mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--Continued
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-6-25

the Senate was prepared yesterday to answer the call of millions of Americans to take action on police reform. The senseless and tragic death of Houston native George Floyd galvanized people of all races and ethnicities to speak out against the injustices that persist in our criminal justice system and to demand action. We tried to take that responsibility seriously. prgtoken Senator Tim Scott, our colleague from South Carolina, led the effort to draft a bill that would improve policing practices around the country. That bill, the JUSTICE Act, addressed choke holds and no-knock warrants--two practices which have, for good reason, been brought into question by recent events. This legislation would have ensured that the best trained officers on our police forces would be using body cameras--reporting critical data--and being held accountable for crossing redlines. prgtoken We thought our colleagues across the aisle would have taken this matter seriously as well. They drafted their own version of a reform bill. While there were differences between the two proposals, there was a lot of overlap. In fact, there was more these two bills had in common than was different. Both bills, for example, focused on training, transparency, and accountability. prgtoken I had hoped that would have meant that we would have been in a good place when it came to trying to reconcile the remaining differences. After all, the ic leader had been urging the majority leader to put a police reform bill on the floor by July 4, and that is exactly what we did. Leader McConnell made clear that this would be an open debate and that there would be amendments and an opportunity for our ic colleagues to work with us in order to make the bill better. Ultimately, if they had decided to get on the bill, as the Presiding Officer knows, there would have been 60-vote thresholds on the back end that would have given them leverage to have made sure that the debate would have been fulsome and fair. But that simply wasn't enough for our friends across the aisle. prgtoken When it came time to take a purely procedural vote to begin debate, they blocked it. They refused to engage in any meaningful or productive way. prgtoken So after promising the American people that they were going to act to reform America's police departments, they were given the opportunity, but they broke their promise. prgtoken As Senator Scott said yesterday, it wasn't what was being offered but who offered it. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle find themselves too politically conflicted to work on a bipartisan basis to enact meaningful reforms, so they have chosen to take the low road of obstruction. They have shown they can't be bothered to pass a bill that would help families like the Floyds who have lost their loved ones in a senseless and completely preventable way. They proved yesterday that this was a purely political calculation--ver
TRIBUTE TO JEFF FOX
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2020-6-25

along with my colleagues Senator Mike Crapo and Representative Mike Simpson, I congratulate College of Southern Idaho, CSI, president Jeff Fox on his well-deserved retirement. prgtoken At age 10, just as CSI was gearing up to offer its very first classes in the fall semester of 1965, Dr. Fox's grandfather took him to the farm fields where the new local college was being built. Twenty-two years later, Dr. Fox returned to the College of Southern Idaho to begin his career in education. prgtoken For 33 years, Dr. Fox has dedicated his life to educating and developing the citizens and the communities of South-Central Idaho. He first came to CSI as an English professor, spending 15 years in the classroom helping his students learn and grow. His talent and skill eventually led him to accept positions in the college's administration, serving as the director of the Academic Development Center, chairman of the English Department, and executive vice president and chief academic officer. prgtoken In 2014, Dr. Fox was selected to serve as the fourth president of CSI. During his tenure, he oversaw a rapid expansion of the campus and community, introducing new training programs and academic offerings to better equip students to thrive after graduation. Among his many accomplishments, he was instrumental in the dedication and administration of the Applied Technology and Innovation Center that houses CSI's workforce development and custom training programs for businesses and industries. prgtoken Today, CSI is known throughout South-Central Idaho for its outstanding nursing, agriculture, business, and workforce development programs, and its passion for equipping students with the tools needed to build a successful career and life. The students and faculty at CSI have been fortunate to prosper under Dr. Fox's skilled and steady leadership, and there is no question he has left an indelible mark on the CSI campus and the Magic Valley community at large. prgtoken President Fox, congratulations on your outstanding career. You make our great State proud, and we wish you all the best in your retirement and future endeavors.
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020
Richard Hudson (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-6-25

