mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-10-27

today, the Senate is going to continue focusing on confirming even more of President 's highly qualified nominees, both to serve in his administration and for lifetime appointments on the Federal bench. prgtoken Yesterday, we confirmed three more district judges through this Chamber, each with bipartisan support. We are going to continue today with two more nominees, and I hope we can see continued bipartisan cooperation. prgtoken In less than a year, Senate have worked swiftly and decisively to fill vacancies on the Federal bench with qualified, mainstream, and dedicated jurists. We are well on our way to making today's Federal bench the most diverse in a long, long time. Through September, at least three-quarters of President 's circuit-level nominees have been people of color. prgtoken Let me say that again because that makes me proud. Through September, at least three-quarters of President 's circuit-level nominees have been people of color. prgtoken Nearly a third of all of President 's nominees are former public defenders, and several of them have impressive backgrounds as civil rights lawyers, voting rights champions, and experience outside the well-trodden path of corporate law or Federal prosecution. prgtoken By focusing intentionally on confirming judges that bring both personal and professional experience to the judiciary, we are expanding the possibilities of who merits consideration to the bench at all. prgtoken Judges, obviously, are an essential component of a healthy democracy. We will strengthen the public's trust in a fair, independent judiciary if the bench better reflects the rich diversity of this country, while adhering to the rule of law. prgtoken One confirmation at a time, are swiftly restoring balance to our courts, and we are full steam ahead to confirm more mainstream and qualified and diverse judges as they become available.
CONTINUED STATE FLEXIBILITY TO ASSIST OLDER FOSTER YOUTH
Gwen Moore (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2021-10-27

I thank the chairman so very much for yielding to me. I thank him and Ranking Member Walorski for bringing this bill forward. prgtoken , our foster youth are, of course, some of our Nation's most vulnerable. But do you know what? They are also our most resilient. But even the most resilient needs support. That is what this bill is all about, ensuring that those who would otherwise age out of foster care at age 18, who chose it or need it, can continue to get services--housing, workforce development, driving skills--through this pandemic. prgtoken For thousands of foster youth each year, their time in foster care, simply because they turn 18--or 21 in some States--can be a very, very unsettling moment for them. prgtoken As a result, with little or no family support, they suddenly find themselves grown, independent. But the reality is that the battle is only beginning in these youths' lives. Having already suffered trauma, including family separation, they find themselves without any type of safety net during this particularly trying time in any person's life. And to be sure, these are inspiring young people, but again, they need support to help ensure brighter futures. prgtoken , I want to talk about one of these youth who I had the pleasure to get to know. His story is full of struggles and victories, but they are not the exception. This was Mr. ``DJay'' Joi. prgtoken I first met DJay when he shadowed me during Foster Youth Day a few years ago. He had such a great heart, great personality, extremely intelligent, that he quickly became a part of my own personal family. prgtoken DJay's drive and resilience helped him create a bright future for himself. He knew firsthand the difficulties facing those aging out of the foster care system, challenges that he shared with me.
OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE
Jamaal Bowman (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-10-27

. Madam , prior to coming to Congress, I worked in education for 20 years. I served as a public school elementary teacher, a high school counselor, and a middle school principal for 10\1/2\ years, and I can tell you without a doubt that the Build Back Better Act is going to be transformative for our democracy for generations to come. prgtoken The reasons are many, including climate change and investments in home care; however, our investments in our children, particularly in early childhood education, focusing on expanding the child tax credit, universal pre-K programs, and making sure we have almost universal childcare, will prepare our children--our babies--to enter kindergarten hitting the ground running. prgtoken As we know, when we invest in early childhood education, we have much better health, education, and economic outcomes with decreased costs in prison as well as healthcare. prgtoken So this is an exciting time, and I am blessed to be a part of this Congress during this time. I just want to celebrate the Build Back Better Act's investment in our youngest, most precious resource: our babies and our children.
IN HONOR OF ROBERT E. JULIANO
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2021-10-27

