mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2020-12-11

the Senate has before it today the result of a compromise. The conference report that will result in the adoption of the National Defense Authorization Act--NDAA--for fiscal year 2021 is neither the bill the Senate approved, nor the one the House passed. I am pleased that this conference report cures many of the problems that led to my vote to oppose the Senate bill. Specifically, the conference report is void of the authority for funds to support testing of a new nuclear device, which was included in the Senate bill. This sends an important message to the world about Congress's support for U.S. leadership in armed control. prgtoken Further, the conference report advances the progress we have made with regard to Vietnam. This NDAA sends a clear message that Congress believes in the importance of cooperation with Vietnam, both to advance our shared security interests and to address some of the worst consequences of that war. The conference report will extend the authorization for the Department of Defense to help decontaminate the Bien Hoa Airbase from the lingering poison of dioxin, and it includes new authorization to help the Government of Vietnam locate and identify some of its hundreds of thousands of MIAs, as they have helped us locate our own MIAs over so many years. prgtoken The bill will also help the veterans of that war who were exposed to dioxin. The expansion of presumption of exposure included in this bill will mean that Americans suffering from a number of linked ailments can spend their time seeking treatment, rather than jumping through bureaucratic and legal hoops. For many veterans exposed to airborne toxic substances through burn pits, this bill also includes a number of provisions to make it easier to identify their exposure and for them to make connections needed while seeking medical care. It continues the march towards rectifying the Department of Defense's PFOS/PFOA usage. While there is much to be done in both these areas, this is a positive step forward. prgtoken This bill is imperfect, but of particular concern to me is the addition in conference, without proper vetting or evaluation, of several provisions that undermine the Freedom of Information Act, our Nation's premier transparency law. Many of these provisions were in neither the Senate nor the House bill. For a number of years, I have worked in a bipartisan manner with other members of the Judiciary Committee to consult with the Senate Armed Services Committee to provide the feedback and expertise in FOIA matters, as it relates to proposals within the NDAA. That inclusive process, where committees of jurisdiction are consulted on their areas of expertise, has ensured that the NDAA does not become a vehicle for unwise or harmful policies. This time, however, a number of provisions needlessly piercing holes in FOIA were inserted during conference negotiations without any consultation with the Judiciary Comm
REMEMBERING DONALD LEE CLARK
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2020-12-11

I rise today to honor a great man and Montanan. prgtoken Donald Lee Clark was a soldier, husband, father, professor, author, and mentor who loved, lived, and learned for all of his 90 years. prgtoken He tested positive for COVID-19 on November 28, 2020, and died 7 days later. At a time when it is easy to be a cynic, Clark was unusually optimistic, surrounding himself with family and friends who admired and loved him. prgtoken Throughout his accomplished life in the Air Force, where he served our Nation as a colonel, Clark never lost sight of making time to enjoy the world or people around him. He earned a 3rd degree black belt in Judo from the Kodokan Judo College while stationed in Japan. He learned to scuba dive as an attache in the Soviet Union in hopes of diving in the world's deepest lake. He taught himself to ride a unicycle just for the fun of it and took up skiing in his 40s while living in New Hampshire as a research fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He skied the Alps while serving as an action officer assigned to the joint staff in the Office of International Negotiations. prgtoken He was born in Dallas, TX, to Victor and Sheppard Clark. Don is survived by his wife of 65 years Patricia Conway Clark, their two sons Brian and his wife Marie of Kalispell, Darren and his wife Myrna of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, and three grandsons Kellin Clark and his wife Lauren Fox of Washington, DC, and Ryan Clark and Kevin Clark of California. He was preceded in death by his older sister Delores. prgtoken Don and his sister were raised in Dallas by their single mother Sheppard. He attended Southern Methodist University on theology and ROTC scholarships and graduated with a degree in sociology. He later earned his masters in political science from George Washington University while in the Air Force. prgtoken He met and later married the love of his life Patricia Conway in 1955 at Perkins Chapel on the campus of Southern Methodist University. After graduating from SMU, Clark began his military service career, which included assignments around the U.S. and the world. prgtoken During his military career, he served in the Strategic Air Command as a B29 navigator, Air Training Command, Security Service, and Intelligence. Most of his 23-year military career was focused on intelligence. He was a Soviet specialist for numerous U.S. delegations including the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, Law of the Seas, and Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions. prgtoken He retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1974 and moved his family from DC to Bozeman to ski at Bridger Bowl and become the assistant to the president at Montana State University. Six years later, he became the director of international education where he also taught courses in political science. He later started MSU's International Education programs while teaching classes in international affairs. While at MSU, he wr
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-12-11

