mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-7-12

today is the first day of what could be a productive and maybe even historic few weeks in the Senate. I hope we can live up to the challenges we are facing. prgtoken July 6 was a historic day in my home State of Illinois. For the first time in 476 days, Illinois went 24 hours without losing a life to COVID-19. During the deadliest days of this pandemic, Illinois was losing more than 150 people a day to COVID. As our Governor, JB Pritzker, said on the 6th, ``The vaccines have done the work. Thank God for the vaccines.'' I couldn't have said it better. prgtoken Seventy percent of eligible Illinois residents have received at least one dose of those lifesaving COVID vaccines, including 90 percent of seniors. But we are at a critical moment in Illinois and across our Nation. With the new, more dangerous Delta variant now spreading rapidly across the Nation, people who are unvaccinated are at greater risk than ever of becoming sick and even facing death from COVID. I hope we can stop the division and disinformation and figure out how to protect the people from this deadly foe. prgtoken I want to say a word about an issue I read this morning in an article in the New York Times. The author of the article, Tiffany Hsu, titled the article ``Anti-Vaccination Rhetoric Creeps From Fringe to Fox Prime Time.'' It is a lengthy article, and I commend it to everyone to read it on their own. It raises some important questions. prgtoken If our sacred right to free speech can be limited by the time-honored test of crying ``fire'' in a crowded theater, is there any limit to extreme political rhetoric in the midst of a pandemic? prgtoken We know the Party is enthralled by . They have bought the Big Lie. A half to two-thirds of s believe that he actually won the last election, and he didn't. Twenty-nine percent of s believe that will be reinstated as President, triumphantly returning from exile to take over the White House again. Many of them believe that he will return to Washington soon. prgtoken Well, there was an interesting scene on the grounds of the Capitol when I prgtoken returned today from Illinois. For the first time since January 6, the fence that was erected to hold back the insurrectionist mob was removed. We hope that we are prepared now to protect this Capitol and can get back to business as usual, but we have to recruit additional Capitol Hill Police to be prepared, we have to work with the National Guard units to be prepared, and we have to realize the obvious. There was a decision made on the floor of the U.S. Senate by the Senate leader just a few weeks ago to stop any bipartisan effort to establish a Commission to ask what happened on January 6 and how it can be avoided in the future. Senator McConnell objected to a bipartisan, evenly-split Commission to investigate that terrible day. The GOP Senate leader killed that idea several w
Nomination of Uzra Zeya (Executive Session)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-7-12

I rise today to express my support for the nomination of Uzra Zeya to be the next Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights. prgtoken Ms. Zeya is immensely qualified to lead U.S. efforts to recenter our most fundamental values in our foreign policy efforts and to strengthen the Bureaus she will lead. Her experience and the more than 20 years as a Foreign Service officer, including as the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the State Department, make her the perfect fit for this position. prgtoken The previous administration abdicated our global responsibility, but we now have the opportunity to restore U.S. leadership in the fight for democracy, human rights, and rule of law around the world. It is an exciting prospect for us, but more importantly, it will give hope to those still fighting for their rights, the millions of people prgtoken around the world who look to the United States for inspiration and support in their own democratic struggles. prgtoken We see that in places like Cuba today. Looking around the globe, we see China stripping away Hong Kong's autonomy and freedoms at an alarming pace. Military dictators are cementing their illegitimate rule in places like Burma and Mali, eroding and eliminating the institutions of democracy, while Russia and Belarus have imprisoned political opponents without accountability. prgtoken At the same time, an unprecedented 80 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes, communities, and countries. We must look no farther than our own southern border to see the destruction, desperation, and displacement wrought by violence, climate change, and lack of economic opportunity. prgtoken All of these developments negatively impact American national security interests. Our Secretary of State and, indeed, our country need senior human rights leadership of the caliber of Ms. Zeya. prgtoken The fact that the nomination of Ms. Zeya--a nominee so superbly qualified and whose leadership is so essential to rebuilding the State Department--has languished for 82 days is a travesty. I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm her to the position of Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, and I hope my colleagues will stop blocking qualified and critical nominees to the Nation's foreign policy and national security mission from moving forward prgtoken With that, .
Cuba (Executive Session)
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-7-12