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time and for his tremendous work on this issue. prgtoken Madam , I am disappointed. I am disappointed by the fact that we had an opportunity today to make real bipartisan and meaningful reform. Yet, that is not the bill that is before us today. prgtoken I am disappointed the leadership seems more interested in passing a bill through the House than having actual solutions signed into law. prgtoken And I am disappointed the bill before us today punishes good police officers. prgtoken Madam , this is very personal to me. One month ago, my community lost one of our own. George Floyd was born in Fayetteville, and members of his family still live in our community. I was honored to be asked to speak at his memorial service, where I promised his family and our community that I would work to create real and meaningful reform. prgtoken After listening to many leaders in our community, as well as talking to many here in Congress, it became clear that there is a lot that and agree on: We agree on banning chokeholds, increasing police accountability, and information-sharing, improving training, reforming no-knock warrants, and increasing the use of body cameras. prgtoken The reality of our divided government is that for any legislation to become law, it has to pass the -controlled House, the -controlled Senate, and be signed by the President. The introduced this legislation with no input from s. It jammed it through the committee without accepting any constructive input or amendments. prgtoken Now, many amendments would have strengthened this bill-- like increasing the penalty for lynching and blocking unions from protecting bad cops. This bill also removes qualified immunity for police officers. That means any police officer can be dragged into civil court by any disgruntled person they ever come in contact with. prgtoken Madam , we all agree bad cops shouldn't be able to hide behind qualified immunity. Representative Ben Cline and I introduced an amendment that would have earned the support of a majority of this House and would have solved this problem, but the wouldn't allow it. Now, why would they do that? prgtoken Madam , my colleagues across the aisle may have the votes to pass this measure in the House, but this legislation is already dead on arrival in the Senate, and the President would never sign it. prgtoken They would say to the families who mourn the loss of life, they would say to the people who march for justice, that 100 percent of nothing is better than 80 percent of what they propose in this bill. They want you to believe the failure to get real reform is the thought of the s when they have shut us out of the process, and they blocked us from having an open debate in the Senate. prgtoken Wake up, America. The in Congress hope you aren't sm
H. Res. 1017
Debbie Lesko (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2020-6-25

all of us--all of us--believe what happened to George Floyd was horrible, and justice must be served. prgtoken Bad cops that do bad things must be held accountable. I have listened to Blacks who have been discriminated against, and I believe discrimination is real. prgtoken Congressman Hastings yesterday, in the Rules Committee, shared with us things that had happened to him, things that happened to people he knew, and it was horrible. We can't let those types of things continue in our society. prgtoken But I also know that the vast majority of law enforcement officers are good people, good people doing good things, helping people in the community, and protecting our communities. prgtoken That is why I think it is really important that we address the problems we are having in our Nation in a bipartisan fashion, because this is so important. America needs to heal. prgtoken Unfortunately, the bill before us today, part of the rule and the policing bill, was not negotiated with s. So there are portions of the bill that I support, that other s support, and that I believe President would support and sign into law. But there are other portions of the bill that I cannot vote for, nor can other s. prgtoken The reason is because I have spoken to a wide variety of law enforcement officers and police chiefs. They have all said that there are portions of this bill that would undermine their ability to do their job in protecting our communities. prgtoken I would like to read a portion of a letter that we received from the National Association of Police Organizations that oppose the underlying bill, H.R. 7120, in this rule. It says: Our most significant concerns include amending section 242 of title 18, United States Code, to lower the standard for mens rea, and the practical elimination of qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. Combined, these two provisions take away any legal protections for officers while making it easier to prosecute them for mistakes on the job, not just criminal acts. With the change to qualified immunity, an officer can go to prison for an unintentional act that unknowingly broke an unknown law. We believe in holding officers accountable for their actions, but the consequence of this would be making criminals out of decent cops enforcing the laws in good faith. prgtoken This organization represents 241,000 sworn law enforcement officers. prgtoken The other law enforcement officers I have spoken to, and chiefs, said they have problems with other portions of the bill. Specifically, the banning, outright banning, on chokeholds and carotid holds. prgtoken In Arizona, it is used as a last resort, a lethal force, and that is what is in the Senate bill. But in this bill, it outright bans it. The police officers have said: Don't take that option off the table because if you take that option off the ta
REMEMBERING BYRON MALLOTT
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2020-6-25

