mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMOVING A CERTAIN MEMBER FROM CERTAIN STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Lucy McBath (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2021-2-4

and friend from Florida. prgtoken , in 2 weeks, I celebrate the birthday of my son, Jordan. Every year since he was murdered, his birthday brings joyful memories but profound sadness. prgtoken , 2 years ago, my pain on his birthday turned to horror and grief as I watched students in Parkland, children the same age as my son, run terrified out of their high school. prgtoken I watched parents read texts from their kids that said: Mom, if I don't make it back, thank you for everything that you have done for me. prgtoken I watched as 17 families realized that their lives are never going to be the same. prgtoken , throughout history, words have shown and have had the power to unite this Nation with unity and hope, or the power to divide with bigotry and hate. Words have an impact on everything that we do here in this Chamber, on this Hill, in this body. Every action that we take makes life better for the American people. prgtoken This today is about a Member's words and actions that are beneath this body, beneath the American people that we have sworn to protect. prgtoken This is about a Member stalking the children of tragedy, attacking survivors, and threatening violence. This is about a Member denying the existence of dead children at Sandy Hook Elementary and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. This moment is about parents across America who now celebrate their child's birthday just like me.
REMOVING A CERTAIN MEMBER FROM CERTAIN STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Jahana Hayes (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-2-4

I rise today in support of this resolution on behalf of my constituents in Connecticut's Fifth District. prgtoken The statements made by the Representative from Georgia have amplified horrific and deeply dishonest rhetoric and empowered and mainstreamed fringe conspiracy theories about school shootings. Giving any Member the platform to spread dangerous rhetoric only rewards and normalizes this behavior, places already vulnerable groups in danger, and further traumatizes survivors. prgtoken There is no place in this House for a Member that trivializes these events or refuses to publicly disavow her own words or apologize to those affected. prgtoken , there are men and women on both sides of the aisle whom I strongly disagree with, colleagues who have made statements that have deeply offended me. Yet, I have never believed we should remove them from committees on this body. prgtoken But today is different. We are forced to make this motion, not because of a disagreement in values or opinions, but because the Conference has refused to take any actions addressing dangerous comments made by a Member, comments which have no place in common discourse and cannot be given a platform to be amplified. prgtoken While I remain respectful of the voters in Georgia, we have a responsibility as a body to hold our own Members accountable, and I would vote in the same way if a member of my own caucus had committed the same infractions. prgtoken No Member of Congress should promote conspiracy theories or sow doubt about the validity of tragic mass casualty events like Sandy Hook, Parkland, and others. No parent should ever prgtoken have to invite a Member of Congress to visit their child's grave or touch the bullet-riddled clothing that their child wore to prove that their death actually happened. prgtoken , the of this House always tells Members to vote our district. Today, I vote as an act of conscience in defense of my district. I vote for the babies who left for school 8 years ago and never returned home, and the teachers who died trying to protect them.
HONORING ALBERT HALE
Tom O’Halleran (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2021-2-4

I rise today in honor of former Navajo Nation President Albert Hale, who lost his battle with COVID this week. prgtoken Years ago, Albert and I served together in the Arizona House of Representatives, working on water issues and fighting to uphold Tribal sovereignty. As the second elected president of the Navajo Nation, Albert Hale taught me so much about the Dine people, their culture, and their long-overlooked struggles. prgtoken In this body, we are no strangers to the suffering the Navajo Nation has endured throughout the course of this pandemic--and still is. Forced to wait months for CARES Act funding to arrive, Navajo families were often at the epicenter of this global pandemic, several times experiencing the highest per capita infection rates in the world. prgtoken As a Congress, we must, once and for all, commit ourselves to discontinuing the shelving of Native American issues and concerns. I know that is what Albert Hale would have said. prgtoken We must wholeheartedly devote our efforts to serving all Americans equitably and come together reinvigorated to pass legislation to meet our obligations. prgtoken Today, I think of Albert's passing with a heavy heart for many reasons. I am saddened to lose his friendship and guidance, his smile, his sense of humor, and his sense of caring for his fellow Navajo and American people. And I am frustrated to see yet again that the community he fought to uplift continues to be left behind. Too many Dine mothers, grandfathers, neighbors, and friends have fallen to this deadly disease. prgtoken Since coming to Congress in 2017, I have strived to bring the voices of all 12 sovereign Tribal nations in our district to the discussion table in Washington. Today, I recommit myself to fighting for their needs and honoring their unique stories, as Albert Hale did during his time with us. prgtoken My thoughts are with the Hale family and the entire Navajo Nation as we mourn Albert's passing. His work, his light, and his mission will not be forgotten. prgtoken And I can't stand here today and not say that one of my last conversations with Albert was about COVID. prgtoken I am so sad that he and many other people who have died from this dreaded disease have not been able to be with their loved ones as they have passed away, or their friends. I am saddened that I didn't know at that time that Albert would have been stricken with this terrible virus. But we do know Albert would say to us, Please continue to fight the fight for the American people.
MORNING BUSINESS
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-2-4

