mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMEMBERING COACH JERRY JOHNSON
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2021-1-28

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to Coach Jerry C. Johnson, the basketball coach and athletic director at the historically Black Lemoyne-Owen College, who coached the Magicians to Memphis' only NCAA Championship title in 1975 and died Sunday at the age of 102. Coach Johnson won 821 games over 46 seasons at LeMoyne- Owen, where he also coached swimming and track and field, and taught health and physical education courses. Many of the students he coached and mentored went on to illustrious national recognition, including eight who became NBA players. Coach Johnson, who came to the college in 1958, was the first Black basketball coach to win a Division III national title and LeMoyne-Owen was the first Historically Black College and University to win that recognition. The LeMoyne-Owen Magicians remain the only men's college basketball program in Tennessee, and the only sports program in the city of Memphis, to win an NCAA championship. In my own interactions with Coach Johnson, I was always impressed with his quiet demeanor and self-effacing attitude, even though he was as much a star in the Memphis basketball world as anyone. Off the court, he was just a good man, caring about people in a quiet and compassionate manner, reaching out to help players, former players, and students without regard to their athletic ability or gender. He offered a helping hand and his heart reached so many. Known as strict but fair, Coach Johnson, an Oklahoma native, had an unusual connection to the game of basketball: he learned it from Hall of Famer John McClendon, the former Cleveland State coach who served as the first Black coach of a professional sports team, and McClendon learned the game from James Naismith, the inventor of the modem game of basketball. Coach Johnson was the focus of a prgtoken newly released independent documentary, ``1st Forgotten Champions,'' which was directed by Memphian Morreco Coleman and covered the 1975 Division III NCAA championship. The documentary recently premiered in California, Nashville and Memphis. Johnson was a member of the Memphis Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Fayetteville State University Athletics Hall of Fame and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hall of Fame. I extend my profound condolences to his son, Jerry Jr.; his daughter, Wandra Haywood and her husband, Samuel, of Gainesville, Florida; his six grandchildren; and his seven great-grandchildren. Coach Johnson will be remembered as a gentle giant and a gentleman. He led an exemplary life.
COMMENDING 4EVER METAL ROOFING FOR ITS SUPPORT OF HOOSIER VETERANS
Jim Banks (Republican, IN) \u2014 2021-1-28

. Madam , I rise today to commend 4Ever Metal Roofing for its invaluable support of Hoosier Veterans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken Since its founding in 2016, the company has grown to employ several Hoosier veterans, contributed $7 million to northeast Indiana's economy, and has expanded its reach to serving the tri-state area of Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. prgtoken However, the company's commitment to our region stretches beyond providing jobs to Hoosier veterans and services to consumers. During the pandemic, 4Ever Metal Roofing donated $30,000 to FW22, a local non- profit focused on suicide prevention and supporting veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI. This donation went a long way to ensuring a Hoosier veteran and his family had Christmas presents this year, and the remainder of the donation will be used to support the work of FW22 as it assists many more struggling veterans in the region. prgtoken Going above and beyond to assist those in the community, especially those who fought to protect it, will always be something worth recognizing, and I commend 4Ever Metal Roofing for this selfless act of kindness. These are the kinds of partnerships that make our country great. I wish 4Ever Metal Roofing nothing but the best as they continue to grow in the years to come.
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. GODFREY FONDINKA
Richard Hudson (Republican, NC) \u2014 2021-1-28

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Godfrey Fondinka. A beloved member of our community, Dr. Fondinka's life was marked by an unwavering commitment to medicine and service to others. Dr. Fondinka was born in Cameroon, Africa where he began a life of distinction. After completing his medical education in Cameroon, he studied hospital management at Technion--Israel Institute of Technology. Dr. Fondinka then moved to the United States, where he received a Master of Public Health from Tulane University before completing a residency in family medicine at LSU Shreveport in 2003. Dr. Fondinka worked tirelessly on behalf of his patients and our community. He served as an emergency room physician at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center until 2010, when he founded an urgent care practice in Fayetteville, North Carolina. On the frontlines of our community's battle against COVID-19, Dr. Fondinka saved countless lives and, to him, our nation owes an immeasurable debt. Dr. Fondinka passed away on December 18, 2020, and my thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Florence; his children, Tuma, Ghinna, Babilla, and Khamali; and all who knew and loved him. I join our entire community in gratitude as we honor his extraordinary life. Madam , please join me today in honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Godfrey Fondinka.
NOMINATION OF ALEJANDRO NICHOLAS MAYORKAS
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-1-28

