mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-9-27

this past February, a woman by the name of Maria Zapata Escamilla was startled out of her sleep in her home in a relatively small city in Mexico. She was startled out of her sleep because a band of men armed with powerful weapons and wearing military fatigues broke into her family's home. They looked like soldiers, but they weren't soldiers. They were, in fact, drug cartel members. That night they dragged her husband away, and they dragged her 14-year-old son, still in his pajamas, out of the house. prgtoken Two weeks later, 10 bodies were found in this town, all dead at the hands of the cartel. One of them was Maria's husband. She still, to this day, has no idea where her 14-year-old son is, but she presumes that he is dead. Maria's story is the norm in this city, Fresnillo, which, for much of this year, has been a war zone between Mexico's two biggest cartels as they battle for space to make and transport drugs to the United States. prgtoken Maria says: Every day there are kidnappings, every day there are shootouts, every day there are deaths. It's terror. prgtoken These cartels act with impunity in Mexico because they buy off local officials and police because of endemic prgtoken corruption inside Mexico but, also, because these cartels are very often more heavily armed than the police. And this ability of the cartels to control so much space inside of Mexico because of corruption but also because they are often carrying more firepower than law enforcement, this is not just a nightmare for Mexico; this is a nightmare for the United States of America. There is a straight through line between the power of the cartels and the fentanyl trade that is killing American citizens. prgtoken Fentanyl is a plague in my community in Connecticut, in my colleagues' communities. And it is not enough for us just to tell Mexico to do better. No doubt, Mexico does not have clean hands. Mexico needs to get in the game to take on these cartels. prgtoken But on this question of heavily armed cartels, Mexico has actually acted. It surprises many people to know that there is one single gun store in all of Mexico. Mexico has essentially eliminated the commercial trade of firearms. You can't buy a firearm in the commercial market, for all intents and purposes, in Mexico today. prgtoken So why on Earth is Mexico flooded with weapons? Why on Earth do the cartels trade weapons like water? It is because somewhere between 70 to 90 percent of the guns that are found in crime scenes--mostly crime scenes connected to the cartel business--in Mexico can be traced back to the United States. prgtoken This is absolutely stunning. It is U.S. guns bought here in the United States, transited to Mexico that is fueling the violence that ends up in fentanyl being made, produced, and transported freely into the United States. prgtoken So it is time for the United States to recognize that if we want to do something about fent
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Henry Cuellar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-9-27

. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition. This particular individual has served in senior roles throughout DHS, including as a career official under and ic administrations. prgtoken As a career official, she led the initial implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards for ICE during the administration--and she was not fired under the administration. During the administration she also led the development of a 2019 National Detention Standards, which is interesting because my colleagues included it as a provision in this bill that would require those standards to be applied to all detention facilities. prgtoken If we have a problem with policy, let's debate policy. I can tell you we ought to be focusing on making sure that we keep the government open. We can pass these four bills, but I can tell you there is no Senate conference over there. They are not going to take these bills up in the next couple of days. prgtoken Instead of focusing on what we ought to do, that is, preventing the sixth -led shutdown since 1995, we ought to be working together instead of doing this. prgtoken This amendment violates the Bill of Attainder Clause of the U.S. Constitution. As the U.S. Supreme Court has said in United States v. Lovett, 1946, it is unconstitutional to target an individual. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I ask Members to vote ``no,'' and
SENATE DRESS CODE RESOLUTION
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2023-9-27

let me thank Senator Schumer for working with us to come to this conclusion and bring all of us together. I appreciate it very much. I appreciate Senator McConnell for being a part of this and joining this bipartisan effort and, of course, my dear friend Senator Mitt Romney, who has been a part of all of these efforts that we have worked on together and in putting together this small token of our appreciation for what we have been able to do. I want to thank Senator Fetterman also. Senator Fetterman and I have had many conversations, and he has worked with me to find a solution. I appreciate that very much. It has truly been a team effort. prgtoken You know, for 234 years, every Senator who has had the honor of serving in this distinguished body has assumed that there were some basic written rules of decorum and conduct and civility, one of which was a dress code. The presumed dress code was pretty simple. The male Senators were required to wear a coat, tie, and slacks or other long pants while on the floor of the Senate to show the respect that we had for our constituents back home. prgtoken Just after a week ago, we learned that there were not, in fact, any written rules about the Senators as to what they could and could not wear on the floor. So Senator Romney and I got together, and we thought maybe it is time that we finally codified something that has been precedent, a rule, for 234 years. We drafted this simple, two-page resolution that will put all of that to bed once and for all by just codifying a longstanding practice into a Senate rule which makes it very clear for the Sergeant at Arms to be able to enforce. prgtoken I want to thank Senator Romney for working, as always, in a bipartisan way on so many endeavors. This is just as important, maybe, as any of them we have ever done. prgtoken With that, I turn it over and yield to my good friend Senator Romney.
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-9-27

