mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Jim Banks (Republican, IN) \u2014 2019-6-24

here we go again. Another bloated spending deal that doesn't just bust the spending caps but spends more than ever before on this division. With a $22 trillion national debt, you would think my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would show a little restraint. prgtoken My friends on the other side of the aisle, who I have enormous respect for, including the chairman, are proposing to spend $137.1 billion in this division alone, which is $6 billion more than last year's enacted level. prgtoken , we simply can't continue to go down this path. While both parties have contributed to Washington's $22 trillion national debt, my colleagues are recklessly proposing to bust the budget caps, trigger sequestration, and continue to mortgage our children's future. At some point, we have got to do something to confront this town's spending addiction. prgtoken I acknowledge that reducing our national debt is a daunting challenge, and I am prepared to debate today how to best accomplish the goal of a balanced budget. But my friends on the other side of the aisle do not even want to have that discussion. prgtoken Hoosier families in my district have these tough talks every day around their kitchen table. Why can't Washington, D.C do the same? prgtoken With these spending packages threatening to bust the budget caps and initiate sequestration, there appears to be an indifference from my colleagues as to the severe harm that this poses to our national security. prgtoken I will not be silent about this, . This is my seventh time coming to this microphone offering the same amendment in the last couple of weeks alone. I am looking forward to having a substantive debate today about this particular amendment. prgtoken , .
REMEMBERING ROBIN DALE HOLBROOK
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-6-24

today I would like to remember the remarkable life and lasting impact of Robin Dale Holbrook, of Banner, KY, who passed away last month in a tragic accident. Robin, who was widely admired for his selfless compassion and unshakable integrity, dedicated his life to improving the health of his Floyd County community for nearly three decades. prgtoken Robin was the clinic director at the Eula Hall Healthcare Center in Mud Creek, where he made a difference in the lives of so many. I have had the privilege to visit this important center, in this rural Appalachian community, which provides comprehensive services to many Kentuckians who may not have access to other care. As both a physician's assistant and an administrator, Robin's coworkers remembered he didn't approach his work as a job, but rather a passion. Caring for the members of his community was a calling for Robin and a way to live out his Christian ministry. prgtoken The staff at the Eula Hall center intend to show respect for his memory by delivering the same level of care Robin gave to patients every single day. prgtoken On July 3, Robin's family, friends, and colleagues will celebrate his life at the clinic where he served his community. I would like to join them as they honor this impressive man and his decades of kindness and service to Floyd County. Elaine and I extend our condolences to Robin's wife, Angela, his family, and his many friends.
INCREASE FUNDING FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE ACTIVITIES
Ross Spano (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-6-24

I rise today to thank Ranking Member Diaz- Balart and Chairman Price for working together on the bipartisan en bloc package that passed the House this afternoon. That package included my amendment to increase funding for commercial space activities at the FAA by $8 million. prgtoken In Florida, and all over the country, we are seeing the commercial space industry continue to grow rapidly, and the launch frequency is only expected to increase. prgtoken The 5-year FAA reauthorization, which received strong, bipartisan support and was signed into law at the end of the 115th Congress, recognized the need to begin increasing funding for the Office of Commercial Space Transportation. My amendment increased funding to $33 million, the fiscal year 2019 authorized level. This will ensure the Office of Commercial Space Transportation has the resources necessary to facilitate increased commercial space launches and reentries.
WELCOMING CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION WINNER CINDY LAM
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-6-24

today, I welcome Cindy Lam to the Capitol. Cindy is the winner of Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District Congressional Art Competition. prgtoken The annual art competition organized by the Congressional Institute showcases the artwork of high school students from across every congressional district in the country. prgtoken Cindy just finished up her sophomore year at DuBois Area Senior High School earlier this month. Her artwork entitled ``Self'' is a prism- colored pencil drawing. prgtoken Cindy's artwork was selected, by an independent panel of judges, from 68 entries, which is one of the largest groups of students to participate in the 15th District's Congressional Art Competition. All the winning pieces will be displayed for the year in the Cannon tunnel, where they will be viewed by Members of Congress, staff, and many visitors of the Capitol every day. prgtoken Today, Cindy is participating in a reception where she and fellow winners from across the country will be honored for their talented work. prgtoken , I congratulate Cindy and all the students who participated in the competition.
REDUCING CREDIT HOUR REQUIREMENT FOR EDITH NOURSE ROGERS STEM SCHOLARSHIP
Andy Barr (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-6-24