the Senate is considering the nomination of Mr. Mayorkas to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security. I come to the floor at this point, before we vote on that motion today, to raise questions about whether or not he should be in that position as Secretary of Homeland Security and the fact that I will be voting negative. prgtoken I am familiar with Mr. Mayorkas from my past oversight of the EB-5 investment visa program. From 2009 until 2013, Mr. Mayorkas served as Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which administers that EB-5 visa program. prgtoken During that time, more than 15 whistleblowers approached my office to raise questions about Mr. Mayorkas and his management of the EB-5 program. The whistleblowers allege that Mr. Mayorkas was intervening in routine and technical matters that were not typically handled by the Director of that Division. They also alleged that he was doing so at the request of well-connected ic politicians and other politically connected stakeholders. prgtoken As my colleagues are aware, I have long criticized the fraud and abuse that are rampant in the EB-5 program, and I have continually reintroduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Leahy to reform the program. So it shouldn't be a surprise to any of my colleagues that when I hear from 15 different whistleblowers anything about the EB-5 program, I would further investigate it. prgtoken I have also conducted consistent oversight of the EB-5 program across Presidential administrations, whether they were or . So when whistleblowers approach my office with these serious allegations, as I said before, I am determined to get to the bottom of these matters. prgtoken One of the cases in which whistleblowers said Mr. Mayorkas had intervened involved a company with ties to former Secretary Clinton's brother, Anthony Rodham. prgtoken Mr. Rodham's company wasn't happy with the speed with which its applications were being conducted by the Customs and Immigration Service, so company representatives made repeated inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security and Mr. Mayorkas. And they did this in an effort to get Mr. Mayorkas to speed things up. prgtoken My investigation found that between 2010 and 2013, Mr. Mayorkas had nearly a dozen contacts with that company, including direct communications with its attorneys. Mr. Mayorkas forwarded requests from the company along to his team, marking at least one of those forwarded messages as ``high priority.'' He became heavily involved in the process of revising a draft of a technical decision from his Division's Administrative Appeals Office that was initially unfavorable to the company. So, because of his involvement, in the end, th opinion was rewritten in a manner that was much more favorable to Mr. Rodham's company. prgtoken In 2013, I wrote Mr. Mayorkas five letters about his management of the EB-5 program. In those letters, I a
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2021-1-28

this week I have the honor of recognizing Dale Hankins of Chouteau County for volunteering countless hours to support his fellow veterans. prgtoken When Dale was 10 years old, a friend of his father, a WWII vet, carried a diamond willow cane. Dale was so intrigued by the way the diamonds stood out, he couldn't take his eyes off of it. At the age of 17, he made his first attempt at carving a cane, and soon realized and appreciated the effort it took to create such beautiful craftsmanship. By the time he finished, his hands were so full of blisters he decided to pursue other hobbies. prgtoken Dale later joined the U.S. Army and served in Charlie Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, as an airborne infantry soldier. After receiving his honorable discharge, he returned to Montana and joined the Montana Army National Guard. Having a prgtoken renewed appreciation for the sacrifices veterans give, he picked up his hobby again in 2007 and began making diamond willow canes for disabled veterans. Each one is unique and personalized for the veteran, and an American flag is included on the handle of each cane. prgtoken Dale hasn't stopped since. He invests 80 hours or more to make each cane beautiful and durable, all at no cost to the veteran. Veterans across the Nation from Florida to Washington are proudly using his gift which has aided in their quality of life. prgtoken It is my honor to recognize Dale for his efforts to support and appreciate our heroes for the sacrifices they have made for our great Nation. The compassion and commitment of these extraordinary veterans are an inspiration to us all.
CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICE OF BOOTSIE NEAL
Michael R. Turner (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-1-28

. Madam , I rise to pay tribute to the life of Bootsie Neal, a remarkable woman and public servant from my hometown of Dayton, Ohio, who passed away on January 24, 2021. prgtoken Bootsie Neal was one of my dearest friends for over 25 years. Bootsie was born on September 9, 1952 in Newbern, Alabama and grew up in Buffalo, New York. She earned her bachelor's degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She moved to Dayton in 1974, where she spent the rest of her life, and earned a master's degree in postgraduate education at the University of Dayton. prgtoken In 1991, Bootsie became the first African American woman to be elected to the Dayton City Commission, on which she served until 2004. Later in life, she inspired and became a role model for other women committed to public service and looking to run for office. prgtoken I had the privilege of working with Bootsie while I was Mayor of Dayton. Together, we worked to turn the city around. We shared a mutual interest in urban revitalization and redevelopment. We implemented a comprehensive strategic plan that laid the foundation for the economic revival of the urban core of our region. Our focus was rebuilding the business district with jobs, housing, and amenities, and restoring and revitalizing our neighborhoods. prgtoken Without Bootsie's leadership and partnership, we would not have balanced the city's budget for eight consecutive years, built the Dayton Dragons baseball stadium, the Schuster Center, and RiverScape MetroPark, All of these projects helped contribute to the revitalization and improvement of our city. Today, there are more people living, working, and enjoying downtown Dayton than there were twenty years ago. prgtoken Bootsie will be deeply missed by all of us who knew and loved her. I valued her wisdom and treasured her friendship. Bootsie's legacy of service through her sorority Delta Sigma Theta, as well as to the entire Dayton community, will forever be cherished. On behalf of all those whose lives were touched by Bootsie's friendship and community service, I offer her family and friends my heartfelt condolences.
BUDGET
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-1-28

