mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Issues Facing America (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-2-2

during the last break in our voting schedule here in Washington, DC, I was grateful to have the time back home talking with my constituents about the challenges they are facing on a day-to-day basis and, like we all, I think, try to do, figuring out how we can be helpful to them here in the Senate. prgtoken I must note that there is usually a huge disconnect between what seems to obsess the news media and folks living in the bubble of Washington, DC, and what I hear from my constituents back home, and this time wasn't much different. prgtoken When I was back in Austin, I received a briefing on the ongoing pandemic response efforts. Like the rest of the country and the rest of the world, COVID-19 hasn't gone away, and we are trying to slowly but surely both adapt and deal with the pandemic. prgtoken Thanks to an overwhelming response by the Federal Government initially back during the administration, during Operation Warp Speed, we have access to vaccines on the fastest timeline that we have ever seen. Medical science and pharmaceutical companies and the government came together to produce effective and safe vaccines at a historic rate of speed. But even as the virus itself has morphed, as viruses, I understand, will likely do, we still continue to need things like personal protective equipment and additional tests and antibiotics treatments for people in my State. prgtoken Ironically, President ran in large part in 2020 based on the COVID response of the administration and, as we all recall, was pretty harshly critical. But now he seems to have changed his tune. When asked about things like access to testing, he says: Well, those are really State responsibilities. prgtoken Well, passing the buck is a familiar pastime here in Washington, DC, but I don't think anybody is fooled that this is an area where the Federal Government continues to play an essential role. Yes, our State leaders have done by and large, I think, a good job in their respective jurisdictions. The fact of the matter is, we still need a plan to deal with the testing and the ongoing effects of COVID-19. prgtoken Interestingly, people who wanted to get access to things like therapeutics, anti-viral drugs, and monoclonal antibiotics were told that the Federal Government would not allow the States to use those particular modalities anymore because the Federal Government had made a decision that this was not effective against the current strain. But, as we know, this virus continues to mutate. We are hoping that we don't go all the way through the Greek alphabet in various forms of this virus, but the fact of the matter is, I think we have all now gotten a little glimpse out of what Washington-run healthcare would look like, starting with rationing based on decisions being made in Washington, DC, about what should be available to people when they get sick or when they see their doctor. prgtoken I believe that those
BIOECONOMY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2021
Brian Babin (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-2-2

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , this block of amendments includes nearly every single amendment that was made in order by the Committee on Rules. prgtoken Out of more than 600 amendments submitted to the Committee on Rules, only 37 amendments were made in order. There is no rhyme or reason to which amendments were accepted and which were rejected. I want to be very, very clear, that I do not support the underlying legislation here. But that said, the amendments being considered in this block were the only chance that most Members have had to have any impact at all on this massive, nearly 3,000-page bill. prgtoken Because so few committees held markup or bipartisan discussions in their provisions in this bill, there have been very few opportunities to review or revise this legislation. Among this block of amendments were safeguards, improvements, and cost-saving measures. prgtoken My colleagues, Representatives Garcia and Burgess, offered an amendment that would prohibit the massive climate change provisions in this bill from taking effect until the Secretary of Energy can certify that they will not reduce our energy independence. prgtoken Representative Grothman's amendment that would strike the $8 billion in taxpayer funds from being given to a U.N. climate fund--a slush fund, if you will--the same fund that has given the Chinese Communist Party already $100 million. And Representative Bice's amendment would demand accountability from the administration before allocating any funding to this fund. prgtoken Representatives Gimenez and Burgess would require the Secretary of Energy to ensure that no provisions in prgtoken this bill will raise energy costs for Americans. prgtoken Madam , unfortunately, these amendments improve on the underlying legislation but cannot ultimately fix this legislation. So while I urge my colleagues to vote for these amendments, I remain opposed to this sprawling partisan bill. prgtoken Madam , .
HONORING KEN DUKE
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-2-2

I rise today to recognize Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch for being named Georgia Trend's 2022 Georgian of the Year. prgtoken Griff is a graduate from Maritime College in New York, which led him to work in the maritime industry for 34 years and eventually our Georgia prgtoken ports. Lynch took the helm of our Nation's busiest ports in Savannah and Brunswick, and in doing so, has faced some of the hardest challenges in his career. prgtoken With the breakout of COVID-19, the Savannah and Brunswick ports were hit hard. But it was Lynch's steady hand that steered them through these turbulent times. If you got your Christmas gifts on time this year, Griff Lynch probably had something to do with it. prgtoken He has overseen multiple expansion and enhancement projects in the area, allowing our ports to stay ahead of the increasing demand. And through Lynch's efforts, our ports have seen a 20 percent increase in volume, meaning nearly 900,000 additional containers are coming to the area. This means more jobs, innovation, and growth for Georgia's First District. His experience, guidance, and ability to push the envelope has made him an excellent leader for our ports and a perfect recipient of the Georgian of the Year Award.
THE BIDEN CRISES
Mike Garcia (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-2-2

