mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Cedric L. Richmond (Democrat, LA) \u2014 2019-3-8

I thank both the majority leader and the minority whip for yielding me time. prgtoken Today is a great day, but it is also a sad day for me. I am losing my chief of staff, the only one that I have had since I have been here, Virgil Miller, who, the funny story is, John Dingell made the reference for me to hire him. prgtoken The one thing I appreciate now is that when I called John Dingell for a recommendation, he was on the House floor, but told his staff, ``No matter where I am, pull me off so I can talk about how great Virgil Miller is.'' prgtoken Some of you may have seen the news, but Virgil proposed. More importantly, Kirby said yes. So he is getting married and starting another chapter of his life. prgtoken It was great to have him here in this body, and I hope for him the best. He is not only my chief, but he has come to be part of our family and like a younger brother to me. I just want to wish him the best as he goes off to start a more exciting part of his life and wish him the best. prgtoken , I thank the majority leader for allowing me to say a few words.
SPECIAL INTERESTS AND BIG MONEY IN POLITICS
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-3-8

I rise today to celebrate the historic vote the House took to strengthen our democracy. The For the People Act will help combat corruption and bring ethics and accountability back to our political process. prgtoken I am particularly happy that the legislative changes of the Let It Go Act will be part of this bold piece of progressive legislation. prgtoken Currently, no laws exist that limit how long candidates or former government officials can hold on to their campaign funds after their campaign ends or following the conclusion of their public service. It is not their money. They should let it go. prgtoken Limits to how long surplus funds can remain in campaign accounts and how that money can be utilized must be established. With the inclusion of my amendment, this legislation will do just that. prgtoken For far too long, powerful special interests and big money in politics have silenced the voices of the American people. H.R. 1 will help shift the balance of power from a wealthy, powerful few back to the American people. Today I cast an enthusiastic vote, a ``yes'' vote For the People.
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2019
Zoe Lofgren (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam Chair, for 8 years, this Chamber has been silent, a silence that harms people. We have allowed measures to reduce people's access to vote, measures that caused the Fourth Circuit to find that African American voters were targeted with surgical precision, measures that excluded voters on Indian reservations and that wrongfully tried to remove 95,000 naturalized Texans from the rolls. prgtoken Today that silence ends. This bill is not for its own sake. A Member of the U.S. Senate said that H.R. 1 is a power grab. He is right. It grabs power away from the special interests, the elites, and the 1 percent and gives it to the American people. prgtoken I tell you plainly what it does: automatic voter registration to allow 50 million eligible citizens to vote, prohibits deceptive practices, increases access to polls for voters with disabilities, helps States replace outdated voting machines, and requires disclosure of dark money donors, not limiting their speech but simply asking them to stand by it. These reforms aren't difficult, but they will require courage to make. prgtoken Mr. Frederick Douglass saw what our democracy was and what our democracy could be and said: ``Where all is plain there is nothing to be argued.'' prgtoken For that reason, I do not argue. But I look forward to joining and doing the will of the people and supporting this bill. prgtoken , Madam Chair. Announcement by the Acting Chair
COMMEMORATING 54TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLOODY SUNDAY, TURNAROUND TUESDAY, AND THE FINAL MARCH FROM SELMA TO MONTGOMERY
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , fifty-four years ago, in Selma, Alabama, hundreds of heroic souls risked their lives for freedom and to secure the right to vote for all Americans by their participation in marches for voting rights on ``Bloody Sunday,'' ``Turnaround Tuesday,'' or the final, completed march--from Selma to Montgomery. prgtoken Those ``foot soldiers'' of Selma, brave and determined men and women, boys and girls, persons of all races and creeds, loved their country so much that they were willing to risk their lives to make it better, to bring it even closer to its founding ideals. prgtoken The foot soldiers marched because they believed that all persons have dignity and the right to equal treatment under the law, and in the making of the laws, which is the fundamental essence of the right to vote. prgtoken On March 15, 1965, before a joint session of the Congress and the eyes of the nation, President Lyndon Johnson explained to the nation the significance of ``Bloody Sunday'': I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy. . . . At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama. prgtoken The previous Sunday, March 7, 1965, more than 600 civil rights demonstrators, including our beloved colleague, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, were brutally attacked by state and local police at the Edmund Pettus Bridge as they marched from Selma to Montgomery in support of the right to vote. ``Bloody Sunday'' was a defining moment in American history because it crystallized for the nation the necessity of enacting a strong and effective federal law to protect the right to vote of every American. prgtoken No one who witnessed the violence and brutally suffered by the foot soldiers for justice who gathered at the Edmund Pettus Bridge