mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Ukraine (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2022-5-18

I take back my time. prgtoken I have heard no talk about--I have heard nobody talk about the Putin wing of the ic Party. No believes that. prgtoken I hear just down the hall 100 yards, Congresswoman talk about the Putin wing of the Party. I am not in intraparty fights; I am only pointing that out. prgtoken I want to get to this. We expect a vote soon after 6, and I want to get back to my remarks. I appreciate the engagement of Senator Cruz on this issue
HONORING VIRGINIA'S FALLEN OFFICERS DURING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Abigail Davis Spanberger (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2022-5-18

. Madam , During National Police Week, Virginians have reflected on the sacrifice of the men and women who keep our communities safe--and they honor those who never came home. As part of these commemorations, the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy in Fredericksburg, Virginia held their fallen officer memorial service alongside family members of the fallen and those they proudly served alongside. prgtoken Today, I am honored to remember the names of the officers who were recognized and remembered by the Academy: prgtoken Sergeant Harry V. Smeeman--Ashland Police Department; Deputy Strother W. Lewis, Sr.--Caroline County Sheriff's Office; Sheriff Thomas G. Thornton--Caroline County Sheriff's Office; Deputy George R. Lillard, Jr.--Culpeper County Sheriff's Office; Captain James A. Sisk--Culpeper County Sheriff's Office; Sergeant Charles E. Murray, Jr.--Fauquier County Sheriff's Office; Deputy John H. Walter--Fauquier County Sheriff's Office; Officer Todd A. Bahr--Fredericksburg Police Department; Officer William F. Mines--Fredericksburg Police Department; Officer Ellsworth A. Moore--Fredericksburg Police Department; Sergeant Roy G. Wright--Fredericksburg Police Department. prgtoken Sheriff Joel L. Powers--Goochland County Sheriff's Office; Investigator Chadwick A. Carr--Greene County Sheriff's Office; Deputy Craig L. Brooks--King George County Sheriff's Office; Sergeant Donald C. Benson, Sr.--Lancaster County Sheriff's Office; Deputy James A. Brent--Lancaster County Sheriff's Office; Sergeant John D. Conner, III--Manassas City Police Department; Deputy John W. Sanford, Jr.-- Northumberland County Sheriff's Office; Sheriff Willie C. Bond--Orange County Sheriff's Office; Sheriff Willie B. Young--Orange County Sheriff's Office; Sergeant Julian F. Boyer--Orange Police Department; 1st Sergeant Michael J. Krueger--Rappahannock Regional Jail. prgtoken 1st Sergeant Challoughlczilczise Randle, II--Rappahannock Regional Jail; Deputy Bryan M. Berger--Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office; Deputy Dean Ridings--Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office; Detective Richard L. Samuels--Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office; Deputy Ford T. Humphrey--Stafford County Sheriff's Office; Deputy Jason E. Mooney-- Stafford County Sheriff's Office Marine; Patrol Officer Peter Crockett--V.M.R.C.; Trooper Adam M. Bowen--Virginia State Police; Trooper Jose M. Cavazos--Virginia State Police; Trooper Jessica J. --Virginia State Police; Trooper Rannie DeWitt Kennedy--Virginia State Police. prgtoken As the U.S. Representative for Virginia's Seventh District, I am humbled to present their names before the U.S. House of Representatives. On behalf of a grateful Commonwealth and country, I thank them for keeping our communities safe. They will be remembered.
DIGNITY FOR MST SURVIVORS ACT
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-5-18