. Madam , the Chinese Communist regime under Chairman Xi is certainly our greatest opponent. His vision and mission is to eliminate the United States by 2050, and his investments are aimed toward this end. prgtoken The CCP is not on our team, and we should not encourage competition from China, as the White House has stated. In many domains, they are outpacing us. prgtoken In lower altitude hypersonic weapons development; in the advancement and proliferation of high-altitude nuclear ICBMs, such as the DF-41; in the space prgtoken domain; in the cyber domain; in shipbuilding--they are currently building two ships per month; in the construction and networking of UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles; and in the advancement of low observable fighter jets both in terms of capacity as well as quantity, China certainly is our greatest threat. prgtoken They are not on our team, and their progress and their advantages are designed to be used against us in a coordinated fashion in all of those domains. But the single biggest threat to our Nation is not China alone. It is our own weaknesses within--weaknesses from people who are supposed to be on our team and weaknesses from those who seek to cooperate and profit from the CCP's behavior that ultimately enables the CCP in their atrocities. prgtoken Those who may chastise the CCP with Twitter posts in the same day enable them with joint ventures, small words compared to large supporting investments or bills such as the ones brought to the floor this week. This is exactly what Chairman Xi wants: big carrots and small sticks. prgtoken We must disentangle all of our interests from China. But above all things, we must disentangle our corporate interests from China as soon as possible. prgtoken Disentanglement takes courage, which is often not present in most boardrooms and certainly not present in our own Treasury Department. American corporations and our own Treasury are exchanging their own long-term security and our collective security for the short-term high of profits and business in a market they have been seeking for a long time. prgtoken These corporate leaders think they are fishing in knee-high water in a trout farm. But in reality, the water, that market space, is filled with piranhas, leaches, and sharks. The bare and bloodied ankles of our economy and our intellectual property and technology are now fully exposed to these very intelligent predators. prgtoken The Chinese Communist Party is not on our side, and our own greed and a willingness to compromise the integrity of our business ethics system in order to profit from endeavors with China are our greatest weaknesses and, I would say, our greatest threat. prgtoken We cannot afford to profit from selling the rope to China that will ultimately be used to hang us by 2050.
Border Security (Executive Calendar)
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-2-2

I am here today to discuss the crisis at the border. Unfortunately, it is not getting any better. In fact, it is getting worse by any measurement. The flow of illegal drugs and illegal migration continues to surge. prgtoken As the lead on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I recently traveled to the U.S.-Mexican border in Nogales, AZ, just south of Tucson, to learn firsthand from Border Patrol and Customs officials and Border Patrol agents who are on duty 24-7 trying to protect our Nation from illicit narcotics, unlawful immigration, and terrorism. prgtoken It was my third trip to the border in the last year, and, like other trips, what I saw was alarming. Officials at the port of entry told me about the increasing and more sophisticated efforts to smuggle illegal and deadly drugs into the United States. They showed me some of the x rays that have been taken of some of the vehicles where the smugglers are cleverly hiding these illicit narcotics into compartments. prgtoken By the way, this is deadly stuff. This is mostly now the illicit drug called fentanyl, which is a synthetic form of opioid that, according to the Centers for Disease Control, is probably killing two-thirds of the people who are dying from overdoses. The number of overdose deaths in this country is at record levels. During the year of 2021, we believe it is going to exceed 100,000 individuals--record levels. prgtoken So why aren't we scanning more of these vehicles for drugs and other contraband? The best numbers we have are that, currently, less than 2 percent of the passenger vehicles and less than 20 percent of the commercial vehicles coming into the United States are scanned for illegal drugs like this deadly fentanyl we talk about. prgtoken That is just unacceptable. A smuggler with multiple pounds of fentanyl concealed in hidden compartments needs to know that there is no chance of getting across our border without some kind of search. It is not just a gap in our security; it is a gaping hole in our security, and it is resulting in lives being lost in my home State of Ohio, where we have a big issue with opioids, and also all across America. In a sense, every State is a border State now. prgtoken Last year, Customs and Border Protection seized nearly 10,000 pounds of deadly fentanyl. That is a 40-percent increase from 2020. But, as officers on the line told me when I was down there recently, most of it is getting through. prgtoken A year ago, Congress mandated that the Department of Homeland Security give us a plan and a strategy to scan all vehicles at the ports of entry for deadly narcotics such as fentanyl. Unfortunately, even with this crisis that demands these new approaches, the administration has failed to deliver this report, which was due more than 6 months ago. Let's get that report done. Whether it is crystal meth or cocaine or whether it is fentanyl--sometimes pressed in
CLOTURE MOTION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-2-2

. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Hoeven), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville). prgtoken Further, if present and voting, the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Hoeven) would have voted ``nay.''
SECURING THE SOUTHERN BORDER
Marjorie Taylor Greene (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-2-2

. Madam , absolutely. Then we learned yesterday that Border Patrol agents are completely demoralized; that they are not even capable of doing the job that they were hired to do, that our United States Government hired them to do because their authorities are not allowing them to do it. prgtoken They are not able to deport illegal aliens so that our American people can have jobs. No. Our American people are having to compete with them. But even worse what we learned is about fentanyl. Fentanyl coming from China. That is what bothered me when I was listening today when the debated this bill with us. Only in this COMPETES Act bill it mentioned fentanyl only 10 times. prgtoken Yet, it is Chinese fentanyl coming from Communist China that is killing young people. It is the number one cause of death with Americans age 18 to 45. That is a tragedy, but yet we have been controlled by COVID-19. Children in schools are forced to wear masks; people are told they have to take vaccines. It is totally out of control, but yet it is fentanyl from China. prgtoken Here is something else. Maybe Mr. Perry can help me out with this since I am new here. Why doesn't the administration--why don't the care about doing something about fentanyl, a horrible poison coming in from China, but yet they care more about coral reefs?
Tribute to Ben Ray Lujan (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-2-2

first, the entire Senate is praying for and pulling for our colleague Senator Lujan. We learned yesterday that our colleague suffered a stroke late last week and has been hospitalized in New Mexico as he recovers. It is certainly encouraging to read that our friend and colleague is expected to make a full recovery. prgtoken I know that all 99 of his colleagues are thinking of him every day, rooting for a swift and smooth recovery, and already looking forward to the next time we see him.
E-Cigarettes (Executive Session)
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2022-2-2

the Senator from Washington makes the point that this is s. This is not s. Of course, they are for doing what needs to be done, and that is returning this to the States, minimally, taking a decision that was out of context back in 1973, when it was made. prgtoken And the opposite of the argument she made would be, Why should the Federal Government, based upon the judiciary ruling that was out of context, force this on the entirety of the country? When it comes to what it allows now--abortions late into a pregnancy--that is not supported by most of the country. prgtoken So, minimally, this ought to be returned to the States to reflect the views of the different States in this country--50 of them. Over half disagree with it, and over half of our citizens would say that it makes more sense than what we have now. prgtoken .
CHINA'S PANDA PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN
Nancy Mace (Republican, SC) \u2014 2022-2-2

America has always been a place known for its citizens and its heroes who have gone above and beyond. In honor of Black History Month, the State of South Carolina and the First Congressional District in South Carolina has one such hero, a citizen by the name of Robert Smalls. Robert Smalls is the epitome of a true South Carolina hero. prgtoken Robert Smalls was born a slave in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 1839. Robert Smalls faced countless afflictions in the early years of his life, but he never gave up. During the Civil War, he hijacked a Confederate ammunition ship and turned it over to the Union Navy, delivering its 17 African-American passengers from slavery to freedom. prgtoken Robert Smalls then became the first African American to pilot a U.S. vessel taking the helm of a Union warship in the first battle of Charleston Harbor in 1863. prgtoken At the war's conclusion, Robert Smalls received a commission as brigadier general in the South Carolina militia and eventually went on to serve the South Carolina State General Assembly and Senate. prgtoken But his tireless work for the people of South Carolina did not end there. Smalls would then go on to serve five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1874 to 1886, for South Carolina's First Congressional District, the district that I represent today. prgtoken So, on behalf of the Lowcountry and the people of the First District, I am deeply honored to offer a bill being considered today in committee that will designate the U.S. post office at 11 Robert Smalls Parkway in Beaufort, South Carolina, as the Robert Smalls Post Office. Honoring Christopher Celiz
THE BIDEN CRISES
Mike Johnson (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-2-2

