mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Energy (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-2-16

it was good to hear President acknowledge in his State of the Union speech last week that we still need oil. He is right. prgtoken And while I am a big supporter of clean energy, and I am proud to come from a State that gets the majority of our electricity generation from renewables, the fact of the matter is that even in States like mine, conventional energy sources like oil and natural gas are essential to maintaining an affordable, stable, and reliable energy supply. prgtoken Renewable technologies have come a long way, but they still have a ways to go. And we, literally, wouldn't be able to keep the lights on in this country without conventional energy sources like natural gas and coal. prgtoken So it was good to hear the President acknowledge that we still depend on affordable and reliable legacy sources of energy like oil. But it would be even better if he pursued an agenda that acknowledged it, instead of an agenda that is actively hostile to conventional energy production. prgtoken From canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline on day 1 to hiking taxes on oil and gas companies and making it more challenging for companies to make more oil and gas, the President's agenda seems designed to do everything it can to discourage production of the oil the President says that we need. prgtoken And then there is ESG. The administration has been attempting to use the long arm of regulation to implement ESG policies-- environmental, social, and governance policies--to advance its anti- conventional energy climate agenda. The President's ESG regulations are designed to choke off investment into the oil and gas industries and even to other essential industries like farming and ranching due to their natural methane emissions. prgtoken Take, for example, the Securities and Exchange Commission's proposed climate disclosure rule. This would require publicly traded companies to disclose information, not only about their own greenhouse gas emissions but, in many cases, about those of their suppliers and even their customers. It would also require companies to determine the effects of climate-related risks on each line item of their consolidated financial statements. prgtoken There are multiple problems with this rule, one notable problem being the fact that it is a totally unworkable regulation. Companies have zero control over the emissions of their suppliers and customers and little to no ability to accurately gauge those emissions. prgtoken But leaving aside the unworkability factor, the major problem with this proposed rule is that it is clearly designed to coerce companies to sever or reconsider their ties with certain industries, notably, of course, the conventional energy industry but also with other industries like agriculture. prgtoken Private companies, of course, have the right to consider whatever factors they want when determining what companies they would do business with and what they will in
Remembering Service Dog Kaya (Executive Calendar)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-2-16

as some of my colleagues may know, we recently lost Kaya, a very special service dog that was a frequent visitor to the Senate. prgtoken Kaya's life was devoted to helping veterans with PTSD, and she quickly became an ambassador for veterans and service dogs everywhere. prgtoken A few years ago, I ran into Kaya and her owner, Cole. Actually, I was walking down the street and at a street corner when we first met each other. As a dog lover myself, I stopped to say hello. After I learned about Cole's service history, I invited Cole and Kaya to a meeting in my office. At that meeting, I learned something very important--that the Department of Veterans Affairs does not cover the cost of service animals for veterans with post-traumatic stress, which can cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. prgtoken From the moment I met Kaya, I knew she was special. She was not just a service dog; she was the model of a service dog. She had a gentle nature, kind eyes, and a wagging tail. But I could say that about my two dogs, Mitch and Theo. I could even say that I am proud of the obedience training I have given them. But Kaya is different. She knew all the commands my dogs know, but she also knew how to be there for Cole without even a single command. And like so many other veterans-- service dogs are not just taught to sit and stay and fetch; they are taught to actually see what the veteran is experiencing. They know when to go by that veteran's side just to give them a source of calmness. They actually know how to wake up a veteran who may be in the middle of a nightmare. They know when a veteran or a servicemember who is disabled needs something--they can point to it, and they will retrieve it. These are extraordinary dogs, so you can understand why it may be expensive to get them up to that level. prgtoken So few dogs are like Kaya. She was a special one. prgtoken Cole and I, when we met, discussed approaches we could use to try to get funding for service dogs in the VA. It is one of the reasons why it culminated in what we call the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act. I later introduced that bill in the Senate. The legislation established a pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with PTSD. prgtoken In addition to Kaya's unwavering devotion that brought comfort and support--and dogs like her--to countless veterans, she also educated Congress and this country about the role dogs can play in helping veterans who are struggling with the invisible wounds of war. prgtoken Because of Kaya's effort--and I guess a little bit from Cole--we were able to pass the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act, and it was signed into law in 2021. Now, thanks to Kaya, Cole, and organizations like K9s for Warriors, veterans across the country are beginning to benefit from service dog programs that have a track record of reducing symptoms associated with PTSD. prgtoken But I also have to say we have a lot of wor
Elizabeth Peratrovich Day (Executive Calendar)
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2023-2-16

I have come to the floor for a few moments this afternoon to recognize a woman of great distinction, a woman of valor, a woman by the name of Elizabeth Peratrovich, who championed civil rights for all Alaskans. prgtoken February 16, in Alaska, is a significant day. It is a day that the State of Alaska recognizes and observes Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. We have designated this day as early as 1988, but it is a time for us, as Alaskans, to reflect on the contributions of a pretty extraordinary Native woman, a Tlingit woman. prgtoken So I think it is important, and I have had an opportunity over the years to speak about Elizabeth Peratrovich. Senator Sullivan and I advanced a resolution recognizing Elizabeth Peratrovich's contributions when it comes to civil rights, and I think it is always important and timely to pay attention, to reflect on the legacies of those who have really worked to advance a more inclusive society and a more representative democracy. prgtoken Elizabeth Peratrovich carried the Tlingit name Kaaxgal.aat. I am attempting to do that well but certainly with respect to honor her name. She was of the Lukaax.adi clan. She was born on Independence Day. I think that is pretty fitting--born on Independence Day in Petersburg, AK, in 1911. prgtoken It was just right after that, right after the period that Elizabeth was born in Petersburg, that a group of Native people from across Southeast Alaska formed an organization called the Alaska Native Brotherhood, ANB. Two years later, the Alaska Native Sisterhood was formed, ANS. These are considered the oldest indigenous civil rights organizations in the world, coming out of Southeastern Alaska. ANB and ANS sought to advance equal opportunities for education, employment, housing; and they fought to secure Native civil rights. prgtoken So Elizabeth Peratrovich and her husband Roy became active in ANB and ANS in the forties. They moved to Juneau, our State's capital, in 1941. And their personal accounts of the discrimination that they encountered in Juneau, as Alaska Natives--you read the accounts, you read the stories, and it truly parallels the Jim Crow practices of the South. prgtoken But rather than be diminished, rather than be deterred, Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich were advocates, advocates against the adversity that they saw in their own communities. And it was through their work with ANB and ANS that they began advocating for an anti-discrimination bill in the territorial legislature. prgtoken And they pointed out the simple fact that Alaska Natives were paying taxes for a public school system, the same public school system that excluded their very own children. They pointed out that Alaska Native men were fighting in World War II and then, when they returned from the war, those Alaska Native veterans were denied rights that others enjoyed. prgtoken These very real, very immediate confrontations with discrimination drove their pursuit of e
Turkey and Syria (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-2-16

I have two separate statements here. The first I would like to put on the record, just over a week ago, a devastating earthquake rocked southern Turkey and parts of Syria. The devastation and loss have been heartbreaking. prgtoken I am glad that the administration immediately offered American assistance and our help to rescue and discover the victims and survivors. That is what powerful and confident nations do in times of need. prgtoken Turkish people are resilient, and we will help them rebuild from this tragedy.
Abortion (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2023-2-16

on the first floor of the Federal building in prgtoken Amarillo, across the street from a grassy park and a few blocks away from the local minor league baseball stadium, is a U.S. District Courtroom for the Northern District of Texas. prgtoken Presiding over that courtroom is a lifelong rightwing activist, a partisan, an ideologue, an anti-abortion zealot who was handpicked by and the Federalist Society to pretend to be impartial on the bench. Instead, what he is doing is delivering favorable rulings on the cases his fellow rightwing ideologues funnel his way. prgtoken His name is Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk. He was confirmed in 2019 on a party-line vote. In a matter of days, he is going to issue a ruling on a case so absurd and so meritless that it doesn't deserve a single breath of argument in his courtroom. The case is the so-called Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine vs. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If we allow it, Kacsmaryk's ruling could deal the next devastating blow to the right to privacy in America and the right of all women across the country to control their own bodies, not just in Texas, but all 50 States--every single one. prgtoken So this afternoon, I am going to describe this dangerous new political scheme playing out in the courtroom, and I call this scheme ``courtwashing.'' I am going to talk about what the President and the Food and Drug Administration must do when this judge's ruling comes down. prgtoken The lawsuit in Texas aims to undo the Food and Drug Administration's 2000 approval of a medication called mifepristone, one of two drugs that is used in a medication abortion. The drug has a record of being very safe and effective. It is used in more than 50 percent of abortions nationwide. It has been on the market and used for this important treatment for three decades. Anyone who calls its safety into question is just ignoring the factual record. prgtoken I have a long history of working on policy relating to mifepristone. I was one of the first elected officials to advocate for its use in our country. In 1990, I chaired the first-ever congressional hearing on mifepristone before the House Small Business Committee. prgtoken But then, like today, rightwing extremists pulled out all the stops to keep the drug from being approved. They campaigned on the politics of fear, threatened lives, and just lied about the drug's safety. They even once deployed a small bomb at a conference where the chemist behind this medicine was scheduled to speak. prgtoken Their efforts worked at first. The Food and Drug Administration imposed an import alert on the drug that hindered research on its uses outside of abortion. I fought that import alert and introduced a bill to remove the restriction. The Food and Drug Administration finally approved the drug in 2000. My advocacy around this issue and this drug has never been based on some political agenda but just science and fact. prgtoken
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-2-16

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Jon Ossoff (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2023-2-16

I rise today to celebrate the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia's 25th anniversary. prgtoken Over the last 25 years, the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia has strengthened the State's Latin American community by championing efforts that boost economic development, expand access to new business opportunities, and promote civic engagement. Founded as the Mexican American Business Chamber in 1998, the LACC today is one of the largest Latin American organizations in the State of Georgia. The chamber plays an important role in the extraordinary contributions of Georgia's Latino community, and it stands as a pillar of unity and diversity that keeps moving the State forward. Georgia's Latin American diaspora community is diverse and fast-growing, and it is a privilege to represent Georgia's Latin American community in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken As Georgia's U.S. Senator, I recognize the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia on its 25th anniversary and commend them for their dedication to Georgia's Latino community.
China (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-2-16

so as the Senate closed business last night, we did something that I think would make the American people proud. The Senate spoke in one voice condemning the Chinese Communist Party for brazenly violating American sovereignty with their surveillance balloons earlier this month. prgtoken Our resolution--bipartisan--championed by Senators Tester and Collins, sends a clear message that China's belligerence, their near- endless escalating tactics, and their scornful disregard for American sovereignty is unacceptable. prgtoken I want to thank Senator Tester above all. He has been the leader in this whole country on this issue, and I appreciate Senator Collins working with him, and I appreciate both of their good work putting this resolution together with strong bipartisan unity. prgtoken This resolution condemning China is precisely the kind of bipartisanship Americans expect at a time like this. Instead of each party attacking each other, we are united in this resolution, in condemning China, exactly as we should be. prgtoken And last night's resolution is just one step. Senator Tester is also taking the lead on a bipartisan effort to get to the bottom of why we didn't learn about these balloons sooner. It is a very important question that the American people deserve answers to, prgtoken and I am fully, fully supportive of this effort. prgtoken Again, this is the kind of bipartisanship the country expects. When China is pushing the boundaries, they don't want and s pointing fingers at each other. They don't want any premature attacks. They want us to come together to respond to the threats posed by the CCP, and that is just what we did last night. prgtoken Now, yesterday's resolution was not the only way the Senate was focused on standing firm against the CCP. We also, yesterday, had a briefing from the Department of Defense on our ongoing competition with China. I want to thank the briefing team for their hard and ongoing work. While all the details are classified, I want to make a few points. prgtoken First, the United States is competing with China at every level: economically, militarily, geopolitically, technologically, in terms of our fundamental values, and more. It won't be enough to outcompete China in any single area. We must be ready to compete with them on all of these fronts because that is what China is trying to do. prgtoken Second, China's main goal with respect to the United States is to displace us. Their main goal with respect to the United States is to displace us, displace NATO in Europe, and displace our allies as the world leaders on the military and geopolitical side and in driving the innovations of tomorrow, many of which affect our national security: AI, quantum computing, 5G and other advanced communications technologies, bio manufacturing, clean tech, and especially-- especially--the next generation of semiconductors. prgtoken China wants to be ahead of us on
Introductory Statement on S. 496
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-2-16

