mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-5-16

. Madam , I rise today to voice my support for the 7th annual Infrastructure Week, which runs May 13 through 20. America's businesses, workers, citizens, and elected leaders from all levels of government are all united around one message: America's future will be shaped by the infrastructure choices we make today. prgtoken In the 116th Congress, my fellow Transportation and Infrastructure Committee colleagues and I are working across the aisle to achieve key objectives for the people, including creating and sustaining family- wage jobs, improving the daily lives of Americans, preserving and protecting our environment, building sustainable and resilient communities, and ensuring U.S. economic competitiveness. prgtoken Specifically, in my home state of Texas, we have worked to establish milestones such as laying the groundwork for the Texas Central high- speed passenger rail line, which will connect the fourth and fifth largest economies in the country in less than 90 minutes. In Dallas, there are currently over $2 billion dollars in active highway projects and an additional $1.5 billion in design-build projects. In Congressional District 30 alone, there are $1 billion dollars' worth of projects under construction. Other investments include a new 26-mile regional transit passenger rail line, an airport runway realignment project, and expansions of one of the largest inland ports as well as major interstates and highways. These efforts have contributed to a $70-billion-dollar economic impact and nearly 67,000 jobs. prgtoken While we are focused on the need for sustainable infrastructure, we must also highlight prgtoken the need for diversity and inclusion as well. We must recognize the importance of having individuals with various backgrounds at the table, creating innovative solutions to address new transportation needs that truly help all communities. Programs such as the U.S. Department of Transportation's Women & Girls in Transportation Initiative (WITI) or the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program are great opportunities to foster an inclusive environment that encourages, supports, and celebrates our similarities and differences. prgtoken Above all, Infrastructure Week highlights the apparent need for investment. Our nation's infrastructure is crumbling, and we can't wait another day to act. At this critical juncture, it is imperative that Congress moves with expediency in addressing these pressing issues, as it is essential to the quality of life of our citizens and the vitality of our economy
THE EQUALITY ACT
Sylvia R. Garcia (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-5-16

. Madam , I rise today in strong and steadfast support of the Equality Act. prgtoken We've made a lot of progress in recent years, but the reality is that many still face discrimination because of who they are and the people they love. prgtoken In Texas, the discrimination and inequality faced by the LGBTQ community is heartbreaking and entirely un-American, but with the Equality Act we can do something about it. prgtoken The Equality Act will greatly extend civil rights for the LGBTQ community, providing consistent and explicit protections from discrimination for LGBTQ people across key areas of life including employment, housing, credit, and education. prgtoken In Texas, that means having explicit protections for LGBTQ people for the first time in our history. Updating federal law will tear down barriers to prosperity and lead to better outcomes for our family members, neighbors, and loved-ones. prgtoken This is long overdue for nearly 1 million LGBTQ Texans and is why I urge all of my colleagues to make the Equality Act the law of the land.
INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION HONORING RETIRED HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JOHN CONYERS, JR. ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-5-16

. Madam , I am pleased to introduce this resolution honoring retired Congressman John Conyers on the occasion of his 90th Birthday. Congressman Conyers was born in Highland Park, Michigan, on May 16, 1929, and grew up in the city of Detroit. Like many men of his generation, he served in the military and was stationed in Korea, during the Korean War, as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he was awarded combat and merit citations. prgtoken Following the completion of his military service, he earned both his B.A. (1957) and LL.B. (1958) degrees from Wayne State University and became an active member of the Michigan Bar. He had the distinction of working on the staff of Congressman John Dingell, serving as counsel to Detroit-area labor union locals and as a referee for Michigan's workmen's compensation department. prgtoken His commitment to civil rights was forged during the great movement of the 1960's, when traveling throughout the South, and was in Selma, Alabama, for the Freedom Day voter registration drive in 1963. In correspondence, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr would later remark that Conyers presence in Selma, Alabama ``had an electric effect on the voteless and beleaguered Negro citizens of this city, state and nation.'' prgtoken Conyers legislative career began in 1964 when he ran for an open seat in Michigan's 1st District, following the landmark 1964 Baker v. Carr decision, and defeated his opponent with 84 percent of the vote. In this race, Congressman Conyers received the only known political endorsement from Dr. King and Rosa Parks, known for her prominent role in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, moved to Detroit and served on Conyers' staff between 1965 and 1988. prgtoken Congressman Conyers went on to serve 26 terms, winning re-election twenty-five times, and is the third longest-serving member of the House in history, and the sixth longest-serving member of Congress in history. He was one of the 13 members who founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 and was considered the Dean of the Caucus during his tenure. prgtoken As a freshman member, Congressman Conyers won a seat on the Judiciary Committee and went on to serve as Chairman of that committee from 2007 to 2011, along with serving as the ranking ic member on the Committee from 1995 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2017. During his tenure, he successfully worked to oppose initiatives that violated Constitutional values and served as a beacon of hope to those facing poverty and injustice. He was the first member to introduce legislation or hold hearings on an important series of civil rights issues, including: police misconduct; LGBTQ protections; violence against the Arab and Muslim American communities; AIDS in the African-American community; environmental racism; and restorative justice, just to name a few. prgtoken Over the course of his legislative career, Congressman Conyers was responsible for
MARKETING AND OUTREACH RESTORATION TO EMPOWER HEALTH EDUCATION ACT OF 2019
Joe Cunningham (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2019-5-16