for those who are following this debate, we had four nominations that were being held. Two were just approved. We will keep working to make sure all four are approved. The two remaining are in the States of Illinois and Ohio. We feel just as intensely about those vacancies as all the others, but we are seizing the moment to order a rollcall vote on the two that have been approved by both sides. prgtoken .
RECOGNIZING DR. MICHELE HANEY
Brittany Pettersen (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2023-9-27

I rise today to recognize Dr. Michele Haney's contribution to the students of Colorado during her service as President of Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado. prgtoken Dr. Haney has been the President of Red Rocks Community College (RRCC) since January 2008 and has demonstrated dedicated leadership and a deep commitment to her students during the last 15 years. Her accomplishments include pioneering several academic programs, such as launching the first community college master's degree program in the country and expanding degree options within the Bachelor of Applied Science. She also collaborated with Northrop Grumman to create a cybersecurity apprenticeship and launched Mines Academy, a program to guarantee RRCC students admission to the Colorado School of Mines. prgtoken Dr. Haney has received numerous accolades during her career, including the Shirley B. Gordon Award, the Women in Business Award, Outstanding Women in Jefferson County, and Woman of the Year for the City of Westminster. Dr. Haney is also an accomplished author and previously served on the Westminster City Council. Although her departure from RRCC will be felt deeply by her students and colleagues, her service to the school has proven an invaluable contribution to our community. prgtoken , on behalf of the people of Colorado's Seventh Congressional District, I thank Dr. Michele Haney for her exemplary work and her commitment to higher education in Colorado.
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2023-9-27

sometimes we come to the floor in maybe a less serious vein. We are all incredulous that while we do our work here and keep the government open, the people down the hall there are playing political games and threatening a shutdown. And when 55,000 people in my State and probably 10,000 people in the Presiding Officer's State will lose their jobs temporarily, will be furloughed, will be laid off, all because they are trying to play political games, we talk about that a lot. We need to fix that. prgtoken But, today, I want to rise for a moment on something more lighthearted than that, and that is to honor the retiring manager of the Cleveland Guardians, Terry Francona, called in Cleveland--referred to as ``Tito'' Francona. prgtoken Cleveland will play their last home game with Tito as their manager starting in maybe 20 minutes from now, something like that. Tito has been a part of the team since 2013. prgtoken I call him by his first name. I don't know the Cleveland manager. I have never met the Cleveland manager. But I have watched him. I watch a lot of games on television. But we all refer to him by his first name, ``Tito.'' prgtoken I was at a game earlier this summer, and we were pulling out in a traffic jam, and Tito does what I have read in the Plain Dealer that he does. All of a sudden, he passed us. The game was about an hour over, and he rode by on his little scooter to his little Cleveland condominium downtown, just the manager by himself. (Mr. OSSOFF assumed the Chair.) prgtoken He didn't have airs about him. He is a normal guy, and we will really, really miss him. prgtoken In his baseball career, he left Cleveland. He was the manager in the 2016 World Series, where my daughters and my wife and I--they broke our hearts in game 7 to a team like the Chicago Cubs. And it was really amazing that there was a rain delay in the ninth inning, and then they came back and Cleveland lost in extra innings. prgtoken A week later, was elected. So I don't think it was a good week for the country. But that is just my biased opinion, perhaps. prgtoken But in Ohio, in Cleveland, if you are a Cleveland Guardians fan, you know about perseverance. His baseball career extends back to when he joined Major League Baseball as a player. Spending 9 years in the field, he played a year for Cleveland, but he is a baseball lifer. But his life is very inextricably linked to Cleveland, as a baseball player and manager. prgtoken I am not sure he was born in Cleveland. He lived in Cleveland when his dad played for the Cleveland Indians in the old Municipal Stadium. Notably, his dad twice was traded for Larry Doby, the first African- American player in the American League and one of the Hall of Fame members because of his baseball play, his courage, his guts, and his note of being so important to history and breaking the color line. prgtoken I grew up watching his father play. I saw his father, once in a doub
SENATE DRESS CODE RESOLUTION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-9-27

