mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RUSSIA
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-6-23

for the first time earlier this month, President traveled to Europe. The primary purpose for this trip was to engage with some of America's closest friends and allies, but the agenda also included a one-on-one meeting with a staunch adversary, Vladimir Putin. prgtoken The President took office armed with a great deal of tough talk on Russia. He called his counterpart a ``killer'' and a ``KGB thug'' and warned he would ``pay [the] price'' for interference in U.S. elections. The world wondered whether this rhetoric would be underpinned by tough action. I certainly hoped it would. prgtoken Back in January, I made it clear that if the administration was serious about ``imposing real costs on Moscow,'' it would ``find willing partners on Capitol Hill.'' But so far, there have been few encouraging signs for those of us who take Russia's threats very seriously. prgtoken Remember, after less than a week in office, President agreed to Russian requests for a full 5-year extension of the New START Treaty, no strings attached. He gave it up for free, undermining our leverage to extract concessions in future negotiations. prgtoken Then, his administration rolled out a budget proposal that would cut investment in defense, in real terms--shortchanging the modernization we need to keep pace with both Russia and China. prgtoken And 2 weeks ago, the President left for Europe, having already given the Kremlin two other gifts: a high-profile summit that experts predicted Putin would use to help legitimize his regime at home and abroad and a waiver of sanctions on the Russian-owned company behind a lucrative gas pipeline project. prgtoken So I will repeat for President the same warning I offered to the previous administration: The Kremlin is prgtoken not our friend, and it is high time our actions started reflecting that. prgtoken Back home, of course, the administration has proven it knows perfectly well how to crack down on energy pipeline projects when it wants to. In fact, on the day he left for Europe, the firm behind the Keystone XL Pipeline project announced that the President's revocation of its construction permit would be fatal. That is the end of it. What a striking image. The President of the United States heads overseas and meets with a major adversary whom he has handed a major geopolitical win, and here at home, the last nail goes in the coffin of the job- killing crusade against reliable North American energy that he said on day one was a priority. prgtoken It is a tale of two pipelines: the decisive rejection of thousands of American jobs here at home and the empowerment of America's adversaries abroad. And it is only the latest sign that the administration's strategic priorities are simply out of order. prgtoken Recall, this administration rushed to rejoin a climate agreement that has failed to hold major signatories to their commitments on reducing emissions, even a
Christopher H. Smith (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2021-6-23

. Madam , more than 20 peer-reviewed studies show that more than 2.4 million people are alive today in the United States because of the Hyde amendment, with about 60,000 babies spared death by abortion each and every year. prgtoken Over 2.4 million girls and boys who would have been aborted instead survived because taxpayer funding was unavailable to effectuate their violent demise. Growing numbers of Americans, Madam , continue to be shocked to learn that the methods of abortion include dismemberment of a child's fragile body, including decapitation, and that drugs like RU-486 starve the baby to death before he or she is forcibly expelled from the womb. There is nothing benign or compassionate about abortion methods. prgtoken The multibillion-dollar abortion industry cleverly markets the sophistry of choice while going to extraordinary lengths to ignore, trivialize, and cover up the battered baby victim. By reason of their age, dependency, immaturity, inconvenience, fragility, and unwantedness, unborn children have been denied justice and the most fundamental of all human rights, the right to life. prgtoken The right to life, Madam , is for everyone, not just the planned, the privileged, and the perfect. prgtoken Ultrasound has not only been an amazing diagnostic tool for treating disease and disability before birth, it has also made the unborn baby more visible. Today, for many expectant moms, first baby pictures aren't of their precious newborn baby, but of ultrasound imaging photos and videos chronicling the amazing miracle of their child's journey before birth. prgtoken Madam , 166 Members of Congress have cosponsored my bill, H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, to make the Hyde amendment and other current abortion funding prohibitions permanent. prgtoken According to public opinion polls, most Americans, by a decisive margin of 58 percent to 38 percent in a recent Marist Poll, agree that taxpayers should not, I say again, should not be compelled against their conscience to fund abortion. prgtoken Years ago, then-Senator wrote to constituents explaining his support for the Hyde amendment and said it would ``protect both the woman and her unborn child.'' prgtoken He said in another letter, ``I have consistently--on no fewer than 50 occasions--voted against Federal funding of abortions. Those who are opposed to abortion should not be compelled to pay for them.'' prgtoken So says in the past. prgtoken I wholeheartedly agree. Those of us opposed to abortion should not be compelled or forced to pay for them. prgtoken Madam , someday future generations of Americans will look back and wonder how and why such a seemingly smart, enlightened, and compassionate society could have enabled and facilitated the extermination of over 62.5 million children, a number of child prgtoken deaths that equates with the entire population of Italy.
REPUBLICANS ARE ADDRESSING THE MAJOR CRISES
Diana Harshbarger (Republican, TN) \u2014 2021-6-23

