mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RYAN CORBETT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-4-8

now on the Ryan Corbett resolution, it has sadly been over 600 days since Ryan Corbett, a New York native, has been unjustly detained by the Taliban. Ryan traveled there to renew his visa and pay the local staff of his nonprofit when he was taken without cause, without explanation, without any semblance of process. prgtoken Later this afternoon, I will meet with the Corbett family to talk about our efforts to bring Ryan home. His wife Anna and their three children have been so brave. I have met them already a few times. They have been brave through this tragic situation, and I am in constant awe of their strength and resolve. prgtoken Today, I am introducing a resolution, alongside Leader McConnell, calling for Ryan's immediate and unconditional release. I urge the Senate to pass this resolution before Ryan's birthday, which is April 13. prgtoken Throughout this process, I have worked closely with the Corbett family, the White House, the State Department, and other high-ranking officials to make sure that Ryan's safe return remains a top priority. We made progress last September when Ryan was designated as ``wrongfully detained'' by the State Department, giving his case a higher diplomatic priority, but we are still working. prgtoken Anna has spoken with Ryan a few times, and he has been reportedly being held in terrible conditions, which has caused his health to deteriorate rapidly. So time is of the essence to get him back. prgtoken As long as Ryan is held by the Taliban, I will never stop fighting to bring him back home and reunite him with Anna, his children, and his family as quickly as possible. prgtoken I want to thank Leader McConnell for joining me in this resolution and everyone on both sides who has supported this resolution.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-4-8

I rise to speak in support of my bill to rename a post office in San Francisco after my former colleague, mentor, and dear friend, the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. prgtoken Dianne was a towering figure not just in modern California politics, but in the history of our State and our Nation. She broke barriers throughout her career. Her leadership as the first woman to serve as the mayor of San Francisco in the aftermath of the tragic assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk showcased her unique ability to lead with grace and strength in the face of adversity. prgtoken As we look to honor her memory, I believe that one small, but important, way to remember Dianne would be to rename a post office in her beloved hometown after her. Just as Dianne had a keen ability to bridge divides and connect with people from all walks of life, our local post offices symbolize the importance of keeping Americans connected to each other. prgtoken My bill would rename the postal facility at 180 Steuart Street in San Francisco as the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office.'' prgtoken The site of this post office is rich with decades of history for the Postal Service, the city of San Francisco, and Dianne's career. It is located adjacent to the Rincon Annex, which served as the city's main postal processing and distribution center from 1940 to 1979. This building is designed in the Streamline Moderne style and is adorned with 27 murals depicting the history of San Francisco, which was prgtoken funded through the New Deal-era Works Progress Administration. Due to its history and timeless artwork, the Rincon Annex is listed as a San Francisco Designated Landmark and on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. prgtoken After the postal operations at the Rincon Annex were relocated in 1979, then-Mayor Feinstein oversaw the development of the Rincon Center, which opened in 1988. This large complex, which includes the historic Rincon Annex, contains a network of shops, restaurants, offices, apartments, and the post office that is the subject of my bill. prgtoken Located just off the Embarcadero in downtown San Francisco, the ``Dianne Feinstein Post Office'' would serve all kinds of people--from workers on their lunch break sending a letter, to local residents picking up a package, to tourists sending postcards back home to family--all with a stunning view of the Bay Bridge from its front door. prgtoken This post office dedication is just one small way to remember Dianne's legacy. And just as she served her beloved San Francisco for so many years, I know that this post office will continue to serve San Franciscans for years to come. prgtoken I thank Senator Butler for joining me in this effort, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
World Central Kitchen (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-4-8