. Let me commend the chairman. I don't think we would be here without Chairman Inhofe's leadership. I have never seen anyone work so diligently and so constructively. prgtoken We want to thank the staff. They do a remarkable amount of work. prgtoken Also, we have to recognize our colleagues in the House--Chairman Adam Smith, who did a good job, and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry, whose name is on this bill. prgtoken I urge passage, and I commend the chairman. prgtoken Thank you, .
BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-12-14

this week, the Senate returns with precious little time left to finish important matters of business. Last week, both Houses of Congress passed the annual Defense bill with veto- proof majorities. If President takes the rather ridiculous step of vetoing a pay raise for our troops in order to defend the honor of dead Confederate traitors--or whatever other contrived grounds he comes up with--Congress must override that veto. prgtoken On Friday, both Chambers of Congress also passed a 1-week continuing resolution, giving us until the end of this week to finish an omnibus appropriations bill to fund the government. As usual, the appropriations bill will include several important pieces of related legislation. One that doesn't get enough attention is a bipartisan energy bill. prgtoken Earlier this year, during the debate over the Energy bill, Senate insisted that a provision to reduce HFCs--a very harmful greenhouse gas that is driving our climate change problem--must be included in the bill. Unfortunately, we had to hold up the bill until a bipartisan agreement could be reached on this critical provision, which would be the single biggest victory in the fight against climate change to pass this body in a decade. prgtoken Today, I am very happy to report that we have made very good progress toward an agreement on HFC reduction. We are about to get it done. That is one of the biggest victories to fight global warming in a very long time. prgtoken I want to thank Senators Carper, Kennedy, and Barrasso. They have worked very diligently and very hard to craft a compromise. prgtoken Finally, as we all know, it is imperative we pass another round of emergency Federal relief from the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the bipartisan group of Senators who have been diligently working toward an agreement will announce the results of their work: a package of over $900 billion that includes an agreement on assistance to State and local government. Notably, there is no agreement on corporate immunity. We look forward to reviewing their work. remain 100 percent committed to getting another round of emergency relief to the American people before the end of the year and in a robust, bold way because America needs it so badly.
IN HONOR OF MARK OLBERT
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-12-14

. Madam , I rise to recognize the outstanding service of Mark Olbert as he departs the San Carlos City Council after nine years as a councilmember, two of them as Mayor. Mark also served 10 years on the local school board. For a man who moved to San Carlos in 1997, he's spent a remarkable 19 of those 23 years in local elected office. prgtoken Mark was raised in Dobbs Ferry, New York and obtained his bachelors in cell and molecular biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his MBA from the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College. He went to work as a finance executive in the oil and gas industry and then transitioned to the world of biotechnology. After great success at Amgen, Mark moved to San Carlos to grab other brass rings in the world of biotechnology. Ultimately, he was able to retire early to dedicate his life to his family and to public service. prgtoken When he and his wife, Barbara McHugh, sought a Bay Area community in which to raise their family they selected San Carlos because of its high-quality schools. Both Mark and Barbara plunged into volunteering to raise money for the schools and were ultimately honored for their leadership by the San Carlos Education Foundation. prgtoken In the midst of his career, and while raising Arthur and Caroline, the couple's two children, Mark ran for the school board. He succeeded in his first effort and was reelected. During his 10 years as a trustee, he successfully advocated to reform the district's special education program and grappled with the fragile finances of the district. For decades, civic leaders had opined that, in San Carlos, school parcel taxes and bond measures would fail. As a trustee, Mark had a different opinion. He and a core group led successful efforts to pass several tax or bond measures, thereby stabilizing finances and putting the district on a path to rejuvenate its schools. prgtoken While on the school board, it was his work with the city that sparked his interest in the city council. He saw a need for more parks for a growing population, more housing, and greater transparency in local government. He ran for the city council in 2011, came in first, and was later re-elected. prgtoken Mark and most of his council colleagues tried but were ultimately unable to obtain more land to expand city parks. He always maintained, however, that the city council had done its job by providing residents with a choice about their quality of life. prgtoken In recent years, he successfully advocated for San Carlos to become a ``welcoming city'' to send a message of hope as immigrants came under attack. Homeowners have a friend in Mark as the city adopted a proposal to help pay for otherwise expensive sidewalk repairs. Along with his colleagues, he regularly supported thoughtful budgeting that generated surpluses. prgtoken Housing is Mark's constant concern. He asks important questions about whether the city has zoned enough land for housing
REFLECTIONS ON THE PROCESS ESTABLISHED BY THE FRAMERS FOR THE ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-12-14