. Madam , Robert E. Juliano passed from this earth on October 18, 2021, at age 80. His passing is a great loss to our country and to the Union members he represented so loyally for so many years. It is a particular loss to the United States Congress, because he believed so passionately in our institution. It is no less a loss to so many of us in Congress who treasured Bob Juliano both professionally and personally. prgtoken Bob was born May 20, 1941, to Emil and Mary Salvaria Juliano in his beloved hometown of Chicago. Bob was a true product of Taylor Street and the West Side of Chicago, and he never lost his roots there. prgtoken As a young man Bob Juliano became a personnel manager at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in downtown Chicago. There he met the late Edward T. Hanley, then the leader in Chicago of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE), the Union now known as UNITE HERE, which represents the workers at the iconic Palmer House. prgtoken One of President Hanley's first acts when he became International President of HERE in 1973 was to hire Bob Juliano as the Union's first full-time Legislative Representative. It was unorthodox to hire a management person to represent the Union's members, and equally unorthodox to send to Washington someone with no lobbying experience at all. prgtoken President Hanley's unorthodox appointment was a response to Bob Juliana's passionate belief, founded in his Catholic faith and Jesuit education, in bringing people together. Over the years, he put that belief into practice by bringing together management and labor as well as people of all colors and faiths. prgtoken In Congress, Bob brought together s and , liberals and conservatives, Members from smaller states and big cities. His faith in all of us is so sorely missed today. He had no interest in labels like conservative, moderate, or progressive. His interest was always in finding the best in each of us and giving each of us the opportunity to do something good for everyday Americans. prgtoken Bob had literally countless friends in Congress. They included, among many others, Senators as diverse as Senator Robert J. Dole, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Senator Orrin Hatch, Senator Samuel Brownback, and Senators of both parties from his home state of Illinois, such as Everett Dirksen and Richard J. Durbin. He lived long enough to relish the ascension of his friend to the Presidency of the United States. prgtoken In the House of Representatives, he likewise had strong relationships with Members across the spectrum, such as former Representatives Chris Cannon and Frank LoBiondo and his long-time close friend, House Appropriations Chair Rosa DeLauro, among many others. He regarded the late Tip O'Neill as an important mentor. prgtoken Bob was particularly close to leaders of the Black Caucus, including the late Rep. John Lewis. He regarded the struggle for equality as the single most i
EXECUTIVES SESSION
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-10-27

I would just ask unanimous consent for two incredibly qualified, noncontroversial Administrators at USAID. prgtoken Isobel Coleman is the nominee to be the USAID Deputy Administrator. She is a seasoned foreign policy professional who has been nominated by the President to oversee and provide strategic leadership over the Agency's programs. She has been previously confirmed by this body by unanimous consent. There are, as far as I can tell, no objections to her candidacy based upon the merits of it; and there were no objections to her candidacy to serve as our Ambassador to the U.N. for Management and Reform in December of 2014. She is a former Ambassador, and she has spent 20 years in the study and practice of global development. She has worked in the public and the private sectors. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent to proceed to the nomination of Marcela Escobari, the nominee for USAID Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean. Ms. Escobari is a regional expert on Latin America and the Caribbean. She has previously served in the exact same role at the Agency, and she has done really incredible work reinforcing U.S. support work for Peace Colombia. She has been heavily engaged in the long-term development plan for Haiti, as well as in Congress's plans to double funding for Central America to try to stem the root causes of migration. prgtoken I think it is incredibly concerning that this blockade of capable diplomats, professional diplomats, continues on the Senate floor. By this time in the administration, President had had 22 Ambassadors who had been confirmed by the U.S. Senate, 17 of them by voice vote. Thus far, President has had 4 Ambassadors confirmed. prgtoken Today, I was asking for consideration not of Ambassadors but of professionals who oversee the expenditure of U.S. taxpayer dollars abroad. There is nothing that Senate s can do to stop the expenditure of taxpayer dollars in the Caribbean or Latin America. What they are preventing is the appointment and seating of individuals who oversee that funding, who represent us abroad. prgtoken This blockade--this unprecedented blockade--has never happened before in the history of the Senate. This kind of obstruction of standing in the way of the President's diplomatic team being seated compromises our national security. It makes us weaker as a nation. prgtoken As the President heads to the G20, he doesn't have Ambassadors seated to prgtoken most of the countries with which he is going to be conducting diplomatic negotiations and relations. USAID, today, only has two Senate-confirmed positions, leaving most of its top leadership positions vacant. prgtoken So forgive my sense of outrage when I listen to the minority leader come down to the Senate floor and chide the administration for not having a strong enough policy in the Middle East when his minority is using its power to block Ambassadors to
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2021
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2021-10-27

