has pioneered a program called ``Minute Meetings'' where she meets with every single student to talk about their mental health and determine how to better serve them. prgtoken With her extensive work in community intervention and mental health, Mrs. Kanagawa led the creation of the Mental Health Advisory Board which has brought together school officials and community health leaders to eliminate barriers that exist in connecting students to mental health services. She serves as a member of American School Counselor Association and the Michigan School Counselor Association, where she is on the governing board serving as the middle school level representative. She resides in Brownstown with her husband, Niko. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mrs. Elizabeth ``Betsy'' Kanagawa. I join with Mrs. Kanagawa's students and colleagues in thanking her for her stellar service to Patrick Henry Middle School and to our entire community. She has consistently gone above and beyond on behalf of her students and has tirelessly dedicated herself to making our schools a better place for all. We are very lucky to have her in our district and wish her the very best in the years to come.
IN RECOGNITION OF SANDRA ``SANDY'' DENTY
William R. Keating (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-1-28

. Madam , I rise today in recognition of the career of Sandra ``Sandy'' Denty, a beloved sixth grade Science teacher at Furnace Brook Middle School in Marshfield, Massachusetts. After thirty- seven years dedicated to her students and her community, Sandy is celebrating a well-deserved retirement. prgtoken Sandy has lived in Marshfield for her entire life, where she and her family have been an integral part of the community. Her grandparents founded Marshfield's first grocery store, now the Brant Rock Market. Her father, Fred Parziale, owned barber shops around town and her mom, Dotti Parziale, managed the popular local restaurant Casabrini. Sandy and her husband, Bill, have raised two children. Kali and Billy, with the same values with which they were brought up. prgtoken Sandy graduated from Marshfield High School in 1978 and began substitute teaching with Marshfield Public Schools shortly after receiving her bachelor's degree. She made an immediate impact on the school community, and when a middle school science teacher position became available, she jumped at the opportunity. prgtoken As a sixth-grade science teacher, Sandy has a unique way of connecting with each child on an individual, personal level; through everything she says and everything she does. Sandy's greatest talent is making others feel special. prgtoken Sandy's impact on Marshfield Public Schools reaches beyond the students in her classroom. She is endlessly supportive of her colleagues, running various staff-wide competitions, sporting events and festive programs prgtoken every year. She donates her free time to making banners for Furnace Brook's ``One Book One School'' program. Sandy has run countless fundraisers, talent shows, and other community-building activities. In 1999, she founded the ``Denty Connection'', a private business that has helped many teachers get re-certified and receive graduate credits. prgtoken Sandy Denty's selfless career as a teacher in Marshfield Public Schools has come to an end after thirty-seven years, but her impact has spanned multiple generations of students and will never be forgotten. Madam , I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Sandy Denty on her retirement and recognizing her for her outstanding service to the Town of Marshfield and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
RECOGNIZING DR. NASIR AHMED
Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-1-28

. Madam , today I wish to recognize the seminal contributions of Dr. Nasir Ahmed in the field of computer science, whose work on image processing underlies much of the video conferencing and photo sharing technology that we now take for granted--technology that has been essential to getting us through this pandemic. prgtoken Born in Bangalore, India, Dr. Ahmed immigrated to the United States in 1961 to pursue a masters and then a Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. It was there that Dr. Ahmed met his wife, Esther Parente-Ahmed, whose love and support proved instrumental to Dr. Ahmed's career. Describing Esther, Dr. Ahmed said, ``she helped me all through my career; she was always next to me.'' prgtoken After receiving his doctorate from the University of New Mexico, Dr. Ahmed became a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Kansas State University in 1968. prgtoken While at Kansas State, Professor Ahmed developed the discrete cosine transform, known as DCT, as a way to compress digital images. Working with his Ph.D. student, T. Raj Natarajan, and colleague, Dr. K. R. Rao, Professor Ahmed developed a working DCT algorithm, and the results, first published in 1974, ``appeared too good to be true,'' in Dr. Ahmed's words. Indeed, the new algorithm performed better than any other method of digital image compression. prgtoken In layman's terms, digital files that contain images, photos, videos, and audio are simply too large to practically send over the internet; to share this data, it must be compressed. The discrete cosine transform is the most widely used method for compressing digital images, and DCT would become the basis for innumerable other technologies for sharing and streaming photos, video, and audio that we now take for granted. prgtoken Our zoom calls, that JPEG your friend sent you last weekend, the MP3s you listened to jogging this morning--it's all thanks to Nasir Ahmed. prgtoken Madam , on behalf of all of us who use these essential technologies every day, I want to thank Dr. Ahmed for his contributions to computer science, which have brought us together and reshaped our world in ways we could have scarcely imagined when the discrete cosine transform was first published.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2022-1-31

