mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Supreme Court Nominations (Executive Calendar)
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, MS) \u2014 2020-9-22

in a few moments, I will ask unanimous consent for the Senate to take up and pass legislation I have introduced to protect women from harm and to protect their health. prgtoken This is such an important issue to me as a Senator, as a woman, and as a mother. I am pleased several of my Senate colleagues have joined me on the floor to discuss this important issue, and I look forward to hearing their remarks as well. prgtoken Twenty years ago this month, the Food and Drug Administration approved, for the very first time, the abortion pill known as mifepristone. It did so under the immense pressure from the Clinton administration and its pro-abortion allies. However, when the FDA approved this drug, it recognized the serious risk of complications and life-threatening side effects that can be caused by this drug. Because of the risk of harm, and even death, the FDA put in place certain rules to protect the health of women. These rules are known as risk, evaluation, and mitigation strategies--or REMS for short--because they work to mitigate the risks posed by this drug to women. prgtoken These commonsense rules require a woman to see a doctor to get the drug, to be fully informed of the potential side effects and how she can seek followup treatment for those life-threatening side effects, and to offer her informed consent before being prescribed the drug. prgtoken These simple, commonsense rules have been in place to protect the health of women for over 20 years. Recognizing their importance, I introduced the SAVE Moms and Babies Act last year to codify these rules into law to make sure they remain in place to protect women from these serious side effects. However, pro-abortion forces oppose even these basic protections for women's health and have been working to undermine them, putting women at serious risk. prgtoken This summer, a judge in Maryland issued a nationwide injunction canceling these REMS rules for the entire country. We knew this was coming. Back in April, I led 150 Members of Congress, including 38 Members of this prgtoken body, in warning the FDA about this issue, and now pro-abortion advocates have found one activist judge to rule in their favor, putting women's health at risk in the middle of a pandemic. prgtoken Even with the REMS rules in place to protect women's health, a substantial number of women end up needing lifesaving surgery or blood transfusions following chemical abortion. Sadly, some women have even died from these dangerous drugs. prgtoken Make no mistake, no protections mean more adverse events for women. These protections ensure that a doctor could examine the woman to see if she has an ectopic pregnancy or is RH negative. These conditions can seriously increase the risk of harm to a woman taking this drug. prgtoken No REMS protections means at-home abortion without medical oversight, putting women at risk of bleeding out and dying alone without a doctor to help her. No R
LEVERAGING INFORMATION ON FOREIGN TRAFFICKERS ACT
Michael T. McCaul (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , I am prepared to close, and such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , in 2002, I formed the Internet Crimes Against Children unit in the attorney general's office in the State of Texas to stop internet trafficking and stop the exploitation of children online. prgtoken Since that day, we have put thousands behind bars. This is a worldwide scourge. It happens on an international level. prgtoken But what is, again, most disturbing, is it is happening now in our backyards. It is happening in suburbia America. prgtoken A case like Courtney's is so compelling because you never thought it would be possible in a town like Katy, Texas, but it happens, and it is happening all over this Nation. The numbers from the FBI are revealing and it is an industry. It is a sick industry that is run by businessmen; that is run by lawyers, an industry that exploits our children. prgtoken I have talked to many veterans with PTSD, but I can't imagine the post-traumatic stress of a victim of human trafficking who has been violated over and over and over again, offending the deepest ounce of human dignity where there is no dignity left, where they had to put their mind in such a place--almost like Stockholm syndrome--where they can survive the horrors that they are living in day in and day out. prgtoken Madam , this has to stop. This bill will help, but this Congress and the next Congress, we really need to ramp up our efforts to take this issue square on, to put these monsters out of their business and say they are closed forever, and to put them behind bars for a very, very long time. prgtoken Madam , I would like to thank many in my district who have worked hard on this issue: Houston 20's Jenn Hohman, and Austin 20's Lisa Knapp. These women are warriors for the cause against human trafficking. I also want to thank the County human trafficking task force for their great work on this effort. They are truly one of the models for the Nation. prgtoken When the officials from Homeland Security came down from the Blue Campaign, they told me this is one of the most effective operations we have seen in the United States, and it is a model for the Nation. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support this meaningful, necessary legislation, and .
UYGHUR FORCED LABOR PREVENTION ACT
Ted S. Yoho (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , I thank the chairman and the leaders on the side. prgtoken Since 2017, the CCP has systemically targeted and rounded up over a million people comprised of Uyghurs and other East Turkic minorities and put them in concentration camps where they were subject to inhumane living conditions, forced cultural brainwashing, rape, and torture. prgtoken Just this week, the CCP released a white paper regarding its detention of Uyghurs. They admitted to incarcerating up to 1.3 million Uyghurs per year from 2014 to 2019. That is up to 8 million innocent people in prison, brainwashed, tortured, raped, in their so-called reeducation, which are really concentration camps. If they will admit to that, how many more are there really that have been interned? prgtoken The Chinese State is not only complicit but responsible for activity supporting the genocidal campaign targeting vulnerable populations based on everything from religious beliefs, their language, their hairstyle and even their diet. This is not even to mention the horrific practices of forced sterilization and ``marriages'' to Han Chinese men. prgtoken Many of these people have now been forced into manufacturing jobs under harsh conditions, which we have heard--Mr. Smith and Chairman McCaul have pointed out--these products benefitting from forced labor have found their ways into our supply chains through major brands and corporations as it becomes increasingly difficult for companies to conduct due diligence investigations in China. prgtoken Further, we must recognize that the Chinese diplomatic presence globally is also engaged in this effort. A wealth of evidence is available to suggest that Chinese embassies and consulates around the world are actively seeking to force Chinese Uyghurs to return to mainland China, often to renew their passports, only to be abducted immediately and sent to one of the camps. prgtoken As Members of Congress, we have a moral obligation to ensure that the state-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing and forced labor-- reminiscent of the concentration camps of the Nazi regime, when we swore as a world community, ``never again''--are shut down and punished to the full extent of U.S. and international law. prgtoken The business community of America also has a moral obligation, from manufacturing to Hollywood, to not appease China in the name of profit. prgtoken Madam , as an original cosponsor of this bill, I support its passage in the House and encourage its timely consideration in the Senate.
RECOGNIZING BECKWITH ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC.
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-9-22

