mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-2-28

at a time when Vladimir Putin is killing Ukrainians, my ic colleagues want to kill more unborn American children for any reason up until the moment the baby takes its first breath--up until the moment the baby takes its first breath. Indeed, this bill should be called the ``Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act.'' prgtoken This is the most egregious, horrific attack on the lives of unborn children and the health of moms in American history. In fact, if my ic colleagues had their way, this baby whom I delivered years ago could have been murdered--aborted--the moment prior to this cesarean section. prgtoken Listen, just for a moment, to what this bill would do. prgtoken No. 1, it goes far and beyond Roe v. Wade by invalidating State laws that protect the unborn child and the health and the well-being of moms. It would likely lead to taxpayer-funded abortions at home and abroad. prgtoken It would tie up faith-based hospitals in courts for their not offering abortion services. prgtoken This bill fully blows open the door to sex-based abortions. prgtoken It eliminates the requirement for informed consent or parental consent. prgtoken It eliminates conscience protections. I can tell you, as a physician myself, I wouldn't be surprised if half of the medical students in the Nation and half of the nursing students in the Nation would quit medical school or nursing school if they were going to be forced into participating in abortions. prgtoken This bill has a total disregard for women's health. Instead of the standards of a surgery center, this bill would allow for these services to be offered in a garage or in a backroom apartment. prgtoken The bill provides the right to provide abortions by any healthcare provider. No longer would it take a physician to do abortions. It would allow nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to do abortions. prgtoken I had to take care of women who had gone through miscarriages at every gestational age. This is not a job for a nurse midwife, a physician assistant, a nurse practitioner. Before we would let residents take care of this type of a miscarriage, they would have gone through 4 years of medical school, and they would have been, most likely, in their second or third year of training before we would have entrusted them with this type of procedure. Again, for a woman who has had a miscarriage, the risks of infection, of hemorrhage, and creating infertility are too great. prgtoken This bill would allow States to go unrestricted as to any type of telehealth abortions--abortion by phone. In my opinion, it is malpractice to prescribe such a medicine without examining the patient, seeing how big the uterus is, seeing what the size of the baby is. This procedure is wrought with complications. I am the person who had to take care of those complications. Wichita, KS, was home to one of the biggest abortion clinics in the country, and just 2 hou
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2022-2-28

I rise today to introduce the Reproductive Choice Act with my colleague and friend Senator Lisa Murkowski, which would codify the protections for reproductive rights established by the Supreme Court's decisions in Roe v. Wade in 1973 and affirmed by Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992. We are introducing the Reproductive Choice Act as a substitute amendment to the Women's Health Protection Act before us today and as a standalone bill for future consideration. prgtoken Unfortunately, the Women's Health Protection Act goes far beyond codifying Roe and Casey. Among other issues, this legislation would severely weaken protections afforded to healthcare providers who refuse to perform abortions on religious grounds. Rather than just codifying Roe's protections, the bill would undercut Federal and State laws that have been in place for decades and call into question basic conscience protections. prgtoken The Reproductive Choice Act that Senator Murkowski and I are introducing today would simply codify the essential holdings of the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade and 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. Our bill carefully tracks the Supreme Court's language and would provide reassurance to women that the reproductive rights they have relied on for nearly 50 years will continue to be the law of the land. prgtoken Specifically, the Reproductive Choice Act would make clear in Federal law that States may not impose an ``undue burden'' on the ability of a woman to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability. It would still allow States to enact regulations to further the health or safety of a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy, while stating that regulations that have the purpose or effect of presenting a ``substantial obstacle'' to a woman seeking to terminate a pregnancy would be considered an ``undue burden.'' prgtoken As is currently permitted under Roe and Casey, our legislation would allow individual States to impose restrictions on terminating a pregnancy after fetal viability, except when necessary to preserve the life or health of the woman. Notably, unlike the Women's Health Protection Act, our bill would not restrict laws regarding conscience protections, including laws that protect healthcare providers who refuse to provide pregnancy termination services for moral or religious reasons. prgtoken Women should be assured privacy in making their reproductive choices, and I oppose efforts to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade. It is my hope that the Reproductive Choice Act will be enacted to ensure that women in this country are able to make their own reproductive choices as established in the landmark Roe decision.
POSTAL SERVICE REFORM ACT OF 2022--Motion to Proceed--Continued
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2022-2-28

