mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MOTION TO DISCHARGE
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2021-12-2

it is Thursday, and it is usually the day I get to come down to the Senate floor. Usually, the Senate is kind of wrapping up things; we are still pretty busy right now. But it is the day I love to come down to the Senate floor and talk about somebody in my State, the great State of Alaska, who is making a difference either for their community, for their State, for the country; you name it. We call this person the Alaskan of the Week. prgtoken We have done it a lot. I usually like to give a little bit of an update. The pages typically really like this time of the week because we get to tell stories about Alaska, about the adventure of Alaska, but also about--typically, a little update about what is happening in the State. prgtoken Right now, we are in a bit of a cold snap pretty much throughout the State. We are getting a lot of snow throughout the State. We have seen some record low temperatures all across Alaska, from Homer, King Salmon, Bethel. prgtoken Monday in Fairbanks--so this is not even into December yet--it was 26 below zero. They are tough in Fairbanks, very tough. You get down to 50, 60 below in Fairbanks. prgtoken My wife is from Fairbanks. She is a wonderful volunteer for this organization called Covenant House. They did their annual ``Sleep Out.'' It is a homeless shelter for teenage youth. This was in Anchorage just a couple of weeks ago. It was 15 below for the ``Sleep Out.'' You get a cardboard box and say: Good luck. So, boy, she is tough. prgtoken Alaskans across the State are rugged, tough, individualistic, and we bond all the more for it. We are in it together when it is that cold. And it frequently is. And like one big community, one of the many things that brings us together--actually, one of the many things that brings Americans together--is bonding over sports: local sports, State sports, national sports, and your local newspaper as it relates to sports reporting. It is actually a universal instinct. prgtoken One of our most famous Supreme Court Justices, Earl Warren, said it best: I always turn to the sports section first [in the morning]. The sports page records people's accomplishments. The front page [usually] has nothing but [people's] failures. prgtoken I am not sure that is always true, but it is a good anecdote in terms of what binds us with regard to sports. prgtoken You know, over the holidays, in particular, everybody in America watches great football, other sports activities. I had a good chat over lunch today with Coach Tuberville about the really incredible Alabama Auburn game that just happened last week. prgtoken But sports is also the place in our local papers where we see the names of our children, our loved ones, our neighbors, our friends. In fact, it might just be the only time their names appear in the paper at all, when you think about it. prgtoken So our Alaskan of the Week this week is somebody who knows sports and sportswriting
THE NEED FOR BETTER FOREST MANAGEMENT
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-12-2

. Madam , as we reflect upon yet another horrific fire season in California and the West, we cannot allow ourselves to forget or get complacent. prgtoken This week, we have had several good meetings here in D.C. with various groups talking about the need for better forest management. prgtoken This is more or less what the average forest looks like that is unmanaged. You can hardly see through it. You could never ride a horse through it. An owl can hardly fly through the thing. So what does this mean, an overcrowded forest? It means fire danger. prgtoken These trees compete for a limited amount of water supply. Insects attack and weaken trees because they don't have enough water and soil nutrients. prgtoken The right amount of trees per acre would look something like this. See, we are not cutting all the trees from Mexico to the Canadian border, we are leaving some behind, a healthier more sustainable forest. We will have much more success and much less fire danger. prgtoken Indeed, over a million acres in my district burned this year--a million acres. That is terrible for water quality, air quality, for the wildlife, and for the habitat. We could do so much better and put people back to work managing our forests in a way that is better for everybody with access to the forest. Let's get on it.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-12-2

