mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LIBERTY FIRST, LAST, AND ALWAYS
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2024-4-19

the bills that will come before this House this weekend, especially tomorrow, make our choices clear: liberty or tyranny, democracy or dictatorship, allies or enemies, resolve or accommodation, strength or surrender, rule of law or rule of rogues, security or vulnerability. prgtoken As Daniel Webster's inspirational missive carved into the marble above this rostrum challenges: Let us ask ourselves in our time and generation, may we not perform something worthy to be remembered? prgtoken Yes, liberty first, last, and always. prgtoken Through its historic fight against tyranny, Ukraine has reminded us how stark a choice the free world has. prgtoken Ukraine aspires to ascend into the coalition of free nations sheltered by NATO's shield. Ukraine will grow to prosper in the European Union. prgtoken Ukraine's warriors and people have inspired the world. Liberty demands this institution remain true to our Nation's founding principles. prgtoken s and , Johnson, and Leader Jeffries are all working together so the majority can work its will, not minority factions. prgtoken , the middle has coalesced to meet Congress' first sworn duty to protect the Nation from all enemies, foreign and domestic. We will meet that obligation.
REFORMING INTELLIGENCE AND SECURING AMERICA ACT
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-4-19

. Throughout our history and certainly since 9/11, we have been focused on a challenge: Can we keep America safe and still honor our Constitution? prgtoken I have been engaged in this debate for quite a few years, and I continue with it this evening. Over the course of our history, we have seen section 702 misused by our government: 3.4 million American conversations were monitored in 1 year; another, 200,000. prgtoken This modification I am suggesting, suggested by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, would mean that the Agency would have to report for warrants 80 cases a month. That is not too much when we are dealing with hundreds of thousands of targets and millions of conversations. prgtoken Yes, we can protect the constitutional Bill of Rights and keep our country safe. We have got to be mindful that this requires vigilance. prgtoken .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2024-4-19

reserving the right to object, I appreciate my friend the gentleman from Utah's strong feelings on this bill. He has been consistent repeatedly. prgtoken I disagree. I believe 702 is one of the critical aspects of our national security regime. Literally 60 percent of the information that appears in the President's Daily Brief is obtained from section 702. prgtoken Again, I disagree with the gentleman as well in terms of the fact that we have seen--prior to 2008, when the preceding bill expired for a brief period of time, there are entities that said: We no longer have to participate with the government. prgtoken I think that is a risk we cannot afford to take with the vast array of challenges our Nation faces around the world. prgtoken I would also point out--and I know that for some of my colleagues, it has not been enough--the Senate FISA bill--the House FISA bill has 56 separate reforms in it. As a matter of fact, through processes that are already at least partially in process, we have seen the FBI's noncompliance rate on their own queries of 702 drop from about 30 percent noncompliant to less than 1 percent. prgtoken We have reforms that make sure there are no further batch queries; that there is not the kind of effort where people could simply have the right to query the 702 database without showing a reason; making sure as well, as critics have pointed out, that should an American who is an elected official, a religious figure, a journalist--a whole extra set of reforms there as well. prgtoken I believe we need to proceed on this. I know both sides are negotiating in good faith. I think those negotiations need to continue, and therefore I object.
HONORING NELSON CRUZ AND LA VOZ HISPANA
Jesús G. "Chuy" García (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-4-19

I rise today to honor Nelson Cruz and La Voz Hispana, a music shop owned by the Cruz family, which has served the Chicagoland area for more than 60 years. ``Musica y Cultura'', the slogan for La Voz Hispana encompasses what it has represented for Chicago. prgtoken You will find people in the neighborhood who remember buying their first guitar or first set of bongos there. Mothers took their kids to La Voz Hispana for music lessons, and the shop also helped promote new Latino artists as they passed through Chicago. prgtoken It was my favorite Latin Jazz store to visit. I bought records, tapes, cd's, maracas, a guiro and a triangle there. prgtoken This neighborhood spot will be missed by many. prgtoken I wish Nelson an enjoyable retirement, which I'm sure will be full of music (Le deseo a Nelson que disfrute su retiro, que seguro estara lleno de musica).
REFORMING INTELLIGENCE AND SECURING AMERICA ACT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-4-19