. Madam , I rise to offer a few brief thoughts on the process established by the Framers for the election of the President and Vice-President of the United States and the certain outcome of that process that will be known later today and ratified on in a Joint Meeting of Congress on January 6, 2021. prgtoken The impeached and electorally defeated incumbent has amassed a 98 percent failure record (1/50) in his legal challenges to the certification of electors. prgtoken Not to be outdone, the Texas Attorney General, joined by 17 Attorneys General and 126 sitting Members of Congress, filed a shameful, desperate Hail Mary action requesting the U.S. Supreme Court to disenfranchise 10 million voters in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin because they claim somehow by the prgtoken local decision made by those sovereign states to protect their citizens from a lethal pandemic by permitting voting by mail. prgtoken The Supreme Court summarily rejected this latest lawsuit, finding that petitioners lacked standing to bring their specious arguments. prgtoken Madam , it defies belief that persons claiming to revere the 10th Amendment and federalism would have taken this action that makes a mockery of their core beliefs and is so inconsistent with the bedrock principle that in America, it is ``We, the People'' who choose our leaders; leaders do not choose their voters. prgtoken The principle behind this most frivolous of lawsuits would allow the absurd result of California suing Texas for not expanding Medicaid, New York suing Mississippi for the way it runs its penal system, Illinois suing North Carolina for gerrymandering election districts, and Minnesota suing Alabama over its school funding mechanism. prgtoken This latest led and -inspired law suit, like the preceding 50, was not grounded in reality so it is useful to describe what the Constitution and the law prescribe regarding the process for electing a president. prgtoken First, it must be emphasized that while November 3 was Election Day throughout the nation, it was not a national election but a series of discreet and separate elections held in each state and District of Columbia to choose the persons who under the 12th Amendment are to meet six weeks later to cast the votes to elect the President and Vice- President. prgtoken The result of those elections was that was the leading vote-getter in more states with more people by larger margins than . prgtoken In fact, the latest tally of all votes cast shows has received more votes, 81.2 million, than anyone in history, outdistancing his vanquished rival by an astounding 7 million votes. prgtoken Second, the next important date in the electoral process is today, December 14, which is the first Monday after the second Wednesday and the date set by federal law, when the men and women chosen by the voters of their respective states gather in the sev
COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF TONY LEE
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2020-12-14

. Madam , I rise today to honor the memory of longtime Seattle resident Tony Lee, who died on November 12, 2020. Over his more than 30-year career, Tony had a deep and personal impact on our community. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy of dedicated public service. prgtoken Tony Lee was a kind-hearted friend, activist and advocate, and a devoted family member. He was humble and wise. Those of us lucky enough to have known him will forever remember his booming, infectious laugh. prgtoken Tony joined the Seattle community at a young age, when he immigrated to the United States from China via Brazil with his family. He went on to graduate from Harvard and earn a law degree from the University of Washington. Upon starting his career as a lawyer, Tony quickly found his true calling: civil rights advocacy. prgtoken Tony began his career as an attorney for Evergreen Legal Services, representing the needs of indigent clients as well as immigrants and refugees. He later served as the Advocacy Director for Solid Ground, where he led the anti-poverty, anti-racist organization's work to save cash assistance programs for people with disabilities and mental illness, expand Medicaid to cover dental care, and overcome housing discrimination in Washington State over 21 years. He is widely recognized for his leadership in creating and maintaining critical safety net services for immigrant and refugee communities, making Washington State a shining example for immigrant inclusion nationwide. prgtoken Tony's advocacy and activism stretched well beyond his formal work positions, putting him frequently at the forefront of important efforts and movements. Among these, Tony fought for rent control, on peace and social justice issues and for economic justice. He helped found the Statewide Poverty Action Network and create the Food Assistance Program, which promotes expanding public benefits and broadening the safety net for low-income people in Washington State. He served as a leader with the Equity in Education Commission, the King County Chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, Seattle Human Services Coalition, Church Council of Greater Seattle, the Washington Association of Churches, and the Catholic Archdiocese. prgtoken Even after his semi-retirement in 2014, Tony could still be found advocating in the halls of the Washington State Legislature, where he was, in the words of Representative Frank Chopp, the ``conscience of Washington State.'' prgtoken I had the pleasure of working with Tony over the more than decade I spent organizing for immigrant rights, doing lobby days in the state capitol, advocating for poor people and the most vulnerable and fighting for immigrants and refugees, and there was simply no-one who knew the subject matter better or was more devoted than Tony Lee. prgtoken Tony will be dearly missed, and his tremendous legacy promoting a more just and kind Seattle will continue to grow through the communiti
HONORING TRENT YACONELLI
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-12-14