. . I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 2196, which would amend the credit hour requirement for the Edith Nourse Rogers Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Scholarship program and the Forever GI Bill, named after Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers, who served 18 consecutive terms in Congress and was a tireless advocate for veterans throughout the 21st century. This legislation follows the spirit of this pioneering Congresswoman and ensures that our veterans are able to access the benefits that they have earned. prgtoken The Rogers STEM Scholarship provides up to 9 months of additional prgtoken Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to qualifying veterans and Fry Scholars seeking an undergraduate STEM degree or who have earned a STEM degree and are seeking a teaching certification. prgtoken Our bill makes a necessary and timely change to the eligibility requirement for the Rogers STEM Scholarship program from 128 required credit hours to a much more common 120 credit-hour requirement. prgtoken After passage of the Forever GI Bill, the VA discovered that there were only three States where the average STEM degree exceeds 128 required credit hours, meaning that the vast majority of veterans would be unable to access this benefit. prgtoken This scholarship is set to launch August 1, as was recently said, of this year, and it is incumbent on Congress to make this fix before then to ensure that more student veterans pursuing STEM degrees are able to utilize the additional funding Congress provided for them in the Forever GI Bill. prgtoken I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Levin, for his support in introducing this bill, as well as Ranking Member Roe and Representative Radewagen for their cosponsorship as well. prgtoken This is a win-win. There is a labor supply shortage, especially in critical STEM fields, and so employers need STEM-educated workers. At the same time, there is no better group of people than veterans who know teamwork, who know about putting a cause greater than themselves, and who, in many cases, have skills that are particularly adaptive to the STEM fields where this is a win for them, as well, in their movement to civilian life. prgtoken I am proud to see this legislation pass by voice vote in our committee, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation to ensure we are setting up our veterans for success and job security after their service to our Nation.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-6-24

first of all, s for voting yes on the motion to proceed so we can start our work on what I consider to be the most significant bill of the year and we can do these things in earnest. prgtoken I think this will be the 59th NDAA for 59 consecutive years. We are pretty sure it is going to go ahead and pass. As we start the process of considering prgtoken amendments, I hope we can have an open amendment process. prgtoken I know I speak on behalf of myself and Senator Reed. We have been wanting to do this for a long period of time. prgtoken While we are debating this bill, I encourage my colleagues to come to the floor and share why the NDAA is important to their States and to national security. prgtoken Here is one reason why. We are at a really crucial junction in our military. Our world keeps growing more unstable and less safe. Our military is, frankly, in a crisis. I think we are all aware of that. The NDAA is going to set the tone for our defense strategy not just this year but well into the future. prgtoken It is a message to our servicemembers, their families, and the world. Are we going to show Russia and China that we mean business? Are we going to help our military continue to rebuild? Are we going to give our All-Volunteer Force the equipment, training, and housing they need to do their job? That is why this bill provides a total of $750 billion in defense spending. It is what we call the defense top line. It is the minimum we need to restore the longstanding military's strength that we have seemingly lost. prgtoken That is why this bill provides for it, and that is why the bottom line and the top line is the same thing. We have real growth in the defense budget each year. We have decided on this, technically, based on two sources, from the military before our committees and then, of course, the Commission report that says that in order to get our military back, we are going to have to have a net increase of 3 to 5 percent, and that is what this $750 billion will do. prgtoken This is also a direct recommendation from our military leadership; that $750 billion is the bare minimum we need to get to that goal. The committee has heard the same refrain from every service leader at posture hearings this year; that stable, ontime, adequate funding is their No. 1 priority. prgtoken So the best thing we can do for our troops, it seems pretty clear to me, is that this should be our priority too. An important part of the whole equation is that we are spending this money responsibly. This is an across-the-board increase. The NDAA makes tough decisions to put funding where it was most needed and makes cuts in other places. prgtoken We direct this funding to critical, bipartisan priorities: a pay increase for our troops, the largest in a decade; rebuilding a right- sized force with the newest, most capable aircraft, ships, and equipment in the world; and modernizing our nuclear arsenal so
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2019-6-24