will ever forget it; the images are deeply seared in the American memory and experience. prgtoken Madam , what is so moving, heroic, and awe-inspiring is that the foot soldiers of Selma faced their heavily armed adversaries fortified only by their love for their country and for each other and their audacious faith in a righteous cause. prgtoken The example set by the foot soldiers of Selma showed everyone, here in America and around the world, that there is no force on earth as powerful as an idea whose time has come. prgtoken These great but nameless persons won the Battle of Selma and helped redeem the greatest nation on earth. prgtoken But we should not forget that the victory came at great cost and that many good and dear persons lost their lives to win for others the right to vote. prgtoken Men like Jimmy Lee Jackson, who was shot by a Alabama state trooper as he tried to protect his mother and grandmother from being beaten for participating in
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2019
John Lewis (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , I believe in the way of peace, in the way of love. I believe in the philosophy and the discipline of nonviolence. prgtoken Can we come together and support a simple piece of legislation to open up the political process and let all of our people come in? prgtoken I ask you to remember what I said a few moments ago. With this vote, we have an opportunity to be a headlight and not a taillight. prgtoken Some of our colleagues are complaining that we didn't have enough time. We have the time. This piece of legislation was introduced more than 7 years ago, and the other party didn't do anything. prgtoken We are prepared to act. We are prepared to open up the political process and let all of the people come in. It is the right thing to do. It is a good thing to do, to set our country on a path, a path that can be a model for the rest of the world.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-3-8

. I thank the gentleman for his question. I want to put it in context. prgtoken For the first time in history, we started this Congress with a government shutdown. For the first time in history. The business was not completed, the government was not fully funded, and it was necessary for us, as we began this session, to have numerous votes to open up the government. We didn't get a lot of help from your side of the aisle on doing that, and it was not about a debate; we had considered six bills that essentially had been agreed to. There was clearly a disagreement on Homeland Security. prgtoken But let me remind you, on H.R. 1, the largest bill that we considered during the last Congress, you brought that to the floor and you had no committee hearings. Not a single committee hearing. You had no witnesses. No member of the public was able to testify. It was a closed rule, and zero amendments were made in order. prgtoken Now, let me make a comparison for you on H.R. 1, the bill we just passed. This bill had five hearings across several committees, 19 witnesses testified, the primary committee of jurisdiction had markup, and 72 amendments were made in order. prgtoken Now, H.R. 1, last Congress, zero ic amendments made in order. Now of course there were no amendments made in order either because it was a closed rule, no amendments at all, no hearings, no committee hearings, no witnesses. prgtoken So that we have, as we said we would, had a process, opportunity for the public to testify, opportunity for amendments to be made in order. I forget exactly how many amendments you said, amendments, but that is, whatever that number was, whether it was 10 or 15 or 25 or 35, more than we had in order. prgtoken As the gentleman knows, the last Congress was the most closed Congress in history. In history. We did not see a single open rule, not one under Ryan, not one. I am committed to ensuring, however, that we have a limited amount of closed rules. prgtoken Again, the gentleman is correct, the government was shut down and we had rules that we put forward to get the government open. It was not an amendment to say partially open this. It was, let's get it open. prgtoken So that my answer to the gentleman is we said what we were going to do on bills. We had 72 amendments on this bill. The proportion of amendments, the gentleman's concerned about, certainly want to make sure that we have substantive amendments considered from both sides of the aisle; that was done here. The gentleman thinks not enough, but as I said, it was, as opposed to zero, a substantial increase.
IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 1
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , I rise today proud of the passage of H.R. 1--the 'For the People Act.' H.R. 1 not only restores faith back into our elections; it's a promise that House will deliver to the American public. prgtoken Despite what Mitch McConnell says, H.R. 1 is not a ``power grab.'' It's a plan to restore public confidence back into our electoral system. It says, in our democracy, everyone's voice and vote must count. So again--let's recap all the good H.R. 1 will do: it will increase access to the ballot box, end gerrymandering, create automatic voter registration; limit the power of restrictive voter ID laws, and make critical investments in election infrastructure and technology. prgtoken We all know s have intentionally rigged our system of free and fair elections in their favor. governors and state legislatures across the country have suppressed voting among: communities of color; poor people; seniors; and people with disabilities, using targeted, racist voting laws. prgtoken The right to vote, our most basic democratic right, is under siege. But today, with the passage of H.R. 1, we say enough is enough. We're putting an end to the culture of voter intimidation. We are giving power back to the people.
