mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2021-12-9

I come to the floor today to support a number of our nominees for Ambassadors and positions within the State Department. prgtoken As the chair of the European Affairs Subcommittee, I am particularly concerned about the number of openings we have in Europe for Ambassadors. prgtoken I want to support today Mark Gitenstein, again, to be U.S. Ambassador to the European Union; Kent Logsdon to be U.S. Ambassador to Moldova; Michael Murphy to be U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina; Clair Cronin to be U.S. Ambassador to Ireland; Denise Bauer to be U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco; and Julissa Reynoso Pantaleon to be Ambassador to Spain and Andorra. prgtoken Those are the Ambassadors in Europe whom I wanted to raise this afternoon, but I also want to raise concern about Rufus Gifford, who has been nominated to be Chief of Protocol for the Department of State. prgtoken As I said, I am chair of the European Subcommittee, so I have had the opportunity to attend the hearings for these nominees and to see just how qualified they are and how important to American foreign policy they are. prgtoken Earlier this week, Victoria Nuland, who is an Under Secretary at the Department of State, testified in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the U.S. foreign diplomacy is operating at quarter-power as a consequence of the numerous holds that have been placed on ambassadorial appointments by just a few of our colleagues. prgtoken I have some maps here that I think really very vividly demonstrate the consequences of this inaction in the Senate. prgtoken The first map shows where we have U.S. Ambassadors to Europe. You can see that anything blue is where we have Ambassadors. On this map, everything from Spain to Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Ireland--we have no U.S. Ambassadors approved in those countries. prgtoken Compare that to what Russia and China have in terms of their diplomatic ability in Europe. The gold color is Russian Ambassadors, countries where Russia has their Ambassadors--virtually every country in Europe. Red is where China has its Ambassadors--virtually every country in Europe. Again, the United States, our Ambassadors in Europe--it is basically empty. Finland, Sweden, Norway, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Ireland, the EU--we are desperately in need of Ambassadors because right now, we have very little presence in Europe. prgtoken This is happening at a time when we know there are significant challenges taking place in Europe, particularly in Ukraine, where Russia is threatening to invade Ukraine, its sovereign territory, again, and where we need--if we are going to be successful in responding to Russia--where we need to take a unified approach among our allies. We need to be working with the EU, with NATO, with all of our European allies. prgtoken Yet, in most of the countries where we need to be working, we don't have Ambassadors, and we don't have Ambassadors b
TRIBUTE TO DR. ITALY ALBERT ``I.A.'' GREENE
James E. Clyburn (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to an educator, a veteran, and a fellow South Carolina State University alumnus as he celebrates his 100th birthday. Dr. Italy Albert ``I.A.'' Greene was born on the auspicious day of December 25, 1921 and has been blessed with longevity and a full life. prgtoken I.A. Greene was born in Williamsburg County, South Carolina and graduated from Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina in 1941. After high school, he matriculated at South Carolina State College (now University), but World War II disrupted his plans. In 1942, he felt called to serve and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He received an honorable discharge in 1945 after three years of service. prgtoken After leaving the Air Force, Dr. Greene returned to South Carolina State and graduated in 1948 with a degree in agriculture. Upon graduation, he began teaching at Rosemary High School in Andrews, South Carolina, where he taught agriculture, biology, chemistry, and general science for five years. prgtoken In 1953, Dr. Greene was hired as the Vocational Agriculture Instructor at Mayo High School in Darlington, South Carolina, where he established the school's first Agriculture Department. While teaching in Darlington, he continued his higher education earning a master's degree in education in 1957 at South Carolina State and completing an additional 30 hours of post graduate work in Secondary Administrative Education. prgtoken During the 1968-1969 school year, Dr. Greene became Mayo High School's Assistant Principal. That year he oversaw the school's Accreditation Committee for the Southern Association of Secondary Schools. After just one year as Assistant Principal, Dr. Green was elevated to serve as Mayo High School's Principal. prgtoken His first year as Principal in 1969 through 1970 was historic. That was the year the courts ordered schools in Darlington County to integrate. Dr. Greene referred to his experience as ``baptism by fire.'' He often recalls that no college classroom or textbook could prepare an educator to oversee such a significant change. Yet, Dr. Greene says, ``it was the most dramatic and exciting period of my career.'' prgtoken Dr. Greene spent the rest of his career as Mayo High School's Principal and retired in 1983. In retirement, he has been active in the community; working with Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, United Way, the Community Action Agency, the Lord Cares Ministry, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, St. John's Heritage Foundation, and Billie Hardee Home for Boys. prgtoken His faith is the foundation of his life. He and his wife co-founded Comfort Ministries to offer Christian counseling and Bible study for the community. They also own two mobile home parks in Darlington County to support families in need of housing. St. James the Elder Theological Seminary of the Holy Catholic Church International awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 2012. prgtoken Dr. Greene is
HONORING THOSE WHO FOUGHT THE HONDA CANYON FIRE