last week, we saw another tragedy in Gaza--an attack that killed seven people delivering desperately needed, lifesaving humanitarian aid. The victims were employees of the World Central Kitchen, an amazing organization run by an extraordinary individual, Jose Andres. prgtoken They started to feed people in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, and they have continued their mission in some of the most challenging parts of the world. Andres' innovative and courageous team has been helping people in Gaza since the crisis began in October, providing critical food to millions of innocents caught in the conflict. prgtoken I joined Mr. Andres in a meeting in our Capitol just a few weeks ago with a few other Senators. He told us of his ambitious plans to increase food aid to Gaza. prgtoken I have always admired his ingenuity and tenacity in taking on these truly lifesaving operations for those most in need. Mr. Andres is truly a hero. So my heart goes out to him and the families of those on his team who were recklessly and avoidably killed last week, adding to the more than 200 aid workers who have been killed in Gaza. prgtoken We have seen a series of seemingly cascading crises in this conflict, and the list keeps growing: October 7, the Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,200 and took more than 200 people hostage; the widespread destruction and loss of civilian life and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid Israel's response that lacks any long-term strategy and is made worse by Hamas's hiding among civilians; the continued holding of Israeli hostages, including one with ties to our home State of Illinois, by Hamas and Hamas's refusal to accept a ceasefire in exchange for their release; the bewildering and inexcusable failure of Israel to set up deconfliction mechanisms for adequate aid delivery; and the failure to recognize that a massive military-only response by Israel will never provide a long-term path to stability and end the cycle of violence. prgtoken I have long said that I do not think the current Israeli or Palestinian leadership is really up to the challenge needed to bring hope, stability, or a viable two-state solution to the region. Early in the conflict, I cautioned the Israelis not to be blinded by their pain from October 7 and make the same types of mistakes we made after September 11--a warning I believe the current leadership in Israel has failed to heed. prgtoken But, if unable to learn from our missteps, then perhaps they should listen to former Mossad Chief Meir Dagan, who, before his death years ago, concluded that Israel, over the decades, ``achieved a long string of impressive tactical successes but also disastrous strategic failures.'' Tragically, I am worried that that is the same case today. prgtoken Chef Andres has made a similar point with which I agree--that Israel's strategy in Gaza is futile and indefensible with so much innocent loss of human life. prgtoken I have lon
Francis Scott Key Bridge (Executive Session)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-4-8

on Tuesday morning, March 26, I received a phone call early in the morning informing me of a major tragedy in our community. prgtoken The Francis Scott Key Bridge is a vital link on the I-95 corridor. It is a bridge that is about a mile and a half long. It goes across the channel that is for the Port of Baltimore, and it is incredibly important to our local economy and to our image. It is iconic to Baltimore. prgtoken I was shocked to see the image. There was a video that showed that this bridge--a mile and a half long--came down in a matter of seconds. It was hit by a vessel, the Dali. That is a container vessel. It is about the size of the Eiffel Tower, a little less than a thousand feet long, fully contained with containers. Over several thousand were on the Dali at the time. prgtoken It lost power, and, when you lose power on this type of vessel, you cannot steer. It hit the main support beam of the suspension bridge, and it collapsed almost immediately. Within a minute, it was down. prgtoken It was just a tragic sight to see. When we saw this sight, we recognized that there was loss of life. That was our first concern, as to how many people were trapped on that bridge and how many people were at risk of losing their lives. prgtoken I want to tell you that there was an immediate Federal response. I am going to show you a picture of what we saw on the morning when we woke up. You saw the bridge before. This is the bridge that came down in a matter of a minute, less than a minute. This is the Dali, fully loaded with containers. prgtoken You can see that the bridge is actually lying in part on top of the Dali ship, actually entrapping some of the containers. And this is the main channel--the 50-foot main channel--to the Port of Baltimore, completely blocking the Port of Baltimore. prgtoken There was an immediate Federal response, and I want to thank President . He initially said that the government would be there to do whatever was needed, whatever we called upon. He called each member of our stakeholders--the Governor, our mayor, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Mfume, and myself--and pledged the full support of the Federal Government. In a matter of literally hours, the personnel and resources of the Federal Government were deployed to Baltimore. prgtoken So I just really want to thank the President, first, for this immediate response, and let me just bring you up to date on some of the facts concerning this tragedy. prgtoken We now know that six immigrant workers lost their lives. They were trapped in the water and could not escape. They were on the bridge at the time that it collapsed. They were doing dangerous work--keeping our roads safer, building America. They went to work early that morning to work on the bridge--or late at night--and did not return home. prgtoken I need to point out that the first responders saved lives. We have looked at the recordings. In a matter of just a couple o
Mayorkas Impeachment (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2024-4-9