I rise today to once again call for every Senator to have an opportunity to vote on a generational bill to fix how the military deals with sexual assault and other serious crimes. prgtoken It is the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act. This bill will ensure that men and women who serve in our military have the opportunity for basic justice, basic civil liberties, and basic protection under the law. prgtoken I want to start by recognizing the monumental advance toward military justice reform made during our Senate work week. The Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military released their recommendations, which included removing the prosecution of sexual assault and related crimes from the chain of command. It is a historic sign of progress after decades of obstruction. prgtoken The Secretary of Defense has agreed with the Commission's findings that the removal of sexual assault prosecutions from the chain of command and the professionalization of the military justice system would benefit survivors and in no way diminish good order and discipline. It is also a historic sign of progress that President has endorsed all of these recommendations. prgtoken After years--years--of pushing for these types of reforms, this change in thinking from our military and executive leadership is truly momentous. Every crime that the IRC reviewed, they recommended removing it from the chain of command. That is a clear recognition that the current military justice system is not capable of addressing the epidemic of sexual assault among our ranks and that it is not providing justice for our servicemembers. prgtoken As President said, ``This is the beginning, not the end of our work.'' While I welcome the IRC's recommendations, I am deeply heartened to see that Secretary Austin and President both endorse the recommendations and will happily work with us to make them a reality. We also have to recognize that the IRC was provided a very limited task--to review only sexual assault and harassment in the military. No other crimes were under their purview. Unfortunately, they were also not asked to look at other serious crimes that are related, such as murder. prgtoken We as a Congress have been tasked with a larger job. It is our job to ensure that the military writ large works for every servicemember. The recent scandals at Fort Hood, the murder of Vanessa Guillen, and the deep racial disparities in prosecutions have made it plain that the need for reform in the military justice system goes far beyond sexual assaults. Vanessa Guillen was murdered, and she was harassed. Serious crimes such as murder deserve the consideration of military lawyers who are trained with expertise, not commanders. prgtoken For those who worry about the impact that this reform would have on command authority, I would point to the head of the IRC, the chairwoman, Lynn Rosenthal, who said:
CUBA
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-7-12

I rise this evening to express my support for the Cuban people who have taken to the streets of their country to advocate for a government that can meet their basic needs of food, medicine, and political rights. prgtoken The Cuban Government is attempting to deflect responsibility for the plight of its own people by blaming the United States of America. It is not our country that denies basic political freedoms to ordinary Cubans. The oppression is underscored by the fact that these are the first significant protests in Cuba in 25 years. prgtoken The people of Cuba cannot be blamed for the actions of a Cuban Government prgtoken that greets those who speak out for a different future with violent crackdowns. In response to the latest protests, the regime says it is ``prepared to do anything'' to protect the current system. prgtoken Along with most all American people, I stand in solidarity with the demonstrating Cubans, and in a particular way, I seek to improve their lives by leading bipartisan legislation that would lift our country's 60-year-old trade embargo with Cuba. While this legislation would provide a new market for our own farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers, it also deprives the Cuban Government of its false talking point that the United States is somehow the cause of the misery of the Cuban people. prgtoken After 60 years of communist rule, 11 million Cubans deserve better. They deserve freedom. They deserve dignity. They deserve hope. We have witnessed this intense desire in a powerful way this weekend. The courage of Cubans who are risking their livelihoods--and possibly their lives--does not go unnoticed. They stand alongside those in Hong Kong, in Minsk, and in Moscow who challenge governments that disregard inalienable rights. prgtoken As demonstrations to enact change in Havana continue, I pray they be peaceful and effective at bringing about a brighter tomorrow for the citizens of Cuba.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2021-7-12

