mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CLIMATE CHANGE
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-9-23

this is a ``Time to Wake Up'' good news-bad news speech. prgtoken The good news from last week is on business community support for carbon pricing. What is carbon pricing? Well, remember that IMF--the International Monetary Fund--pegs the fossil fuel subsidy in the United States at more than $600 billion per year, so the energy market is dramatically tilted to favor fossil fuels. Carbon pricing helps prgtoken set that right, helps make an even playing field. It is economics 101. And carbon pricing makes a lot of sense. prgtoken What happened last week? The Business Roundtable, made up of all of these giant American corporations and more--these are the top 50 that I could fit on this chart, but there are 200 of them--came out in support of carbon pricing. Their report warned that the consequences of climate change for global prosperity and socioeconomic well-being are significant. The world simply cannot afford the costs of inaction. prgtoken The Business Roundtable's report went on to urge companies to ``align policy goals and [greenhouse gas] emissions reduction targets with scientific evidence.'' Listen to the scientists. We could do more of that. prgtoken The BRT said that a key component of science-based climate policy should be a price on carbon. Here is what they said: A price on carbon would provide an effective incentive to reduce [greenhouse gas] emissions and mitigate climate change, including through the development and deployment of breakthrough technologies. . . . Establishing a clear price signal is the most important-- prgtoken The most important-- consideration for encouraging innovation, driving efficiency, and ensuring sustained environmental and economic effectiveness. prgtoken So this is big news--these are big companies--and this is good news. These companies at the Business Roundtable employ more than 15 million people. They have more than $7.5 trillion in revenues. Their unified voice is a good thing and a big deal. prgtoken With all of that good news from all of these big American corporations, what is the bad news? The bad news is that corporate America often shows one face to the world and a very different face to Congress, and the face they show to Congress is not at all aligned with this policy they just announced to the world. This discrepancy, this misalignment, is a persistent problem, and it needs to be fixed. prgtoken The problem has three dimensions. One, even these companies don't pay much attention to climate change in their lobbying and election activities. For most, it is zero attention. prgtoken By the way, that silence is deafening around here, and that silence by these companies is compounded by the trade associations through which they consolidate their lobbying work. Most trade associations do nothing on climate. prgtoken Here is Coke and Pepsi's trade association. By the way, here are Pepsi and Coke on the list of
EXPANDING ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACT OF 2019
Elaine G. Luria (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-9-23

. Madam , I rise today in support of this bill, H.R. 4447, and applaud the inclusion of nuclear power as a critical element of our energy future and our national security. prgtoken As an engineer who operated nuclear reactors in the Navy, I saw firsthand that nuclear power, when deployed safely and responsibly, can play a key role in our future as a zero-carbon energy source. Advanced nuclear designs carry potential for our economy, our national security, and electrical grid, as they can provide a steady source of clean energy and reduce carbon emissions. prgtoken The Nuclear Energy Leadership Act section of this bill would jump- start innovation and advanced nuclear energy by authorizing $55 million per year through 2025 for an advanced reactor technologies program and establish the University Nuclear Leadership Program to develop our future nuclear workforce. prgtoken The inclusion of my bipartisan legislation, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act, in this bill will facilitate the path to market for advanced reactors and help the U.S. maintain international leadership in nuclear technology and safety. prgtoken Madam , I thank Chairwoman Johnson and Representative Lamb, and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee for working with me on this important legislation, and for including the important element of nuclear power in this energy package.
Supreme Court Nominations (Executive Calendar)
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2020-9-23