CONGRATULATING THE McFARLAND HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM
TJ Cox (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate the McFarland High School girls basketball team. Undefeated in regular season Division IV play, our girls were moved up to Division III for State. Undaunted, the team's motto is ``relentless,'' and that is what they have been. prgtoken On Tuesday night, our girls brought home the school's first Southern California Regional Championship. They are a textbook example of what can be accomplished through hard work, practice, and teamwork. prgtoken Led by coaches Johnny Samaniego and Gino Barajas, the girls: Lucia Barajas, Heiry Bojorquez, Neli Diaz, Angelica Gonzalez, Emily Gonzalez, Julie Hernandez, Adilene Lopez, Shania Perry, Lucia Rocha, Kathy Rodriguez, and Pilar Samaniego are now playing Oakland High School, represented by my friend and colleague, Barbara Lee, in tonight's State Championship game. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in sending them the best of luck. We are so proud of our girls and their families. prgtoken Go Cougars.
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2019
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 1--The For The People Act of 2019. This once in a generation legislation will increase access to the ballot box, end gerrymandering, and limit the influence of big money in politics. This essentially is a down payment on a promise to the American public to create tangible voting reform, to eliminate discriminatory voting laws, and to make critical investments in election infrastructure and technology. prgtoken Voting is an integral part of our democracy, as elections are the method in which America chooses its elected officials and what it desires from its government. We are currently enduring a time in which the right to vote is increasingly under siege. Decision makers across the country have worked to suppress voting in communities of color, and among poor people, seniors, and people with disabilities using targeted, racist voting laws. They have intentionally rigged our system of free and fair elections in their favor. prgtoken In my home state of Texas, strict identification laws that largely penalize African-American, Hispanic and Native American voters have been enacted. Texas even went so far as imposing voter ID requirements and restrictions on college students, a prominent voting bloc in local and national elections. Closed and changed polling locations, inoperable voting machines, and unavailable translators in immigrant- heavy communities have also contributed to voter confusion. prgtoken Needless to say, we need to counter this culture of voter intimidation. Simultaneously, we must also invest in technological advancements and repeal discriminatory voting laws. In order to do this, we must restore public confidence that everyone's vote and voice counts. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2019
Jared F. Golden (Democrat, ME) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam Chair, before I talk about my amendment, I would first like to thank Congressman Sarbanes for his work on this bill. prgtoken H.R. 1 is a comprehensive, good government bill that goes a long way in wresting power away from elites who abuse our political system for narrow self-interests. This legislation would return power where it belongs: in the hands of working people. prgtoken As long as corporations and mega-donors finance campaigns, well- connected insiders will continue to call the shots. prgtoken Mainers have seen firsthand what can happen when the power is returned to the people. In 1996, our State's voters passed a referendum establishing the Maine Clean Elections Act. prgtoken By collecting small donations from people in their communities, Maine candidates refuse the donations of lobbyists and the well-heeled, and concentrate instead on face-to-face conversations with their neighbors. This empowers a community to choose a representative in a battle of ideas instead of a battle of bank accounts. prgtoken Maine's clean election reforms have been supported and used by candidates of all parties in my State prgtoken ic, Green Party, and independent candidates have used our clean election system. prgtoken In fact, in 2018, a candidate for Governor used the system because he understood that it was going to free him up to spend his time going door to door and talking to the very people who he wanted to represent as Governor of the State of Maine. prgtoken Today, we have the opportunity to follow Maine's lead and bring needed reform to the rest of the country. prgtoken H.R. 1 allows candidates to refuse donations from mega-donors by implementing a matching system for small-dollar donations from everyday people. prgtoken As we have seen in Maine, candidates who use this system are good stewards of the funds they receive. But as with any system, there is potential for bad actors, and it is important that they be held accountable. prgtoken My amendment to H.R. 1 ensures that any bad actors are cut off from the matching system and sets high standards for participation. The legislation bars a candidate from using matching funds if the FEC assesses three or more civil penalties against a candidate for violating election laws. prgtoken More importantly, if a candidate willfully, knowingly violates the law, my amendment permanently bars them from the program. prgtoken Finally, my provision reaffirms that egregious violations of campaign finance laws should result in imprisonment of up to 1 to 5 years. prgtoken With H.R. 1 and my amendment, we are creating an accountable election system. prgtoken The funds for the matching program, as was just discussed, come from bad corporate actors. These are fines, penalties, and settlements from corporate malfeasance, tax crimes, and other breaches of the public trust. That money can be used to ensure that everyday people who don't have a network of deep mo
HONORING STEVE SANDERS