in the short history of Alaska as a State in our Union, there have been a handful of people--Bill Egan, Elizabeth Peratrovich, Jay Hammond, Wally Hickel, Ted Stevens--whose lives formed the fibers that wove Alaskans together. Another of those leaders passed recently. prgtoken Byron Mallott stands among the best of us. Born in the small town of Yakutat, AL, to the Kwaash Ke Kwaan clan of the Tlingit, in 1943 when Alaska was still a territory, he went on to an amazing life and career. His father was the long-time mayor of Yakutat, and when he died unexpectedly, Byron returned home from college, campaigned to take over the job, and won the election in 1965 at the age of 22. He then went on to serve the State's first Governor, Bill Egan, as the commissioner of the Department of Community and Regional Affairs. When Egan lost his reelection campaign, Byron went back home to Yakutat and served on the city council. In 1968, he ran for a seat in the State house, losing by only 23 votes. In 1969, U.S. Senator Mike Gravel hired Byron to work on his staff in Washington, DC, where he had a hand in drafting the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, the foundational legislation that continues to define our State and the relationship with Alaska Natives. prgtoken After ANCSA was signed into law, Byron spent 20 years working for Sealaska Corporation, 1 of 12 Native corporations which was created by the law. Sealaska is based in Juneau, and its shareholders are primarily Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. Over the course of his tenure with Sealaska, Byron was a director, chairman, and then spent a decade as president and CEO of the corporation. He helped fulfill the vision of ANCSA by supporting not just the economic vitality of the Native people in the region, but a cultural renaissance as well. prgtoken His additional business experience was extensive. Byron was a director of several commercial banking institutions, including 6 years on the Seattle Branch Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, multiple years as a director of the Alaska Air Group, and on the board of the National Alliance for Business. He also served as president of the Alaska Federation of Native, a brief stint as the mayor of the city and borough of Juneau, and executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation. prgtoken But Byron was far more than a summation of his resume, impressive though it was. He was a good man and a good friend. When I made the decision to run as a write-in candidate in 2010, I called to ask him to be the cochair of that campaign. His response was instant, ``Yes, absolutely.'' When I said I was making the announcement in an hour, he said, ``I'll be there.'' There was no hesitation, no concern that he was a lifelong , supporting a long-shot candidate. He exemplified in the best way Ted Stevens' philosophy: To hell with politics, do what is right for Alaska. With Byron'
POLICING IS STATE AND LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Jodey C. Arrington (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-6-26

. Madam , the vast majority of law enforcement across the country are good. They are competent. They are professional. And they serve with integrity. And when they don't, with the immense power they have over their fellow citizens, they must be held accountable, but that starts at the local level. prgtoken Policing is a State and local responsibility, not a Federal responsibility. When local leaders fail to do their job and citizens fail to hold them accountable, the system breaks down. You have incidences of abuse and, sometimes, cultures of corruption. prgtoken So what is the solution? It is not another top-down, one-size-fits- all from Washington, D.C. prgtoken We don't need to Federalize policing. We need to hold our local leaders accountable. We need to come alongside of them at all levels of government to make sure that we don't recycle the bad actors. So we get rid of them. And if we do, then the 1 percent won't take the 99 percent that are protecting and serving us and risking their lives to do so.
RECOGNIZING LINDA ROST OF BAKER
Greg Gianforte (Republican, MT) \u2014 2020-6-26

. Madam , Montana has some of the best, brightest, most innovative educators in our country, and our students are better for it. I rise today to honor one of the best, Linda Rost of Baker who's recognized for her dedication to students and for her outstanding accomplishments in education. prgtoken Linda loves rural living and that's why Baker is her perfect fit. She enjoys the culture and the pride people have living in a small community. She says, when there's crummy winter weather, everyone goes through it together, and the community grows stronger and closer. prgtoken Her extended family lives in nearby Willard. Linda feels a deep connection to the area. When a teacher is linked to her community that much, she can more easily relate to the kids and make a lasting difference in their lives. prgtoken While attending New Mexico State University, Linda started studying to be a scientist, but soon found the lab lonely and boring. She noticed she enjoyed tutoring and began taking education classes. That's when she realized where her passions lie and what she truly wanted to do. Fast forward to today, she earned two master's degrees in education from Montana State University, and is working on a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at Texas Tech University. prgtoken Linda teaches biology, AP biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and science research at Baker High School, the same high school her father went to. She says it's really exciting to see her students pick a research project they're passionate about, lead it to completion, and find themselves along the way. Many of Linda's students have competed in national and international science competitions. prgtoken Two recent graduates of Baker High School conducted innovative, cutting-edge research. One student studied breast cancer signs and tested novel drugs used on brain cancer. He conducted weekly Skype sessions with scientists and got good results. prgtoken Another student wanted to make a biodegradable wrap for hay bales. She produced a bioplastic for the bales out of algae--stronger than the usual wrap--and after two weeks, it degraded slowly while maintaining its strength. prgtoken Linda calls herself a ``guide,'' but she is so much more. Linda serves as an inspiration for her students. prgtoken Linda is the 2020 Montana Teacher of the Year, and she was one of four finalists for 2020 National Teacher of the Year, which is run by the Council of Chief State School Officers. prgtoken Teaching is Linda's passion, and Montana is better for it, Madam , for her commitment to education, her exceptional, engaging science instruction, and her lasting impact on students.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELATING TO ``BORROWER DEFENSE INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY''--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-6-26