in a moment, my friend from West Virginia will submit a resolution regarding the Senate dress code. Although we have never had an official dress code, the events over the past week have made us all feel as though formalizing one is the right path forward. prgtoken I deeply appreciate Senator Fetterman's working with me to come to an agreement that we all find acceptable, and, of course, I appreciate Senator Manchin's and Senator Romney's leadership on this issue. prgtoken I will move for the Senate to adopt this resolution in a few minutes. prgtoken I now yield to my colleague from West Virginia.
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-9-27

last week, I spoke about the scheme of corruption by rightwing billionaires out to capture the Supreme Court. I mentioned their lawyers' blockade of our investigation into this corruption and described how little sense their lawyers' arguments made. prgtoken That brings us to this speech today. The connection is that those, in my view, nonsense lawyers' arguments badly needed propping up. And who should come to the rescue but U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito. Alito's actions propping up that argument caused me to write this ethics complaint against him. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record my full letter to Chief Justice Roberts and a portion of the letter from Mr. Rivkin at the end of my remarks. prgtoken , this complaint highlights some of the Supreme Court's current legitimacy problems, which are legion. One is that the Court has no procedure for an ethics complaint. I had to write to Chief Justice Roberts, both in his capacity as Chief Justice and in his capacity as Chair of the Judicial Conference, because, unlike in every other Federal court, there is no clarity about process. prgtoken The Supreme Court has no formal process for receiving or investigating such complaints, so they go there to die. Complaints about Supreme Court Justices have sometimes been referred to the Judicial Conference, and there, they have mostly disappeared. So it is a mess. prgtoken The Supreme Court--the body with the highest responsibility to police proper procedure and fair factfinding throughout the rest of government--has no clear and proper procedure for itself. That is weird, and that is wrong. prgtoken Nothing prohibits the Court or the Judicial Conference from adopting procedures to address complaints of misconduct by the Justices. They just haven't bothered to. The most basic modicum of any due process is fair factfinding, but they have no process at all to find out even what the facts are. That is simply not defensible. That has to change, and my complaint presents the Court and the conference that opportunity. prgtoken Now let's move from procedure to the substance of my complaint about Justice Alito. At one level, it is an obvious slam-dunk ethics violation. At another, it will take a lot more digging. Let me explain. prgtoken My complaint relates to a so-called ``interview'' published on the Wall Street Journal's editorial page July 28 of this year. How it is both an interview and on the Wall Street Journal's editorial page, I am not going to explore. prgtoken Justice Alito was the person ``interviewed.'' His ``interviewers'' were David Rivkin and James Taranto. In this interview, Justice Alito offered his legal opinion that ``[n]o provision in the Constitution gives [Congress] the authority to regulate the Supreme Court--period.'' That is the end of his quote. prgtoken That comment wasn't just floating in the ether; it was related to my Supreme Court ethics bill,
REMEMBERING LINDA SHANER
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-9-27

I rise today to honor and memorialize community leader and advocate Linda Dale Shaner. prgtoken Linda graduated from Imperial High School in 1964 and dedicated her life to improving the lives of others. prgtoken She committed her time and energy to improving the health and well- being of those in her community, especially those in the Imperial Valley. prgtoken Despite her own diagnosis, Linda showed her passion for fighting cancer through her advocacy and volunteer work with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for over 20 years and through her incredible contributions to working on policies at the local, State, and Federal levels. prgtoken Linda is survived by her husband Steve, daughters Stephanie and Christina, and grandchildren Steve and Avery. prgtoken A family and community mourns the loss of a loved one, an advocate, and a friend. prgtoken Today, we recognize her and thank her.
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-9-27

reserving the right to object, I share my colleague's concern about making sure our servicemembers don't miss a paycheck because of a potential government shutdown. In fact, I don't want prgtoken any of our Federal workers to miss a paycheck or any of the programs families rely on to be undermined by a completely unnecessary shutdown, which is why I am working around the clock to make sure we pass the bipartisan CR package, which we released yesterday, because that is the only serious issue and solution here. That is the only way we make sure that everyone is able to keep doing the work the American people count on and get the paycheck they deserve. prgtoken Let's be real. There are a lot of programs I care about, a lot of programs we all care about, that would be hurt by a shutdown. So we are not going to solve this problem one by one, bit by bit, carve-out by carve-out. You do not stop a flood one drop at a time; you build a dam. prgtoken We do have a straightforward, bipartisan CR package to avoid a shutdown and keep our military paid. We should do our jobs, get that done, and get it passed. That is principle, , not politics. Do our jobs and pass this bill so we don't have a shutdown. prgtoken I object.
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-9-27