I am pleased to join my colleague from Minnesota, Senator Smith, in introducing the School Food Modernization Act to assist schools in updating outdated kitchen equipment, allowing them to provide healthier meals to students. prgtoken School meals play a vital role in the lives of our young people. More than 95,000 schools participate in the National School Lunch program, serving upwards of 30 million children each day. Many children consume up to half their daily caloric intake at school, and some get their most nutritious meal of the day at school instead of at home. Because school meals are a significant source of daily nutrition for so many, we must consistently aim to improve the program to best serve students. prgtoken Schools built decades ago often lack the equipment and infrastructure necessary to do more than reheat and serve one or two meal options each day. In 2014, it was estimated that Maine schools alone would need $58.8 million for equipment infrastructure upgrades needed to serve healthy meals to all of our students. I am pleased that the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee has consistently recognized this need, and in Fiscal Year 2019 appropriated $30 million for School Equipment Assistance Grants. Through this funding, Maine will be able to competitively award $85,470 to school districts in need of updated equipment. prgtoken Nutrition directors at Mount View High School in Thorndike, Maine, used USDA Equipment Assistance funding to purchase a blast chiller to accommodate increased quantities of fruits and vegetables. Thanks to this equipment, the school is now able to quickly and safely preserve the food's freshness while reducing spoilage. Other schools have acquired hot holding cabinets, mobile food carts, and even combination ovens, which prepare foods faster and maintain more vitamin and nutrient content compared with many other cooking methods. Our legislation would codify and improve this successful grant program to better meet the growing need nationwide. prgtoken The School Food Modernization Act seeks to help school food service personnel offer a wide variety of nutritious and appealing meals to all students. First, the bill would provide targeted grant assistance to supply the seed funding needed to upgrade kitchen infrastructure or to purchase high-quality equipment. Second, it would establish a loan guarantee assistance program within USDA to help schools acquire new equipment. Finally, to aid school food services personnel in running successful, healthy programs, the legislation would authorize USDA to provide support on a competitive basis to highly qualified third-party trainers to develop and administer training and technical assistance, including online programs. prgtoken I appreciate that some provisions of this legislation were incorporated into previous versions of the Children Nutrition Reauthorization legislation approved by the Senate Agriculture
HONORING FRISCO POLICE CHIEF JOHN BRUCE
Van Taylor (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-6-24

today, I rise to recognize the service of Frisco Police Chief John Bruce, who completed his last days as acting chief in May. prgtoken Chief Bruce has been with the Frisco Police Department for more than 23 years. After accepting the position as police chief in 2013, he has been responsible for ensuring the safety of more than 185,000 residents. prgtoken The Frisco community appreciates Chief Bruce's willingness to serve those around him. His dedication to protecting his community has not gone unnoticed. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me today in thanking Chief Bruce for his service and wishing him the best of luck in his journey ahead.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-6-24

in virtually every aspect of our lives, technology and innovation have made jobs simpler and made us much more efficient. You can easily track your appointments, hail a ride, or even change the temperature of your house from your smartphone. You can broaden the reach of your small business, use fundraising platforms to raise money for a cause you care about, and easily stay connected with friends and family around the globe. But for all the ways these innovations have made our daily life easier, they have also created an array of security challenges. prgtoken We are all familiar with the high-profile hacking targeting customer financial data and personal information. To be sure, it is scary, but nowhere is the threat of this hyperinnovation more terrifying than on the national security front. prgtoken The challenges we confront today look different from those 100, 50, or even 5 years ago. We are seeing new technologies used in the battlefield, like drones, and the race to develop next-generation hypersonic missiles. Top military officials, including ADM Gary Roughead, cochair of the Commission on National Defense Strategy, have voiced their concerns about our ability as a nation to confront these rapidly evolving threats. Admiral Roughead told Congress: ``We are operating a force today that was last modernized in the 1980s.'' prgtoken That is unacceptable. We cannot send our men and women in uniform into battle to defend our freedom at a disadvantage or allow these rapidly changing threats to outpace our ability to respond. Our military should never be fighting next-generation wars with last- generation weapons and equipment. prgtoken Of course, the goal is not to have to fight any wars but to maintain the peace through a superior military over any of our potential adversaries. We must continue to invest in military modernization, which is why we need to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, the bill that is presently before the Senate. prgtoken This bill invests in cutting-edge technology to protect our military's combat advantage, including to promote 5G networks, the hypersonic weapons that we need to develop to maintain parity--at least, with our adversaries--and artificial intelligence. prgtoken It also invests in nuclear weapons modernization, something I spoke about on the floor just this last week. As our adversaries continue to develop the use of their nuclear arsenal, maintaining a safe and strong nuclear deterrent is the key to preventing nuclear war and keeping our adversaries in check. prgtoken This year's Defense authorization bill also takes major steps to improve the quality of life for our troops and their families. America's 2.1 million servicemembers have made a commitment that few are willing to make and have joined the ranks of America's heroes who have defended our great country throughout our history. prgtoken This bill will provide a modest 3.1 percent pay raise for
RECOGNIZING CHIPOLA COLLEGE LADY INDIANS
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-6-24