. Madam , I rise to honor and recognize Trent Yaconelli, the Executive Director of St. Helena and Calistoga Boys & Girls Club. prgtoken Trent Yaconelli was born in La Mesa, California, and grew up in Yreka, California. In 1993, he graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Teacher Education. He has also received a Non-Profit Management Certification from The University of Texas at Austin in 2012. Mr. Yaconelli has used his education to aid his community through times of hardship, serving as the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club since 2017. Before serving as Executive Director, Mr. Yaconelli had served on the Club's staff for more than 20 years and as Associate Executive Director for four and half years. prgtoken Drawing on his years of community service, Mr. Yaconelli has shown an immense capacity to exercise moral leadership and empathy through natural disasters and on-going adversity. He worked with the Club staff to deliver more than 25,000 meals to the community, day-to-day, during the devastating Glass Fire. Recognizing that many of the people who were affected by the fire had lost their homes and were ineligible to receive disaster relief funds, Mr. Yaconelli worked with the Club to distribute more than $70,000 in direct gifts to fifteen club families. Particularly, he helped distribute three cars to families that lost their vehicles in the fire, along with an additional $15,000 in individual grants to help them get back on their feet. prgtoken Trent Yaconelli's tireless work over these past fourteen years should not go unnoticed. The support that he has given to the families and children of Calistoga and St. Helena has undoubtedly improved the livelihood of his community. In this spirit, Mr. Yaconelli is currently serving the students of the St. Helena Unified School District while they are participating in distance learning. His encompassing knowledge of his community continues to serve the youth and the families that need him the most. prgtoken Madam , Trent Yaconelli exemplifies strong integrity and leadership through his dedication to public service. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor him here today.
Eighth Anniversary of Sandy Hook Shooting (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-12-14

8 years ago this morning, I was in Bridgeport, CT. I had done an event early that morning with the mayor, and I was due to meet my wife and my two children--then 4 years old and 1--on a train platform in Bridgeport to head down to New York City, to spend the rest of that Friday afternoon with my young kids, their first chance to see the Christmas decorations of the city. prgtoken I received a phone call while on the train platform telling me that something had happened in Sandy Hook, CT. Sandy Hook is a section of Newtown, CT. prgtoken I debated whether or not to still go down to New York, but as the news started to become more clear, I got in the car and headed up to the firehouse just down a short road from Sandy Hook Elementary School, where an emergency response effort was gathering. prgtoken It was there that 20 parents found out what had happened inside that school, as the rest of the world was finding out that same gruesome news. prgtoken That was 8 years ago today--mark today--that tragic anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. prgtoken Since that day, I have gotten to know those families--the mothers and the fathers of the children who were killed, the daughters, the siblings of educators who were killed. There were six educators inside Sandy Hook Elementary School who lost their lives that day--heroes all. There were 20 children. I have also gotten to know the community of Sandy Hook even better than I ever had during my 6 years representing them in the House of Representatives. prgtoken Sandy Hook was and is a miraculous place. As much as the world saw evil that day, perpetuated by a young man named Adam Lanza, what happened in the hours and days, weeks and months following, in and around Sandy Hook, told us what really sits inside of us, and that is an indescribable goodness, an ability to meet evil with all sorts of generosity that poured on to Sandy Hook from all over the world in big ways and small ways. prgtoken Teddy bears were sent in to Sandy Hook by the thousands in the days and weeks afterward. A fund was set up for the families of the victims. Millions of dollars went into that fund to help pay for the college educations of the brothers and sisters who were left behind. The community wrapped its arms around those families, around the first responders. And while Sandy Hook will never ever be the same ever again, I was able to see firsthand what truly lies inside all of us. prgtoken Over the last 8 years, we have tried to make good by the memory of those kids. There is no way to fill that hole, but I have watched as communities have been changed through the generosity that has come out of that tragedy. Almost every family established a unique not-for- profit that is doing all sorts of incredible work, all sort of based in many ways off of the loves of those children. prgtoken There are charities that are building playgrounds for kids who love to climb and