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
Tribute to Stephen G. Breyer (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-1-31

in keeping with the remarks of the Senate leader, I would like to start with recognition of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's contribution to America. prgtoken On July 12, 1994, a court of appeals judge named Stephen Breyer appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was the first day of his Supreme Court confirmation hearing. As he began speaking, Judge Breyer laid out his view of the law and its role in maintaining the fabric of American life. prgtoken He said: ``I believe the law must work for people.'' prgtoken He argued that our Nation's vast web of ``Constitution, statues, rules, regulations, practices and procedures . . . has a single basic purpose.'' prgtoken That purpose, he said, ``is to help the many different individuals who make up America, from so many different backgrounds and circumstances, with so many different needs and hopes, live together productively, harmoniously, and in freedom.'' prgtoken In his nearly three decades on the Supreme Court, Justice Stephen Breyer has lived by those words. He has helped ensure that the law is a force for good, a force for unity, and a force for freedom and equality. prgtoken So, for me, I have truly mixed feelings as I stand here today and look back on the incredible legacy of Justice Breyer, who announced last week that he would retire at the end of this term. prgtoken And what a legacy he leaves. prgtoken Born in San Francisco, Stephen Breyer attended Stanford University and Harvard Law, and just 3 years after graduating from Harvard, he returned to the school as a professor, a role in which he inspired a generation of jurists, public servants. prgtoken He held a few other occupations as well. He served our country as a corporal in the U.S. Army and in the Army Reserve. He was a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, a member of the Watergate special prosecutor's office, and chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which I am honored to chair. From there, he was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, where he served for nearly 14 years before his confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken And I might add, for the record, his vote on confirmation to the Court was 89 to 7. It was a remarkable showing of strength and support for a man whose politics were clear, as he served with Ted Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee as his lead counsel for many years. prgtoken Justice Breyer's record when he came to the Supreme Court was nothing short of awe-inspiring. From voting rights to women's reproductive freedom, from criminal justice to consumer protection, from campaign finance to immigration, Justice Breyer's voice has been powerful, pragmatic, thoughtful, and enduring, whether in the majority or in dissent. prgtoken Consider, for instance, Justice Breyer's dissenting opinion in the 1995 case, United States v. Lopez. In that case, the Court's conservative majority overturned the
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2022-1-31

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of a lifelong champion for American workers across the country, the founder and longtime president of the Pension Rights Center, Karen Ferguson. Karen came to Washington, DC, in the early 1970s to work with Ralph Nader as a public interest lawyer, fighting for consumers and workers against unchecked corporate power. As one of ``Nader's Raiders,'' she found her calling. Recognizing the void of public advocacy for retirees and pensioners, Karen founded the Pension Rights Center in 1976. This marked the beginning of a crusade that lasted more than four decades, on behalf of pensioners who so often did not have much of a voice in their own government. Over the next 45 years, Karen personally assisted thousands of workers who were denied the retirement benefits they earned, and she advocated for retirement security for millions more. As one of our country's leading experts on pension law and a passionate advocate for workers and their families, Karen was a source of strength and guidance to her allies in Congress for decades. She was instrumental to the passage of a number of reforms that improved the cause of retirement security, including the Retirement Equity Act of 1984, a critical law that provided benefits to millions of widows and divorced women. Most recently, Karen was a leader in the fight to protect and restore multiemployer pension benefits for millions of union members across the country, including 100,000 Ohioans. She worked directly with my office to help draft the Butch Lewis Act and fought for years alongside Mr. Lewis, his widow and leader in her own right, Rita Lewis, and other workers, families, and small businesses, for its passage. Because of their advocacy, we were finally able to pass the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act into law as part of the American Rescue Plan in 2021. We were successful in no small part due to the unwavering support she provided. Now, more than a million Americans who have worked hard all their lives and gave up raises at the bargaining table in order to put that money toward retirement are no longer at risk of losing the benefits they earned. And many American businesses-- often small, family-owned businesses--will be able to continue to support their workers and grow and create more good, union jobs. Karen Ferguson will be remembered for a lifetime of service on behalf of workers and their families, and the compassion and skill she brought to our efforts. Her legacy will continue through the millions of past, current, and future workers and their families who will have a more secure retirement thanks to her work.
Tribute to Stephen G. Breyer (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-1-31