I rise today to recognize Mr. Edwin Reyes DeQuiros, a dedicated servant to the great people of West Virginia. After a 34 year career, Edwin is retiring as an Immigration Services Officer for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Application Support Center office in Charleston, WV. prgtoken Edwin is a joy to work with and has served as a valuable and consistent liaison between USCIS and my office. His goal is to try to assist the customers to the best of his knowledge and experience but not to the extent of compromising U.S. immigration laws and the USCIS policies and regulations. prgtoken Born and raised in the Philippines, Edwin is no stranger to the legal immigration process. In January of 1981, he married a young beautiful woman from Charleston, WV. Based upon this marriage and her approved immigration petition, the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, issued an immigrant visa for him as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. prgtoken In September 1982, he and his wife, along with their then 10-month- old son, arrived in Los Angeles, CA. Finding a job in L.A. was difficult and frustrating as a new immigrant with no work experience in the United States in addition to not having a vehicle. prgtoken In November 1982, an experience he credits to the grace of God and answered prayer, he was hired by the Broadway Department Store, sister company of Neiman-Marcus, as a merchandise handler. His job was to unload merchandise from the semi-trucks to the stockrooms. A year later, he was promoted to a plainclothes loss prevention officer tasked with arresting shoplifters. Two years later, he became the loss prevention manager of the same store, and one of his duties was to apprehend dishonest store employees. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in July of 1986. prgtoken In November 1987, he saw an advertisement in the Los Angeles Times that the legacy INS--now the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services--was hiring a Criminal Investigator/Special Agent. Edwin was hired and became an INS Special Agent, attended the Immigration Officer Basic Training Course at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, GA, and was assigned to various units--Fraud, Employer Sanctions, Anti-Smuggling, Criminal Alien Apprehension Program, and the Violent Gang Task Force--within the INS Investigation Branch. prgtoken Nine years later, he transferred to the INS Investigation Branch in Charleston, WV, eventually named Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE. During his time as an ICE Senior Special Agent, he was assigned to investigate child pornography cases, import and export law violations, and human trafficking/smuggling cases. prgtoken After more than 20 years of combined and exemplary service with legacy INS and ICE, Edwin retired on September 29, 2008. Three days later, he was hired on a government contract as a Special Deputy U.S. Marshal with the U.S. Marshal Service in Charleston,
Cuba (Executive Session)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-7-12

I rise today to talk about the new day of freedom dawning in Cuba and the brave Cubans marching for freedom across the island. For decades, the Cuban people have suffered atrocities, oppression, and misery at the hands of the communist Castro regime. prgtoken I have repeatedly told the story of Sirley Avila Leon, a Cuban woman who was attacked by Cuban security forces in 2015. They cut off her hand and stuck her arm in the mud to make sure it got infected. Her crime? She complained that the regime was going to shut down a school in her neighborhood. prgtoken I have spoken to brave leaders like Jose Daniel Ferrer and the courageous members of his Patriotic Union of Cuba who are fighting every day to defend human rights, freedom, and the democratic movement in Cuba. Activists like Jose Daniel Ferrer and the artists of the San Isidro Movement are the future of Cuba, not the ruthless communist regime. prgtoken Today, the people of Cuba are saying: Enough. Across Cuba, people are marching in the streets to protest against communist rule and demand the freedom, liberty, and basic human rights that have been stolen from them for decades by the brutally oppressive Cuban regime. Their demands are simple: libertad. prgtoken What we are seeing in Cuba should send a clear message to the world. Communism is a failed ideology that does nothing but lead to suffering and oppression. Communism doesn't work. Socialism doesn't work. prgtoken The people of Cuba are crying out for freedom. They are denouncing the oppressive communist rule that has brought ruin to their nation for more than 60 years. The message from the Cuban people to Diaz-Canel and Raul Castro has never been more clear: Your time is up. And the regime is terrified of the Cuban people. They are attacking peaceful protesters in an effort to silence them. Right now, Jose Daniel Ferrer, members of his family, and other leaders from his group are reportedly missing, likely kidnapped by the regime. prgtoken This disgusting assault on the people of Cuba cannot go unchecked. We cannot ignore this historic moment in the fight for freedom. We understand the value and importance of freedom in our everyday lives, and it is our duty to support and stand up for those who are oppressed by dictators and denied the right the live freely. prgtoken Today, I stand proudly with the heroic freedom fighters across Cuba who have taken to the streets, determined to regain their freedom and put an end to the Castro dictatorship. prgtoken Now, the administration must lead the freedom-loving nations of the world in loud and unequivocal denouncement of the brutal communist Castro regime and in support of the liberty, democracy, and human rights the Cuban people call for and rightfully deserve. prgtoken We must be clear. For decades, Cuba has been the root of instability in Latin America and represented a terrible threat to the national security of the United States. The C
Biden Administration (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-12