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m Thursday, October 28; 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 morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Williams nomination; further, that at 11 a.m the Senate vote on the confirmation of the Williams, Olsen, and Schroeder nominations, in the order listed; that upon disposition of the Schroeder nomination, the Senate resume consideration of the Dellinger nomination, postcloture; that at 2:30 p.m the Senate vote on confirmation of the Dellinger and Prelogar nominations prior to votes on the motions to invoke cloture on the Robinson and Heytens nominations, all in the order listed below; further, that if cloture is invoked on the nominations during Thursday's session, all postcloture time expire immediately, the Senate vote on confirmation of the nominations at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the leader; finally, if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
JAIME ZAPATA AND VICTOR AVILA FEDERAL OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES PROTECTION ACT
Henry Cuellar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-10-27

I want to thank Representative Jackson Lee for her leadership in this effort to make sure that we protect not only other diplomats, but our agents that work overseas. I also want to thank Mr. Michael McCaul, one of my co-leads on this, Mr. Bill Pascrell, Mr. Filemon Vela, and other Members, all bipartisan, that support this. prgtoken On the Senate side, the lead sponsors were Senator John Cornyn and also Senator Chris Coons, and a whole bunch of other folks. I certainly want to say thank you so much. prgtoken , this legislation is important because this is a bipartisan bill, and it ensures that individuals who harm or attempt to harm U.S. Federal officers or employees serving abroad can be brought to justice and prosecuted in the United States. prgtoken Furthermore, this bill will improve the safety and the security of not only the agents but any diplomat or any Federal employee that works outside the U.S. or overseas by ensuring that crimes that are committed against Americans serving abroad can be prosecuted by United States courts. prgtoken As the chairwoman mentioned a few minutes ago, it was very unfortunate what happened, and it is a change on the--we want to make sure that the intent of the law that has been there will be followed, and that basically just means that that section 1114 of the United States Code would say that it also covers foreign jurisdiction. So, therefore, we ask that we support this legislation because as it was mentioned, on February 15, 2011, ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata and also his colleague, Victor Avila, were ambushed by members of the Mexican drug cartels in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. prgtoken Unfortunately, as it has been mentioned, Special Agent Zapata died because of his injuries. ICE Special Agent Jaime Zapata's murderer cannot be brought to justice because of that loophole in the current law, and this bipartisan legislation will close that loophole and ensure that the safety of all Federal employees serving our Nation abroad will be protected. prgtoken There must be severe consequences brought to bear against any individual who harms any of the Federal employees who are serving abroad. We need to know that the heroism of Special Agent Zapata and also Special Agent Avila, by holding those people who committed violence, are held accountable. prgtoken Furthermore, this issue and this bill is also important to me because Special Agent Zapata was assigned to the Homeland Security Investigations Office located in my hometown, Laredo, Texas, while he served on the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Unit as well as the Border Enforcement Security Task Force known as BEST. prgtoken So, , I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
CONGRATULATING JEFF RANKIN FOR RECEIVING THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD BY MONMOUTH COLLEGE
Cheri Bustos (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-10-27

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Jeff Rankin, who is this year's recipient of the Distinguished Service Award by Monmouth College. prgtoken Mr. Rankin has always been drawn to Monmouth College, as his father played football for Monmouth. Further, his twin brother attended the institution and is now its Director of Theater. A strong affinity for Monmouth College is a part of the fabric of his family, which is why Mr. Rankin has truly been dedicated to sharing the story of Monmouth with the world for nearly his entire life. From 1992 until 2015, Mr. Rankin was Director of Communications for the College, where he served as an ambassador and one of its strongest advocates. He now assists the institution in a new position as the College's historian. Mr. Rankin's contributions to advancing the rapid progress of Monmouth College have been significant and invaluable. prgtoken It is because of passionate and leaders such as Jeff Rankin that I am especially proud to serve Illinois' 17th Congressional District. Madam , I would like to, again, formally congratulate Jeff Rankin on receiving the Distinguished Service Award and thank him for his service to the Monmouth community.
RECOGNIZING MS. REASTHER EVERETT
Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-10-27