I rise today to speak about the important need for an investigation into China's role in the origin of COVID-19. prgtoken More than 600,000 Americans and 3.8 million people have died worldwide from the virus, and now it is becoming more evident than ever that the virus may have originated from a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. prgtoken It is also clear that China withheld critical information at the beginning of the pandemic to cover up how deadly the virus could become. We have demanded an investigation to find out what Chinese Communist Party leaders knew and when they knew it. My colleagues from across the aisle have blocked our attempts. prgtoken Millions have died and countless others have suffered from the economic effects of the pandemic. The American people deserve answers as to how the outbreak originated, and the Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable if they are responsible for the outbreak and its global spread. prgtoken The bottom line is this: China lied and people did die. We need an investigation now.
HONORING FORMER CONGRESSMAN PAUL MITCHELL
Fred Upton (Republican, MI) \u2014 2021-6-23

I thank the gentlewoman for doing this, and I am sorry to sort of jump people in line, but we are in a committee markup, so I have to get back. prgtoken , I have to say that my friend, Paul Mitchell, grew up the eldest of seven kids. Literally, a natural born leader of the pack. He was the first of his extended family to graduate from college. He has noted that his mom raised him to believe that those with talents and resources were expected by God to make a difference in the world. And by God, he did. prgtoken Tenacious and focused like a laser beam, he set and met goals. A scrappy fighter, he has now met his most formidable foe, that is for sure, and he is all in for that fight. prgtoken And in a text that I got from him a little bit earlier today, he said, ``as you know, I am one tough cuss.'' prgtoken Yes, Paul, you are. And you know what, everybody knows it--not only your and ic colleagues, but certainly the former President, and probably all of your constituents back in Michigan as well. You are a tough cuss. prgtoken Yesterday, my colleague, Diana DeGette, and I introduced a discussion draft called 21st Century Cures 2.0. prgtoken , 392 of us in this Chamber, including Paul, voted for the 21st Century Cures enacted in 2016, which expedites the approval of new drugs. This bill that we are working on now, 2.0, could well indeed speed the approval of new drugs even faster. So it indeed could be the very lifeline for Paul and so many like him--thousands of Americans and around the world--that somehow are impacted by this terrible disease that we all want to survive. prgtoken Paul's life is characterized by exceeding expectations, defying the odds. And we know that is what he intends to do now, for sure. And if anybody can, it is Paul. So we are with you, Paul--you may be watching--every step of the way. All of us. prgtoken , I include in the Record Paul's farewell address that he stated back in July of 2019 as part of this tribute. Representative Paul Mitchell's (MI-10) Floor Remarks on Wednesday July 24, 2019 Madam , America is an amazing place and we too often as Americans take that for granted. Opportunities exist in this country that simply aren't available in much of the world. And my life is an example of the many possibilities in the United States of America. I ask you: Where else can a kid born into poverty, beginning life in a subsidized housing project, become a national legislator? Yet--here I stand as a Member of Congress. In how many countries can the oldest of seven children with parents that were an hourly autoworker and a Salvation Army office manager become the first in their extended family to graduate from college, build a career and become CEO of a major workforce development company and, after retiring, be elected to Congress? America is truly
WHEN FAMILIES DO WELL, OUR NATION DOES WELL
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-6-23

. Madam , with each passing week, we are seeing the tremendous impact of the American Rescue Plan on our Nation, in New York State, in New York City, and in my own district of New York 12. prgtoken Included in the American Rescue Plan is the 1-year expansion of the child tax credit. Next month, families will begin to receive credits of up to $300 per month to help with food, to help with rent, to help with the cost of childcare. prgtoken It is estimated that this funding will cut childhood poverty in half. Let me repeat that. It will cut childhood poverty in half. In my district alone, New York 12, this will help 54,000 children and lift nearly 5,000 children out of poverty. prgtoken Knowing the impact this tax credit will have on our families, I am asking all of my colleagues to join me in working to make it permanent. prgtoken When families do well, our Nation does well.
PROTECTING OLDER WORKERS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION ACT OF 2021
Sylvia R. Garcia (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-6-23