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. It is my privilege to recognize a family-owned small business with an outstanding record of innovation and industry leadership. This week, it is my pleasure to honor Beckwith Electric Company, Inc of Largo, FL, as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken In 1967, Robert W. Beckwith established Beckwith Electric in Illinois to provide equipment and services for electric utility providers. Robert, an electric engineer, was a prolific inventor who held more than 30 patents during his lifetime. Under his leadership, Beckwith Electric developed several products integral to electric utilities, including the first solid state tapchanger control in 1968 and microprocessor protective relay in 1981. As the company grew, Robert relocated Beckwith Electric to Largo, FL, in 1974. Like many Floridian small businesses, Beckwith Electric's facilities were completely destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Through careful planning, innovation, and an emphasis on customer service, Beckwith Electric rebuilt its facilities and continued to grow. prgtoken Today, Beckwith Electric Company is one of the largest manufacturing companies in the Tampa area. Richard's son, Thomas Beckwith, serves as chief executive officer and led the company to a 33-percent increase in growth last year. Beckwith Electric designs and manufactures all of its products, including components for electrical power grids, generators, and protective relays for transformers at its Largo, FL, facility. These items protect, strengthen, and increase the efficiency of electric utility networks. As part of the U.S. critical industrial base, Beckwith Electric's products are found in military installations, hospitals, and schools. They work with electric utilities, manufacturers, and producers of alternative sources of energy worldwide. They also contributed to rebuilding Iraq's power grid during Operation Iraqi Freedom. prgtoken Over the years, Beckwith Electric has been recognized for excellence in their industrial field and for their educational programs. Partnering with St. Petersburg College and Pinellas County Schools, Beckwith Electric regularly hosts educational workshops and technical training programs. In 2012, they earned the Florida Sterling Council Challenger Award. Beckwith has also earned several local and national awards from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-- IEEE--the industry's professional society. They partner with IEEE in hosting continuing education workshops for industry professionals. prgtoken Like many other Floridian small businesses, Beckwith Electric Company was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. An essential business, they managed to stay open, keep their employees safe, and play a key role in keepi
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021 AND OTHER EXTENSIONS ACT
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , I thank Ranking Member Granger. I appreciate her leadership during this trying time of a pandemic. prgtoken Madam , the last thing that the United States of America needs right now in the midst of a pandemic is a lapse in government funding that was set to expire at the end of this month. We need to do better when it comes to bipartisan agreements. prgtoken I am extremely disappointed that it took us this long to get the CCC, the Commodity Credit Corporation, replenished in this agreement and not held hostage by the majority. Our farmers, our producers in middle America that don't know what the market conditions are going to be like when they harvest their crops, they needed the certainty of knowing that the United States Government was going to fully fund the risk management programs that we put in place in a bipartisan way. prgtoken I also say thank you to those who were negotiating with Ranking Member Granger for also including language that provides the USDA with waiver authority that provides kids, our students, with free meals. That is something I have been working on over the last few weeks with my colleagues, Congresswoman Spanberger, Congressman Bacon, and Congressman Costa. prgtoken With this language, we now give our schools, families, and school nutrition professionals certainty throughout the upcoming school year in the midst of a pandemic where many may not be able to get that hot meal that they have been used to getting during the normal school year. prgtoken Madam , I look forward to working with Sonny Perdue, Secretary Perdue, and the USDA to implement this important language. prgtoken Madam , I urge a ``yes'' vote on this package.
AMERICAN UNITY
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2020-9-22