this amendment is simple. It prohibits moneys from this bill to be used to fund or enforce the White House's COVID vaccine mandates on the American people for the duration of the CR. prgtoken As a physician, I have always supported the vaccine, and I encourage Americans to talk to their doctor about getting vaccinated and about the booster. But whether to receive the vaccine or not is a personal choice. It should not be mandated via unconstitutional Executive actions that the administration acknowledged earlier this year they didn't have the authority to put in place. prgtoken No precedent exists in American history for punishing private employers who don't enforce government vaccine edicts. As we all know, multiple Federal courts have put a stop to the OSHA mandate, as well as the Federal contractor and CMS mandates. prgtoken What is more, thank goodness, the White House even delayed implementing their mandate for Federal workers until after the holidays. This is an opportunity to right a wrong--for each Member in this body to right a wrong. Let's get employers certainty and employees peace of mind that they will still have a job this new year. prgtoken Make no mistake, these vaccine mandates are not about public health or science. If they were, the White House would recognize the 92 percent of Americans--92 percent of Americans--who already built up immunity to this virus between vaccines and natural immunity. prgtoken Beside me is a photo of upset union workers in Topeka, KS. These are people who keep our electricity on and houses warm in the winter. These are hard-working Americans who put their lives on the line throughout the pandemic. Tonight, I am their voice. I am their voice and I am proud to be here to keep fighting for them, for their families, and their right to earn a living in this greatest country in the world. prgtoken Tonight, I ask my colleagues to join me in this fight and support our amendment and avoid an economic shutdown, avoid brownouts, further supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, higher inflation, and weakening our national security. prgtoken .
FURTHER EXTENDING GOVERNMENT FUNDING ACT
Ken Calvert (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-12-2

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam , as I said before, the fiscal year 2022 bills were drafted with little input from s. And since then, we have not been able to find a path forward. prgtoken In years past, we have had an agreement in place that allowed us to negotiate final bills quickly. I am concerned that we cannot have a meaningful discussion on full-year appropriations without a similar understanding going in. prgtoken Madam , that is why, in a few moments, I will offer a motion to recommit. My motion would simply send this bill back to committee so that we can come to agreement on a process for addressing full-year bills. prgtoken Madam , to return to our strong bipartisan traditions, I urge support for the motion, and .
CONGRATULATING YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE MEN'S SOCCER TEAM
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-12-2

I rise today to congratulate and celebrate the continued accomplishments of Young College Men's Soccer team. prgtoken On November 14, the team rallied together to defeat Clayton State, securing their sixth Peach Belt Conference title in program history. prgtoken Furthermore, this victory advanced the team to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Entering the tournament with a 17-0-1 record, the Mountain Lions continued to dominate with a 2-1 win over the Clayton State Lakers for the title. prgtoken The team is now set to face off against Auburn University at Montgomery on December 2 in the quarterfinals of the Division II tournament. prgtoken These student athletes are to be celebrated for their spirit of unrelenting perseverance. Their hard work, dedication, and determination will be an example future teams will strive to emulate. prgtoken I extend my congratulations to the entire YHC Men's Soccer program for their remarkable season and am proud of my alma mater. Go Mountain Lions.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 6119, FURTHER EXTENDING GOVERNMENT FUNDING ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Julia Letlow (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-12-2

I rise to oppose the previous question so we can immediately take up H.R. 6056, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. prgtoken As a mom of two and a former educator, I can tell you from firsthand experience that education is not something that can happen without parents playing a role. The learning process requires both sides to work together and have collaborative partnerships that ensure a student's success. prgtoken Parents should not have a system of values and beliefs forced on their children or send them to school while fearing indoctrination by a political agenda. The idea that government can exclude parents and have total control of the classroom will never work because it ignores the simple truth that these are our children, not the government's. prgtoken The Parents Bill of Rights Act puts safeguards in place that ensure that the foundation of education is built on a meaningful dialogue between a family and their child's school. This bill has five core principles that are designed to create mutually beneficial partnerships and lead to greater collaboration. prgtoken Those five principles are: one, parents have the right to review their school's curriculum, reading materials, and State academic standards; two, parents have the right to lawfully engage with their local school board and educators; three, parents have the right to see a school's budget and spending, including detailed information about revenues and expenditures; four, parents have the right to protect their child's privacy; and, finally, parents have the right to keep their child safe and be updated on any violent activity at school. prgtoken The ideas contained in this bill are not partisan or polarizing; they are simple and common sense. In my home State of Louisiana, a similar parents bill of rights passed with broad support from both s and , and I hope we can follow suit here in Congress. prgtoken Several weeks ago, Louisiana's State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Cade Brumley, wrote about how family involvement is critical for educational success. He said: ``It takes a family to raise a child. Schools exist to support that effort with a responsibility to provide a quality education in a safe environment.'' prgtoken , we have the opportunity today in this body to take a step forward for America's families, and I hope my colleagues across the aisle will join us in that effort.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022--Continued
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-12-2