ahead of the last work period, Senator Schumer, the majority leader, outlined his designed-to-fail agenda. He forecasted a series of votes on legislation that stood zero chance of actually passing--legislation to exploit the cause of pay fairness to line the pockets of trial lawyers, to erode Americans' Second Amendment rights, to force schools and hospitals to comply with ``woke'' social norms, and, of course, the marquee bill, a partisan takeover of our elections. prgtoken It was obvious from the outset that this agenda wasn't designed to achieve results. It takes bipartisanship. It takes rolling up your sleeves and working to build bipartisan consensus to get things done in the Senate--especially so in an equally divided Senate as we have now. prgtoken Rather than put forward a number of bills that would earn that sort of bipartisan support and actually pass, Senator Schumer chose to spend most of the Senate's time last month putting on a show for the so- called progressive base of his party, and I expect even more political theater this month. prgtoken So in the next few weeks, we are told, our ic colleagues will put their dual-track legislative approach to the test. One of those tracks will include a heavy dose of bipartisanship, and that is something I applaud. prgtoken Contrary to public opinion, s and in the Senate spend a lot of time working together. So far this year, we have worked together to counter threats from China, support small businesses impacted by the pandemic, and combat the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans. We have done all of that together in a bipartisan way. Bipartisan solutions are also being crafted to address other major issues, from the border crisis, to drug pricing, to police reform. prgtoken In the coming weeks, the Senate is expected to vote on one of those bipartisan agreements; that is, to rebuild and maintain our Nation's infrastructure. The process that brought us to this point certainly has been a roller coaster. After weeks of back-and-forth negotiations, a group of more than 20 Senators reached an agreement with the White House just last month. But here is when things got very strange. Within minutes of the announcement, the President himself put the fate of that agreement into question. He said he wouldn't sign the bill unless paired it with a multitrillion-dollar reconciliation bill that would include a smorgasbord of leftist spending priorities and trillions in higher taxes and more debt for Americans. Talk about whiplash. Both s and were caught off guard. That hadn't been part of the discussions or negotiation. That isn't what they said they agreed to. prgtoken Well, the reversal and unexpected announcement from the President that, even though they were announcing a deal, they didn't have a deal, prompted a weekend press cleanup, and the President issued a lengthy statement cl
Cuba (Executive Session)
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-7-12

the world and the country yesterday watched these images out of Cuba. It is really unprecedented. In 62 years of communist tyranny on the island of Cuba, we have never seen and there has never been what now is up to 40 cities in which people took to the streets--organically, unorganized, grassroots--to ask for the end of that tyranny. And I think it is important for a lot of people that are new to the issue to sort of understand what that means and what it is all about. prgtoken I think the first lesson we need to take away from it is that Marxism, socialism doesn't work. The way socialism, the way Marxism has always worked--the way it has always empowered itself--is it goes to a people and it immediately divides them. It says: There is the suppressor class, and then there is this victim class. And these evil oppressors--capitalists, in the case of socialism or traditional Marxism--they oppress the victims. And what you have to do is you have to give us the power in government to take care of these oppressors and to go after these oppressors, and if you give us that power, we will deliver you security and we will protect you from the oppressors. They ask for security in exchange for freedom. That is always the price that socialism asks for--security. prgtoken And what you wind up with is a country of people that hate each other, and they are angry at each other. A significant portion of the people in the country have to leave, have to flee, go to jail, because they are the oppressor class. Their lives are destroyed. Their family lives are destroyed. prgtoken But the socialism can't deliver the security. And when it can't deliver the security, you don't get your freedom back. And, in fact, when you start to complain about that, that is when the repression comes. prgtoken Well, that is what happened in Cuba. Socialism and Marxism has done to Cuba what it has done everywhere in the world that it has been tried. It has failed. It has failed. They gave up their freedom. Or they were told: Give up your freedom in exchange for a world-class healthcare system. prgtoken It is not a world-class healthcare system. In fact, it is a healthcare system that does not even have the ability to deal with COVID at its very basic level. prgtoken They said: Give up your freedom for economic security. prgtoken What economic security? People are hungry, homes are crumbling, and there is no economy. There is no real economy in Cuba. prgtoken Give up your freedom and you will have an education--free education for everybody. prgtoken That education--No. 1, you are a doctor, but you can drive a taxicab in Cuba and make more money. Or, No. 2, you get sent, forced to go, overseas and work basically on slave wages, no pay--barely any pay at all. It is basically human trafficking, as our own Department of State found when it looked at the Cuban doctors' program and how it has been abused. prgtoken So what has happened in Cuba is t