tomorrow afternoon, the House of Representatives will transmit Articles of Impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas to the U.S. Senate. And the leader? Well, by all accounts, the leader will move to sweep the articles and the border security crisis that they represent prgtoken under the rug by immediately dismissing the charges. It is not particularly surprising given ' history of minimizing the crisis at our southern border, but it is disappointing nonetheless. prgtoken The House of Representatives has put forward serious charges, along with evidence to support those charges, and it is not too much to ask that the Senate take this matter seriously and explore these charges before dismissing them. prgtoken In a courtroom, a case is not dismissed without the court taking the time to examine the facts, and the Senate, sitting as a Court of Impeachment, should be no different. The Senate should have a full trial and take the time to examine whether Secretary Mayorkas's actions warrant a conviction. Then the Senate should be able to vote guilty or not guilty. prgtoken One thing is absolutely clear, and that is that Secretary Mayorkas and President have presided over the worst border crisis on record. We have had 3 successive years of recordbreaking illegal immigration under President . Now, let that just sink in for a minute. We have had 3 successive years of recordbreaking illegal immigration under President . Fiscal year 2021 saw a recordbreaking 1,734,686 migrant encounters at our southern border. Then fiscal year 2022 broke that record, and then fiscal year 2023 broke that record. If the current trajectory continues, it is likely that fiscal year 2024 will break the record yet again. prgtoken While there are always various factors that affect the flow of migration, there is a reason that President and Secretary Mayorkas have presided over 3 successive years of recordbreaking illegal immigration, and that reason is the weak border security policies of the administration. prgtoken From the day he took office, when he rescinded the declaration of a national emergency at our southern border, President made it clear that border security was at the bottom of his priority list. Over the 3 years since, he and Secretary Mayorkas have turned our southern border into a magnet for illegal migration, from repealing effective border security policies from the administration to abusing our asylum and parole systems, which are now providing temporary amnesty to hundreds of thousands of individuals here illegally. prgtoken Under U.S. immigration law, parole, which is the temporary release into the country of an individual for an extenuating reason, is meant to be used on a case-by-case basis only for ``significant public benefit,'' like appearing as a witness in a trial, or ``urgent humanitarian reasons,'' like a medical emergency.
COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND HONORING THE SERVICE OF MURDERED NEW YORK CITY POLICE OFFICER JONATHAN DILLER
Brandon Williams (Republican, NY) \u2014 2024-4-9

I am proud to join my colleagues from New York, particularly a veteran of the New York Police Department, Mr. D'Esposito. Before serving in this august body, he served his neighbors and helped keep them safe. He speaks out of passion and experience on this critical topic. prgtoken This is a time of soul-crushing grief for the Diller family. I can't feel what they feel, but I can say this: They are not alone. prgtoken Across America, people are standing up, and they are saying that this senseless violence has to stop. It cannot go on. prgtoken When New York City and Albany turned their backs, letting someone with 21 prior arrests back on the street, Massapequa Park was left to pick up the pieces, left to ask questions like: How many crimes does someone have to commit and how many people does someone have to threaten to kill before you make sure they don't have the opportunity to do more damage? prgtoken They want to know why, time and again, dangerous, violent criminals who public servants have the responsibility to remove from society are instead free to victimize more innocent people like Officer Diller. They want to know why they have to suffer while career criminals so often avoid real consequences. prgtoken There is so much more that we must do at the policy level to prevent more tragedies like these from occurring, to prevent career criminals from destroying families like this one. prgtoken Radical policies like no-cash bail cannot continue. Willful ignorance from elected officials cannot continue. Preventable killings like this one simply cannot continue. prgtoken We cannot stop working until we reach the day when our Nation's police officers and their families--in fact, when all decent, law- abiding folks who are just trying to get along and do the right things are able to trust that their elected officials here and at the local level truly have their backs. May that day come soon. prgtoken Stephanie and little Ryan, my heart breaks for you. America lost a hero, but you lost a husband and a father whose selfless dedication and service will not be forgotten.
HONORING WEGAYEWU FARIS
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2024-4-9

I rise today to honor a local hero, whose selfless act exemplifies the very essence of courage and sacrifice. prgtoken Wegayewu Faris, an immigrant from Ethiopia who settled in Coralville, Iowa, displayed remarkable bravery when he risked his life to save an 8-year-old boy from drowning back in 2022. Without hesitation, Faris, who worked as a custodial worker at City High School in Iowa City for 17 years, leaped into action when he saw the boy in danger, struggling in the Iowa River. He jumped into the river, and his quick and decisive response underscores the true nature of heroism. prgtoken Tragically, Faris lost his life in the process, but his heroism did not go unnoticed. Recently, he was posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism, the highest civilian honor prgtoken for bravery in North America. This recognition serves as a testament to his extraordinary courage and selflessness. prgtoken Faris' legacy reminds us of the profound impact one individual can have on their community. May his bravery inspire us all to act with courage and compassion in the face of adversity. In Recognition of the Iowa Hawkeyes and South Carolina Gamecocks
Israel (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-4-9

