mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CELEBRATING HOMEGOING OF LIEUTENANT FRED BREWER, JR.
Alma S. Adams (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2023-12-6

there are more than 80,000 American military personnel who remain unaccounted for from previous conflicts around the world. Their families, nonprofit organizations, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continue to fight tirelessly every day to bring these patriots home and to give them the dignified memorials they deserve. prgtoken , I rise today to celebrate the homecoming of one of these fallen heroes, Second Lieutenant Fred Lorenzo Brewer, Jr who after nearly 80 years has returned home to Charlotte, North Carolina. prgtoken Born on August 4, 1921, Lieutenant Brewer was raised in Charlotte's historic Brooklyn neighborhood where his family attended the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church. prgtoken After graduating from Shaw University in Raleigh, the segregated South's first Black college, Lieutenant Brewer was commissioned by the United States Air Force and entered the uniformed service in November of 1942. prgtoken He was soon stationed at Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama, and he joined the 100th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group. Completely segregated from their White peers, he was one of the nearly 1,000 Black pilots trained at Tuskegee who would eventually become known around the world as the Tuskegee Airmen. prgtoken Known for their extreme bravery and distinctive red-tail planes, the Tuskegee Airmen fought tirelessly to defend democracy abroad and to combat racism at home. prgtoken On October 29, 1944, Lieutenant Brewer's plane, named Trav'lin' Light, after the Billie Holiday song, went missing while on a mission out of Ramitelli Airbase in Italy. prgtoken That day, like so many other young Black men in his elite group, Lieutenant Brewer gave the ultimate sacrifice for a country that did not yet see him as an equal citizen. In serving and in giving his life, Lieutenant Brewer showed extraordinary faith in his country and in democracy that while imperfect in its protection and promotion of his life and livelihood, it could still be worthy of his ultimate sacrifice. prgtoken While Lieutenant Brewer did not live to see it, generations of survivors vindicated his sacrifice during the civil rights era, bringing our Nation closer to the dream of every man and every woman being created equal. That is the promise of democracy, . That is the promise for which he gave his life. prgtoken He was only 23 years old, and he left behind his parents, Fred, Sr and Janie Brewer, and a younger sister, Gladys. prgtoken Thanks to the unyielding advocacy of his surviving cousins, Robena Brewer on and Brenda L. Brewer, and the determined work of the POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Lieutenant Brewer's remains were identified in August. prgtoken Last Thursday, exactly 79 years and 1 month since his death, Lieutenant Brewer returned to Charlotte, receiving a dignified transfer. The U.S. flag was flown in his honor last Thursday at the U.S. Capitol at the request of my office. prgtoken Today, he will finally be laid
DEFENDING EDUCATION TRANSPARENCY AND ENDING ROGUE REGIMES ENGAGING IN NEFARIOUS TRANSACTIONS ACT
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2023-12-6

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I will quote from a letter we received from the Asian American Scholar Forum in terms of the effect this bill would have on Asian-American researchers. It is a long letter, but I will read one paragraph. ``The DETERRENT Act would further chill participation in research by signaling to researchers and institutions that scientific collaboration is discouraged and effectively deter economic institutions and scholars from engaging with Chinese-American and immigrant colleagues and peers out of fear of punishment or heightened scrutiny. The DETERRENT Act's definition of a `foreign source' includes not just individuals overseas but those with lawful immigration status in the United States who are not U.S. citizens or nationals. As a practical matter, the DETERRENT Act would force scholars and researchers to scrutinize the immigration status of potential collaborators and would deter them from collaboration with individuals who may be perceived to be immigrants. Moreover, many scholars would not have access to private information, such as the immigration status of their peers, making this practically a difficult or impossible requirement for faculty, scholars, and researchers to meet. Additionally, the reporting requirement for contracts of no monetary value as it pertains to foreign entities and countries of concern as defined by the DETERRENT Act would significantly chill even normal, everyday communications, as it may be perceived as an agreement.'' prgtoken This would obviously have a chilling effect, and that is one of the reasons we are opposing the DETERRENT Act. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 494 (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-12-6