first I would like to associate myself with the comments of the Senator from Ohio, Senator Portman. He was eloquent, as always, about a pressing issue--not only the defense budget issues but the heroism of the Ukrainian people and the implications it should have for us in this Chamber this week and beyond. prgtoken Thank you, Senator Portman. prgtoken , it is a little after 4 a.m. in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and President Zelenskyy is still fighting, Ukrainians are still fighting, and Americans need to know their stories. Ukrainians need us to tell their stories. prgtoken This story starts, of course, with an unjust, unprovoked invasion. The people of Ukraine posed no threat. They provoked no violence. They lived freely on Russia's southwest border with their iconic wheat fields. prgtoken Many of us have been to Ukraine. We made friends there, but we also have Ukrainian American friends back in our States. prgtoken Living freely on the southwest border of Russia was enough to provoke the small man--the tyrant of Russia--to hatred. It is bizarre. They lived in freedom. So Putin decided he was threatened. prgtoken Vladimir Putin, Russia's desperate Nebuchadnezzar, thought he could crush Ukraine. He thought he could break their spirit. He thought he could put his boot on their neck. He actually thinks that freedom makes people soft; so he thought this would be easy. prgtoken He was wrong. Over the last week, Ukrainians have shown us their fighting spirit. They have shown the world their fighting spirit. They are standing firm against onslaught after onslaught, including the relentless targeting of now-civilian populations. prgtoken Outmanned and outgunned, the Ukrainian Army is making Putin pay pints of blood for every inch his army advances. The truth is, Putin didn't expect to encounter much resistance. He looked back on his experience in the Donbas, where he took big swaths of territory with a few dozen bullets, and he was convinced that the Ukrainian people would fold in the face of his giant army. He has been caught off guard, and his plans have been set back. prgtoken He didn't anticipate the bravery. He didn't anticipate the passion. He didn't prgtoken anticipate the heroism. He didn't anticipate the Ukrainian people. He didn't anticipate the way ordinary villagers would stand and rise up against their occupiers, like the one small woman who approached a group of Russian soldiers and began handing them handfuls of sunflower seeds. Why? She told them it was so that flowers--something beautiful-- could grow on the places where their bodies rot after they were killed in the Ukraine. prgtoken She spoke for all Ukrainians. She spoke for the Kyiv grandmas arming up with AK-47s. She spoke for the grandpas who are having to reenlist in their late years. She spoke for the students now learning how to make Molotov cocktails. She spoke for fathers who have to kiss their children goodbye
HONORING IOWA STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONS
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-2-28

I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of seven young men from Iowa's Second Congressional District. prgtoken Timothy Koester of Bettendorf, Marcel Lopez of New London, Hunter Garvin of Iowa City West, Eric Kinkaid of Camanche, Blaine Frazier and C.J. Walrath of Burlington Notre Dame, and Ben Kueter of Iowa City earned the title of State champion at the Iowa State wrestling championships earlier this month. prgtoken Wrestling holds a special place in the homes of many across Iowa, and these young men should be incredibly proud of their achievements. Through hard work and dedication, these student-athletes were able to dominate their competition and bring home victory to their school, family, and community. prgtoken These young men proved that the possibilities are endless if you work hard enough. Congratulations to all of our State champions.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FAILURES
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-2-28

President Zelensky of Ukraine is a rock-ribbed leader who will fight and deliver for his country, and Americans are standing with the Ukrainians, who are fighting so bravely for their country. prgtoken It is damning that Americans can't say the same for the person who is supposed to be the leader of the free world as we can for President Zelensky. prgtoken Our leader kneecapped American energy production by eliminating the Keystone XL pipeline and empowered Putin by waiving sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Europe. Due to that abysmal decision, the U.S. is now explicitly not targeting Russia's energy sector with sanctions. It is as if he wanted America to be dependent on Putin and autocrats in Russia indefinitely. prgtoken We could have done more to stop what has happened in Ukraine. Americans support the Ukrainians and want to see a change in our energy policy. What is happening now is damaging our country and our standing in the free world.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-2-28