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my straightforward, commonsense amendment which will ensure that our Nation's veterans have access to quality, affordable health insurance coverage. prgtoken While people often think that everyone who has served in the military immediately has access to VA healthcare, this is not the case. In fact, only three out of five veterans under the age of 65 are eligible for healthcare through the VA, and only a quarter of those who are eligible for VA healthcare rely on the VA as their sole source of insurance. prgtoken Younger veterans who served for 24 consecutive months are eligible for VA coverage for 5 years after their discharge, and veterans over the age of 65 qualify for Medicare. This leaves a potential gap in coverage for many veterans who have recently served after their 5-year period and before they become eligible for Medicare. prgtoken That is why it is imperative that the healthcare exchange outreach and educational strategies be designed in a way to reach our Nation's veterans. prgtoken As a Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am committed to ensuring every veteran has access to high-quality healthcare regardless of where they receive that care. prgtoken Studies show that when Americans are informed about the correct time to sign up for healthcare, and the options to make that coverage affordable, they choose to get insured. prgtoken My amendment is simply asking that we make our Nation's veterans aware of the healthcare options available to them. This is particularly important to the Lowcountry, because my district has one of the highest concentrations of veterans in the entire country. prgtoken It has the highest concentrations in the entire State of South Carolina, and I want to make sure that each of them are aware of their coverage options so that they can make the best choice for themselves and for their families. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I want to ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting my amendment as well as the underlying legislation. prgtoken .
Introductory Statement on S. 1517
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-5-16

. . the U.S. infrastructure system is in critical need of an upgrade. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently graded the U.S. system a D+ given its capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience and innovation. Any investment to improve our country's infrastructure system would create millions of new jobs, requiring millions of skilled workers to fill them. prgtoken A recent study by the Center of Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University estimated that a $1 trillion infrastructure investment would create 11 million new jobs. Nearly half of these would require training past the high school level. Even without a significant investment, though, infrastructure industries are already struggling to meet workforce demands. Workers in infrastructure industries are expected to retire at a 50% higher rate than the general workforce. To ensure infrastructure investments benefit businesses, workers and the economy, the U.S. must invest in the creation of a diverse pipeline of workers with skills necessary to access in-demand opportunities. prgtoken Industry and sector partnerships are a proven strategy for helping workers prepare for middle-skill jobs and helping businesses find skilled workers. Congress requires States and local areas to support the development of these partnerships under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), but no dedicated funding has been provided for these activities. According to a recent national poll, 77% of business leaders say it would help their business to create closer links between education providers and businesses to train people for the jobs for which businesses are hiring. prgtoken For workers, especially those underrepresented in infrastructure industries, support services like career counseling, child care, and transportation can often be the key to succeed in work-based learning programs. Providing these services may be outside the capacity of a business. Industry partnerships bring business together with community and human service organizations that can make these connections for workers and drastically improve their ability to succeed in training and meet business demand for skilled workers. prgtoken This is why I am pleased to introduce with my colleague, Senator Portman, the Building U.S. Infrastructure by Leveraging Demands for Skills Act or BUILDS Act. The BUILDS Act creates a grant program that would support industry and sector partnerships working with local businesses, industry associations and organizations, labor organizations, State and local workforce boards, economic development agencies and other partners engaged in their communities to encourage industry growth, competitiveness and collaboration to improve worker training, retention and advancement in targeted infrastructure clusters. Additionally, businesses and education providers would be connected to develop classr
COMMEMORATING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Katie Hill (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-5-16