I recognize the Chipola College Lady Indians softball team, winners of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I National Championship. prgtoken The Lady Indians are comprised of talented young women in Marianna, FL and finished their season scoring a total of 69 runs and a 52-5-1 record, leading them to the team's third overall NJCAA championship title. prgtoken In the national championship game, they played against Angelina College from Lufkin, TX, and trailed by two runs after the first inning. Beginning in the second inning, the Lady Indians scored five runs, with Mikayla Lewin and Haley Sandridge both hitting homeruns. In the third inning, the team scored five more runs on six hits from Thais Uyeme, Sydney Mclain, Candela Figueroa, and Haley Sandridge, who all had RBIs in the inning. prgtoken The Lady Indians led Angelina College 10-2 entering the fourth inning. The scored remained the same until the sixth inning, when Eila Infante and Mikayla Lewin scored two more runs for the team. In the seventh and final inning, the Lady Indians scored seven more runs from Yoshi Omori, Tammie Lijbers, Sandridge, Infante, Jadia Jones, and Ally Clegg. At the bottom of the seventh, Amy Woodham recorded the first two outs against Angelina College before Brianna Bailey entered the game and recorded the final strikeout of the championship game. Chipola won with a final score of 19-2. prgtoken I extend my best wishes to head softball coach Belinda Hendrix, associate head softball coach Jimmy Hendrix, assistant softball coach Kelly Brookins, Brianna Bailey, Tyra Brown, Payton Clark, Ally Clegg, Candela Figeroa, Lauren Finch, Eila Infante, Jadia Jones, Madison Kent, Mikayla Lewin, Tammie Lijbers Christine Marsland, Sydney Mclain, Yoshie Omori, Naomi Parker, Haley Sandridge, Morgan Scala, Taylor Scala, Amy Woodham, Thais Uyema, and the Lady Indians softball team on this impressive accomplishment. I look forward to hearing of their continued success in the years to come.
HONORING DAVID BELLAVIA
Chris Collins (Republican, NY) \u2014 2019-6-24

I rise today to honor Iraq war veteran David Bellavia, who is, tomorrow, receiving the Medal of Honor from President . prgtoken On November 10, 2004, while clearing a block of houses in Fallujah, Iraq, then-Staff Sergeant David Bellavia's platoon came under attack. David quickly rose to action and charged into a house where his men were trapped. He provided cover fire, which allowed his men to safely exit the building. prgtoken David then reentered that house, going floor to floor and neutralizing the threat by individually killing four insurgents and wounding a fifth in what can only be called an epic battle. prgtoken That day, David Bellavia rescued an entire squad and cleared an insurgent stronghold, protecting his platoon from further threat. prgtoken Tomorrow, President will award David the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions, becoming the first living Iraq war veteran to be so honored. prgtoken Congratulations to my constituent and my friend. Most importantly, we thank David for his heroic actions and his service to our country.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-6-24

I don't object at all to the program that the gentleman is supporting with an increase. I think he has mentioned why, and I would agree with what he has stated. prgtoken The problem that I have is not with the program he is trying to increase. The part that I object to is where the cuts are coming from, where he is obtaining the money, and that is cuts to transit bus and bus facilities. prgtoken We have had a lot of Members who were supporting funding for transit bus and bus facilities. I believe it is over a dozen Members who have actually written support letters for that program that this amendment, unfortunately, reduces funding from. That provides vital resources and mobility in urban areas. It is crucial to a number of urban areas around the country. prgtoken So, as I said before in other amendments, I think Chairman Price has struck the right balance in determining funding for this program. I think what the gentleman is trying to do in his amendment is meritorious. I would, however, say that taking it out of transit bus money and bus facility money is not the place to do it. Obviously, I know that Chairman Price will continue to work with the gentleman as the process goes along, regardless of what happens with this amendment. prgtoken , .
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Jeff Duncan (Republican, SC) \u2014 2019-6-24

I rise today to offer a commonsense amendment that will allow the Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson to restore the longstanding, scientific definition of gender as it relates to federally subsidized same-sex housing. prgtoken The underlying legislation strips the Secretary of that power, and my commonsense amendment simply gives it back to him. I ask the House to support my amendment, and .