I rise today to strongly support your bill to protect older Americans against discrimination. prgtoken It is unfortunate, , but age discrimination and ageism are still very common in many American workplaces. prgtoken During the worst of this pandemic, older workers and women experienced many of the demotions and layoffs that we have heard about so much. prgtoken Protections against age discrimination are more important than ever as we seek to ensure that employers do not use someone's age as a motivating factor to deny them a promotion, to demote them, or to even fire them. prgtoken When age discrimination occurs, many people do not report it. But when they do, under current law, it is incredibly difficult to prove that age was the motivating factor. prgtoken Therefore, Congress must ensure that we do not place burdensome requirements of proof of age discrimination on those who actually bring age discrimination claims to the forefront. prgtoken That is why this bill is so very, very important, and I thank the chairman for his tireless efforts on this cause. prgtoken While this is an excellent bill, there is one provision I wish we had included that currently is not. In the fight against age discrimination, we need to clearly protect folks at the very first opportunity, the hiring process. prgtoken That is why I introduced a bill last week, the Protect Older Job Applicants Act. It simply clarifies that the provisions under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act also apply to job applicants. Most people already assume this is the case. However, it is not. prgtoken After two recent Federal court cases about age discrimination, there has been confusion about the applicability of protections to applicants or employees only. prgtoken My bill seeks to provide clarity and ultimately protect older Americans from the very beginning, at the application. prgtoken I know that this is a priority for the chairman also, and I will continue to work with him to make sure that we continue the conversation on this shared priority, because nobody should be denied a job opportunity solely because of their age.
PROTECTING OLDER WORKERS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION ACT OF 2021
Alma S. Adams (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2021-6-23

I thank the gentleman for his work on this bill. prgtoken Although House continue to work for an end to the pandemic, COVID-19 has changed the American workforce. People from all walks of life have suffered. Older Americans in the workforce continue to feel the fallout from the coronavirus. prgtoken The perception that older workers are not as valuable as their younger counterparts persists. The myth that older workers are unproductive and costly persists. The idea that older Americans do not value their careers, their job, or their work persists. Because of these challenges, older workers are more likely to remain out of the workforce when they lose a job. prgtoken Age discrimination is a real threat to our workforce, but it doesn't have to be that way. That is why the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act is so very important. Older workers need specific protections under the law. prgtoken As we look ahead to a stronger economy and upcoming legislation, I urge Members to remember the importance of older workers to our economy, to our workforce, and to our families. prgtoken , I include in the Record a letter from the group Paralyzed Veterans of America. Paralyzed Veterans of America, Washington, DC, May 24, 2021. Hon. Robert Scott, Chairman, Education and Labor Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear : Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is pleased to support reintroduction of the Protecting Older Workers against Discrimination Act (POWADA). PVA is the nation's only Congressionally-chartered veterans service organization solely dedicated to representing veterans with spinal cord injuries and/or disorders. POWADA is important to our members as people with disabilities because it will restore well-established legal standards on workplace discrimination that were undermined by a 2009 Supreme Court decision. In 2009, in the case of Gross v. FBL Financial Services, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to impose a much higher burden of proof on workers who allege age discrimination than on those who allege discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, or religion. By changing the legal standards in age discrimination cases--from having to prove that age played a role in the worker's treatment to having to show that age played the decisive role in the worker's treatment--the Court set aside decades of legal precedent and signaled to employers that some amount of age discrimination is permissible. Moreover, the decision made it exponentially more difficult for workers who have experienced age discrimination to seek redress in court and prove their case. Many courts began applying the Gross decision to weaken other civil rights laws, including di
CLIMATE CHANGE
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-6-23

what is the weather like in Las Vegas? What is it like in Reno? I am not sure, but I will bet it is hot. And the reason I am sure that it is likely to be hot is the weather forecast. prgtoken I looked at that map, and it was solid red in the western half of the United States, with extreme high temperatures at a level never recorded. They said in the city of Seattle, there have only been a handful of times that they have had temperatures over 100 degrees in that city. It is going to happen again this weekend, at least that is the prediction. That is the weather forecast. prgtoken It is not just confined to the blue coastal States, as some call them. We have a drought in the Midwest. I hope it ends soon, but when it comes to corn country--Iowa, Illinois, Indiana--we are worried. I hope it doesn't happen, but it could, and we know it can happen soon. And then in the southeastern part of the United States, there are extreme storms--rains they haven't seen before. prgtoken I just say that after listening to the leader describe the situation with the environment, wondering if he reads the papers or talks to people back home because extreme weather is happening all over the United States, and it isn't just in areas or ic areas; it is virtually everywhere. prgtoken So when President comes in and says: Shouldn't we do something about this for the good of our children and our grandchildren? Shouldn't we be willing to sacrifice a little bit? Shouldn't we be willing to change some if it means that they are going to have a planet that is worth living on--about 10 years ago, I started asking my farmers who come and visit me from Illinois a couple of questions. These are good people. They never vote for me, I know that, but I still like meeting with them. They are good people. They bring their wives. They dress up in their suits. They take it seriously. They are coming to Washington. This is before COVID-19, of course. And they would sit upstairs in my conference room. There would be about 20 or 30 of them from organizations like the Farm Bureau or the corn growers or the soybean growers. And I would say to them--this is 10 years ago--how many of you believe that what we are doing on Earth is changing the environment of the Earth we live on? I mean that our human activity is having something to do with it. And I would ask for a show of hands. And the response was, not one hand would go up. prgtoken And I finally said to them: Well, things are changing. What do you think is behind all of it? And one fellow said--and he did this seriously, and I believe he was speaking from the heart--he said: ``Senator, some years God sends me a drought; some years God sends me a flood; I got to deal with whatever God sends me.'' prgtoken I respect him for that. That is his deep-hearted belief, and it is sincere. prgtoken But I think there is more to the story. And now when I ask these same
CONFIRMATION OF KIRAN ARJANDAS AHUJA
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-6-23