. Madam , I want to thank my colleague from Florida for joining forces with me this evening to host this bipartisan Special Order hour in honor of National Police Week. prgtoken As you are about to see, supporting our law enforcement is an issue that unifies us across geography and political party, bringing together diverse perspectives and deep gratitude. I am so proud to rise in support of our law enforcement and the professional peace officers who work tirelessly every single day for the safety and security of our communities. prgtoken I represent California's 25th Congressional District, which is home to many of the police officers who serve all of Los Angeles County. My community is rooted in service. It is a value that I grew up with, and one of the reasons that I chose to serve my community by running for office. prgtoken My dad is an Air Force veteran and has spent three decades in law enforcement. In fact, he was here with us this week as part of a large group from our district who flew out for Police Week. prgtoken As a little girl, I remember what it was like to wonder if my dad would make it home at night. I remember being so scared for his life because he was on the front lines protecting mine and all of the other members of our community. I was proud of him then, and I am proud of him now. prgtoken But unlike then, I now have the opportunity to fight for him and the men and women serving just like him. Protecting and supporting our law enforcement should not be partisan. The speakers joining us today demonstrate that we can have meaningful, legislative reform that works across the aisle. prgtoken I want to briefly touch on several pieces of legislation that I believe will protect and support our police officers, including H.R. 838, the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety Act, or TAPS, which institutes a process that will identify, investigate, assess, and mitigate threats before they happen. prgtoken Fighting for law enforcement also means supporting legislation like H.R. 2070, the POWER Act, to develop new grants for chemical screening; H.R. 1236, the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, to empower police to keep guns out of the wrong hands; and H.R. 2379, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership, to increase the number of lifesaving bulletproof vests accessible to our law enforcement. Through these bills and others in development, we can keep our communities and officers safe. prgtoken Most importantly, I am standing here today to honor the life of Officer Johnathan Tanner. He is a true public servant from the Antelope Valley in my district, who passed away, tragically, at the age of 28 years old after battling cancer. He will be remembered for his steadfast devotion to his community, his church, and his family. prgtoken Officer Tanner proudly served the California Highway Patrol with a dedication to the safety of the Antelope Valley. In just his first year out of training, he received the Mothers Again
HONORING OFFICERS DURING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2019-5-16

this is National Police Week, highlighted by Peace Officers Memorial Day, which President John F. Kennedy designated, in 1962, as May 15. prgtoken Law enforcement officers and their families selflessly serve our communities across the country. Americans appreciate honoring officers, their families, and fallen heroes on Peace Officers Memorial Day. prgtoken Law enforcement personnel are national heroes. We are grateful for their sacrifices made to serve and protect our country on a daily basis. prgtoken We also provide our deepest support and gratitude to those who have been injured or lost their lives in the line of duty and to their families. Grateful citizens across the country will take time to thank a police officer this week. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.
The Middle East (Executive Session)
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-5-16

dominant in the news--on which I have expected there to be more coverage--is a matter that I think is of great urgency to the country, global security, and peace--that being the tensions that are rising in the Middle East. prgtoken I have heard a few of my colleagues speak on the floor about it today, and I have seen a lot of press report on it, some of it absurd and some of it on point. I understand some of it. I thought there should have been more information provided to all of the Members. I am pleased to see that more will be available next week when we return. This is an item I have been talking about for a couple of weeks--of the urgent threat, potentially, that now exists from Iran against the United States, particularly in Iraq but throughout the Persian Gulf region. prgtoken First, let me talk about the threat. To understand the threat, it is important to understand how Iran operates. prgtoken Iran is an Islamic republic, meaning it has a political branch of its government--a President, a Foreign Minister, and a parliamentary body. Then it has a Supreme Leader, who ultimately governs the country. In essence, his commands overrule the political branches. That is why they call him the Supreme Leader. He is a religious figure. As part of that, it has an armed services--an army, a navy, and an air force--that protects the country, theoretically. Then it has an armed forces that is independent of the army, the navy, and the air force, and that is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC. First of all, it doesn't answer to the President; it doesn't answer to the Foreign Minister; and it doesn't answer to regular army forces. It answers directly to the Supreme Leader. A lot of times, people don't understand this. They ascribe to other countries the attributes of our own. prgtoken The President of Iran is not the commander in chief, in reality, of the IRGC. It operates completely separately. By the way, that means that the IRGC--the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps--can oftentimes operate and do things that the Foreign Minister, who is the spokesperson for the Iranian Government, may not even know about. Sometimes it does. prgtoken The point is that we have to understand that dynamic. It is not the United States. Our attributes should not be assigned to them. prgtoken The IRGC has an organization within it. It has a unit called the Quds Force. The Quds Force, led by General Soleimani, is made up of experts and has developed expertise in unconventional warfare and in intelligence activities, primarily abroad. This is the organization, for example, that helped to build all of the IEDs that killed and maimed American servicemen in Iraq. This is the organization behind the Shia militias in Iraq today. This is the organization behind a lot of the efforts that support Hezbollah in Syria and in other parts of the world. prgtoken The IRGC's Quds Force is designed to do things that have some level o
Tax Provisions (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-5-16

