mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO MS. BARBARA BEATRICE WALKER
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-2-3

. Madam , Barbara Beatrice Walker was the true essence of love, hope and charity. She had and constantly demonstrated a warm, caring and giving spirit. Born and raised in Mississippi, Barbara always spoke fondly of her childhood and had a real sense of affection for the Piney Wood Boarding School which she attended and gave a great deal of credit for helping her to become the person that I and countless others came to know and love. She moved to Chicago, had a very successful career working for Cook County Health Services, married her husband Edgar and to their union, Michele was born. Barbara was totally devoted to Michele and to her son Herschel and ultimately Herschel Jr her grandson and great grandson. Barbara was an active member of the 7th Congressional District Peoples Assembly where she often brought Southern style cooked food to feed the Congressman and I shall never forget it. Condolences to her family and we thank her for her service to humanity. ``Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, if I have not charity then I am nothing.''
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-2-3

I rise today to talk about some friends of mine. prgtoken Roxie Raines Kornegay Allison. Roxie Raines Kornegay Allison, my across-the-street neighbor for nearly 30 years, died of COVID last Thursday night at 6 o'clock. Roxie has been kind of the matriarch and the pillar of our little four-block-long neighborhood. prgtoken We have the annual party in the median in October, and Roxie kind of presides. She has been sort of the caretaker, always taking care of a family member or a friend. prgtoken One of the first persons who reached out to me when Roxie passed was a city councilman in Pasadena, CA, who had heard instantaneously. He used to be the deputy police chief in Richmond. He said: When I moved to Richmond, I didn't know anybody. Roxie was the one who kind of adopted me and showed me the ropes in Richmond. prgtoken Roxie was a pioneer in Virginia government, making opportunities for African Americans to get hired in key positions--a civil rights leader in the State. prgtoken My wife and I and our whole neighborhood are just absolutely devastated by the loss. My wife and I were talking about: How old do you think Roxie is? prgtoken We always viewed her as sort of our age because she is so vigorous and fun and lively. She is 20 years older than my wife and me. prgtoken Three days before Roxie Raines Kornegay Allison died, another neighbor of mine, Sheila Mandt, who was 55 years old, died of COVID. Sheila was a dynamic activist in the Richmond community, with a real heart for nonprofit organizations that focused on the needs of survivors of domestic violence. She had done pioneering work in that area and worked with other organizations too, like the Salvation Army and others. prgtoken She was married for a long time to another friend, Chris Hilbert, who had been a member of the Richmond City Council. prgtoken Three days before Sheila Mandt died of COVID, Patsy Arsenault died of COVID in Richmond. Patsy is the mother of my parish priest, Father Jim Arsenault. It is a tiny little parish in Richmond, and Patsy has been very much a part of our parish community. prgtoken So in 8 days, three people that I know died of COVID. And this morning, I heard early in the morning that another dear friend--and I am not going to mention his name, but another dear friend of mine--is in the hospital with COVID and on a ventilator. He is somebody I know very, very well. I officiated at his wedding about 15 years ago, when I was Governor. prgtoken I am a healthy and wealthy and privileged person, so if this is happening to me in my network of friends and family, I know it is happening to others. I think this now makes nine people I know who have died of COVID. prgtoken I was on the phone yesterday with Taiwan's representative to the United States--representative is essentially their equivalent of the Ambassador. She told me that Taiwan has had nine COVID deaths--dozens of miles from China. They have had nine COVID deaths. I
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Ben Ray Luján (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2021-2-3