the solution sounds so simple, and it is simply wrong. May I give you an example? prgtoken Barring additional green cards for hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers stuck in the backlog won't help American workers since these immigrants are already working here. In fact, it would hurt American workers by creating an incentive to hire more guest workers who can be paid lower wages. prgtoken This is not the approach we need for coronavirus immigration reform. Point of Order prgtoken , I raise a point of order that the pending amendment is not germane to the underlying resolution. Therefore, it violates section 305(b)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
REMOVING A CERTAIN MEMBER FROM CERTAIN STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Cori Bush (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2021-2-4

St. Louis and I rise in defense of our Nation's schoolchildren. I cannot sit idly by and allow white supremacy and hatred to have decisionmaking power over our students' futures. prgtoken To my colleagues: let history remember what you did in this moment. A prerequisite for appointment to these committees and for all that we do must be that you love and represent all people. prgtoken We owe it to our children and we owe it to their parents to have a House Education and Labor Committee that is committed to fighting for a country where all children have an equitable education in an intentionally anti-racist society. Let me say that again: an intentionally anti-racist society. prgtoken From the Ferguson-Florissant school district in St. Louis to the Normandy, Hazelwood, Riverview Gardens, Jennings, and University City school districts, to St. Louis Public Schools, all of our school districts deserve better. -Stowe State University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, our tech and trade schools, St. Louis University, and Washington University deserve better. prgtoken Our teachers, our custodial workers, and our cafeteria workers deserve better. prgtoken Our students who don't have a roof to sleep under at night, our students who don't have running water at home, our students who don't have enough to eat deserve better. prgtoken Those living with student debt and those who desire to go to college deserve better. prgtoken Our parents deserve better. prgtoken We cannot build an equitable, anti-racist education system if a seated House Education and Labor Committee member incites violence through the perpetuation of racist lies in an attempt to overturn an election. We cannot build an equitable, anti-racist society if a Member of Congress endorses white supremacy. We need to strip them of their committee assignments. And then we must pass our resolution, H. Res. 25, to investigate and expel them.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 72, REMOVING A CERTAIN MEMBER FROM CERTAIN STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2021-2-4

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , this is a very serious matter, and I appreciate my ranking member, Mr. Cole, for the way he conducts himself because I know he cares deeply about this institution, and he knows that I admire him greatly. prgtoken The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise) was on the floor, and he quoted the Bible. And I have read the Bible, too, I want to inform the gentleman. And I believe in the Jesuit tradition. prgtoken Apology is not just words, it is action. And I didn't hear Mrs. Greene do that today. I heard a lot about whataboutisms, but I didn't hear her take responsibility, nor did I hear her apologize for some of the most egregious things that she has posted and said. prgtoken I also point out for the record--because I think this is important--I am not convinced her memory is 100 percent accurate here on some things. Here, just now--and she spoke to the whole Chamber--she said she didn't discuss QAnon during her campaign. prgtoken Madam , but last July, she said in her local interview: ``I've only ever seen patriotic sentiment coming out of that source.'' And she wouldn't answer if she was still a follower. prgtoken So I am a little confused that she is now trying to denounce QAnon, yet she said recently that they are patriots. She said: Never seen anything other than patriotic sentiment coming out of that source. prgtoken QAnon is a dangerous, sick cult. Period. And nobody--certainly nobody in this Chamber--should ever, in any way, shape, or form, try to associate themselves with them. They are not patriotic individuals. They are pushing sick, dangerous, violent conspiracy theories. Many of the people who attacked this Chamber on January 6 had their QAnon flags and insignias. So give me a break. prgtoken Madam , I don't know what it is going to take for some here to act. And I will just repeat what I said earlier. I don't know what the hell happened to the Party. The party of Lincoln, the party of Eisenhower, the party of Reagan is becoming the party of Marjorie Taylor Greene and the party of violent conspiracy theories. prgtoken If anyone has any question about the things that she has said or done--anybody who is watching--just spend a moment and look at her social media posts. Don't take my word for it. Go research it for yourself. Google it. It is all there. They go well beyond anything that we have seen from any Member in this body. prgtoken Encouraging violence against another Member; prgtoken Posting and saying that 9/11 was a hoax; prgtoken That school shootings were planned by gun safety advocates; prgtoken Spreading anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim conspiracies and hate speech. prgtoken It is all there. We are not just saying this. It is there. prgtoken Madam , now, I am a big believer of the Committee on Ethic's process, but I don't need an investigation to tell me what I can read with my own eyes. The only question is this: What are we goin
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2021-2-4