last week marked another Constitution Day celebration. It could not have come at a better time because, for just one little moment, it helped us pause and contemplate two very important things. prgtoken First, we took time to think about those values that our Founders knew. They knew that these values were essential to the establishment of a model republic. prgtoken Second, we remembered the progress we have made in deciding for ourselves how the passage of time changes or does not change what we can do to make that ``more perfect Union'' even more so. prgtoken Free speech, petition, and protest, the right to defend ourselves, the right to cast a vote--these are the freedoms that unite us in times of turmoil, whether we find ourselves in the midst of all-out war or just a particularly contentious election year. prgtoken I would argue that how a nation reacts to that turmoil says more about its foundation than it does about who controls the news cycle on any given day. prgtoken Divisive voices are hard at work in this country, and they are doing their very best to convince our friends, families, and neighbors that our foundation is weak and that our founding principles are no longer good enough. I find that very sad. prgtoken They want us to believe that America as we know it is suddenly irredeemable, that it just can't be safe. prgtoken You might ask yourself: Why are they saying all of this in spite of hundreds of years and millions of Americans proving the exact opposite is true? prgtoken Here is what I think. They say it because they want us to give up. They want our neighbors, our families, and our friends to give up, call it quits; our best days are behind us. We have all heard them say this. They say: Throw the Constitution in the trash. Rewrite it. Start over. And after you throw the Constitution in the trash, then let's reimagine the world's greatest democracy through our very own destructive lenses of socialism, critical theory, and political correctness. That is what they say. prgtoken As I am sure we have all seen, they have come up with some fairly persuasive methods to try to get their way. But I believe that, in the end, these efforts will all be in vain because when push comes to shove, we, the American people, always manage to remember where we have come from and to remember who we are. prgtoken It is interesting. I think somehow we Americans always find our way home, back to those first principles. Indeed, I pray that continues. prgtoken Our Founders saw what tyranny really looked like. They saw it up close and personal because they had to live through it. They knew exactly--exactly--what would happen if they put the fate of the Republic in the hands of men alone. So what did they do to give that insurance policy, if you will, that democracy and a democratic republic would continue and would stand? They drafted a Constitution, recognizing prgtoken that our rights are a gift from God a
HONORING RAY PETHTEL, JR.
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2020-9-22

. Madam , I offer these remarks in honor of Ray Pethtel, Jr. of Christiansburg, Virginia, who passed away on September 12, 2020 at the age of 83. Ray was a longtime public servant who was committed to accountability and high performance in Virginia state government. prgtoken Ray was born in Gallipolis, Ohio and graduated from high school in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. After service in the United States Air Force, he returned to Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor's and a master's degree from the Pennsylvania State University. prgtoken He held multiple positions in New York state government, interrupted by a stint in Washington, D.C as Director of Administration for the American Society for Public Administration. prgtoken The Virginia General Assembly established the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) in 1973, and Ray was hired as the first director. JLARC was created to assist the General Assembly in its oversight responsibilities by auditing state government agencies and analyzing their effectiveness. In this mission, JLARC located an ideal founding director in Ray. He assembled a strong team and performed his duties with rigor and attentiveness. When I was a member of the House of Delegates, I saw firsthand the importance of JLARC's mission and contributions; Ray's work for twelve years at JLARC helped build that institution and made it a model for other states. prgtoken After winning election in 1985, Governor Gerald Baliles appointed Ray to serve as the Commissioner of Virginia's Department of Highways and Transportation, now the Department of Transportation (VDOT). His time at JLARC had familiarized him with the Commonwealth's transportation needs. Under his leadership, which lasted through the terms of Governor Baliles and his successor Doug Wilder, VDOT completed many important projects, became more efficient, and improved its communications with the public about its work. prgtoken Ray continued to work on transportation after leaving office at Virginia Tech's Transportation Institute. He brought his knowledge of highways and transportation to the institute's research, and it now stands as one of the country's leading academic centers in the field. In this capacity, I had the opportunity to work with Ray. prgtoken For his leadership over the years, Ray won numerous awards and recognitions, including the New Century Region High Tech Leadership Award, American Society of Highway Engineers Robert E. Person P.E. Person of the Year Award, the Rotary Foundation International Paul Fellow, the Virginia Tech University Transportation Fellow, the Penn State Alumni Fellow, and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Hall of Fame. prgtoken Ray is survived by his wife, Mary Jane, his three daughters, Jennifer, Leslie and Judy, his grandchildren, Austin, Stephanie and Kathleen, and his sons-in-law, Tom, Ken and Scott. I would like to offer my condolences to them on the loss of this committed and
TRIBUTE TO ERICA SONGER
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-9-22