I rise to speak on the resolution's investment of $8.6 billion through the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. prgtoken Our Native American brothers and sisters on Tribal lands are four times more likely to contract COVID-19 and twice as likely to die from it. The Navajo Nation has seen extended families ravaged by disease, families like the Muskets, who were careful to protect their elderly parents, Benjamin and Louise, from the virus. Despite taking the necessary precautions and having access to electricity and running water--something many of our Navajo brothers and sisters still lack-- the whole family became ill. Because the overburdened IHS-run medical center closest to them was unable to treat Benjamin's advanced condition, he was flown to one of the nearest hospitals in Albuquerque that would have taken hours to have gotten there by car. He died far from his beloved Louise. Five days later, Louise also passed. prgtoken In New Mexico, community members and students are still mourning the loss of Laura Escalanti, a beloved Tewa teacher at Pojoaque Valley High School, from San Ildefonso Pueblo. ``Ms. Laura,'' as she was known, imparted on her students pride in themselves through language. Her funeral procession from Ohkay Owingeh to San Ildefonso Pueblo brought mourners out from their homes to the roadways to bid farewell to their teacher of more than 20 years. Sadly, there are too many Native American families and communities mourning loved ones. prgtoken This resolution strikes at the heart of the health disparities and circumstances that make Tribal communities more vulnerable to COVID-19. It provides Tribal and public governments with critical funding to take action against the deadly virus and the havoc it has wreaked on their citizens, their economies, and the public health infrastructure. The budget resolution provides necessary investments to support Tribal governments that have struggled to maintain public and social safety network services. prgtoken It also provides the Indian Health Service, which is the primary vaccine provider for over 330 Tribal nations and urban Indian health organizations, with funding and resources to respond to this crisis. prgtoken Access to nearby hospitals and emergency services may be dozens, even hundreds of miles away in my State, and we must do everything in our power here in the Senate, here in the House, and in Washington, DC, to ensure that every hospital and clinic has the staff and supplies to get families the care they need. prgtoken Our response to COVID-19 must support and protect the most vulnerable among us. Today's resolution recognizes that, and I am proud to support it. prgtoken .
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
August Pfluger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-2-3

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise today for the first time as a Member of Congress in complete opposition to the budget reconciliation act. prgtoken Today, adding almost $2 trillion to the national debt and eliminating 1.3 million jobs is up for a vote. prgtoken This partisan budget reconciliation package allows President to shove $1.9 trillion of stimulus spending through Congress without any consent. It is a blue State bailout to States who have shut down their business, closed their places of worship, and prevented families from earning an honest living. prgtoken We don't need bailouts. We need to get back to work. Taxpayers in States like Texas should not be left holding the bag for the failing governments in New York, California, and others who chose to close their economies. prgtoken Congress just passed a $900 billion stimulus package in December, and over $1 trillion in COVID relief has yet to reach its intended recipients. The U.S. is already over $26 trillion in debt and counting. prgtoken This is totally unsustainable and will have a disastrous consequence for our economy and future generations. We are talking about the future of our children and our grandchildren. Nothing could be more important in this decision.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
Tom McClintock (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-2-3

$2 trillion in revenues, $6 trillion in spending. This is madness. This is how countries commit fiscal suicide: force prgtoken the economy to shut down, and then hand out government checks. prgtoken The problem, of course, is that the government does not finance the economy. It is the economy that finances the government. prgtoken And when you wantonly destroy millions of jobs by forcing small businesses to shutter, by canceling construction and energy production across the country, when you flood the labor market with millions of illegal immigrants at a time when millions of Americans are out of work, you shut down the economy, and you shut down the tax revenues that the economy produces and that the government spends. prgtoken And so we borrow instead. Now, this budget requires $4 trillion in borrowing. Now, where will it borrow this $4 trillion from? The future earnings of your family, of course. prgtoken Let's add this up. There are 129 million households in the United States. $4 trillion comes to $31,000 added to the debt of every household in America, at the average. prgtoken Now, this isn't theoretical. That is real money that will be repaid by every family through its future taxes, tax-driven price increases, lower wages, and inflation. That is the future for our families that the set in motion today while they promise to help us through these tough times with this sorry excuse for a budget resolution. prgtoken , it is not just our future that is being robbed. That money must be repaid in the future, but it must be borrowed in the present from the same capital market that would otherwise be available to loan to consumers seeking to make consumer purchases that drive two- thirds of our economic growth, or businesses seeking to recover, or to home buyers seeking to buy homes. That money will not be there for them because the government has borrowed it instead. prgtoken Now, remember, the government cannot put a single dollar into the economy that it has not first taken out of that very same economy. If I take a dollar from Peter and give it to Paul, it is true, Paul has an extra dollar to spend. That is what the are calling stimulus. But it is equally true that Peter now has one less dollar to spend in that same economy, which is why these stimulus schemes never work in the present and always diminish our future. prgtoken , our country is in desperate condition because of government-mandated lockdowns that have failed to slow the coronavirus while they have laid waste to our economy and the livelihoods of millions upon millions of Americans. prgtoken There is only one relief measure that will rescue our Nation from this dystopian nightmare: End the lockdowns. prgtoken History is screaming this warning at us. Countries that bankrupt themselves and destroy their economies simply aren't around very long. Let that not be the epitaph of the United States of America.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, MS) \u2014 2021-2-3