Salud O. Carbajal (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , I want to honor those who served diligently to combat the Honda Canyon Fire that occurred on Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on December 20, 1977 on its 44th Anniversary. prgtoken The Base, which at the time was known as Vandenberg Air Force Base, had strategic, scientific, and military significance to our military readiness and national security as the Western Space and Missile Center. prgtoken In persistently safeguarding the Base, four individuals lost their lives. These heroes include the Base Commander Col. Joseph G. Turner, the Base Fire Chief Billy J. Bell, the Base Assistant Fire Chief Eugene Cooper, and a heavy equipment operator, Clarence McCauley. prgtoken Furthermore, sixty-five active duty, government, civilian, and contract workers were injured when they were overrun by the Honda Canyon Fire. prgtoken Despite these losses, active duty, government, and contract workers-- augmented with local civilian fire fighting forces--continued to battle the flames to prevent the loss of vital military equipment, launch facilities, communications sites, and satellite test facilities. prgtoken These personnel encountered an additional seven fire overruns of their personnel and equipment. They rescued injured and burned personnel, then regrouped to modify their tactics and strategies before heroically continuing to fight until the fire was subdued. prgtoken Following this tragic fire, military commanders assessed their losses and their response to the fire, prepared a comprehensive mishap report, convened a planning group, and prepared an Operation Plan to address the findings of the mishap report. They enhanced training, firefighting capabilities, and support roles for all base operations groups to help manage similar events in the future. prgtoken Unfortunately, the efforts of all those who fought the Honda Canyon Fire--whether active duty or civilian--have never been recognized. prgtoken I want to acknowledge the loyalty, integrity, and resourcefulness of the active duty, government civilian, and contract workers who assisted in fighting this fire. I ask all members of the House of Representatives to recognize them for service to their country and specifically for their efforts to quell the historic Honda Canyon Fire and protect critical infrastructure at the Base, which is located in the California's 24th Congressional District and is an asset to the community and integral to our national security.
PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY ACT
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , the blatant and corrupt actions that we saw during the administration demand that Congress take action to prevent any future President or administration officials from committing these same abuses of power. prgtoken Our laws have to be equipped to protect the Office of the Presidency and hold anyone privileged enough to hold that office accountable for their actions. prgtoken The Protecting Our Democracy Act will prevent Presidential abuse, restore our system of checks and balances, strengthen accountability, and protect our elections. prgtoken I am proud that this package includes one of my pieces of legislation, the White House Open Data Act, which will make White House visitor logs and salary information easily accessible and available to the public. The Presidency demands integrity and transparency. The Protecting Our Democracy Act gives us the tools to defend and protect our democracy; our most sacred responsibility. prgtoken Madam , I thank Chairman Schiff for his leadership, and I thank Chairwoman Maloney. Let's all stand up today, vote for democracy, protect the right to vote so that the world, when they watch this, knows that America remains committed and renews today its commitment to a great democracy.
GROUND-BASED AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Sharice Davids (Democrat, KS) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , I rise today to engage with my colleague, Representative Rick Larsen, the Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation. prgtoken I thank Representative Larsen for his hard work to ensure that aviation priorities were included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. I am concerned about the many ground-based air traffic management systems that are now operating well beyond their planned service life. This includes the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) network of more than 2,700 navigation and landing systems located at more than 1,500 sites in all 50 states. For the last 20 years, the FAA has been systematically dedicated to the implementation of NextGen to enable more efficient flight operations in the National Airspace System. During this period, investment has shifted away from legacy ground-based air traffic control infrastructure. It is important for us all to recognize that aging electronic systems cannot be sustained indefinitely. I am concerned that accelerating rates of component failures combined with parts obsolescence creates a risk of field failures that would threaten aviation safety and the flying public. prgtoken I am pleased that Division J, Title VIII of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $5 billion over 5 years for the FAA's Facilities and Equipment account. Included in this amount is funding to address investment and modernization shortfalls in ground-based aviation infrastructure, including landing and navigational aids. These systems are critical to maintaining safety in the national airspace and providing operational resiliency. prgtoken Representative Larsen, I am glad that the bill reflects our shared priorities of providing more funding to the FAA's Facilities and Equipment budget and I want to be certain that a proportionate amount is spent on modernization of crucial infrastructure, such as lighting and landing systems. Is it your understanding that this is consistent with the intent of the committee? Can we continue to work to ensure that the U.S. Department of Transportation's 2022 spend plan reflects these congressional priorities?