I would like to thank Senator Warnock and others for coming to the floor today to raise this truly existential crisis, put it in front of our colleagues. prgtoken I have lost count of the number of times I have come down to the floor of the Senate to talk about this immoral anomaly in which you are subject to the risk of death by gunshot wound in the United States at a rate 10 times higher than any other high-income nation. prgtoken I wish there were a truly complicated set of factors that play into the reason why we have so much more gun violence here than in other nations, but it probably isn't that complicated. We don't have more mental illness in this country. We don't spend less money on law enforcement. We don't have angrier people. We just have a lot more guns, and we are much more permissive in this country about allowing felons, dangerous people, and the mentally ill to get their hands on guns, and we are much more permissive around the question of which kinds of guns get in the hands of private citizens, especially guns that are designed to kill as many human beings as quickly as possible. prgtoken As you can imagine, because I have a pretty high profile on this issue, when I am back in my State, I get confronted a lot by supporters of the Second Amendment, NRA members, who want to have a conversation with me about why I believe what I believe. That conversation normally starts with the assumption that I want to prgtoken take guns away or ammunition away from law-abiding gun owners. prgtoken Almost without exception, when I get confronted by somebody who wants to talk about guns with me, who comes from that gun-rights side of the debate, as quickly as I can get the debate to background checks is when we start agreeing. I have found very few of those conversations in Connecticut where, even in the most heated of arguments, we don't find quick agreement on the simple idea that before you buy a gun, you should have to prove that you are not a criminal or you are not seriously mentally ill. Why? Because law-abiding gun owners have gone through background checks. They know that in 90 percent of the cases, those background checks are processed instantaneously, while you are in the store. For most of the people who are talking to me who aren't mentally ill and who don't have criminal histories, that is their only experience, is that a background check is not a barrier to purchasing a gun. prgtoken So it is just not surprising to me to hear the data that Senator Warnock is talking about--90 percent of Americans supporting universal background checks, checks on every gun sale; 89 percent of s, 89 percent of gun owners, 70 percent of NRA members--because even the gun owners, even the people who feel so fired up about this issue that they want to come talk to me in the middle of a county fair, were not disagreeing about that simple policy--just make sure that people who shouldn't have g
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2023-12-6

reserving the right to object, I just want to make a point that we need a complete security package. All of these things are related, and all of them reinforce not only our allies and innocent civilians but also our own security and the future of the direction of the free world. prgtoken We are not going to turn our back on Ukraine. How many meetings did we prgtoken have via Zoom or actually in person with Zelenskyy where so many of our colleagues said we would always stand with Ukraine after all that Ukraine has been through. And I remember being in briefings where people were predicting that Ukraine would crumble in a matter of days. And they stood up to the Russian aggression and they continue to stand up to Russian aggression and they have actually pushed Russia back. That isn't just in Ukraine's interest. That is in the interest of the free world. prgtoken We need a security package that supports our allies in Israel, that supports the innocent civilians in Gaza that are also the victims of what Hamas has done. And we need a security package that stands with our allies in Ukraine. prgtoken , I would offer the rest of my time to my colleague from Hawaii.
RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE
Maxwell Frost (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2023-12-6

I grew up not understanding why people throughout the country didn't hold Congress in high regard, but I can just imagine the people turning on C-SPAN, turning on the news, hearing the arguments that we are hearing from the other side of the aisle, and then it just makes sense to me. prgtoken Let's recap what the American people have witnessed over the last few years: A Member who physically assaulted a colleague, a Member who tried to bring a gun on the House floor, a colleague who brought January 6 insurrectionists into the Capitol. prgtoken This is the least productive Congress that we have had since the Great Depression, and this entire party is pushing us toward a shutdown and economic collapse daily, but it is Congressman Bowman, who is a thoughtful former educator and staunch defender of democracy, who they want to censure. What a pathetic waste of time. No wonder half of this country doesn't vote when they turn on the TV and see their leaders wasting time like this. prgtoken We need more educators in Congress like Congressman Bowman, not fewer, and maybe if we had more educators here, they would be able to give my colleagues a class on how to truly govern.
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 173 (Executive Session)
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-12-6

10 years I have been in this incredible institution, the U.S. Senate, and I am stunned that we are still having this debate. prgtoken We know, if you read our Constitution, that we formed our form of government with lots of high callings, but the first is to provide for the national defense. prgtoken It is astonishing to me that the No. 1 killer--the No. 1 threat--the No. 1 issue facing our children in America is death by gun violence. This is a purview of the Federal Government as is written by our Constitution. prgtoken And the Second Amendment, like the First Amendment, is not absolute. You can't yell ``fire'' in a crowded movie theater. There are limitations on our fundamental rights. prgtoken Don't take my word for it; take the Supreme Court of the United States. A conservative Court in the Heller decision made it very clear that government can take steps--reasonable steps--to protect our Nation. prgtoken So what does it mean in a country when the top killer of our children is gun violence, and we cannot take commonsense steps like the ones spelled out in the law that was just objected to? Safe storage of weapons, this is not an infringement of someone's right to own a gun. Safe storage of weapons, this is not taking away someone's gun. Safe storage of weapons, this is not a violation of someone's fundamental rights. prgtoken What it is, is a reasonable step to protect children because 90 percent of the kids in our country who are dying by suicide or unintentional shootings are in homes where a loaded gun is easily accessible to children--children as young as 3 years old getting their hands on these weapons. prgtoken Over 40,000 Americans die in a year to gun violence, and the response of this body is to do nothing. Forty-thousand Americans, the No. 1 killer of our children, and instead of seeing this as a crisis, as far as having special hearings and gatherings to put our minds together in a bipartisan way, how do we stop our children from dying, how do we stop our children from being slaughtered--instead of this being something that is concerning us to do something, we do nothing. prgtoken And I am sorry, inaction is complicity in this violence. If you object to this, what is your idea to protect our children? If you object to this, what is your idea to stop so many kids, so many Americans from dying? Tell me what it is because Martin Luther King said it plain, in another point in American history, in another crisis. He said: What we will have to repent for as a nation is not just the vitriolic words and violent actions of the bad people but the appalling silence and inaction of the good people. prgtoken And so I know this body. I know the good, hard-working, dedicated Americans who serve here. But the inaction is appalling. The inaction is complicity. The strongest Nation on the planet Earth gives the implicit messages to our children and their parents: We can't protect you. So you know wh
OHIO'S NUCLEAR ENERGY PROBLEMS
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2023-12-6