I rise to discuss the importance of the American energy sector and my concern about President 's Executive orders regarding domestic energy policy. prgtoken In the first hours of the administration, the President signed an Executive order revoking the Presidential permit of the Keystone XL Pipeline, a project projected to add 11,000 American jobs this year and pump $1.6 billion in wages into our economy. The new administration's actions ceased construction work, nullified contracts issued last October to hire an estimated 7,000 union construction workers, and disappointed our Canadian ally. prgtoken It is deeply concerning that our national energy policy should take such a dramatic turn away from pro-jobs and pro-American energy independence. Americans' unemployment rate is already in a precarious situation due to the ongoing global pandemic, and I fail to see how destroying more jobs unifies our Nation. prgtoken Mississippians and Americans in the energy industry have worked tirelessly for our Nation, and in 2019 America became energy independent for the first time in 60 years. It is thanks to our energy workers that we are no longer forced to rely on foreign powers who do not wish America well. prgtoken Terminating the Keystone XL Pipeline was just the start of what we now recognize to be a concerted effort to bring down fossil fuel resources in our Nation. The administration's subsequent ban on new oil and gas leases on Federal lands will result in an estimated $33.5 billion in lost GDP across Western States in President 's first term and risk over $8.8 billion annually in conservation funding. prgtoken Oil and natural gas from Federal lands accounted for 6.4 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively, of the Nation's total production. Jobs and economic opportunity are being carelessly stripped away. prgtoken And while my State may not be burned by the Federal leasing ban as badly as Wyoming, New Mexico, and other Western States, Mississippi will certainly feel the heat from this. Mississippi has a significant energy infrastructure which provides thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic output. prgtoken The Gulf of Mexico is one of the Nation's most important regions for energy resources and accounts for a large portion of our crude oil and Federal offshore natural gas production. prgtoken My State is home to the 1,443-megawatt Grand Gulf nuclear power station in Port Gibson, MS, which is the largest reactor in terms of generating capacity in the United States. We host a large petroleum refinery, a natural gas processing plant, and a liquefied natural gas terminal located along the State's Gulf of Mexico coastline. prgtoken Additionally, the Red Hills surface coal mine provides lignite coal to the Red Hills Power Plant, creating jobs and generation capacity in North Mississippi. Along with these great sources, Mississippi has growing investments in natural gas a
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
Young Kim (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-2-3

I rise today because people are hurting, small businesses are struggling to keep their doors open, and livelihoods are on the line. prgtoken The COVID-19 pandemic has taken more than 440,000 lives to date. It has taken the life of my mother-in-law, and I am sure many of my colleagues' loved ones, too. prgtoken Now is the time for unity. Now is the time to come together. Now is the time to put down our partisan words and show that Congress can work together for the American people. prgtoken Bypassing the chance for bipartisanship is not the way to bring relief to the American people or to bring unity. I came to Congress to break the partisan gridlock, but the reconciliation process drives us farther apart. prgtoken We should strive to focus on issues that we all can get done, like providing $160 billion targeted funding for vaccine distribution and to reopen our schools safely, not a wish list to advance our other priorities unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken The Federal Government has also yet to spend about $1 trillion provided by the COVID-19 relief bills passed last year. Think about that: $1 trillion unspent. prgtoken So I ask my colleagues, before we rush through more trillion dollars, let's first have a real bipartisan discussion so we can ensure that our communities with the most need are getting the relief right away. prgtoken Instead, are throwing away the chance to work with s to get things done, provide our constituents with relief, and bring our country together. The only way we will get through this pandemic and get things done is by working together. prgtoken Our constituents, the Nation, and the world are watching.
SETTING FORTH THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET FOR THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--Continued
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-2-3