while the Senate was away from Washington, we received some sobering reminders about the challenges facing America and our friends in a dangerous world and about how to meet them. prgtoken In Gaza, innocent people continue to suffer with the cowardice and hateful violence of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. prgtoken Just last week, as Israel continued the difficult, necessary, and existential work of eliminating the terrorist threat, the tragic consequences of this war were brought once again into focus. The misidentification that led to prgtoken the deaths of seven aid workers in an IDF strike was a gut-wrenching reminder that even when a sovereign nation exercises the utmost restraint in the face of enemies to use violence as a first resort, even as our ally Israel takes great pains to minimize casualties among the innocent civilians who its enemies exploit at every turn, war is still hell. And for people in Gaza over the past 17 years since Hamas seized control, life has been its own sort of hell as well. prgtoken For years, the supposed authorities in the enclave have spent their time burrowing under the homes and mosques of innocent families and the schools of innocent children. They have used concrete and building supplies intended for civilians to build military bunkers instead. They have brazenly stolen the humanitarian aid their civilian subjects depend on. They have thrown Palestinians loyal to the political rivals off of buildings, and they have continually traded innocent lives for one more day to wage a war on Israel. prgtoken Iran's terrorist proxies in Gaza are responsible for the horrors of this war. Their hatred for Jews--and refusal to acknowledge the existence of the Jewish State of Israel--is the reason for this pain and suffering of the last 6 months. prgtoken America cannot afford to lose moral clarity about the conflict. But I am afraid that too many of our leaders are. President expressed outrage at last week's deadly accident--an event his own administration acknowledges was a tragic accident--which begs the question of whether he is also outraged at the way Israel's terrorist aggressors violate international law by turning hospitals and schools into fighting positions. prgtoken Instead of welcoming Israel's swift investigation and efforts to hold personnel accountable for their mistakes--accountability that has been sorely lacking during President 's own administration--the President caved further to domestic political pressure. prgtoken He indulged his radical base and called for an immediate cease-fire. He embraced an alternate reality in which cease-fire wasn't exactly the state of play that Hamas exploited on October 7. A fantasy world in which leaving Hamas intact doesn't lead to further terrorism against Israelis and Palestinians alike. Unfortunately, the ic party has become unmoored from a long tradition of bipartisan support for Israel. <|p|
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2024-4-9

I rise to talk about legislation that we are introducing today. It is called the FARMER Act. ``FARMER'' stands for Federal Agriculture Risk Management Enhancement and Resilience, and that is just exactly what this farm bill does, what this legislation does. Really, we think this is an important step to getting to a farm bill--and hopefully this year--because it is all about enhancing crop insurance. prgtoken I am very pleased to be joined here on the floor by our ranking member on the Ag Committee, Senator Boozman, from Arkansas. He is cosponsoring the legislation, as are other members of our Ag Committee, including Senator Ernst of Iowa, Senator Fischer of Nebraska, Senator Grassley of Iowa, Senator Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, and Senator Marshall of Kansas--all Senators who have significant ag production in their State, both in terms of crops and livestock. prgtoken And this is all about what we have right here: ``Keeping the farm in the farm bill.'' As a matter of fact, it is about putting more farm in the farm bill, and that is going to have to happen in order to get a farm bill accomplished this year. prgtoken Well, how do we do that? What does that mean? That means strengthening crop insurance, our farmer's No. 1 risk management tool, and also updating ARC and PLC, which is the countercyclical safety net. ARC--Ag Risk Coverage--and PLC--Price Loss Coverage, that is the countercyclical safety net that our farmers rely on; so crop insurance, the No. 1 risk management tool for farmers nationwide, combined with a countercyclical safety net, updating ARC and PLC to make it relevant given the incredible increase we have seen in input costs that our producers face. prgtoken When you look at fertilizer and all the inputs--fuel, everything else--all the inputs that our farmers and our ranchers are required to purchase now to raise that crop or for ranchers to raise those animals, those costs have gone up dramatically. And commodity prices for our food products have come down, which really puts pressure on our farmers and ranchers. That is why it is so important--so important--that we update crop insurance and the countercyclical safety net to make it relevant--to make it relevant--in terms of risk management for producers across this great Nation. prgtoken We have a huge ag industry, very diverse, across all of our States, and so this really is fundamental--fundamental--to getting a farm bill done and done right and hopefully done this year. prgtoken So this bill, as I say, focuses on the crop insurance piece. And so what does it do? Well, it does two things: One, it strengthens crop insurance by increasing the premium support and making it more affordable to purchase crop insurance and, two, it enables our farmers to insure to a higher level. prgtoken There are two ways that they do that. One is at the enterprise level. So at the farm level, they buy crop insurance. This makes it more affordable