FirstEnergy's plot was to foist its billion- dollar-plus corporate losses on the consumers of Ohio due to its pitiful management of its two nuclear power plants in northern Ohio. These are crimes. prgtoken While Randazzo was being indicted, the Federal Government moved to claim an additional $6.5 million from FirstEnergy for this crime. We should all be deeply disturbed that inherently dangerous nuclear assets have been in the hands of criminals. prgtoken , I include in the Record an editorial titled: ``Finally, 11 counts against ex-PUCO chief Sam Randazzo but why still none against then-FirstEnergy officials whose fingerprints are all over the case?'' [From The Plain Dealer Cleveland, Dec. 6, 2023] prgtoken Finally, 11 Counts Against Ex-PUCO Chief Sam Randazzo But Why Still None Against Then-FirstEnergy Officials Whose Fingerprints Are All Over the Case? (By Editorial Board) Monday's unsealing of an 11-count federal conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud and embezzlement indictment against former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chief Samuel Randazzo was a welcome sign of prosecutorial progress in the FirstEnergy/House Bill 6 corruption case--but it's like the first footfall in a long-delayed reckoning with some of the key officials at the heart of the asserted conspiracy. Our editorial board had repeatedly urged the U.S. Attorney for Southern Ohio, Ken Parker, to explain publicly why such a long delay in a case whose first arrests--of five Statehouse figures, including now-convicted former House Larry Householder and former Ohio Party chair Matt Borges--came more than three years ago. And where is the second footfall--charges against any of the FirstEnergy Corp. executives whose roles in paying out the bribes and soliciting the corrupt actions by Randazzo and others have been detailed in this and prior indictments? The Randazzo indictment refers to now-departed Executives 1 and 2 at Akron-based FirstEnergy--former CEO Chuck Jones and former Senior Vice President for External Affairs Michael Dowling--as those with the primary contacts with Randazzo over the $4,333,333 bribe FirstEnergy Corp. previously admitted paying Randazzo in a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement. But they're clearly not the only FirstEnergy officials privy to the laundry list of regulatory and legislative favors Randazzo was helping the company secure, including a lucrative decoupling accounting provision that PUCO staff opposed, modifications to the state's ``significantly excessive earnings test'' (SEET) that were added to the two- year state budget, and ``burning'' of a critical PUCO audit about FirstEnergy's distribution modernization rider (DMR). According to the Rand
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 51
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-12-7