in my lifetime, the People's Republic of China has gone from a poor and isolated country to one that now accounts for 20 percent of global domestic product. There is no question that the driving force behind this dramatic shift is the ruthlessness of the Chinese Communist Party led by President Xi. The CCP's ruling strategy can best be described as win at all costs, which means that China never thinks twice about disregarding basic values and international norms. But there is no question that the most immediate and grave threats are against countries close to China's borders. prgtoken Last month, I led a congressional delegation to visit the Indo- Pacific to learn more from the people on the ground doing the hard work about the challenges they face and that we face in the Indo-Pacific. In my conversations with leaders in the Philippines, Taiwan, and India, I noticed they used a different vocabulary to describe China's behavior than what we hear in Washington, DC. They didn't just talk about China's ambitions; they warned of its threats of aggression. They didn't just share concerns about China's unification with Taiwan; they spoke of the potential for an invasion. They didn't just bring up human rights abuses; they condemned the blatant genocide committed against the Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in China. prgtoken Words matter, of course, and the soft lexicon that is often used to describe the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China here in the United States and particularly inside the beltway has the potential to create a false impression about China's objectives, and it plays right into their hands. prgtoken I think we should not continue to downplay the risks to the global world order and to peace itself by what China is doing. This isn't just a government interested in competing with the United States and other countries by playing by the rules of the international order; the Chinese Communist Party is an aggressive, even belligerent and hostile power that has made economic gains through stealing intellectual property and other activities that belie its stated ambitions to become part of the liberal world order. prgtoken For example, it squashes opposition by committing genocide against its own people and muzzling--even murdering--dissidents. China has literally become a police state, where the volumes of data that they have vacuumed up in that country and the ubiquitous technical surveillance that is mainly cameras that chronicle every aspect of the lives of their citizens and the use of things like artificial intelligence have allowed them to essentially control everything that does go on in China. And these are the same tools that they intend to use on other parts of the world. prgtoken We know China has spent a lot of money developing its military resources. It has come a long way, while the United States and other countries were focused post-9/11 on the Global
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022--Continued
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2021-12-2

I come to the floor today to talk about the Defense bill that is currently before the Senate and note that the majority leader this morning made some mention and some complaints about substantive, timely, and important amendments that are being offered by my colleagues. He was particularly agitated, it seems, about an amendment dealing with communist China. prgtoken Well, the U.S. Senate has a lot of work to do by the end of the year. We need to fund the government. We need to prevent a shutdown. We need to deal with the debt ceiling. are going to need to lift that. We need to make sure that our troops are funded and that we deal with the Defense bill. These are some of the important issues that are before the Senate. prgtoken Yet, here we are, near the end of the year, scrambling to get it all done in just a couple of weeks--no way to run the U.S. Senate. We haven't had an appropriations bill brought to the floor all year, and the Defense bill has been sitting in limbo for months. prgtoken The Armed Services Committee actually finished marking up this bill in July. It is a bipartisan bill. It passed the vote in the committee by 23 to 3. Things don't get a lot more bipartisan than that. prgtoken So, typically, the Senate starts working on the Defense bill and then negotiates over the next couple of months. We start in June. But, instead, we have gone months and months and months. prgtoken We have seen the disastrous collapse and fall and withdrawal in Afghanistan, and yet no Defense bill to the floor of the U.S. Senate. prgtoken So what did the try to do instead? prgtoken Well, they pushed a very partisan agenda and brought to the floor two bills on election takeovers. And the also seem to be very obsessed with their own bill. They want to call it Build Back Better, something like that. I will tell you, it is a bill that is going to break the backs of American families. prgtoken So now here we are, just at the deadline, and the majority leader is finally getting around to dealing with a bill that has to do with supporting the troops. It seems to me that is like a kid with a term paper that is due tomorrow. It is the night before, and they are going to start writing the term paper. prgtoken Well, if you want to get it right, it takes a longer process than that. It is a long process, generally, because it is that important for the Nation. Every Senator wants to be involved. prgtoken Yet, through the procrastination by the majority leader, the Defense bill has been delayed. prgtoken Now, I have made the case that, frankly, national security has been a very low priority of this President and this administration and the majority party in the House and in the Senate. And the reason I say that, exhibit A, is the fact that the budget that President proposed when he came into office--and let's be frank. The budget he proposed was a massive, supersizing of the size of the Federa
MOTION TO DISCHARGE
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2021-12-2