a week ago, the Senate went on a short 1-week recess back in our State. It was already scheduled for us to be in our State getting a chance to be able to just interact with people at home. It was a good week to be able to interact with a lot of people back home for me personally. But we all watched as we were scattered around the country in the past week, Russia rolled tanks into Ukraine. And we watched in horror as Russian aircraft flew over Ukrainian cities, as they fired their missiles into Ukrainian apartment complexes, as they have slaughtered their neighbors because Putin wanted their land and to dominate the region. prgtoken All of us, as we got back together this week, were ready to be able to speak to the issues with Ukraine, ready to be able to stand with the people of Ukraine, ready to be able to talk about the sanctions and what was going to happen and how we were going to actually respond to the Russians murdering their neighbors and a dictator thug trying to dominate the region. prgtoken But instead of that, my ic colleagues decided not to talk about Ukraine when we got back together, but instead they want to talk about expanding abortion in America. prgtoken How incredibly tone-deaf is that? prgtoken The whole world is talking about Ukraine and the repression they are experiencing, and the U.S. Senate is talking about how do we get more abortions in America? That is what we are going to vote on? That is what we are going to debate, is how do we increase abortions in America when the world sees what is happening in Ukraine? prgtoken What in the world? How tone-deaf can we be? prgtoken This body should be the place we are actually debating the biggest issues of the day, and, apparently, to my ic colleagues, the biggest issue of the day is how many more abortions can we give in America because that seems to be bigger than Ukraine, bigger than 7.5 percent inflation, bigger than $30 trillion in debt, bigger than anything. The most important thing is, how can we take the life of more children? prgtoken What has this body become when there is an obsession with abortion? This is the most pro-abortion President this country has ever had and the most pro-abortion ic Party our country has ever seen. prgtoken It is now impermissible to be a and to support the life of children. You are pushed out of the party. And it has moved from where it used to be that the vast majority of were pro-life . Then it was fewer and fewer and fewer. And now it has moved from you can't just not be pro-life, now you have to actually be pro- abortion--well beyond pro-choice. Now you have to find ways to increase abortions in America to be accepted in the party. prgtoken This is not where America is. prgtoken The bill that is being brought to the floor in just minutes from now--in the middle of a war in Ukraine--is not about protecting Ukrainians. It is not even about p
``SIX TRIPLE EIGHT'' CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT OF 2021
Warren Davidson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-2-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise in support of S. 321, the ``Six Triple Eight'' Congressional Gold Medal Act. prgtoken , with our world so interconnected today, we can sometimes forget how big the role of mail played in our daily lives before electronic technology came about. This especially rings true for those who left home to defend our Nation in times of war. prgtoken As stated by the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum: ``For members of the Armed Forces, the importance of mail during World War II was second only to food. The emotional power of letters was heightened by the fear of loss and the need for communication during times of separation.'' prgtoken The importance of morale-boosting letters was well-known back home in the United States, and many answered the call to send letters to the U.S. military fighting in the Great War. However, getting these letters to the Americans on the front lines was an arduous task. prgtoken By February 1945, warehouses in Birmingham, England, had a backlog of millions of pieces of mail. This is where the Six Triple Eight Central Postal Directory Battalion forever changed history. prgtoken Going back a bit, on July 1, 1943, Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law legislation that established the Women's Army Corps, better known as WACs. Early on, this corps consisted of only White women, and even when African-American women were admitted into the WACs, the recruitment was limited to only 10 percent. prgtoken Additionally, those who did enlist served in segregated units; they participated in segregated training; and prgtoken they lived in segregated areas. Despite the overt racism and segregation, a total of 6,520 brave African-American women served in the Women's Army Corps. prgtoken In November 1944, despite slow recruitment of volunteers, a battalion of 817--and later, 824--enlisted personnel and 31 officers, all African-American women drawn from the WAC, the Army Service Forces, and the Army Air Forces, was created and eventually designated as the Six Triple Eight Central Postal Directory Battalion. prgtoken Upon arriving in Birmingham, the unit got right to work creating effective processes and filing systems to track servicemembers and organize ``undeliverable'' mail. They were so efficient that they cleared a 6-month to a year backlog in only 3 months. prgtoken Spurred on by their motto, ``No mail, low morale,'' these brave women cleared an average 65,000 pieces of mail per shift, ensuring that our servicemembers had the ability to hear from loved ones back at home and to sustain the high morale that was needed. prgtoken Since World War II, the Six Triple Eight has received the European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Women's Army Corps Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal for their service. Today, we should add the Congressional Gold Medal to this distinguished list. prgtoken I would also like to take this opportunity
RECOGNIZING MR. ZACK BUTLER AS THE SANTA ROSA COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Matt Gaetz (Republican, FL) \u2014 2022-2-28

. Madam , I rise to recognize Mr. Zack Butler as the Santa Rosa County Teacher of the Year. For several years, Mr. Butler has served Santa Rosa County schools with talent, passion, and an unwavering commitment to good education. prgtoken In Northwest Florida, we are fortunate to have some of the best teachers in the Nation. It is recognized that the teaching profession is one of the most difficult yet rewarding professions in existence. Mr. Butler has performed his teaching duties exceptionally, while also going above and beyond to be an asset to his school district. prgtoken Mr. Butler's gifts and talents are used for far more than simply educating his students. Mr. Butler goes above and beyond to truly teach life lessons as well as traditional education, to students who have more difficulty learning than others; he tailors his lessons and educational style to fit each individual child. I commend him for his steadfast willingness to serve those that matter most--the students and youth of our Nation. prgtoken For all of his admirable contributions to our community, I am truly proud to have Mr. Butler as a constituent in Florida's First Congressional District. prgtoken Madam , on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Mr. Zack Butler for his many accomplishments, and his commitment to excellence, professionalism, innovation, and collaboration in the Santa Rosa County School District. I thank him for his service and wish him all the best for his continued success.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-2-28