I am joined by Senators Brown, Warren, Van Hollen, Booker, Whitehouse, Baldwin, Padilla, and Merkley in reintroducing the Respect for Workers Act, a bill that would ensure that at least one Federal Reserve Governor has demonstrated primary experience in supporting or protecting the rights of workers. prgtoken Today, the Federal Reserve is attempting to curb inflation without plunging the economy into a recession. Over the past year, it has increased the Federal funds rate by 4\1/2\ percentage points to cool the economy and ease prices--its fastest pace of rate hikes since the early 1980s. But this is a difficult balancing act. If the Federal Reserve does not get its policies right, it may fail to defeat inflation or drive us into a recession. Workers would bear the brunt of the economic fallout attached to either outcome through higher prices or higher unemployment. prgtoken Arguably no group is more affected by the Federal Reserves efforts to meet its dual mandate to promote stable prices and maximum employment than workers. But, while the law requires the Federal Reserve Board of Governors to represent diverse geographic regions and a wide array of commercial interests, no Federal Reserve Governor is required to have a background in protecting the interests of workers. Indeed, while the interests of Wall Street, nonbank financial institutions, and big business have long been well-represented on the Board, everyday working men and women have not been given the same voice in monetary policymaking. prgtoken Our bill fills this hole by requiring at least one Federal Reserve Governor has experience addressing the challenges facing workers. This is not a new concept. In fact, our bill is modeled on the 2015 law that requires at least one of the seven Federal Reserve Governors to be an individual ``with demonstrated primary experience working in or supervising community banks.'' prgtoken In short, the Respect for Workers Act would ensure workers' economic needs are represented at the Federal Reserve. It would build a stronger, more representative Board of Governors and promote a healthier economy. prgtoken I thank the AFL-CIO, Groundwork Collaborative, National Employment Law Project, MIT Professor and Former International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Simon Johnson, and Georgetown Law Professor Adam Levitin for their support and urge our colleagues to join in pushing to enact this legislation.
ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023, THROUGH MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2023
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2023-2-16

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned to convene for pro forma sessions with no business being conducted on the following dates and times: Friday, February 17, at 10 a.m.; Tuesday, February 21, at 11 a.m.; Thursday, February 23, at 9:30 a.m.; further, that when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, February 23, it next convene at 3 p.m. on Monday, February 27; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and Senator Lankford be recognized to deliver Washington's Farewell Address, as provided under the previous order; that following his remarks, morning business be closed and the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Walker nomination; and that the cloture motion filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m.
UKRAINE
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-2-16

I rise today to offer some words in support of Ukraine as we approach the 1-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. prgtoken Although the U.S. Government made public warnings about this premeditated attack for months in advance, it is still, frankly, shocking, in retrospect, when you think about what has occurred over the last 12 months: Russia trying to expand its borders through invasion. prgtoken Now, maybe we were naive to think that this practice went by the wayside after World War II. It was common practice for powers for centuries beforehand, but the world has seen a level of brutality and devastation that is hard to contemplate. How unthinkable it was that in 2022 a major power would prgtoken launch a land war, a war of aggression, in the middle of Europe. prgtoken Now, pundits and analysts, right, said that Kyiv would fall within a matter of days. That was the expectation. But the Ukrainian people had different plans. They fought back bravely, and we watched in awe--we still watch in awe--as President Zelenskyy stayed in Kyiv and rallied his country in defiance of Russia's attempt to recolonize Ukraine. prgtoken The world responded, practically overnight, thanks to President , who saw this coming, who rallied the world to Ukraine's defense, getting them the aid that they needed, especially in those early days, and treating Russia like a global pariah. prgtoken It was clear from the beginning that Russia's aggressions was not going to be able to be rationalized or minimized. We didn't have the luxury as the United States, the world's preeminent power, of sitting on the sidelines. The American people got this then, and they still get it now. Across the political spectrum in this country, progressives, moderates, and conservatives understand how much is at stake in Ukraine, both morally and strategically. prgtoken Because what have we seen? We have seen Russia launch this unprovoked barbaric war of conquest against its democratic neighbor. We have watched how they deliberately target apartment buildings, hospitals, churches, electricity grids, to try to bring the maximum amount of misery to Ukrainian families; how the Russian military uses murder, rape, and torture as systematic tools against the Ukrainian civilian population; and how Russian propagandists boast of kidnapping Ukrainian children and threaten to wipe out Ukrainian language and culture. prgtoken There are 40 camps with upward of 6,000 children who have literally been kidnapped out of Ukraine and brought to Russia. prgtoken The scale of this barbarity is hard to explain. The images that we have seen from Bucha and Mariupol are seared into our collective conscience. prgtoken Americans also--I really think this--understand the strategic consequences that would come to America if Russia was just allowed to crush Ukraine, if we hadn't stood in their way along with the Ukrainian people. What would have happened is that Put