Kevin Brady (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , today I rise to honor Steve Sanders of The Woodlands, Texas in recognition of his dedication and service to our community and the State of Texas. prgtoken This marks the 25th year that Steve has worked with The Woodlands Chamber of Commerce. In this capacity, Steve has labored tirelessly to promote the local businesses of The Woodlands and developed leadership projects within the community. prgtoken In addition to his distinguished service to the Chamber of Commerce, Steve has dedicated his life to the well-being of others through his work as a healthcare professional. For 32 years, Steve worked with the Memorial Hermann Health System (MHHS) to strengthen the medical community's commitment to and treatment of patients. 20 of those years were spent serving as CEO of the Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, where he was recognized for his exceptional leadership in generating grassroots activity and was presented the Grassroots Champion Award for Texas. prgtoken Steve has also served on several non-profit boards in our community and has spearheaded many successful charity events. In recognition of his efforts, Steve has been the recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award, the Martin Luther King Drum Major Award, the Home Town Hero of The Woodlands Award, and the Interfaith of The Woodlands Service of Excellence Award for Health--all prestigious and distinguished honors that demonstrate his commitment to his community. prgtoken During his years spent in the medical field, Steve developed a deep understanding of the challenges faced by cancer survivors--both in our community and across the nation. This inspired him to cultivate ``The Canopy'', the foremost cancer survivorship center in the Houston area. This development offers a wide variety of programs and services designed specifically for cancer survivors and their families to address their emotional, physical, and social needs. The Canopy is a revolutionary, innovative center that offers free services to those in need while educating the public on the signs of cancer and how to reduce its risks--all of this simply would not have been possible without Steve's passion, vision, and guidance. prgtoken Steve Sanders is someone The Woodlands is incredibly proud to call one of our own. Though his career has been a long and successful one, what I most admire in Steve is his deep passion for helping others and empowering those in and around any community with whom he is associated. On behalf of the Eighth Congressional District of Texas, I want to thank Steve for all he does for our community and for our country.
COMMEMORATING THE TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST STEUBEN COUNTY FAIR
Tom Reed (Republican, NY) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , I rise today to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the first Steuben County Fair. prgtoken In Steuben County we are proud of our farmers and the hard work they do. The Steuben County Fair is a celebration of that hard work and an opportunity for friends and neighbors to come together to join in the festivities. prgtoken The County Agricultural Society held their first ever countywide fair in 1819. This would be the first of many festivals that would come to be known as the Steuben County Fair. The creation of the new Steuben County Agricultural Society in 1853 led to the establishment of an annual county fair. The following year marked the first time the fair was held at its current site and by 1862 the Agricultural Society had purchased the fairgrounds to ensure the longevity and continuity of the event. As the years have gone by, the fairgrounds have added fair houses, grandstands, a Judges Hall, and even a pioneer log cabin--each addition enhancing the experience for visitors and participants of the fair. prgtoken The Steuben County Fair holds a special place in my heart. I have many fond memories of going to the fair with my mother and eleven older siblings as we grew up in Corning and I'm glad to share this tradition with my son and daughter today. Everyone in our family has a part of the fair they like best, but the famous demolition derby has always been my favorite event and I make sure not to miss it. prgtoken Two hundred years of community tradition is certainly a cause for celebration. I congratulate the Steuben County Agricultural Society on this impressive milestone and look forward to many more fairs in the years to come. prgtoken Given the above, I ask that this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations and join me to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the Steuben County Fair.
HONORING SENATOR LOUIS PATE
David Rouzer (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-3-8

Senator Louis Pate, of Mount Olive, North Carolina, recently retired from the North Carolina General Assembly after more than 16 years of serving the great people of eastern North Carolina. I had the pleasure and honor to serve with Louis in the North Carolina Senate. We shared representation of Wayne County, and I can attest to what a great member he was. prgtoken Senator Pate is known across the State for his leadership, compassion, and commitment to public service. He is a Vietnam war combat veteran, having served 20 years in the United States Air Force earning multiple service medals for his bravery while defending our country. His commitment to advocating for those who serve our country was a top priority during his time in public office, and I know he has been honored to represent the fine men and women serving at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina. prgtoken During his tenure in the State senate, Louis spent much of his time working to implement policy to strengthen and improve access to quality healthcare, including major reforms to Medicaid so the program would better meet the needs of those for whom it was designed to help. prgtoken Senator Pate's legacy as a statesman, mentor, and friend to many will continue to impact all those who cross his path. I wish him and his family many blessed days ahead.