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-12-9

the Senate will soon vote on President 's nomination of my neighbor and fellow Oregonian, Jennifer Sung, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. prgtoken I guess I ought to save everybody some suspense. I am proud to support her nomination, and I just want to take a few minutes to talk about why she deserves the support of all Senators. prgtoken First, with respect to her qualifications, Ms. Sung is a graduate of Oberlin College and Yale Law School. As a student, she volunteered to represent low-income patients at a local hospital. As a legal fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, she fought on behalf of workers who toiled in poor conditions for little pay. In private practice, she defended the rights of all people in our country to work in safe and fair conditions, to get the healthcare they need, and to freely exercise their constitutional rights. prgtoken Currently, Ms. Sung serves as a member of Oregon's Employment Relations Board. That is the board that adjudicates disputes over labor practices and employment law. She has decided more than 200 cases in that role. She has proven her impartiality, which I think we all understand is fundamental to what we need in a justice. And she has certainly shown her diligence and her commitment to justice. Her qualifications, in my view, simply cannot be questioned. prgtoken Second, I have had the chance to get to know Ms. Sung personally since her nomination, and what struck me is we both have a family story that is only possible here in our great country. Members of her family fled political persecution and violence in China in the 1940s--the Wydens fled the terror or Nazis just a few years earlier--and they barely spoke any English when they arrived here in their new home. prgtoken Our country provided safety and opportunity for my family and for Ms. Sung's family. And I have always found that so many who have that family story take a special interest in protecting the rights and the freedoms Americans enjoy. That has been a hallmark of Ms. Sung's legal career, and it is something, in my view, that all Senators ought to support. prgtoken So I am proud to describe my Southeast Portland neighbor, Jennifer Sung, as a talented, committed individual who will be a great asset on the bench. She is going to be a superb judge. prgtoken I urge all my colleagues to support Jennifer Sung when we vote soon on President 's nomination, Oregonian Jennifer Sung, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. prgtoken . prgtoken .
RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF MAISHA FIELDS, JESSICA PRICE, ANDREA HERBERT, AND KELLY OSUNA
Jason Crow (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , I rise today to recognize a group of volunteers led by Maisha Fields, Jessica Price, Andrea Herbert, and Kelly Osuna for their work providing equitable access to the lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine. prgtoken The devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been felt in every corner of our community. Unfortunately, underserved communities have borne the brunt of the pandemic--with racial and ethnic minority groups contracting and dying from COVID-19 at a much higher rate due to discriminatory healthcare practices, lack of healthcare access, disproportionate representation in front-line occupations, and unfair and crowded housing conditions. prgtoken As the COVID-19 vaccine finally began its rollout, many breathed a sigh of relief as a return to normalcy seemed within view. However, community leaders like Maisha, Jessica, Andrea, and Kelly--who had seen first-hand the effects of inequity in our pandemic response--knew vaccine accessibility would not only face similar challenges reaching marginalized groups but would ultimately hamper our recovery and cost even more lives. prgtoken These four incredible women jumped into action and created a system of equitable vaccine clinics that operated throughout underserved communities in Arapahoe and Adams Counties. Their efforts included extensive collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, finding and securing accessible venues, and recruiting volunteers to work at the clinics as translators, organizers, and vaccine administrators. Despite working full-time, this group of women went on to hold over 150 equity vaccine clinics throughout our community--culminating in more than 50,000 people receiving life-saving vaccines. prgtoken Time and time again, it is community leaders like Maisha, Jessica, Andrea, Kelly, and their devoted group of volunteers who give me hope we can overcome any challenges that are thrown our way. I am honored to recognize this group of volunteers led by these four women and I thank them for their work putting our community on a path towards a more equitable and safe place to call home.
SEA ISLE CITY BEACH PATROL
Jefferson Van Drew (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , in October, I had the opportunity to attend the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol Annual Hall of Fame Induction. The Sea Isle Beach Patrol was officially formed in 1919 to protect the beachgoers who vacationed in the popular resort town. It started as just two lifeguards and three volunteers and has now grown into a large group. At the induction I attended, Robert Herzog, Bill Feaster, Jr Jim Guntle, Jordy Troyan, Danny Rodgers, and Pat Scannapieco were inducted into the Beach Patrol Hall of Fame. Robert has been a part of Sea Isle Beach Patrol for 8 years and was also the mascot for multiple Sea Isle City Beach Patrol prgtoken surf bash competitors. Bill has been a part of Sea Isle Beach Patrol since 1980 and was a top 3 finisher multiple years in Sea Isle City Beach Patrol singles. Jim won the Avalon Beach 6-mile run and was also voted by beach patrol members to be the first President of the Sea Isle Beach Patrol lifeguards. Jordy was a full-time lifeguard from 2003 to 2010 and represented Sea Isle Beach Patrol on the Surf Dash Team, Swim Events, and Paddle board events. Danny won the singles row for the Sea Isle Beach Patrol for the first time in its history. Lastly, Pat has been a rowing legend on the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol for many years and has won the title of ``the most winningest doubles oarsman'' in the history of the Sea Isle Beach Patrol. These individuals should all be proud of their accomplishments and service to South Jersey, and it was my honor to watch them be inducted into the Hall of Fame. God Bless the Sea Isle Beach Patrol, and God Bless America.
PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY ACT
Dan Bishop (Republican, NC) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for yielding. prgtoken I was just sitting on the floor and it occurred to me, as I listened to the debate, that the point just has to be made that the majority is so obsessed with that they will run roughshod over the Constitution to continue to try to persecute him. prgtoken Do they not see that they twice-impeached him and the court of impeachment twice acquitted him? prgtoken Do they defer to the decision of our constitutional process in terms of what was just characterized that the President did? Or do they stubbornly override that and continue to pursue him endlessly, despite what our processes and constitutional provisions require and provide for? prgtoken What about the provision requiring Presidents, who the Constitution specifies the qualifications for office, that they be required to submit private tax returns in order to pursue that office? Perhaps, if you'd like it, if it is a tradition to do so, for you to impose it by law means you disregard the Constitution of the United States. prgtoken To what end will you go? To what end will you go to prevail?
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2021-12-9

I want to--before Senator Blumenthal departs--thank him so much for bringing this to my attention. And it came from his constituent--the idea--Sid Goodfriend, who has truly been a good friend to this cause. prgtoken And Senator Blumenthal I find to be always willing to work with you where he can. And the fact that he has a son who served as a Marine infantry officer and a son who is a Navy SEAL speaks volumes to his family. And to those two young men, who served at the highest level in the military, thank you very much. prgtoken Mr. Goodfriend came to us with the idea of what can we do to not let America forget. Afghanistan is hell on Earth right now. Twenty-three million people are virtually starving to death. ISIS is at war with the Taliban. Al-Qaida is growing in influence. And people inside of Afghanistan are living a miserable life. Those who helped us are being hunted down. Special operations commandos are now having to choose between joining ISIS or dying. prgtoken And the point here is not to focus on how we got here. I have got my views; Senator Blumenthal has his. We have agreed, when it comes to going forward, we have to be together. And there is plenty of blame to go around, so we don't need to beat on one group versus the other right now. What we need to focus on is what is next. prgtoken And Senator Blumenthal's legislation that I joined with to create a plan, an evacuation czar, is the bare minimum we need to be doing. Out of prgtoken sight, out of mind does not work in this environment. ``Honor our commitment'' is a phrase we use to describe what we are trying to achieve. You can't fight these wars by yourself. If America has to go it alone in the war on terror, it is going to be a very dark period for the United States. prgtoken The goal is to get people in the faith, in the region, to fight back against the radical Islamic movement that would take the whole world into darkness. And the good news is, for 20-something years, people fought. The Afghans died in large numbers in the last 5 years. I don't think we lost a soldier in 18 months. God bless the fallen and God bless the injured, but to say that the Afghans weren't fighting is just a dishonor to those who fell. prgtoken And now we are out, and we have left behind people who had a choice between standing up to the Taliban and ISIS and al-Qaida and siding with us. They chose us, and now we are gone. We cannot forget them. prgtoken I promise you, how we handle the next year or two in Afghanistan will determine what kind of a national security future America has. People are testing us all over the world right now. prgtoken I would like to work with Senator Blumenthal and others when it comes to Ukraine. I want to introduce sanctions with a national security waiver that would allow President to sanction the hell out of Russia based on the military buildup that threatens Ukraine, not the actual invasion; to give him tools wher
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DAVID PANKO
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , I rise today to recognize an ordinary citizen of Patton Township in Centre County, David Panko. prgtoken For the past 22 years, David served as president of the Patton Township Business Association. In his role as president, he built lasting relationships between the association, the community, and the Patton Township Police. prgtoken In 2002, David worked to establish the Patton Township Children's Safety Fair, a community event focused on building trust between residents and their police officers, firefighters, and EMS responders in Centre County. prgtoken David will be remembered as a leader who worked to make his community a better place. He rebuilt the organization into a group full of gracious and welcoming members. prgtoken Through David's leadership, the Patton Township Business Association has prgtoken continued to advance the commercial, industrial, and civic interests for the people of Patton Township. prgtoken I have had the privilege of working closely with David and the Patton Township Business Association as they advocated on behalf of small businesses in Patton Township and the Centre County region. prgtoken I thank David for his years of leadership and service to the organization, Patton Township, and Centre County. His contributions cannot be overstated, and his legacy will be remembered for years to come.