I rise to support the nomination of Kiran Ahuja to serve as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management. Mrs. Ahuja is highly qualified and has a deep commitment to public service that will serve her well as the Director of OMB. I am confident that she has the skills to rebuild the civil service and restore protections for civil servants that were rolled back by the administration. prgtoken Mrs. Ahuja spent her childhood travelling across the South with her parents as they worked to provide desperately needed mental health services to underserved communities. After graduating from Spelman College and the University of Georgia School of Law, Mrs. Ahuja began her career in public service as a civil rights attorney at the Department of Justice. She went on to lead the White House Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and then serve as the Chief of Staff for OPM as it responded to a data breach that exposed the personal information of millions of Federal employees and contractors. prgtoken Kiran Ahuja will be tasked with leading OPM as it faces a new set of challenges. After 4 years of attacks by the administration on the protections at the core of our merit-based civil service system, OPM needs a leader who understands that Federal workers serve our country, not the individual or political party currently occupying the White House. prgtoken OPM is an independent Federal agency tasked with a vital mission: ensuring that the Federal workforce delivers top-notch service to the American people. The next OPM Director must recognize, as President and Mrs. Ahuja do, that union organizing and collective bargaining are in the public interest and that these rights are vital safeguards to protect the merit system principles of the civil service. The next OPM Director must also work to attract new talent to Federal agencies that have lost valuable expertise and modernize OPM's outdated information technology systems. I am confident that Mrs. Ahuja has the skills and knowledge to meet these challenges and to carry out the agency's mission.
Nomination of Deborah L. Boardman (Executive Calendar)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-6-23

I rise this afternoon in support of the nomination of U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Boardman to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Maryland. prgtoken Judge Boardman was favorably reported by the Judiciary Committee on June 10. I have recommended Judge Boardman, along with Senator Van Hollen, to President , and I strongly support her nomination. Judge Boardman was nominated to fill the future vacancy created when Judge Richard Bennett, appointed by President in 2003, announced his intentions to take senior status upon the confirmation of his successor. President nominated Judge Boardman for this position on March 30, and the Judiciary Committee held her confirmation hearing on May 12. prgtoken Shortly after the November 2020 Presidential election, I worked with Senator Van Hollen to establish a judicial selection committee in Maryland. We used an open application process with public advertisement and communicated closely with the State, local, and specialty bar associations in Maryland. In particular, we sought out a highly qualified and diverse applicant pool. prgtoken Our committee interviewed everyone who submitted an application, which involved several dozen interviews. Senator Van Hollen and I personally interviewed several finalists before making our recommendations to the White House. prgtoken I strongly agree with President 's request that Senators consider nominating individuals whose legal experiences have been historically underrepresented on the Federal bench, including those who are public defenders, civil rights and legal aid attorneys, and those who represent Americans in every walk of life. Judge Boardman fits that request. prgtoken Judge Deborah Boardman was born in Silver Spring, raised in Frederick, and lives in Baltimore. She received a B.A. from Villanova University. After graduating from college, she accepted a Fulbright scholarship to study in Amman, Jordan. She received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. After law school, she clerked for a Federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia, known as the ``rocket docket'' for the speed of its caseload. prgtoken Judge Boardman brings tremendous experience to the courtroom as a sitting U.S. magistrate judge in Maryland since 2019, which is the same Federal judicial district in which she would become a district judge, if confirmed by the Senate. She already handles a heavy caseload in our Federal court. prgtoken As a magistrate judge, Judge Boardman presides over civil cases by consent of the parties, resolves civil discovery disputes, conducts settlement conferences, and presides over preliminary criminal proceedings. Additionally, she administers the District of Maryland's Social Security appeals docket. prgtoken In civil cases before her by consent of the parties, Judge Boardman rules on motions to dismiss, resolves discovery disputes, decides whether a case should proceed t