such time as I may consume, and from Virginia for yielding me the time. prgtoken , I rise today in opposition of H.J. Res. 76, a resolution that would overturn the Education Department's effort to assist students who prgtoken have been defrauded by colleges and universities while also taking necessary precautions to protect taxpayer interests. prgtoken have resorted to political finger-pointing on this issue at every turn. First, Education and Labor Committee held a hearing at the end of last year to hurl unfounded and personal attacks at Secretary DeVos. Then they passed H.J. Res. 76 shortly after to overturn the Education Department's borrower defense rules; and now, after President has vetoed this resolution, the still can't take no for an answer and want to override the President's veto. prgtoken As we stand here today--yet again--to watch the ' political games unfold, I would like to begin by highlighting real priorities we are letting fall by the wayside as we waste time debating this partisan resolution. prgtoken For starters, we should be working on bipartisan solutions to combat the devastating effects of the coronavirus. We should be addressing the concerns of small businesses--the backbone of our economy--and the workers whose livelihoods are being impacted by this crisis. prgtoken Or we could address labor union shortcomings, including the widespread and brazen corruption amongst United Auto Worker, UAW, union leadership. We know the UAW senior union leaders engaged in money laundering, tax fraud, bribery, and embezzlement, yet no action has been taken to examine this abuse of power by union bosses. prgtoken Unfortunately, have a long track record of pursuing ideological objectives at the expense of taxpayers, students, and schools. Today is no different, so I would like to spend some time touching upon the advantages of the administration's new rule and providing context on the -era borrower defense rule and its many shortcomings. prgtoken The borrower defense rule was first released by the Education Department in 1994. Borrowers rarely used this process over the next 20 years, until 2015, when a large for-profit school closed. During the final stretch of his Presidency, the administration used this school closure as an opportunity to issue new regulations on borrower defense. prgtoken The caveat? A potential $42 billion price tag to be footed by taxpayers that encouraged tens of thousands of borrowers, whether they were harmed or not, to apply to have their loans forgiven. In fact, claim filings for loan forgiveness went from 59 submitted in the first 20 years to roughly 300,000 claims submitted in the last 5 years. prgtoken Let me repeat that. prgtoken For the first 20 years of the rule, there were 59 claims. Then the administration begins encouraging frivolous appeals, and the appeals
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2020-6-26

first of all, a little comment, maybe clearing things up. I will point out to everyone in the room that when we say the Pledge of Allegiance, the phrase ``to the Republic for which it stands'' is in the pledge. And I think we all remember the memorable comment of Benjamin Franklin at a time around when the Constitution was drafted. He talked about he was giving us ``a Republic, if we can keep it.'' prgtoken Now, at the time the Constitution was drafted, our forefathers did include a district, which would be the capital for the country. Our forefathers put together the United States and reached a compromise between the 13 States. They realized at the time it would be ridiculous to break apart a State and give it two Senators, like all of the other States. In part, that is because it is so different and has such a different interest in the States. prgtoken All of the States, the 50 States, to a variety of degree, have been given an amount of agriculture. There is virtually no agriculture-- maybe no agriculture--maybe somewhere there is a greenhouse or something in the District of Columbia. There is no manufacturing. There is no mining or logging. Or if there is, it is so tiny we can barely see it. prgtoken , it is a unique city because it is based on government jobs and tourist jobs connected to people coming and visiting those government buildings. It is not like any other State out there. If it were to become a State, its representatives would have spent all their time almost devoted to getting more money for the city. And already the Federal Government puts a great deal of money into the city. You couldn't complain that they do not have enough funds for their schools or their city. I believe their schools are somewhere in the top--if you considered it a State--somewhere in the top three or four in the country, as far as funding per person. prgtoken , it would make no sense, say, for Wisconsin to break off and give two Senators to Milwaukee and give two Senators to the rest of the State. Milwaukee is not a State.