I want to say how much I appreciate your staying late this evening for this. prgtoken Last night, I had the chance to speak about the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, somebody who, as much as anyone in our history, advanced the cause of equality between men and women. When President Clinton named prgtoken her to the Supreme Court, she had already transformed American law through her trailblazing work as a professor and litigator. It is why her nomination sailed through this body with 96 votes--a reminder of a time not so very long ago when the Senate understood its constitutional duty to advise and consent, when a qualified judge would get the vast majority of Senators to vote for that person. Every single time we did that, we reestablished the idea that the judiciary is independent-- independent from what hopefully are temporary, insane partisan battles. prgtoken After earning that 96 votes, for more than a quarter century on the Court, Justice Ginsburg authored rulings that promoted fairness, advanced equality, and secured hard-won rights. They upheld affirmative action and protected a woman's right to choose. At the same time, she could never accept a decision that nullified our right to vote or otherwise limited our democratic values, even when it was hard for some of her colleagues on the highest Court in the land to perceive the systemic racism in our country. prgtoken As I said last night, because the young Joan Ruth Bader knew America would be worse off without her, without her talent, Justice Ginsburg fought hard to make America more democratic, more fair, and more free. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the majority leader of this body who now seeks to ram a replacement through the Senate. As a Senator and as a majority leader, he dedicated his career to undo the work of Justice Ginsburg and those who have fought beside her for a better America. prgtoken Pick almost any issue--from the degradation of our courts and our democracy to the sorry state of our government's fiscal condition--and for decades, you will find the majority leader's fingerprints all over the crime scene. prgtoken Let's start with the courts; that seems an appropriate place to start today. Justice Ginsburg cared deeply about what she called public respect for a confidence in the judiciary. No one in America has done more to destroy that confidence and respect than the Senator from Kentucky. prgtoken I first came to Washington as Colorado's Senator during President 's first term. The majority leader, who was then the minority leader, Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, led the blockade against virtually all of President 's nominees. He filibustered the nominee for Secretary of Defense who was a . In the history of the country, no nominee to be Secretary of Defense was filibustered. From George Washington to , Senators had used the filibuster against 68 Presidential nominees; fr
SUPREME COURT NOMINATION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-9-23

first, let me thank all of my colleagues who were here until late last night and made such persuasive arguments as to why the new Supreme Court Justice matters so much to the American people, to their healthcare, the working people's rights, to women's rights, to preserving the right to choose, to making sure we have a good green planet, to LGBTQ rights. They did an eloquent job. prgtoken I hope America was listening because this nomination matters; it matters to the average daily lives of average Americans. And last night, by holding the floor until the late hours, made really strong arguments. prgtoken s for doing that. prgtoken , for the third day in a row, Leader McConnell has come to the floor and completely ignored the ``principle'' he established in 2016, when, mere hours after Justice Scalia passed away, Leader McConnell said that ``the American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice''--his words: ``The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,'' referring to the upcoming election. prgtoken That election was more than 8 months away. We are now only 42 days away. But the so-called McConnell rule--the supposed principle that the American people deserve a voice in the selection of a Supreme Court Justice--hasn't come up. The leader can't mention it. No wonder he never mentions it. And he sticks to just diversionary, irrelevant remarks in his speeches on the floor instead of addressing the main issue--why he said one thing in 2016 and a different thing now. prgtoken Instead, the Senate is forced to suffer these tortured explanations and misleading precedents. At a press conference yesterday, here is how the leader described the Senate role in confirming the Supreme Court Justices. He actually said: ``[W]e have an obligation under the Constitution [to consider a Supreme Court Justice] . . . should we choose to take advantage of it.'' prgtoken Did you catch that? Did you catch that? It is an obligation, but only if the leader chooses to take advantage of it. I see. So, when there is a ic President, it is one of those obligations you don't have to take advantage of, but when there is a President, it is a solemn constitutional duty. prgtoken Are we really supposed to swallow the argument that, when the Senate and the President are of the opposite party, one rule applies, but when they are of the same party, a different rule applies? I didn't hear that right after Scalia died when Leader McConnell explained why he was holding it up. prgtoken So this idea that when it is one party, one rule applies and another party, a different rule applies, we have a term for that. It is called a double standard. prgtoken If the leader really wants to discuss precedent--real precedent, not fiction--we can dispatch with that convers
CLIMATE CHANGE
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-9-23

I want to thank Senator Whitehouse for his longstanding leadership in the U.S. Senate on addressing the concerns of climate change. He has been there every week, every day, leading us to take action to prevent the horrors of climate change. prgtoken We have made some progress but not enough under his leadership. We have to do more, as he points out, and what he just told our colleagues. But I just really want to thank the Senator--as I look at the wildfires in the West, I look at the frequency of the hurricanes, when I look at the receding shorelines in Maryland, as I look at our efforts on the Chesapeake Bay--and recognize that if we don't do what we need to do, what science tells us we could do on carbon emissions, we are doing this at our own peril. prgtoken It is not just America. It is the global communities. It is our leadership globally. Senator Whitehouse and I traveled with other Members of the Senate to the climate meetings, and we made progress. We have to get back to it. I just want to thank Senator Whitehouse for his leadership. Coronavirus prgtoken , on Sunday, the Washington National Cathedral marked the 200,000 American lives lost to COVID-19 by tolling the Bourdon Bell 200 times--once for every 1,000 lives lost. Nearly 113,000 people have died since May 15, when the House of Representatives passed a comprehensive COVID-19 relief package known as the Heroes Act. prgtoken As of September 20, the 7-day moving average for new infections was over 41,000. The 7-day moving average for new deaths was almost 800. Put another way, from a fatality standpoint, we have the equivalent of the 9/11 terrorist attack every 4 days. The United States, which has 4.3 percent of the world's population, accounts for 21.1 percent of the COVID-19 deaths worldwide. prgtoken When President delivered his Inaugural Address in January 2017, he stated: This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. We are one nation. . . . We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. . . . So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words--you will never be ignored again. prgtoken Fast forward to last week when President --referring to the total U.S. fatalities--said: If you take the blue states out, we're at a level that I don't think anybody in the world would be at. We're really at a very low level. prgtoken Of course, talking about COVID infection. prgtoken President has said many appalling things. Dividing America during a pandemic into so-called blue and red States and devaluing the lives of Americans from blue States may be one of the most appalling things so far. prgtoken As former Secretary of Homeland Security and Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge, remarked, ``It's so unworthy of a president
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-9-23