I appreciate the opportunity to address the body today about the bill we are to take up and debate and advance this evening and about several different provisions that are of specific concern and interest to me, to the residents of the State of Delaware, and to our Nation. prgtoken Let me just remind all of us the moment that we are in. There are 26 million Americans who have been infected by COVID-19, a dread, deadly, global pandemic, and 445,000 Americans have been killed so far in this pandemic--far too many. prgtoken In my little home State of Delaware--just 900,000 people--we not too long ago passed 1,000 deaths, and, like many other States, we are racing to deliver vaccines and to address the economic and the human wreckage of this pandemic and the recession caused by the bungled mishandling of this pandemic by the now previous administration. I am encouraged because there is also a positive number: 34 million Americans have been vaccinated. prgtoken Delaware has been at the forefront of delivering vaccines quickly and safely, and now with President and his team at the helm, they are pulling together the resources of our Nation--using the Defense Production Act to deliver needed PPE, testing capabilities, and vaccines to every corner of our country. They have a lot of work to do. They are behind because of some of the failures of the past, but I am excited by the promise of the future. prgtoken Yesterday, I had the honor of meeting with President in the Oval Office for an hour first thing in the morning, and we talked about this pandemic and his plan, the American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion in badly needed relief that will touch almost every American family and move us quickly out of this pandemic and back toward growth and security, health and prgtoken prosperity. And his determination, despite all the back-and-forth about numbers--his determination, at the very core of what we do, is to keep in mind the middle class of this country, the folks who have been overlooked, underserved, and most disadvantaged. He is passionate about seeing the ways in which this pandemic has revealed the deep inequities in our country and making sure of how we respond to educational needs, to housing needs, to transportation needs, and to healthcare needs, that we combat the profound inequalities of our society and Build Back Better. prgtoken As Senator Carper and I were sitting with President , going over $1,400 checks and this many months of unemployment extension and this much for housing and homelessness or this much for transit, he said: Wait, wait. Just remember at the end of the day, keep in your mind's eye a family--a plumber and a teacher with two kids at home, one of them laid off, desperately trying to pay their rent, trying to figure out how to pay their bills, trying to figure out how they can keep a roof over their kids' heads. Remember the people we are trying to help and
REMOVING A CERTAIN MEMBER FROM CERTAIN STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-2-4

this is a sad day and a difficult day for the House of Representatives and for our country. I have had the great honor of serving this body for 40 years and in that time, I have never encountered a situation like the one before us now, where a Member has made such vile and hurtful statements, engaged in the harassment of colleagues, and expressed support for political violence. None of us should take any pleasure in what we must do today. prgtoken But to do nothing would be an abdication of our moral responsibility to our colleagues, to the House, to our values, to the truth, and to our country. prgtoken A great forebear of legislators, Edmund Burke, famously declared: ``The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.'' prgtoken Yesterday, the Conference chose to do nothing, so today, the House must do something. prgtoken I have heard some condemnation from across the aisle of the contents of Representative Greene's statements. Some have condemned the white supremacist and anti-Semitic things she said and posted online. Some have condemned the falsehoods she shared about 9/11 and the horrific school shootings. prgtoken But I have heard little from s about the horrific statements made by their colleague making threats of violence against ic elected officials and her threatening conduct toward Representative and others. prgtoken Indeed, , there seems to be much silence when it comes to her incitement of political violence. prgtoken In The Washington Post yesterday, columnist Greg Sargent wrote: Whatever happens to Representative Greene, the truth is unavoidable: s have yet to offer a clear and unambiguous declaration that political violence is unacceptable and has no place in their ranks. prgtoken And I have heard too much about process and not enough about accountability. prgtoken No Member ought to be permitted to engage in the kind of behavior that Representative Greene has and face zero consequences. This vote can be a first step in correcting the error of those who, so far, have chosen to do nothing. prgtoken A short while ago, Representative Greene came to this floor to defend her indefensible conduct. I heard no apology. prgtoken She claimed that we are here today only because of some things she wrote online before she ever ran for Congress, as if one's moral slate is wiped clean when one becomes a candidate for office. prgtoken Regardless, the conduct we are judging today continued to occur even after Representative Greene became a candidate, and even after she was elected. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to look at this image. prgtoken I heard about motherhood today. Two of those women between them have six children. They are mothers. One of them does not have children, and she has come to this body asking for more housing for people, for more healthcare for people, for more income for people. How awful. prgtoken
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 72, REMOVING A CERTAIN MEMBER FROM CERTAIN STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-2-4