now, before we move on, I would like to acknowledge a rare milestone that is just about to be achieved on this coming vote in the Senate. Our dear colleague from Maine, Senator Susan Collins, will cast her nine-thousandth consecutive rollcall vote. (Applause, Senators rising.) prgtoken She has never--never--missed a single rollcall vote in her entire career. Who else can claim that? Raise your hand. Even the freshmen can't claim that. prgtoken I congratulate Senator Collins on this historic accomplishment. It puts her in rare company in the history of the Chamber. prgtoken Senator Collins and I, of course, belong to different parties, but she has the enormous respect of those of us on this side of the aisle as well as her own colleagues. And I have been grateful for the chance to work with her in recent years on many issues. So we all have applauded her great work. prgtoken to my colleague and friend, Senator McConnell.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8034, ISRAEL SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8035, UKRAINE SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024...
Teresa Leger Fernandez (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2024-4-19

today, after months of delay that cost the loss of the Ukrainian military advantage, that cost children's lives and access to food and aid, that allowed China to threaten the Indo-Pacific, Congress will finally vote. Congress is finally going to vote to fund the fight against the tyranny of Russia, Iran, and China, the fight for democracy and peace. prgtoken Why did it take us this long? prgtoken Yesterday in Rules, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee noted that every President since the Soviet Union era has stood on the right side of history and stood up to Russia. Presidents from Eisenhower to Reagan, , Sr and , Jr they all knew that Russia's desire to reassert its empire by bombing and invading its neighbor also harms America and American interests--every President, that is, until . prgtoken In contrast to every President before him, praised Putin, tried to do business in Russia, allowed Putin to gain the upper hand, and eventually denied Ukraine military aid that Congress had approved unless Ukraine gave him dirt on . became the pied piper for Putin. prgtoken Some of 's most ardent followers in this House became Putin- protecting s and denied the Members of Congress this vote until now. prgtoken Now is the moment history has its eyes on this Chamber as and s stand up and stand together for what we love-- democracy. Democracy is the very reason we get to sit here together today and debate in the people's House. Democracy is the best answer to tyranny, aggression, and depravity. prgtoken It is our shared bipartisan love for democracy that best unites us with our allies around the world, allies that are once again united in our fight against the war in China and Russia thanks to the leadership of President , who repaired the damage inflicted on our international relationships. prgtoken I hope that shared love of a world where democracy is defended will also unite us in this Chamber. I remind my colleagues, s and , that bipartisanship is a good thing. It is how America expects us to govern, and it is how we move one step closer to defeating the cruel regimes that seek to take the world backward.
COMMEMORATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPPORTUNITY CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS
Veronica Escobar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2024-4-19

I rise to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless. prgtoken Since its inception on January 3rd, 1994, the Opportunity Center has been a steadfast refuge for homeless adults, originally focusing on men but expanding to accommodate the increasing number of women seeking shelter. Through this evolution, it has established permanent and transitional housing options to offer stability and hope to those in need. prgtoken Central to the Center's philosophy is the principle of recovery to service. It proudly stands as the largest employer of homeless individuals in the El Paso community, with close to 60 percent of its staff having lived experience with homelessness. This practice not only provides employment but also fosters a sense of purpose, self-worth, empathy, and dignity among its employees. In a landmark achievement in October 2011, the Opportunity Center became the first homeless shelter in the United States to receive excess food from schools, thanks to Congressional clarification on food donation regulations. This initiative has since provided over 1.2 million meals in 2023 alone, nourishing those in need and exemplifying the Center's commitment to holistic support. prgtoken Founded by Ray Tullius, a U.S. Army veteran and Golden Nugget award recipient, the Center is dedicated to aiding veterans facing homelessness and has assisted countless individuals. By fostering collaboration among stakeholders, such as service providers, educational institutions, and local governments, the Opportunity Center ensures high-quality care and compassion for those experiencing homelessness. prgtoken Today, it is my privilege to honor the Opportunity Center for its 30- year legacy of service, resilience, and compassion. May it continue to make a profound impact on the lives of our community for many years to come.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2024-4-19

I rise, alongside my colleague Senator Warner, to comment on a near-miss incident that occurred yesterday at Reagan National Airport and what it means in the context of the FAA reauthorization bill that we are considering and will take up likely right after recess. prgtoken The incident yesterday was a big warning light flashing red, telling Congress not to take steps that would weaken the safety of this airport. prgtoken Yesterday morning, at 7:40 a.m a Southwest Airlines plane and a JetBlue plane nearly collided while simultaneously attempting to cross the same runway. One flight was preparing to take off from runway 4, which is a smaller commuter runway, while the other was attempting to cross from an apron to the main runway, runway 1, that carries 90 percent of the flights in and out of DCA. prgtoken Yesterday was not an unusually busy day; it was a typically busy day on the Nation's busiest runway at DCA. And while the FAA is still investigating the incident, there is disturbing audio that is circulating that I hope every Member of this body will listen to. prgtoken In the audio, you can hear air traffic controllers frantically yelling at each plane over the communications to ``Stop! Stop!'' before both planes were able to halt their movements and narrowly avoid a collision. prgtoken We are all relieved that disaster was averted and that no injuries or damages occurred, thanks to the actions of the ATC professionals at DCA. But I am incredulous that in a discussion about reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration--a bill that is meant to make travel safer--some Members of Congress view this package as an opportunity to jam even more flights for their own personal convenience into a runway at DCA that is already overburdened and can't handle extra capacity. The gamble is exactly the opposite of improving public safety. prgtoken The Federal Aviation Administration and the regional airport commission created by Congress, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, both agree that adding any flights--any flights--to DCA will increase delays due to the increased risk for incidents like this. Any flights into DCA will increase delays due to the increased risk for incidents like this. prgtoken DCA is a fraction of the size of our other two regional airports, Dulles and BWI, and the length of its runways are shorter. In fact, two of the runways are so short that 90 percent of the traffic--800 flights a day--has to be put onto the main primary runway. prgtoken Since 1986, Congress has recognized the capacity limits at DCA by restricting the number of nonstop flights that can originate out of DCA to airports outside of a 1,250-mile perimeter, with Dulles and BWI planned as the growth airports for the region's aviation needs. prgtoken However, in the past and right now, during discussions about FAA reauthorization, certain Members in both Houses have attempted and in some cases succeeded in
REFORMING INTELLIGENCE AND SECURING AMERICA ACT
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2024-4-19

if I might, again, 9,000 is remarkable--the ``iron'' Senator. And she was asked by the Washington Post 12 years ago why she had never missed a vote, why she made a decision to make every vote. And this is what she said: I think it's important at this time, when public confidence in Congress is very low, to demonstrate to my constituents that I really care about doing a good job for them. prgtoken For 27 straight years and 9,000 straight votes, she has delivered every single day for the people of Maine, for the people of this country. And I am grateful to have the privilege and opportunity to serve with her, as I think every single one of us is--not only those who are here today but those who have come before. It is a remarkable achievement. prgtoken Senator Collins, thank you. Thank you for your record. Thank you for your example. (Applause.)
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2024-4-19

on April 5, Alabama lost Montgomery County Sheriff Deputy Jermyius Young to injuries sustained in a duty-related car crash. Deputy Young began working as a correctional officer at the Montgomery County Jail at the age of 18 while waiting to turn 21, the age required to attend the police academy. He joined the police academy as soon as he could and then became a sheriff's deputy for the county. He also served as a specialist with the U.S. Army Reserves 206th Transport Company out of Opelika. prgtoken Nicknamed ``Smiley'' by his parents for his positive demeanor, which was always accompanied by a huge smile, Deputy Young was an inspiration to everyone around him. Whether on or off the clock, he continually sought ways to help his community. He specifically invested his time volunteering with young people who aspired to be in law enforcement, like him. ``Deputy Young was a role model, not just for other deputies, but for me, as well. He was a fine law enforcement officer. He was loyal, unselfish, efficient, and he always came to work with a smile on his face. He came in wanting to make a difference. He was dedicated to the community and dedicated to making a difference,'' said Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham. prgtoken There is no doubt that in Deputy Young's 21 years of life, he made a difference--in his community and in our State. Alabama mourns the loss of Deputy Young, but we also celebrate the legacy of courage and selflessness that he established. I join Alabamians in expressing our deepest gratitude for his courageous service.
END THE BORDER CATASTROPHE ACT
Barry Moore (Republican, AL) \u2014 2024-4-19

the balance of my time for closing. prgtoken We had Sheriff Daniels in the Judiciary Committee a few months ago now, and he said he had never seen the border as secure as it was in 2018 and never as broken as it is today. Our colleagues across the aisle often want to set the building on fire and then fund the fire department. prgtoken We have solutions to the problem on the southern border. We are not trying to make this a political issue. It is an issue of our time. The American people see it. prgtoken , I urge passage of H.R. 3602, and .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-4-19