we have a problem in our Air National Guard right now. prgtoken This body knows full well where I have been on vaccine mandates coming down from the President. I have adamantly opposed the vaccine mandates on private-sector employees, which I find absurd that the President is announcing to every company with 100 people or more: I am going to take over the contracts for employment in your company; and no matter how long that employee has been there and how valuable they are to the company, you need to fire them if they don't follow the vaccine mandate. prgtoken That is not the right of a President. It has formed chaos in our Federal workers. It has formed chaos in our contractors for Federal employees. prgtoken Now, let me tell you what is happening in the National Guard right now. Tuesday of this week, November 30, the Secretary of Defense sent out a letter saying that, by today, December 2, every person in the National Guard had to be vaccinated or they would no longer be paid. prgtoken Now, that applied to the Air National Guard as of today; but to the Army National Guard, that doesn't apply until June 30. Let me run this past this body again. If you are in the Air National Guard and you are not vaccinated by today, you won't be paid anymore. You also can't show up at drill this weekend. You can't go into any training at all, as of this weekend. But if you are in the Army National Guard, you have until June 30 to be able to fulfill this mandate. prgtoken Now, I have been clear I am adamantly opposed to the mandate, period. But to then make it unequal between the Air National Guard and the Army National Guard is even worse. prgtoken And on top of all of that, what the administration did as of this week--they sent out information for the Air National Guard members and, I assume, for the Army National Guard starting in June that this is going to be a different process. prgtoken Title 32 is the authority for the National Guard. Now, for folks who aren't following this or the folks in this body who do, some people get confused between the Reserves and the Guard. They are not the same. The Reserves are like Active Duty. The Guard actually work for the Governor of each State. prgtoken Each State has accountability for the Guard members, and there is a responsibility to make sure they are trained and ready and equipped for Federal service if they are called up for Federal service. But when they are under what is called title 32 authority, they work for the Governor of the State. If a unit is not prepared, the State is punished for their lack of preparation. So funds can be taken away from the State but not going down to individual members of the Guard. prgtoken What did the Pentagon do this week? prgtoken The Pentagon, this week, announced that not only are they not going to pay individual members, but they are literally reaching down into a unit, identifying members that have not received the vaccine, and
MOTION TO DISCHARGE
Mitt Romney (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-12-2

I come to the floor to echo the sentiments of my colleague, Senator Marco Rubio. Our annual national defense bill is being held up because Pelosi and Leader Schumer are refusing to allow a vote on a provision--the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act--that prevents Chinese goods made with forced labor--slave labor-- from entering the United States. This bill was previously passed by the Senate on a unanimous vote. prgtoken The Chinese Communist Party's atrocities against its minorities, particularly Uyghur people, include genocide and crimes against humanity. These are well known. Uyghur women are forcibly sterilized and impregnated by Han Chinese men. Adults are ripped from their families and are sentenced into concentration camps and carry out slave labor. It is estimated that nearly 1 million Uyghur people are being treated this way and held in these camps. prgtoken There is no question that it should be U.S. policy to hold accountable those responsible for the forced labor of the Uyghurs and ensure that companies--our companies--are monitoring their supply chains and circumstances of workers making products in China, to make sure those products that are made by slave labor by the Uyghur people are not brought into this country. That is the feeling of the unanimous vote of the Senators, which we already expressed. prgtoken Congressional ic leadership is claiming that the problem with including this amendment is a technicality, but let's be clear that what is really happening here is there are some corporations that don't want to offend. For example, want cheap batteries for their so-called Build Back Better agenda. And nearly 80 percent of the rare earth metals, including other materials like lithium and cobalt and the like that are used to make those batteries, come from China. prgtoken And let's underscore this. When companies and politicians avert their eyes from China's predations, from China's slavery, they are effectively paying the cannibals to eat them last. China is coming for them, and it is coming for us. prgtoken Now, we have, in this year's National Defense Authorization Act, the opportunity to strike a blow against China's slavery. I implore Pelosi and Leader Schumer to move past procedural roadblocks and send a clear, convincing message to China and the world at large that goods produced with slave labor are not allowed in the United States of America.