. Madam , I, too, have to agree with the ranking member of the Rules Committee that this does raise serious questions for our institution and assure him that this is not a move taken lightly, but our colleagues have left us no choice. prgtoken Historically, the parties have policed themselves. Even as recently as 2 years ago, our colleagues removed a Member from committees after he made a series of false and despicable statements, which were less serious than the conduct we consider here. prgtoken But, apparently, that was the old GOP. In the words of Senator John Thune from South Dakota, the party of ``limited government and fiscal responsibility, free markets, peace through strength'' has become the ``party of conspiracy theories and QAnon.'' prgtoken No matter how much our colleagues here today say that they disapprove of the conduct of the Representative from Georgia, they must realize that she is now the face of their party. prgtoken If today's House caucus wants to embrace this behavior, the majority does not. The Member in question has advocated for insurrection and violence against elected officials and children, has challenged the safety of Members and our Capitol Police, and has promoted fringe conspiracy theories that damage our work. prgtoken Such behavior would not be tolerated in any other workplace, and it cannot be tolerated in the people's House. prgtoken My colleagues on the other side of the aisle know this. While they have been careful to distance themselves from their Member's remarks and actions, they have not shown the courage to hold a Member of their own party accountable when they don't have the shield of a secret vote. prgtoken They force us to take this action to stop the spread of conspiracy theories, lies, and hate in the Halls of Congress. prgtoken This isn't canceling the Representative from Georgia's voice. It is about accountability. There is no right to committee assignments, but if a Member conducts himself or herself in so disgraceful a way that she brings discredit upon Congress, and her own party cannot address the problem, then the House, as a whole, has to deal with it. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to recognize what the public has recognized in a bipartisan manner, that the indecent behavior of this Member is a threat to Congress and our government.
INSURRECTION IN THE CAPITOL
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-2-4

. Madam , let me thank the gentlewoman from New York, first of all, for her courage and for convening us together. And I might say to the gentlewoman that we are not doing this for ourselves. We have taken an oath of office. prgtoken I have said this many times today as we debated a question of the status of a Member. We took an oath to defend this Nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And we realize that that oath is really above our own personal safety; that if we were called upon by this Nation to defend her, to defend our constituents, I would venture to say that most Members would stand by their constituents and this Nation. prgtoken This should not be taken as Members fleeing out of fear. But it should be taken as an explanation and an expose' of what happened in this place; how it was desecrated, undermined, diminished; how the American people watched this precious place. prgtoken For those of us who have been here, I fled this place on 9/11. We were in a meeting, and all you could hear is a lot of noise. Members continuing to meet, not wanting to be disturbed, did not move until an officer or screaming came, and we heard the noise saying, we don't know what's going on, but get out. prgtoken In that instant, we fled, and all we could hear was, run as fast as you can and hit the ground way on the other side near First Street and the Supreme Court. I could see the billowing smoke and the plane that had hit the Pentagon. And so, that fleeing, of course, was because we were told to do so. prgtoken But Members began to look for their staff and wanted to know what they could do. It was different from having a pandemic. It was different from the setting here, except for the fact that Members cared about what was going on with their constituency and their staff. prgtoken Here, we were in the same way. Members were protecting their staff in their offices. So I want this not to be about us, but the story needs to be told. prgtoken As you have already heard, there were those of us participating in this debate, some on the floor, some in the gallery. prgtoken And I will tell you that the first thing I saw, Madam , because we did not know of the huge crowds down near the White House. We didn't know that there were people dancing to music inside the White House, watching activities of attack here. But we did know about the major speech that was provoking a crowd of insurrectionists that had planned to come here and kill people. prgtoken But the first thing I saw was good friends here rising up out of seats and moving out quickly. And only after they began to move did we hear the words, Hurry up. Get out. Flee. Not necessarily flee, but the first words I heard was our good leadership calling for the doors to be closed. Thank them for that, our Sergeant at Arms, who are here in this place. prgtoken As we fled, we could hear the attack coming from the Senate side, and then we could hear the shooting that occurre