many of us in this Chamber, on both sides of the aisle, work hard to govern responsibly, and we are deeply frustrated by those who are deliberately attempting to shut down the Federal Government. prgtoken A fringe element of extremist House s has pushed Congress to the brink of another costly, wasteful shutdown. A government shutdown of any duration would harm hard-working Americans and our economy. Shutdowns cost taxpayers billions of dollars per week. They cost businesses money. They could even cause a downgrade to the Nation's credit rating, and they force an unnecessary disruption of many vital services. prgtoken Federal workers in all 50 States who perform essential work, like food inspectors, TSA agents, or park rangers, would stop getting paychecks. A Federal shutdown can halt projects and cause Federal lending to cease. Clinical trials and research at the NIH could be forced to stop. Effective programs like the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program would be left in a vulnerable state. prgtoken As for national defense, a government shutdown would be extremely damaging; and in the midst of the blockade of key military promotions, it would be another -inflicted wound. prgtoken A shutdown could halt our munitions production lines as it did in the 2013 shutdown. This would be very shortsighted--very shortsighted--at a time when we are focused on ramping up munitions production for Ukraine and with an eye on future needs in the Indo-Pacific. prgtoken There are several other areas where a shutdown would be harmful. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to consider the impacts of a shutdown on our military men and women, their families, and our defense civilians. Hundreds of thousands of troops could see delays in their paychecks, and many civilians could lose their contracts. If the shutdown extends, the Defense Department will have to reduce its recruiting, training, and family movement activities. prgtoken A shutdown would also include delaying needed investments in military infrastructure, including barracks and childcare centers. Dozens of new projects would not go forward. prgtoken This would prevent the Defense Department from effectively modernizing and investing in new programs. There could be no new starts in acquisition programs or military construction projects. Hundreds of new start efforts in procurement and R&D would be prohibited during a government shutdown. As such, the Department could be forced into funding legacy systems that are outdated and inefficient. That is simply congressionally mandated waste. prgtoken As Gen. C.Q. Brown, the incoming Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said about a shutdown, ``All the money in the world cannot buy more time; time is irrecoverable, and when you are working to keep pace against well-resourced and focused competitors, time matters.'' We could easily avoid this outcome by passing a short-term patch while we c
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Veronica Escobar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-9-27

. Mr. Chair, if my colleagues were truly being honest with each other, they would admit the proposed Homeland Security appropriations bill is unworkable and truly will not solve the challenges that we face. prgtoken For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. prgtoken Mr. Chair, this bill pulls money from critical DHS functions and improvements, including investing in our ports of entry, the CBP One app, and even endangers public safety by defunding CBP's recently updated vehicle pursuit policy. prgtoken In short, this bill is filled with unworkable, empty promises s feed their base instead of putting forth real solutions. prgtoken I have tremendous respect for my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio, and I would implore him to work with prgtoken us on a bipartisan solution that is truly workable. prgtoken I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border. I live there today. I raised my two children there in that beautiful community. prgtoken No one wants safety, security, and order more than those of us who live there and have invested our lives in those communities. We know that relying on borders, as my colleague, Representative Cuellar, has pointed out, is not the answer. prgtoken They don't deter or manage, and they don't make migrants go away. All it does is feed cartels so that they can find other routes for migrants. We share a commitment to wanting to end that. prgtoken We can find a solution and a bipartisan pathway. My colleague, Maria Salazar, and I have come together to find compromise, to seek true solutions that uphold our values and actually solve the problems at hand, and I invite my colleagues to join us. prgtoken There is no doubt that this is a very broken system that puts significant pressure and strain on communities like mine, on NGOs, on local governments, on our Federal personnel, and, of course, the incredible inhumanity that migrants endure in order to seek an opportunity to live and work in our country. prgtoken This broken system is a consequence of Congress' inaction. It has been 37 years since Congress has reformed and passed a comprehensive immigration law. There is no better time than the present to do that together, in a bipartisan way. prgtoken Depending on unworkable solutions, expecting that Mexico will accept every migrant, believing we can jail every human being that comes to our border is unrealistic, and it is not a true solution. prgtoken If the House rules permitted, I would have offered a motion to recommit with an important amendment to this bill. prgtoken My amendment would cut the billions of dollars being allocated to the outdated and expensive border wall and reallocate it to the programs and services necessary to address a deadly and urgent matter--the fentanyl smuggling detection and interdiction that is needed at our ports of entry. prgtoken The most effective way to ensure that