75 percent of Americans, regardless of how they feel on other issues--I understand my colleagues take different positions on issues related to the sanctity of human life. I understand that. As much as I disagree with them, I respect that it is their right to hold that opinion. prgtoken This bill is about something much narrower, something upon which Americans--75 percent of them--overwhelmingly agree, and that is that we shouldn't be using U.S. foreign aid money to fund or promote abortions overseas. prgtoken If we can't accept that, it is terribly disappointing and would be news to most Americans. prgtoken Thank you, .
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
Marjorie Taylor Greene (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-2-3

I rise today in opposition to the blue State bailout budget. The know they don't have the votes to pass these radical policies in the Senate, so they are doubling down on reconciliation to destroy our economy with a $2 trillion taxpayer-funded spending spree. prgtoken are using reconciliation for the exact opposite purpose for which it was created. With this budget, are bailing out failing -run States like Illinois and New York, expanding the welfare state, exploding the deficit, groveling to teachers' unions and teachers who refuse to go to work, and hiking taxes on businessowners who don't comply with the higher minimum wage standard. This is just the beginning. prgtoken They want to pay people more money to stay home rather than allowing them to go back to work and earn a paycheck. They are fine letting schoolchildren and parents suffer while teachers' unions ignore them and still collect taxpayer-funded paychecks. prgtoken American politicians sent millions of children and young adults home, closed their schools, and banned them from going to their jobs. They forced them to stay in isolation from their peers. They canceled prom, canceled sports, and canceled graduation. prgtoken They claim this was for their safety, but the results have been horrific. Suicide and depression have been on the rise. Do you think any family will feel like a consolation prize of $1,400 will make them feel good about their teen that committed suicide because of the shutdowns? I don't think so. prgtoken are trying to raise the minimum wage for jobs that they won't even let people go to work in. closed their States while Georgia stayed open. Why are we supposed to bail them out? Why are my hardworking constituents being punished for wanting to go to work and support their families? prgtoken Governors have run their States like tyrants of third-world countries, not like free Americans. They are oppressing the American people and reaping the benefits.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
Jason Smith (Republican, MO) \u2014 2021-2-3

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I would like to respond to the gentleman from Oregon saying that this is unprecedented. What is unprecedented is that this is the first time that a budget resolution that originated in the House bypassed the Budget Committee. prgtoken Reconciliation has been used numerous times, but this is the first time in the history of this country that the bypassed the Budget Committee in a budget resolution that originated in the House. The people are watching, . prgtoken I also appreciate the gentleman from Oregon. I will remind him that his State government has already received $4.5 billion in bailouts, and they will receive another $4.5 billion in bailouts while their State has locked down small businesses, costing more than 1,000 small businesses to close their doors. prgtoken , I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), a true defender of commonsense, conservative values and a good friend.
ROE V. WADE
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-2-3

. Madam , I appreciate the gentleman for yielding, and I want to thank the gentleman for his decades of support for life and the unborn in this country and for everything he has done. Thank you very much. prgtoken Since 1973, more than 62 million innocent unborn babies' lives have been taken by abortion in this country. Tragically, abortion continues to put women in danger, takes the life of an innocent child, and fails to recognize the dignity of all lives, regardless of how small. prgtoken In 2017 alone, there were roughly 860,000 abortions in the United States. That number is far greater than the population of the district I represent, Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. prgtoken While the overall abortion rate is decreasing, the rate of using chemical abortion is going up, accounting for roughly 39 percent of procedures that year. prgtoken I am proud that my legislation, the SAVE Moms and Babies Act, would recognize chemical abortions for what it is: dangerous. prgtoken Thankfully, there is still reason for hope. Three-quarters of Americans, including a majority of whom identify as pro-choice, want significant restrictions on abortion. This is most certainly thanks to the growing pro-life movement advocating for the protection of the unborn children who deserve the dignity of life. Without the right to life, we truly have no other right. prgtoken Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding and, again, for all of his work.