I rise today to invoke the War Powers Act. The War Powers Act requires that upon request from a Member of the Senate or a Member of Congress, that there will be a vote on whether or not troops should be put into harm's way or into a conflict without the approval of this body. prgtoken Our Founding Fathers felt very clearly on this that we should not go to war without a vote of the legislature. They wanted to make sure that the Executive or the President was prohibited from going to war without the authority of the legislature. prgtoken We have drifted away from that. There really hasn't been a valid declaration of war since World War II. We have, at times, taken votes to authorize a use of military force. They call them an AUMF. We did when we went into the Iraq war. So we did the voting properly. It was still a disastrous mistake to go there. prgtoken But we never have voted on being in Syria. We never have voted on having troops in the middle of the Syrian civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people have died, millions of people have been displaced. We owe it to the soldiers who are in Syria--the U.S. soldiers, the young men and women in Syria--to have a debate and have a vote. prgtoken Now, the Senate doesn't want to do this. They are only doing this under duress because I am forcing them to vote on this issue. I have the power because it is called a privilege vote. They can't deny me this vote or this debate. prgtoken This will put the Senate on record: Are you for having troops in Syria? If so, why? What are they doing in Syria? I fear that they are merely a tripwire to a greater war or to a tragedy should a terrorist attack occur. They have become the target for the Iranian proxies. Will we ever learn? prgtoken As the fire of war spreads across the Middle East, the administration sends aircraft carrier strike groups into the region without the debate of Congress about whether the United States should be further enmeshed in these region's conflicts. And will there be a debate at all? prgtoken For the past two decades, the wisdom of Washington foreign policy, the establishment, has embroiled our country in one war after another, impervious to the catastrophic consequences resulting from this adventurism. Some 7,000 U.S. servicemembers lost their lives in post-9/ 11 conflicts, tens of thousands more live with missing limbs, burn scars, or are confined to wheelchairs, to say nothing of the mental wounds of war. More than 30,000 veterans committed suicide since Washington's misguided project to remake the Middle East. prgtoken While our soldiers carried out their missions with honor, the Washington establishment has consistently failed them. Both and Commanders in Chief repeatedly have ordered our troops into ill-advised conflicts with no vital national interest and no possibility of victory. prgtoken Syria is but one example. In 2014, the administration ent
HONORING THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF ALLISON GETZ
Randy K. Weber, Sr. (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-12-7

I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a businessman and philanthropist, Robert Moody, who was known to many of us as Bobby. prgtoken Bobby's journey was one of resilience, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to family and community in the city he cherished, which I am privileged to represent, Galveston, Texas. prgtoken Bobby's legacy is etched in the successes of businesses he shepherded for over six decades. His leadership transformed National Western Life Insurance Company and American National Insurance Company into industry leaders, providing financial security for millions. prgtoken Yet, Bobby's heart beat the strongest for our Galveston community, with a passion that is reflected in the creation of Moody Gardens and the Moody Neurorehabilitation Institute, both testaments to his philanthropic vision. prgtoken Beyond his professional achievements, Bobby's devotion to his family was unparalleled. As a loving father, grandfather, and a great- grandfather, he effortlessly blended business acumen with the warmth of family life. prgtoken As we bid farewell to such a stalwart leader, a compassionate patriarch, and a beacon of generosity, let us hope, pray, and carry forward Bobby's legacy of resilience, empathy, as well as community stewardship. The island city of Galveston and the Moody family have lost a guiding light, , but Bobby's spirit lives on in the institutions he built and in the countless lives that he touched. Celebrating 125 Years of Port Arthur, Texas
DEFUND ACT
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2023-12-7

in the words of a Simon and Garfunkel song, they sing of a dream in which ``the world had all agreed to put an end to war.'' And they reached this agreement, apparently, just by signing a single piece of paper. prgtoken This dream is just a dream, of course. That is not how things are brought about. That is not how lasting peace occurs. But the dream echoes the stated aspirations that led to the creation and, eventually, the perpetuation of the United Nations. But as history unfolded, the stark reality has not lived up to those lofty aspirations. prgtoken We have witnessed failure upon failure, and yet the 20th-century notion of a collective world peace still lingers in the minds of the American foreign policy establishment. It is a notion that believes that, somehow, U.S. participation and leadership within the United Nations is a foundational pillar of our security and our strength. prgtoken A glance at the world today, however, reveals the harsh truth: Enduring global peace remains just a dream. While the corridors of the United Nations were designed for diplomacy, it now serves as a place where America's adversaries--people who trample on diplomatic principles and even human dignity itself, to say nothing of national sovereignty--sponsor initiatives that fly in the face of our foundational principles and values. prgtoken Just last November, we saw Iran, known for its support of terrorist groups and its systemic targeting of Jewish people, chairing a U.N. human rights event--actually chairing it. Russia and China, nations that challenge our interests and undermine our values at every turn, hold permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council. China, for its part, also continues to enjoy the benefits of developing nation status, exploiting U.N. programs and other monetary benefits for questionable gain. prgtoken Now, the United States, as the U.N.'s largest funder, ends up tacitly supporting these things through its funding. The largest contributor to the U.N.'s budget is the United States. The administration continues to fund, indirectly, groups like Hamas through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, known for its anti-Semitic indoctrination. prgtoken Similarly, the previous administration halted funding for the United Nations Population Fund due to its support for coercive abortion practices in China. prgtoken The bloated bureaucracy of the U.N. epitomizes the very foreign entanglements that our Founding Fathers warned against. The global security environment of today underscores the urgency of reasserting American sovereignty. prgtoken The DEFUND Act, which I have introduced this week in the Senate, seeks to end U.S. participation in the United Nations system, ensuring that any future attempts to rejoin would require Senate approval. prgtoken Now, detractors argue that U.S. involvement is essential for our security and that absence from the U.N. would somehow diminish our soft power,