as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, I want to thank Erica Songer for her service in the Senate and in particular for her service as the subcommittee's minority chief counsel. The Intellectual Property Subcommittee has been the most active subcommittee's in the Senate, in no small part due to Erica's work. We have worked in a bipartisan fashion to modernize our intellectual property system through forward- looking legislative reforms. Across numerous hearings on various aspects of intellectual property law, as well as several bills, Erica has been a vital resource to my team and me. prgtoken During this session, Erica has served the subcommittee in countless ways. From promoting women in the intellectual property field to reforming our prgtoken Nation's patent eligibility laws, Erica has been an innovator and go- getter. There were countless times throughout this Congress when the subcommittee's work would get tough and it appeared we were at an insurmountable impasse. Each time, Erica found a way forward and kept us moving towards our shared goals: a stronger intellectual property system. prgtoken While I am sad that the Senate and the subcommittee will be losing a staffer as valuable as Erica, I am grateful for her public service these past 4 years. Erica has shown that she will excel at whatever she commits to, whether graduating from Harvard Law School or making partner at one of the largest law firms in the world or serving as the chief counsel to my good friend Chris Coons--and I am excited for her as she steps into a new role and begins a new adventure.
RECOGNIZING CLEAN ENERGY WEEK
John R. Curtis (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-9-23

I rise today in support of Clean Energy Week, an opportunity to celebrate bipartisan support for the wide variety of clean energy sources strengthening America's national security while also preserving our environment for future generations. prgtoken The environment is, and should be, a bipartisan issue. That is why I am proud to lead, with my friend Congressman Lowenthal of California, a bipartisan resolution in support of Clean Energy Week. prgtoken In fact, my legislation was introduced by 71 original cosponsors, divided almost evenly between s and . This goes to show that we can and must work across the aisle to be better caretakers of our planet, and I plan to continue the pursuit of these positive bipartisan policies while in Congress.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACT OF 2019
Michael Waltz (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-9-23

. Madam , H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy and Jobs Innovation Act, authorizes research and development activities across the Department of Energy's applied energy programs. prgtoken As my colleagues have noted, while there are several bipartisan provisions in this package, they are outweighed, unfortunately, by partisan priorities in a rushed and irresponsible legislative process. prgtoken I think, by now, we can all recognize how many missed opportunities for true bipartisanship have been complicated by this approach. Critical minerals is certainly one of them. prgtoken Critical minerals play a vital role in our everyday lives. Battery storage, defense systems, healthcare equipment, medicines, things that impact U.S. national security, economic growth, and energy independence are all reliant on secure and safe access to critical minerals. prgtoken However, currently, the United States is dependent on other countries for 31 of 35 critical minerals identified by the Department of the Interior; and of these, 14 are imported to the U.S. at a rate of 100 percent. prgtoken On the list are lithium and graphite that power clean energy solutions, all of which are controlled by China. China, in fact, holds an overwhelming advantage in access to critical minerals, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it dangerously clear that we cannot, as a nation, rely on China for our essential resources. prgtoken In May, I introduced H.R. 7061, the American Critical Mineral Exploration Act, which builds on the successes of the Senate's American Mineral Security Act by taking a more comprehensive approach to onshoring these critical mineral supply chains. prgtoken Earlier this year, it seemed like many of these provisions would be considered in good-faith negotiations with Science Committee , but unfortunately, despite our shared goals, we have had to pause negotiations in order to now consider this partisan messaging bill that is on the floor today. This is a waste of the taxpayers' money, and a waste of the few remaining legislative days.