. Madam , I thank my friend so much for highlighting that. As Mr. Rose said, there is $10.3 billion in this bill for climate funding over the next 2 fiscal years. But there is also $2 billion in there for a climate program, and it is authorized every fiscal year with no sunsets--no sunsets. prgtoken I know that upsets my good friend, Mr. Grothman. prgtoken Madam , from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).
School Choice (Executive Calendar)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2022-2-2

my colleagues across the aisle spent the first part of this year laser-focused on voting rights and the filibuster. at all levels, including President , spoke of nothing else, claiming that this was the most important issue facing Americans and that the future of our country was at stake. But this was not a righteous crusade; it was a march into complete delusion--a message completely out of touch with the struggles of real Americans. prgtoken While lectured, Americans confronted reality. Across the country, inflation is squeezing paychecks, and COVID cases are skyrocketing. These are the issues that families are focusing on. Omicron's surge has sent students home from classrooms and back in front of computer screens. This is where parents' minds have been these last few weeks--not on Senate rules, not on the filibuster, but on their children's educations because when parents think prgtoken about the future of our country, they think about their children and the opportunities that they will have and that all starts with education. prgtoken During my four decades of coaching, I saw firsthand how education provides an unparalleled opportunity to uplift students from all different backgrounds, races, and religions. Education is the key to opportunity and freedom. It empowers students to create futures for themselves, to make better lives for themselves. It is a way to achieve the American dream. In short, education is our country's future. Ensuring the next generation receives a quality education is the most important investment--the most important investment--we can make in the future success of our country. prgtoken But before I talk about where we should go when it comes to education, it is important to note where we are today in education. prgtoken Right now, the United States of America is slipping. It is slipping in the classroom. When it comes to our global standing, we are 37th in the world--37th in the world--in math, and we are 13th in the world in reading. Just over half of the young people in our country today can read over the sixth grade reading level. That is simply not good enough for the most powerful country on the face of the Earth. Our students are falling behind. prgtoken At no time was this more important than in the last 2 years. COVID turned our living rooms into classrooms, bringing lesson plans to kitchen tables in homes all across the country. This gave parents a front row seat to what their children were and were not learning, and many parents did not like what they saw. Students weren't being taught how to think; they were being taught what to think. This shift from what is right to what is ``woke'' has startled parents, but it was also startling for parents to see what isolation did to their developing children. prgtoken As kids saw less of their friends, they retreated into darkness. Rates of depression and anxiety rose dramatically. Since th
Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Calendar)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2022-2-2

look, I get it. I understand why my colleague is anxious. He has got to distract from the bill I came here to pass today. have shown again and again that they will do anything to cover up for and his weak appeasement of communist China. From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, my focus has been on providing targeted help to families who truly need it. That is where my focus remains. prgtoken My colleague is well aware that this program that he is talking about is actively being debated, and there are concerns on both sides of the aisle. Just one of the many issues being discussed in the program is the program's lack of work requirements and insufficient means testing. It would be irresponsible to cut those discussions short and pass a measure that does not have the unanimous support of the Senate tonight. Therefore, I object.
THE BIDEN CRISES
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-2-2

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding and hosting this Special Order, it is so important. prgtoken Madam , I rise to bring needed attention to the ongoing overdose crisis in our country that is ruthlessly taking lives. I can't speak on this without focusing on a major culprit: fentanyl. The CDC recently announced 101,263--again, 101,263--Americans died of drug overdoses during a 12-month period ending June 2021. The number of deaths is going up, not down. prgtoken The vast majority of these preventable deaths were caused by fentanyl and illicit fentanyl analogs, which are 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. From October 2020 to September 2021, Customs and Border Patrol seized 11,201 pounds of fentanyl, which is enough to kill 2.5 million, or the entire United States population seven times over. This is what they were able to interdict. We don't know how much more got into the country. prgtoken Fentanyl is temporarily scheduled as a Schedule I drug, but that is set to expire in just a few weeks on February 18. Congress must act to provide a permanent solution. prgtoken That is why I am co-leading legislation with my friend, the gentleman from the Ninth District of Virginia. Our bill, the HALT Fentanyl Act, would permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule I and cut red tape enabling researchers to continue to study Schedule I substances for the purposes of identifying any possible medical benefits. prgtoken Let's put politics aside and do what is right. I encourage all of my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation and help us provide immediate assistance to those in need. Madam , I thank the gentleman for hosting tonight.