some time ago, specifically February 28, I came to the Senate to visit with my colleagues about the more than two dozen tax provisions that expired at the end of 2017. That same day, I joined with Finance Committee Ranking Member Wyden of Oregon to introduce a bill entitled ``Tax Extender Disaster Relief Act of 2019'' to extend these two dozen tax provisions through 2019. prgtoken I very much thank Ranking Member Wyden for his cooperation on this effort. Actually, we have a lot of cooperation on a lot of different subjects within the Finance Committee. prgtoken Now, unfortunately, we are still waiting on House to send us a tax bill that includes those provisions so taxpayers who have relied on them can finish their 2018 tax returns. I have had some discussions with the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and I don't have any reason to believe he doesn't believe some of these extenders should be extended. I suppose because they are new to run the House of Representatives, and they have dissension within their own caucus, it takes a while to get an active group of people pushing for this particular legislation, but it ought to be easy to happen because these tax provisions have traditionally been extended every 2 or 3 years over the last 20 years--maybe longer than that in some cases. prgtoken I remind my colleagues in the House of Representatives that taxpayers have all but run out of time. Part of my purpose in introducing the Tax Extender and Disaster Relief Act way back in February was to provide additional certainty for the current year for those businesses that have made use of these tax credits in the past. prgtoken I noted that in most cases, Congress enacted those provisions to provide an incentive for taxpayers to engage in certain actions like investment and job creation. prgtoken In February, I also reminded my colleagues that those incentives are most effective when taxpayers can rely on them during the tax year. For the most part, over the last three decades, they have had that certainty by the renewal of these tax provisions. prgtoken Regrettably, we are now one-third of the way through 2019 with no certainty for affected taxpayers in sight. I also said, in my February remarks, that my broader objective of including an extension through 2019 was so we could have some maneuvering room to examine the temporary provisions overall and try to identify longer term solutions. Through efforts in the last Congress, we identified potential long-term solutions for two of them--the short-line railroad tax credit and the biodiesel tax credit--but we have the opportunity now to do more. prgtoken While we continue to try to help taxpayers who still need to resolve their 2018 tax returns, we need to press ahead on more permanent solutions so we can end Congress's continual bad habit of waiting until the eleventh hour or months after to extend temporary tax policy. prgtoken Accordingly
COMMEMORATING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Clay Higgins (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-5-16

. Madam , I rise today to recognize American men and women who put on a badge every day, men and women of every color and creed, ethnicity, heritage, and background, of varied ideology and political affiliation. They are American patriots, one and all. prgtoken As a police officer, our job begins with an oath. That oath is not to a chief or a sheriff or a marshal. It is to the constitutional principles that represent the badges that we wear, badges like this. prgtoken In this body, we stand within the people's House. We serve within the parameters of our ability. We wear a small pin upon our lapel to designate our status as Congressmen and Congresswomen. prgtoken In humble service and an honor, yes, it is. But forget not, America, the men and women in your community, unseen, unheard, far too frequently unappreciated and unrecognized, who patrol your streets, your neighborhoods, your counties, your States, and the parishes in my State of Louisiana. prgtoken For they serve unknowing if they shall return home. They do so willingly. They place great faith in their Lord. The Word tells us that the Lord is my strength and my shield. prgtoken In many ways, we should recall that this small shield that we wear begins with faith, that this Chamber began with faith, and that the shield that officers wear from sea to shining sea maintains itself by faith. prgtoken This week, we honor the Thin Blue Line. You are known. You are loved. You are recognized. We honor you. prgtoken Madam , I thank the sheriff for allowing me to speak.