last Thursday, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer announced that after 27 years of service, he will retire from the Supreme Court at the conclusion of this term. prgtoken Shortly after his nomination was first announced in 1994, then-Judge Breyer mused publicly about what he expected his time on the High Court would bring. He told reporters it was his hope to ``make the average person's ordinary life better.'' Nearly three decades later, we can safely say that Justice Breyer has met that mark and then some. prgtoken Throughout American history, only 115 individuals have sat on the Nation's High Court, and few have served as long and as effectively as Justice Breyer. From his opinions on voting rights, environmental protections, women's reproductive freedom, and protecting access to affordable healthcare, Justice Breyer's impact upon our Nation will last for generations. America is a more perfect Union today because of Justice Stephen Breyer. prgtoken Of course, Justice Breyer's legacy of service extends beyond even his remarkable time on the Supreme Court. For 13 years, he also sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Before that, he served for 8 years as a member of the Army Reserves. And, of course, Members of this Chamber cannot forget that he was once a part of the Senate itself, serving as an aide on the Judiciary Committee in the seventies, where he worked closely with our dear friend, the late Senator Ted Kennedy. At every step of the way, he remained his essential self-- decent, brilliant, and dedicated to our democracy. prgtoken Now, with this new vacancy on the Court, President will have an opportunity to make history by nominating the first ever Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. I am confident that the President will select an outstanding individual to fill Justice Breyer's seat, and we intend to move quickly on our constitutional duty to act on his nominee when announced. I can assure all Senators that the Senate will have a fair process that moves quickly so we can confirm President 's nominee to fill Justice Breyer's seat as soon as possible. prgtoken Today, Members of this Chamber say thank you to Justice Breyer for his lifetime of public service. America COMPETES Act of 2022 prgtoken Now, , as our country continues to recover from the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, last week, we received a remarkable bit of news: The U.S. economy grew 5.7 percent--5.7 percent in 2021. prgtoken Let me say it again. Last year, the U.S. economy grew by 5.7 percent--the largest single-year growth rate in about 40 years. prgtoken Last year's economic growth did not happen on its own. Faced with a historic crisis, took unprecedented steps in 2021 to give American families and businesses the support they needed to make ends meet and stay healthy. Although we have more work to do to lower costs and expand opportunity,
REMEMBERING COMMANDER KRISTIN DRISCOLL
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-1-31

today I honor the memory and steadfast service of CDR Kristin Driscoll, a beloved mother, wife, daughter, sister, and Active-Duty Coast Guard Officer. prgtoken To use a maritime metaphor from Lord Alfred Tennyson, Commander Driscoll ``crossed the bar'' on October 26, 2021, following a brave battle with a brain tumor. Kristin underwent brain surgery on November 13, 2017, 1 week after her 35th birthday. Although the surgeons were able to remove 97 percent of the tumor, the remaining 3 percent was rooted too deeply to reach. prgtoken True to form, Kristin rebounded from her surgery with energy and renewed purpose. Despite her prognosis, she ran a half marathon in April 2018, reported to work every day, and planned family outings. prgtoken Stanford Medical Center quickly took note of Kristin's energy and optimism and asked her to participate in a patient education video project, saying they had been looking for someone like her for nearly 2 years. She filmed the video the very next week. prgtoken Commander Driscoll served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 20 years and was the first in her family to serve. For the majority of that time, she was stationed in California, from San Diego to Alameda, and had a clear passion for Coast Guard operations. Specifically, she focused on emergency management supporting natural disasters, oil and pollution response, and search and rescue. prgtoken She was a leader on a diverse list of operational teams that ranged from the National Contingency Plan ``Special Teams'' that monitored Federal Marine Environmental Response operations across the southwest border to a Command Center that conducted search and rescue efforts across 3.3 million square miles of offshore waters from California to the Panama Canal. prgtoken In reviewing the achievements of Commander Driscoll, I am struck by her unwavering dedication and poise in confronting terrific challenges. She contributed to the response to the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, led a security deployment to Guantanamo Bay, and oversaw the first-ever deployment of a U.S. Coast Guard standard boat from a foreign naval vessel in support of counter-drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean. She deployed in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria as deputy incident commander to lead search and rescue and recovery efforts, took a leading role in supporting COVID-19 response efforts as planning section chief, and took the lead role as incident commander for the USS Bonhomme Richard fire. prgtoken Commander Driscoll's ability was well-noted throughout her life, and her record of success is etched in Coast Guard history. After graduating cum laude from Baker University in 2005, Commander Driscoll earned a master's degree in Homeland Security Leadership from the University of Connecticut. Her personal awards include an Advanced Boat Force Operations Insignia, six Coast Guard Commendation Medals, two Coast Guard Achievement Medals, two Letters