. Madam , I rise today in recognition of Ms. Reasther Everett, a long-time resident of Westland in Michigan's 13th Congressional District, as we mourn her passing. prgtoken Ms. Everett was best known in the community for her volunteer work. As coordinator for the Wayne County Retired Senior Volunteer Program, she recruited, trained, and assigned volunteers. She also served as family service advocate for Wayne County Family Center facilitating and expediting adaptation to independent living arrangements for residents and aided with placement in healthcare services. prgtoken Ms. Everett spearheaded the ``no family without Christmas program,'' collecting donations for the homeless during the winter holiday season. Throughout her work with the Southeast Westland Homeowners Association, Ms. Everett founded the SWHA Community Center where, for many years, she operated an after-school program for young people. prgtoken Madam , please join me in recognizing the many contributions of Ms. Reasther Everett to Westland, Wayne County, and Thirteenth District Strong, as we honor her memory.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2021-10-27

reserving the right to object, I rise to object to the Senator from Florida's request to pass this legislation through unanimous consent. prgtoken If we want to tackle rising fuel costs, let's do something that will actually protect American consumers and actually promote our energy independence. Let's reinstate the fossil fuel ban that was lifted in 2015. prgtoken Listen to what has happened here in our Nation since 2015, when every on this Senate floor--when they controlled the Senate--voted to lift the ban on the exportation of oil from the United States. That ban had been in place for 50 years to keep American oil here. prgtoken Well, here's what the s did in the House and Senate back in 2015: they lifted the ban. prgtoken Oil companies from the United States now send our oil overseas. And get this: In 2020, we exported more than 8.5 million barrels of petroleum every single day out of the United States to other countries. And, in 2020, pursuant to Senators in 2015, we, in 2020, for the first time in more than 50 years, exported more barrels of petroleum every single day--exported--than imported. prgtoken Is that energy independence? prgtoken I don't think so. prgtoken And why do we do it? prgtoken I will tell you why we do it. It is for the oil companies. That is why we do it. prgtoken The s don't want to do anything on climate change--oil companies. The oil companies want to export American oil, drill for it here in the United States, because they can make more money selling that oil into the international marketplace. Of course, that is what the s are going to vote for back in 2015. prgtoken And here's what happened: we got up to 2021, and we now are net exporters of petroleum in our country. prgtoken So the bill that is being proposed would actually do nothing to help consumers at the pump. The one thing that we could do is reimpose the ban on the exportation of these 8.5 million barrels of oil a day. Keep it here. It is lower priced. It is drilled for in the United States. Our economy would get the benefit of that lower priced oil and people would be going up to the pump, paying a lot less per gallon of gasoline than they are doing right now. prgtoken But you are not going to hear anything from the Party that takes on the oil industry and their international market using American oil to make more money because people in the rest of the world will pay more for it. But that leaves less American oil here for drivers, as they are pulling in to the pump every single day. prgtoken So this is just the greed of the domestic oil industry so that they can have unlimited international energy markets so that, ultimately-- and this is the beauty of it--they make more money overseas and they get to tip American consumers upside down at the pumps as they have got their fingers on this nozzle and watching this price of gasoline go up even as they a
PLEASE DONATE BLOOD IN MEMORY OF LOUDEN LOFGREN
Randy Feenstra (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-10-28

. Madam , I rise today in remembrance of Louden Lofgren, the son of my friend and my former colleague, Iowa State Senator Mark Lofgren. prgtoken Louden sadly passed away at 2 years of age after complications from surgery, where he needed multiple blood transfusions. prgtoken After he passed away, his family launched a blood drive, known as Love Like Louden, to encourage folks to donate blood and draw attention to hospital shortages of blood. prgtoken Every 2 seconds, someone in America needs blood, and over 38,000 pints are needed daily. prgtoken If you can, please consider donating blood in Louden's memory. prgtoken May God bless the Lofgren family.
FURTHER INCREASES IN ENERGY COSTS
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2021-10-28

as Congress leaves for the weekend, we have to alert the American public over the potential results of the Build Back Better bill as well as the American Rescue Plan that was already passed. prgtoken Soon we will be getting our winter heat bills in the Midwest. If you are from Wisconsin, if you are from Michigan, if you are from Minnesota, look out, because we have a big increase in energy costs, and you ought to be cutting back on your spending right now. prgtoken In any event, this bill looks like it is stoked up for more spending, which means more inflation. We have new Pell grants for people who are here illegally, and the idea of getting free college for people here illegally and paying for it by inflating the dollar still more is just plain irresponsible. prgtoken , I urge the American people to pay attention because if this bill passes, it will be further increases in your heat bill.