now, on a totally different matter, the country has waited to see whether the new administration would follow a pro-job, pro-worker, pro-working family approach or give in to the far left and put ideological concerns before kitchen table ones. Unfortunately, we didn't have to wait long. prgtoken As recently as October, now-President said: ``You can't [legislate] by executive action unless you're a dictator.'' Well, in 1 week, he signed more than 30 unilateral actions, and working Americans are getting short shrift. prgtoken The President abruptly canceled the Keystone Pipeline, a massive setback for energy security in North America. The Canadian leader called it ``a gut punch.'' I imagine the 11,000 American workers, including 8,000 union workers who were counting on that work, feel the same way. prgtoken We have headed back into an international pact that would have us self-inflict serious pain on working families, has failed to curb China's emissions, and without which our own emissions have been dropping anyway. And yesterday, the administration slammed the brakes on further domestic energy development on the huge swaths of land owned by the Federal Government: no new oil, gas, or coal leases on Federal land. prgtoken Our responsible use of these lands accounts for more than a fifth-- one-fifth--of our domestic production, about 2.8 million barrels per day. That is almost the equivalent of Kuwait's daily oil production from our Federal lands alone; plus, more than 10 percent of domestic natural gas. prgtoken And 2019 marked the first time in nearly 70 years when U.S. energy exports outpaced imports. For the first time since the 1950s, our Nation ran an energy surplus, not a deficit. That has been great news, but some leftwing elites are not happy. The sources of this affordable domestic energy are not sufficiently trendy. prgtoken As John Kerry explained yesterday on behalf of the administration, he wants the large numbers of American workers in those sectors to find ``better choices''--better choices than their good jobs that feed their families and strengthen our independence. Remember, with the pipeline cancellation, the President effectively closed the door on thousands of American jobs with the stroke of a pen. prgtoken According to one news report, one welder from Pipeliners Local 798, who had been working in Nebraska, says he has already had to lay off his whole prgtoken team before losing his job himself. He said he sat down in his truck and simply cried. prgtoken This latest new prohibition will replicate that heartbreak many times over. According to one study, the decision on Federal lands will leave us down nearly 1 million American jobs by next year alone--1 million lost jobs by next year alone. prgtoken It is a heck of a way to kick off a Presidency: mass layoffs of our own citizens, and working Americans in other sectors will pay as well. One analysis found this decision coul
CORONAVIRUS
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-1-28

on the subject of bipartisanship, I am disturbed by the rumors that plan to use reconciliation to force another COVID bill through Congress on partisan lines before even giving good-faith effort to bipartisan negotiations. prgtoken s are more than willing to work with on additional targeted COVID relief legislation. prgtoken Now, I won't pretend that we don't have reservations about some of the measures that have proposed. For instance, I don't think an emergency COVID relief bill is the place to push through a change that would more than double the Federal minimum wage and directly increase expenses on businesses that have been decimated by the pandemic. That is a policy with a lot of economic consequences, and it shouldn't be pushed through Congress in a hasty fashion. prgtoken s are also concerned about the enormous amount of money that want to spend. We have already spent more than $4 trillion to address this pandemic, and we need to be very careful--very careful--about additional spending and appropriate only what is necessary to respond to this pandemic and with an eye to the burden that we are putting on the economy and on young Americans as we increase our national debt. prgtoken The higher our national debt, the greater the drag on economic growth and the more likely it is that young Americans will face increasingly burdensome tax bills in the future to meet our debt obligations. prgtoken But let me be very clear. While s certainly have concerns about some of the ' proposals, we are committed to defeating this pandemic and to getting Americans vaccinated, and we are ready to work with on any necessary COVID relief legislation that would achieve that objective. prgtoken It would be very disappointing if decided to shove a partisan bill through Congress without even attempting to work with s.
HONORING BOB LOCKE ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY
Victoria Spartz (Republican, IN) \u2014 2021-1-28