I rise this afternoon to celebrate the passage of the ``Six Triple Eight'' Congressional Gold Medal Act. This bill honors the women of the only all-Black, all-female unit to serve overseas during World War II as part of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. prgtoken Passage of this legislation is long overdue and will award the Congressional Gold Medal to these brave women of the Six Triple Eight for their devotion to duty, military service, and their extraordinary efforts to boost the morale of personnel stationed in Europe during World War II. prgtoken Today, it is easy to connect with our loved ones through text, emails, or social media. Communication is more convenient, and consequently, many of us take the ease of that communication for granted. But during World War II, the only connection people like my mom and dad had while my father was deployed in Europe was our mail system. The mail delivered love and inspiration to our troops huddled in foxholes and fighting for our freedom. The mail kept them going through the dark and troubled times of World War II. The mail anchored our troops and connected them to home. prgtoken The women of the Six Triple Eight delivered the mail although the deck was stacked against them from the start. While crossing the Atlantic to Europe, the troop convoy carrying the Six Triple Eight encountered German U-boats, forcing the convoy to take defensive actions and change course. Shortly after their arrival in the European theater, a German V1 dove at them, forcing them to take cover out of fear of being bombed. prgtoken Physical dangers aside, the women of the Six Triple Eight faced sexism and racism. In Birmingham, England, the very same soldiers the Six Triple Eight were committed to helping spread vial rumors just because they were Black women. prgtoken On top of the physical dangers and the social injustice they faced were the challenges of the mail mission itself. Handling and sorting the mail was no easy task. The Six Triple Eight found warehouses crammed from floor to ceiling with mail whose delivery was long, long overdue, sometimes over years. They found giant rats tearing apart the undelivered Christmas care packages. There was little, if any, organization. They had to sort this mail in poor working conditions-- warehouses that were poorly lit, damp, and without heat. prgtoken Undeterred, the women of the Six Triple Eight rolled up their sleeves and dug in. Fixing the mail backlog was estimated to take at least 6 months, possibly even a year. The Six Triple Eight organized the millions of letters and packages in just 3 months. They firmly believed in the motto ``no mail, low morale.'' prgtoken Their diligence, their commitment to excellence, dignity, and class, and their relentless drive to get the mail into the hands of the troops won them admiration throughout the European theater. Their actions boosted the spirits of thousands of soldiers l
SUICIDE TRAINING AND AWARENESS NATIONALLY DELIVERED FOR UNIVERSAL PREVENTION ACT OF 2021
Brett Guthrie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-2-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise today in support of S. 1543, the Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act, or STANDUP Act. prgtoken The House version of this bill, H.R. 586, was led by Representative Scott Peters along with Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues Bilirakis, Blunt Rochester, Upton, and Tonko. It passed this Chamber unanimously last May. prgtoken This legislation helps promote suicide awareness and facilitates prevention training for students and young Americans. For the last decade, suicide has been the second-leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 24 and the 10th leading cause of overall deaths in the United States. prgtoken Initiatives that empower students with knowledge of the warning signs and resources for prevention can help in preventing suicide, which this legislation will help to accomplish. prgtoken The pandemic has greatly impacted the mental health of Americans across the country. It is critical that we continue addressing these growing challenges and work to prevent youth suicide while promoting the mental wellness of all. prgtoken , .
70TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY
Jon Ossoff (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2022-3-1

today let the Senate recognize the 70th anniversary of the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, GA. prgtoken For 70 years, Marines Corps Logistics Base Albany has provided critical support to its tenants, including the Marine Corps Logistics Command and Marine Depot Maintenance Command/Production Plant Albany. prgtoken Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany and its outstanding personnel provide the U.S. Marine Corps with advanced logistical capabilities vital to U.S. national security. prgtoken Under the leadership of Col. Michael J. Fitzgerald, Mr. Leonard Housey, and Sgt. Maj. Auburne I. Edwards II, the base has been recognized for its leadership in energy security. Last year, the Secretary of the Navy awarded the Energy Excellence Award to Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany for its commitment to energy security planning, cybersecurity, and energy reduction. prgtoken On behalf of the State of Georgia and the U.S. Senate, I express our heartfelt gratitude to each servicemember and civilian marine who has served at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany.