mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING FRESCO FOODS, INC.
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-9-15

as chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize a small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of our country. Today, I am delighted to recognize a small business that provides healthy prepackaged meals and fosters community development. This week, it is my privilege to honor Fresco Foods, Inc of Tampa, FL, as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken In 2014, Rob and Tracy Povolny founded Fresco Foods in Tampa, FL. When Rob was laid off by a corporate food seller, he chose to pursue his goal of establishing a high-quality packaged food company. Using their savings, retirement, and some loans from friends and family, they rented space in an industrial kitchen to create their recipes. That December, they began selling their ``Eat Fresco'' meals at local mom- and-pop grocery stores. Their healthy, satisfying meals were an instant hit. prgtoken Six years later, Fresco Foods has grown into a thriving company with more than 120 employees. In 2017, a U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) loan enabled Rob and Tracy to establish their own 12,000 square foot production facility, creating more than 100 jobs. Their ingredients are sourced from a local distributor, and their product packaging is eco-friendly. In 2018, Fresco Foods reached a major milestone when they began selling their products in a handful of Publix stores. Today, Fresco Foods stock their ``Eat Fresco'' prepared meals in all 1,252 Publix locations across seven States. Additionally, they are working to launch a prepackaged breakfast line later this year. prgtoken Together, Rob and Tracy have prioritized business mentorship and ensures Fresco Foods supports the community. Through podcasts and by conducting workshops, Rob and Tracy have shared their experiences, teaching entrepreneurship to future small business owners. Fresco Foods regularly donates to local organizations like Feeding Tampa Bay. They also work with Metropolitan Ministries to employ graduates of its culinary technical training program. For its success and innovation, Fresco Foods has been recognized by local media and business outlets, including the Tampa Bay Business Journal. prgtoken Like many Floridian small business, Fresco Foods jumped in to help their community during the coronavirus pandemic. As Florida went into lockdown, philanthropic organizations experienced a drop in donations as demand for their resources surged. Rob and Tracy donated hundreds of ``Eat Fresco'' meals to homeless shelters and domestic violence shelters in the Tampa area. prgtoken In April 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration launched the Paycheck Protection Program, a small business relief program that I was proud to author. The PPP provides forgivable loans to impacted small businesses and prgtoken nonprofits who maintain their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rob and Tracy used their PPP
DEFENDING AMERICA'S VALUES AND PROTECTING AMERICA'S COMMUNITIES
Vicky Hartzler (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-9-15

I thank Representative Arrington for yielding and for hosting this event and focusing on our need to protect America's communities. With what is happening right now this topic is foremost in everyone's minds, and the need could not be greater. prgtoken Daily we are shown footage of yet another riot in one of America's great cities. Mobs are destroying property, defacing buildings, breaking out windows of family-owned businesses, and looting the merchandise. Cars are being set on fire, and people are getting hurt. prgtoken We need safe and secure neighborhoods again. We need law and order to be restored. We need peace to prevail in our hearts, in our families, and in our communities. prgtoken That is where our peace officers come in. They are the ones who keep the peace. They are the ones who allow our families to live in safety, security, peace and quiet. We need that now. We need them now. prgtoken They sometimes are called law enforcement officers. That is accurate, but I like another term, peace officers. Because that is what they are. prgtoken Every year during Police Week, May 15 is designated as Peace Officers Memorial Day to pay tribute to the local, State, and Federal peace officers who have died or who have been disabled in the line of duty. prgtoken Sadly, I have had a police officer from my district, whose name was added to this memorial. And sadly, many more names are going to be added to the memorial next year, including a selfless peace officer from Missouri named David Dorn. prgtoken David had served his fellow man preserving the peace for over 38 years. He was a loyal friend, a devoted husband, and a beloved member of the St. Louis community. And on the night of June 2nd he volunteered to help a friend in need who owned a small business, which was in danger of being destroyed by looters and rioters. He didn't want his friend's life's work to be turned into rubble, so he went down to help by sitting in front of the business and, hopefully, discouraging any harm from being done to his friend's business. prgtoken Tragically, David was fatally shot by violent protestors, and left to die on the sidewalk. His execution was broadcast live on Facebook while his son watched at home. No arrests were made. His killer got away in the thicket of violence and riots. prgtoken Nothing about this protest was peaceful. There are peaceful protests, and I commend them. There is a national conversation that is worth having to ensure everyone feels safe in our communities, but what we are seeing night after night in many of our cities is not a peaceful protest. It is thugs hijacking a legitimate cause to advance their agenda of personal gain, anarchy, and destruction. And it must end. prgtoken We must work to bring peace back into our communities by restoring law and order, by valuing our selfless peace officers, and by establishing clear punitive consequences for those who incite violence. prgtoken We must deter and s
Ann Wagner (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-9-15

I thank my good friend, a ranking member of the Rules Committee, for his support and his friendship for so very many years and for his fight for this cause in this Chamber and for his constituents in Georgia. prgtoken , I rise today to call on my colleagues to defeat the previous question and bring up my legislation, H.R. 8251, which would ensure that all Americans can access hospitals and urgent medical care without fear of life-threatening delays due to violence and extremism. prgtoken My legislation would prohibit intentionally blocking hospital entries or exits by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction in order to injure, intimidate, or interfere with any person who is trying to obtain and provide lifesaving medical procedures or treatment. prgtoken , I am outraged that the irrational and unconscionable hatred directed at the brave men and women of our Nation's law enforcement resulted in the attempted assassination of two innocent deputies and the reckless endangerment of those in need of urgent medical care. prgtoken On September 12, a gunman attempted to execute two Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies, Claudia Apolinar, a 31-year-old single mother, and her 24-year-old partner, simply because they wore the uniform, simply because they were called to serve and to protect American neighborhoods. prgtoken This was a chilling and senseless act of brutality that we are seeing all over our country. Instead of turning to healing, protestors chose to endanger the lives of those in need of immediate medical care by actually blocking the entrance to the hospital where the deputies were receiving critical care and chanting, ``We hope they die,'' and, ``Death to police.'' ``We hope they die,'' and, ``Death to police.'' prgtoken The courageous men and women of our law enforcement are selfless public servants, . Every day, they choose to risk their lives to protect us. It is unconscionable that their sacrifices are being repaid with targeted violence and hatred. It is equally unconscionable that protestors would prevent innocent Americans from receiving lifesaving care by blocking hospital entrances. prgtoken I call on my colleagues--I implore my colleagues--for us to come together to defeat the previous question. Stand with our men and women in blue. Stand for what is right and just in our country. Stand for humanity and support my legislation.
Filibuster (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-9-15

I would say, through the Chair, to my colleague from Alaska that that is absolutely the case. I don't think there is any question but that, if the legislative filibuster is done away with in a future Senate--and, again, Members on the ic side are talking openly about doing that if they gain the majority after the election in November--it will transform the institution of the Senate and, by extension, transform our country. prgtoken The institution that was designed to protect minority rights and to put a check on a majority will no longer be a functioning institution in the way the Founders intended. In fact, it will essentially become, as the Senator from Alaska pointed out, the House of Representatives with longer terms. prgtoken I think that would be unfortunate for a country that was based upon a system of checks and balances and that recognized very early on how critical it was that minority rights be a part of our public debate and discussion and that those voices not be muffled or that those voices not be completely put out of the public debate. prgtoken I would simply say to my colleague from Alaska that I think this is a monumental issue in terms of what this institution has meant to this country and what it will continue to mean in the future if these rules are changed and this constitutional protection, as we have pointed out, is done away with. It will transform the Senate, and it will transform the country in ways that would be very detrimental to what the Founders intended.
ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2020-9-15

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m Wednesday, September 16; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Robinson nomination under the previous order.
Filibuster (Executive Calendar)
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2020-9-15

I want to just start by saying amen to everything the Senator has said. prgtoken I listened to his words carefully, and I hear a great deal of caution in his words about actions that the Senate may take as a body that would be in response to perhaps short-term gain or immediate political gain--but a gain that could be finite. prgtoken Over the course of the years that I have been in the Senate, I, too, have shared the same frustration about legislation that I cared deeply about that I believe had been blocked. Our parliamentarian rules have actually worked to delay things unnecessarily or oftentimes delayed things to the point where they never came to fruition. I have seen the frustration. I also see the benefit of being more methodical, of being that cooling saucer in the process of governance and particularly good governance. prgtoken But the words that you used are very, very cautionary. It is as if you are suggesting that if we change the filibuster rules, we will, in effect, have changed the institution of the Senate going forward and have changed the institution so that it is, perhaps, just a smaller body than the House but subject to the same rules, where those who have the most votes on one side win. prgtoken My question to the Senator from South Dakota is, Do you believe that a change in the filibuster rules here in the U.S. Senate would be permanently detrimental to the institution of the Senate going forward?
THE MIDDLE EAST
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-9-15

yesterday, I discussed a tide of good news flowing out of the Middle East. Peace agreements between Israel and the UAE and Israel and Bahrain will be documented at the White House later today. Even more Arab countries are reportedly considering following suit. The winds of change are blowing across the Middle East. Thanks, in large part, to the hard work of the administration, they are blowing toward peace. prgtoken I also mentioned yesterday that not everyone is happy. Not everyone in the Middle East is living in the 21st century. Some are too vested in the old fights and enmities and are afraid to let them go. President Abbas, who is now in the 16th year of a 4-year term at the head of the Palestinian Authority, predictably, tried to dismiss the compromise as nonsense. But, as the administration's Middle East expert Dennis Ross wrote a few days ago, continuing this failed approach would just guarantee Palestinians will be left behind while the rest of the Arab world builds a better future. prgtoken And then there is the theocratic basket case that is Iran. Last weekend, as if perfectly scripted to contrast with the hopeful news of optimism and peace coming from the Arab world, the mullahs reminded the whole world of their flagrant disdain for human dignity and basic human rights. They carried out a hurried execution in the face of international condemnation. prgtoken Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old Iranian wrestler arrested during a government protest in 2018, was tortured into confessing to the murder of a security guard. He was hanged on Saturday. According to his mother, who was barred from visiting her son before his execution, Navid and his two brothers arrested alongside him were forced to testify against one another. As they mourn their brother, these two young men themselves face decades in prison prgtoken for standing up to the brutal injustices of the Iranian regime. prgtoken Stories like this are tragic, but they aren't shocking--not in a country where dissent and free expression are denied and not from rulers who regularly use both domestic and international terrorism. This regime has its fingerprints on destabilizing campaigns, assassinations, and violence against civilians in every single corner of the Middle East--from the shores of the Mediterranean to the Gulf of Aden. prgtoken The - administration's Iran deal, the JCPOA, did not improve any of this bad behavior. It ignored Iran's nonnuclear aggression. It let Tehran continue R&D on enriched uranium. If anything, Iran's behavior has only gotten worse, and that bad deal is still doing damage. prgtoken This year, it will sunset a prudent U.N. Security Council resolution that had kept Iran from buying conventional weapons. This summer, the U.N. Security Council, with the votes of Russia and China, refused to extend this 13-year-old embargo. prgtoken Returning to the JCPOA has become a sort of mantra for our poli
RESTORE, REBUILD, AND RENEW THE AMERICAN DREAM
Daniel Meuser (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-9-15

the Commitment to America introduced by House s is a plan which can be accomplished in the next Congress with the right leadership in place. It is our commitment to the American public that we have clear objectives and we will deliver results for the people. prgtoken The plan calls for us to restore our way of life, rebuild our economy, and renew the American Dream. prgtoken As we restore our way of life, we will defeat the coronavirus by expanding rapid testing capabilities and developing a vaccine that is safe and effective sooner rather than later. prgtoken We will rebuild our economy with unprecedented growth, including, once again, regaining historically low unemployment for all, including women, African Americans, and Hispanic Americans. prgtoken We will rebuild by continuing to support employees and employers, upgrading and modernizing our infrastructure, and implementing free and reciprocal trade agreements that give made-in-USA products and farmers a competitive edge on the world stage. prgtoken We will renew the American Dream by providing every child the opportunity to attend an excellent school, every veteran a choice in healthcare and job opportunities, every citizen a pathway to pursue a meaningful career, and every senior an assurance that Social Security and Medicare will be protected. prgtoken This Commitment to America plan is the framework to complete a great American comeback and ensure a great future for our country.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-9-15

first of all, let me just say that bringing up VAWA can't be anything other than an attempt to obfuscate from the case that is in front of us. I would be happy to talk about VAWA. I happen to agree that violence against women is a serious issue. It is a serious problem. All the programs in VAWA are still fully funded. They continue. prgtoken I don't think anybody in this body or the other body has done as much as I have done to make sure that the resources in the Crime Victims Fund go to the victims of crime--very much including women who are victims of violent crime and children and the groups who serve those victims. prgtoken As a matter of fact, I have supported previous versions of VAWA. There has been a bipartisan effort to get a new reauthorization of VAWA. Senator Ernst and Senator Feinstein have spent months developing that. But that is not the version that has been under consideration here. prgtoken No, there is nothing incompatible about passing my legislation, the Thin Blue Line Act, standing up to protect local law enforcement, and having a separate consideration on VAWA. They are not mutually exclusive. They are not in any way related to each other. But, unfortunately, our ic colleagues are not willing to simply extend the same protection we extend to Federal law enforcement officials to the local law enforcement officials who are at risk every single day. prgtoken I am very disappointed that my colleague from New Mexico would object to a very simple and sensible bill that has bipartisan support.
CONGRATULATING DOTSON LEWIS OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-9-15

I rise today to congratulate Mr. Dotson Lewis of Corpus Christi, Texas, on being given the Sam Brown Award by the Texas Association of Sports Officials. This is the most prestigious award from the TASO Football Division, and Mr. Lewis is only the third recipient. prgtoken The award honors him for his many years of service, and I can think of no one more deserving than Mr. Lewis. prgtoken Before retiring 2 years ago, Dotson Lewis served our community as a referee in both football and basketball for 71 years. In 1977, he was the first executive director of the newly created Southwest Officials Association, now known as the TASO. He has also facilitated numerous exchanges between officials in Texas and in Japan, earning him the title Ambassador of American Football Officiating to Japan. prgtoken Even after retirement, he continues to devote himself to service by teaching a class on sports officiating, but his heart of service extends beyond the athletic arena. prgtoken For 21 years, he served with our U.S. Army. Following his service, he dedicated himself to serving our veterans. He started and facilitates a weekly coffee group for veterans to connect with each other and share their experiences and also to connect them with vital resources in the area. prgtoken His guidance and leadership have benefited many in Texas, the United States, and others around the world. It is my privilege to recognize him and his outstanding achievements today.
PROTECTING AMERICA'S VALUES
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-9-15

I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson) for his heartfelt remarks about something that is such an important topic. I thank him for his steadfast commitment to the Constitution. prgtoken , I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington) for arranging this earlier gathering where we could all join together in this important moment to talk about this. prgtoken , I would like for those sitting at home to focus in on this number 43. This number 43, you want to know what this number represents? This number represents the number of law enforcement officers who have been killed thus far in 2020--43 law enforcement officers who have been killed thus far in 2020, over 40 percent more than in the same period in 2019. prgtoken Eight were categorized as premeditated murder. Two were a victim of unprovoked attacks. Eight fatal shots were fired at pointblank range, zero to 5 feet from the officer; eight shot in the front of the head, two from the back of the head, six in the neck, nine in the chest. prgtoken These are 43 law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in 2020. prgtoken Where is the NBA? Where is the NBA? prgtoken Where is the of the House? That is what I want to know. Where is the of the House? Condemning 43 law enforcement officers who have been murdered. prgtoken Are their names on the back of any jerseys, or is that just for preening and posturing by the true privileged who play sports for a living? prgtoken These are real people. prgtoken David Dorn died June 2 at 2:30 a.m. in the middle of the street after he was shot in the torso while attempting to protect a friend's pawnshop from suspected looters. Mr. Dorn had served 38 years in the St. Louis Police Department before retiring. prgtoken David Patrick Underwood died from gunshot wounds after he was shot from a vehicle on May 29 in Oakland, California. He was working as a contract security officer for Federal Protective Services. prgtoken According to authorities, the man charged in the murder of Mr. Underwood had specifically traveled to Oakland with the intent to kill police. He thought he could get away with it due to the large protest gatherings. prgtoken Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller was investigating a suspect vehicle linked to this case when he, too, was killed after being ambushed with explosive devices and an assault rifle. He had served the Santa Cruz County community since 2006. prgtoken Shay Mikalonis, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer, was seriously injured after being shot in the head while attempting to disperse protesters in June. prgtoken This week--we have already alluded to it--two L.A. County sheriff's deputies were sitting in their vehicle when they were ambushed and shot, ambushed and shot in the streets of Los Angeles. The deputies, a 31-year-old mother and a 24-year-old man, were transported to a local hospital. While fighting for their lives, a group of protestors arrived at the hospital and shouted: ``We hope t