. Madam , I rise today to honor my constituent Bob Locke on the occasion of his 90th birthday on January 30, 2021. This is a momentous occasion. prgtoken Mr. Locke has witnessed so many great milestones in American history in his 90 years of life, and it is my pleasure to now add his name to our country's history. Bob has served his country as a National Guardsmen where he eventually earned the rank of Sergeant. After his years in the Guard, Bob continued to serve his community tirelessly, his hard work enabling countless public servants the ability to support our fellow citizens. The work Mr. Locke has displayed over the past many years has not gone unnoticed and in these trying times I hope this document begins to thank and recognize him. prgtoken On behalf of Indiana's 5th Congressional District, I wish Mr. Locke a happy 90th birthday and continued health.
CORONAVIRUS
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-1-28

it has been more than a year now since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed here in the United States. As the war against this virus has been fought, it has evolved over the last 12 months, and our country has been challenged like never before in my memory. prgtoken Healthcare workers across the country have heroically battled this cruel virus, often with insufficient equipment and personnel. Frontline workers in delivery trucks, grocery stores, and other essential businesses have kept the cogs of society running. prgtoken As a whole, we have hunkered down and tried to stop the spread of the virus until enough Americans could get vaccinated. We all have come to realize that is really the gold standard in defeating this virus. The administration launched Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the research and development of therapeutics and vaccines to move us toward that goal as soon as possible. prgtoken Just last summer, when President predicted we would have an effective vaccine by the end of the year, there was some serious skepticism--and you might even call it blowback--from some of the critics. One media outlet published a fact check saying it would require nothing short of a ``medical miracle'' to have a vaccine by the end of last year. prgtoken Thanks to the leadership on a bipartisan basis here and the marvels of science and human ingenuity, that so-called miracle came true not once but twice, and we are expecting more vaccines to eventually be approved in the near term. The world's brightest scientific minds used the foundation built by decades of vaccine research to craft lifesaving and, in fact, world-changing vaccines. prgtoken Less than 11 months after the first COVID-19 case was discovered in the United States, the very first vaccine was administered after it was approved--11 months. The number of Americans who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 is growing every day, and so far, more than 24.5 million doses have been administered nationwide. prgtoken Nearly 2 million of those doses have gone into the arms of my fellow Texans. Texas became the first State to administer 1 million doses--an accomplishment that underscores the hard work of our State and local leaders and our public health officials, our private partners and healthcare workers. prgtoken Every day, our public health experts are evaluating the current distribution process to make improvements and speed up the vaccination process. The State has now set up mass vaccination hubs to expedite distribution and administer as many doses as they can as quickly as they can. prgtoken While these sites are an efficient way to administer vaccines to Texans, we need to do more in rural parts of the country. I was glad to see in my State Governor Abbott's announcement that the State is launching a mobile vaccine pilot program to ramp up vaccination efforts in rural parts of the State. Those vaccinations kick off today, and
MARCH FOR LIFE
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-1-28

our Nation was founded on an incredibly powerful and truly audacious idea. The idea was that every single human being was created equal, with rights that come from your Creator, from God--not from the government, not from the laws, not even from the Constitution or your leaders. You are born with those rights. Inherent in that is our powerful national commitment that I think remains to this day, the belief that everyone should have freedom and that everyone--because freedom comes with those rights--and that everyone be treated fairly. prgtoken For 244 years, our story has been that of a nation on a continuous and a steady march to live up to those ideals. Tomorrow, thousands will come to Washington once again for a different march but one that I believe is tied directly to this Nation's ongoing quest to fulfill the promise of its founding. prgtoken Almost half a century ago, the Supreme Court of the United States decided that within our Constitution, there was the implicit right to end the life of an unborn child. Since then, every single day in this country, unborn human beings have had their life ended before they even drew their first breath. They are, in essence, denied the freedom to live, not because they did anything wrong; they are denied this most basic of rights unfairly because of circumstances they have nothing to do with and do not control. prgtoken That this occurs here is shameful enough, and I believe that is how history will regard it; that we use taxpayer money to promote it and export it abroad is outrageous. prgtoken Before we even passed a bill to deal with the pandemic or to bring back good jobs to the United States or any of the other major issues confronting our country, in one of his first acts as President, President decided to prioritize tearing up the so-called Mexico City policy--a policy that rightfully bans our taxpayer dollars from being sent to organizations that use them to perform or promote abortions overseas. prgtoken Abortion is a very difficult and uncomfortable topic. No one can pretend that if some 15-year-old girl is pregnant and afraid--afraid of her parents, afraid of what others might think, afraid for her future-- that she faces an easy choice. It is not. prgtoken It doesn't feel fair, it doesn't feel like freedom to have laws that tell people what they can or cannot do with their body, but in this case, the challenge we have is that it is a case that puts the fundamental rights of two people into direct conflict--the right, as most definitely exists, of a mother to choose what to do with her body versus the right of an unborn child to live. It prgtoken forces us to decide which one of these two rights wins out in those circumstances. prgtoken I personally, for one, and those who march tomorrow have chosen life--not because it is an easy choice but because, to me, it is a clear one because the right to live is the one right upon which all the oth