for the past 16 years, Federal law enforcement and intelligence professionals have used section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to identify and minimize foreign threats to U.S. national security. The carefully targeted authorities established back in 2008 are an essential tool for staying a step ahead of non-U.S. persons who seek to harm the American people, but unless the Senate acts today, those authorities will end tonight. prgtoken Our friends in the House understood the threat. On a bipartisan basis, they spent months working to craft sensible reforms to guard against future abuses, made changes to adapt the program to meet the demands of new technologies, and took tough votes against amendments that may sound good but would actually kill the program. The House deserves credit for reforming and reauthorizing this essential authority. prgtoken Now the Senate's choice is clear: We can pass the House's reform bill or, given the late hour and political reality, we can essentially doom the program to go dark. Pass the House's reform bill or give free rein to foreign intelligence operatives and terrorists to target America. prgtoken Over the past few days, a number of our colleagues have drawn some puzzling conclusions about the House-passed bill that would allow us to prevent section 702 from lapsing. We have heard that overdue reforms to bring this portion of the statute up to date with modern communications technology amount to a massive new dragnet to surveil innocent U.S. citizens. We have heard that if the House-passed reauthorization became law, a coffee shop's public internet would become a vector for the bulk collection of Americans' sensitive personal data. prgtoken Of course, the facts of the case are crystal clear. As I pointed out earlier this week, the Federal courts tasked with overseeing the appropriate use of section 702 authorities have already ruled that the fearmongering about new threats to U.S. citizens' privacy was completely unfounded. prgtoken Yesterday, we even heard the ic whip suggest that a lapse in authorities wouldn't really mean ``going dark'' even though they expire at 12 midnight. This is absurd. Big tech conglomerates do not provide these critical communications to the U.S. Government because they want to; they do so because the law compels them to. When that compulsion disappears, who are they going to listen to--their customers or the FBI, asking nicely? prgtoken Once section 702 expires, companies will stop complying. It will be up to the government to play a slow and painstaking game of Whac-a-Mole in court against an army of the most sophisticated lawyers in the country, and in the meantime, actionable intelligence will pass us right by. prgtoken This is not a hypothetical. It has actually happened before. Following a similar lapse in authority during the administration, Attorney General Mukasey observed that providers ``delaye
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8034, ISRAEL SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8035, UKRAINE SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024...
Thomas Massie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-4-19

I truly thank the chairman for yielding me time because he knows I am slightly opposed to the rule, so he is very gracious. prgtoken I am concerned that the has cut a deal with the to fund foreign wars rather than to secure our border, but what I want to talk about today is process. prgtoken The bill that will come out of the House after all of this is a bill that began as H.R. 815 to expand the eligibility for veterans to receive reimbursements for their emergency care. How did a bill that was intended for veterans that came out of the House become a bill that may bring us to the brink of war in at least three places on the globe by sending $100 billion to military contractors? prgtoken Well, it started in the House, and then the Senate took it and stripped every word from the bill. prgtoken Why did they do this? Were they trying to get around the origination clause in the Constitution? Were they trying to shortcut some process? It is one of those things. prgtoken What we have got now is a collection of bills, and I do appreciate that we get individual votes on four of these bills. They include $100 billion, but they don't include securing our border. They include a bill called the REPO Act, which could call into question the value of our Treasury bills when we go out to auction those next if we are going to confiscate Treasury bills that we sold to other countries. It also includes a bill that allows the President to ban websites based on his discretion. I am concerned about that. prgtoken This bill, H.R. 815, started as a veterans bill, went to the Senate, got gutted, and then became the foreign aid package bill. Now, here in the House, we are going to vote on four separate titles, but we are going to package them back as amendments to that H.R. 815. So we are actually going to send it back to the Senate as the bill they sent to us, which is the gutted veterans bill. prgtoken I know this is all confusing, but why is this all being done this way? Some will say to force the Senate's hand, but really what it is going to do is jam the conservatives in the Senate who would like to have a more fulsome debate. prgtoken I am opposed to the rule, and I thank the chairman for the time.
REFORMING INTELLIGENCE AND SECURING AMERICA ACT
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-4-19

. The idea that we don't have time is a specious one. The only reason we wouldn't have time is because the supporters of this bill delayed to the last hour. We have 5 years to renew this. We delayed it until we have 4 hours left, and then we are told we can't amend it because we don't have enough time. That is a false argument. prgtoken The House is still here. They are going to be voting tomorrow. We should pass the good amendments today, send them to the House tomorrow. This is an argument that has been forced upon us by the supporters of FISA who want no debate, and they want no restrictions. They want no warrants, and they want nothing to protect the Americans. They want to allow whatever goes, whatever happens to happen, and to hell with the American individual citizen and the Bill of Rights. prgtoken I say: Don't listen to the people who don't want amendments and don't want debate, and let's pass this amendment. Vote on Amendment No. 1829