. Madam , during the week of September 14, 2020, I was unable to vote due to the devastating and deadly wildfires burning throughout my District. I am working with the White House, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Governor Brown to help my constituents get the assistance they need. prgtoken Had I been present for votes, I would have voted: prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 183, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 4894, as amended, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 184, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 2193, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 185, On Ordering the Previous Question to H. Res. 1107, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 186, On Agreeing to the Resolution H. Res. 1107, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 187, On Agreeing to the Allen Amendment to H.R. 2639, I would have voted Nay. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 188, On Agreeing to the Moulton Amendment to H.R. 2639, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 189, On Passage of H.R. 2639, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 190, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended H.R. 7909, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 191, On Motion to Recommit with Instructions H.R. 2574. I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 192, On Passage of H.R. 2574, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 193, On Agreeing to Resolution H. Res. 908, I would have voted Aye. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 194, On Motion to Recommit with Instructions on H.R. 2694, I would have voted Nay. prgtoken On Roll Call Vote Number 195, On Passage of H.R. 2694, I would have voted Aye.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ACT OF 2019
Bill Foster (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-9-23

. Madam , I rise in support of the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. prgtoken This act includes provisions from the bipartisan H.R. 2986, the Better Energy Storage Act, or BEST Act, led by me, Mr. Casten, Ms. Herrera Beutler, and Mr. Gonzalez. prgtoken These provisions set forth a crosscutting program at the Department of Energy to advance a suite of energy storage technologies. It directs DOE to establish a research and development program for cost-effective, sustainable energy storage systems, including testing and validation activities. prgtoken It directs the Department to develop a 5-year strategic plan to continue to identify and refine research goals for the program, and it would establish an energy storage demonstration program to help put more energy storage systems on the electric grid. prgtoken Energy storage technologies take many forms, including batteries, pumped hydropower, thermal energy storage, or chemical energy stored as hydrogen. The development of cost-effective storage systems will help reduce the intermittency issues of renewable generation sources like solar and wind energy and will also help provide grid services, such as frequency regulation to ensure the stability of the electrical supply that consumers depend on. And they will begin to address the seasonal variation, which is the final frontier of energy storage technology. prgtoken In my home district of Illinois, researchers at Argonne National Lab are leading a national collaboration to accelerate the development of advanced batteries, including novel cathode, anode, and electrolyte designs, as well as new materials synthesis and characterization tools. prgtoken And that is why I am so pleased to see provisions of the BEST Act in the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. prgtoken I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the hard work of my colleague on the Science Committee, Mr. Casten, who introduced the Promoting Grid Storage Act of 2019. His bill contained many important provisions that have helped strengthen the version of the BEST Act that we are considering within this package. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to join me and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4447.
Agriculture (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-9-23

let me at the outset join in with my colleagues. Coming from a farm State, I am glad that we have a bipartisan continuing resolution until December 11. prgtoken I am saddened that we don't have the Appropriations Committee working through its normal process, nor the Budget Committee. This is the world we live in now--continuing resolutions. And this continuing resolution does include money for the Commodity Credit Corporation, which is the usual source of payments for agriculture programs agreed to in the farm bill. prgtoken There was some question as to whether or not there was enough money in the CCC account to take care for the months to come. Now there is no question that it will be adequately funded. That is a positive thing. prgtoken I also am happy to report that the early press reports that we saw suggesting CCC funds were actually going to be diverted to oil companies--oil companies--was expressly prohibited as part of this negotiation. prgtoken Understand what is behind this. These oil companies have benefited from a decision by the administration to give small refineries waivers when it came to the blending of ethanol with their product. The net result of that decision by the administration was that a large number of these small refineries were given waivers for blending, and, as a result, the actual production of ethanol declined dramatically. It is one of the major reasons that corn is grown and sold. It is for that use, and it was diminished dramatically. prgtoken It was one of major reasons why, as the ethanol industry cratered, that farm income in many States was cut in half from what it normally has been. prgtoken In just the last few days, there has been an attempt to rectify the situation, which should have been changed years ago, and rectifying it to say that, once again, there will be blending of ethanol with gasoline in the United States, which I support. And then someone suggested, well, let's give an additional subsidy to the oil companies from the Commodity Credit Corporation--a terrible idea from the start. I am glad it is not included in this final product. prgtoken Let me mention one other part of this that is included that I think bears notice, and that is the fact that there is an extension of the school feeding program for the next school year. prgtoken We have an extraordinary situation with the COVID-19 pandemic where many schools are not bringing kids into the classroom. Many of these kids are being taught online across America. I know it because I know my grandkids are going through this. For those who are in lower income- qualifying categories, we have now extended in this continuing resolution the accessibility of these school feeding programs for the next school year. That is important. Kids, if they are going to learn, have to have nutrition. We don't want them suffering from hunger in the process in any way, shape, or form in this great
PROMISE OF OPERATION WARP SPEED
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-9-24

Operation Warp Speed moves us closer to a cure for COVID-19. Thanks to President , the administration, and the private sector, a viable vaccine is now within reach. prgtoken Operation Warp Speed has proceeded at an unprecedented pace, and it reflects a profound level of urgency. It is a direct reflection of President 's commitment to protecting the American people. prgtoken Taxpayers at the Federal level have committed over $10 billion to support the development of a vaccine, and the private sector has stepped up to meet this challenge head-on. prgtoken Keep in mind that many vaccines and their subsequent clinical trials can take many years to complete. Without a doubt, we are closer to eradicating COVID-19 thanks to Operation Warp Speed. Progrowth Policies Benefit Americans
EXTENDING THE UNDERTAKING SPAM, SPYWARE, AND FRAUD ENFORCEMENT WITH ENFORCERS BEYOND BORDERS ACT OF 2006
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-9-24

we are 40 days today from a general election--40 days--40 days until the American people make their choice, or at least that is the idea. prgtoken But there are a group of people who seem intent on influencing the people's choice, on manipulating it, on shaping it according to their own preferences. I am not talking about China or Russia or Iran; I am talking about a group of corporations--the most powerful corporations in the history of this Nation, the most powerful corporations in the history of the world. I am talking about being Big Tech. prgtoken We know who they are. They run the giant digital platforms, the places where Americans communicate and share their opinions. But those platforms are more than that. They are more than places to talk or buy things. Facebook and Google, Twitter and prgtoken Instagram and YouTube--these are the platforms that control more and more of our daily lives. prgtoken And, yes, I said ``control.'' These platforms control our social communication, the way that we talk to each other, when and how, where, and on what terms. They control what news we read or even what news we see. prgtoken They control more and more journalism in America, right down to what is in news articles and how the headlines are written. prgtoken They control how elected officials communicate with their constituents, when they can run advertisements, what their messages can say and can't. prgtoken And they want to control us. Big Tech platforms relentlessly spy on their customers--you and me. They track us around the web. They monitor our every move online and even when we are offline. prgtoken They track our location and whether we are in a car or riding a bike or on the street. They track the websites that we visit and when. They track the things that we buy. They track the videos that we watch. They track what our children are doing. They track everything--all with the purpose of getting enough information on each one of us to influence us, to shape our preferences and opinions and viewpoints. prgtoken This is enormous power--unheard of power--and the Big Tech platforms are intent on using it. They are intent on using it in this election. prgtoken Let's just cut to the chase: The Big Tech platforms are owned and operated by woke capitalists. They are leftists. They are liberals. They are not conservatives. They are no friend to conservatives. They fervently opposed the election of and other conservatives in 2016. They fervently oppose it this year. prgtoken Now they are trying to use their power to shape the outcome of an election. For months, the tech platforms have been engaging in escalating acts of censorship--political censorship--aimed at conservatives. prgtoken They have censored the President of the United States. They have banned pro-life groups from their sites. They have tried to silence independent conservative journalists like the Federalist. prgtoken Now, the censorship