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of H.R. 6961, as amended, the Dignity for MST Survivors Act, introduced by Representative Mrvan. prgtoken The importance of caring for veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma cannot be overstated. By virtue of the bill's name, Representative Mrvan seeks to ensure that MST survivors are given the respect and honor they deserve. prgtoken Words have meaning and power, and how we discuss MST can be retraumatizing for survivors. Careful thought must be given to the way in which the VA communicates with veterans who have MST claims. This bill takes great prgtoken care to address the language included in claims denial letters so veterans are not retraumatized when receiving what may be troubling news. This legislation requires the VA to consult with stakeholders to identify the appropriate language to include in these letters. prgtoken Additionally, the Board of Veterans' Appeals does significant work, including the processing of appeals for MST. Given the extremely sensitive nature of these claims, board members must be adequately trained to review these cases. Therefore, this legislation includes an annual training element and requires that if board members do not meet this annual training requirement, they will not be assigned MST cases. prgtoken As has been noted in other MST-related bills, the training and development of contract medical providers is essential to conducting MST compensation exams. prgtoken This bill will require these medical providers to use the most up-to- date, trauma-informed protocols while working with veterans seeking MST claims. prgtoken While it is my understanding that most MST claim exams are being outsourced to contract providers, I appreciate the changes to the introduced text that will require the same training for contract providers and in-house VA providers. prgtoken As such, I supported the amendment by Ranking Member Bost to clarify this issue during committee consideration. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this vital legislation, and .
DOMESTIC TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2022
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-5-18

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , in 2018, a gunman shot and killed 11 worshippers attending Shabbat services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. In 2019, another gunman shot and killed 22 shoppers at an El Paso Walmart. Over the weekend, yet another assailant allegedly shot and killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. prgtoken These are tragedies. I could cite many others. I could spend my time here today talking about the scourge of gun violence, or the dramatic rise in the number of hate crimes, or the obvious consequences of the hate-filled rhetoric that fills our airways and has, sadly, been adopted by some of our colleagues. prgtoken Instead, I will use my time to point out what these three cases have in common: The gunman in each case was a White man, each angry about so-called replacement theory, each traveling some distance to target a minority community, each hoping to terrorize that community through mass murder. prgtoken This is not right. This is not normal. This is not consistent with who we are as a country. We must act. H.R. 350, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, which sits before us today, is the least we can do to signal our opposition to white nationalism and this rising menace of organized intolerance. prgtoken H.R. 350 creates three offices--one each within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the FBI--to monitor and investigate cases of domestic terrorism. prgtoken These newly created offices would issue joint biannual reports to Congress assessing the state of domestic terrorism threats, with a specific focus on white supremacists, and would be required to focus their resources based on the data collected and the most significant threats. prgtoken Recent white supremacist attacks have reminded minority communities across the country of a dark history we have not yet escaped. These include the murder of six people of Asian descent at spas in Atlanta last summer, five Jewish Americans being held hostage in their Texas synagogue, numerous bomb threats phoned into historically Black colleges and universities last February, and, of course, the violence in Buffalo just days ago. prgtoken Because every part of the country deserves a responsive, well-trained response to this kind of violence, H.R. 350 also requires DOJ and DHS to provide training and resources to assist State and local law enforcement agencies in understanding, detecting, and deterring acts of domestic terrorism and violent white supremacy. prgtoken And because there should be no confusion that we are targeting criminal activity, as opposed to the legitimate religious or political activity of most citizens, the bill also includes an explicit protection for First Amendment rights and other constitutionally protected activity. prgtoken This legislation is a bipartisan solution to a serious and documented problem facing our country. I thank Representativ
ACCESS TO BABY FORMULA ACT OF 2022
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2022-5-18

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam , as I said at the beginning of debate, one of our core responsibilities as lawmakers during times of crisis is to ensure that families, particularly those most in need, can continue to feed their children. This is precisely the goal that the Access to Baby Formula Act seeks to achieve. prgtoken By providing additional flexibilities in the WIC program, we have a critical prgtoken opportunity to assure that families can continue using their WIC benefits to get safe and available formula products that their children need. prgtoken Simply put, the Access to Baby Formula Act is legislation we need to ensure access to formula for children and families who need it most, both during this current shortage and into the future. prgtoken I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes) and the gentlewoman from California, (Mrs. Steel) for their urgent leadership on behalf of our Nation's children and families. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7791, the Access to Baby Formula Act, and .
PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER SUPPORT ACT OF 2022
David J. Trone (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2022-5-18

I rise today to urge my colleagues to pass our bill, the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022, so we keep tackling mental health stigma across this country. prgtoken It has been almost 3 years since Montgomery County Officer T.J. Bomba passed away from suicide. He was 38 years old and left behind a wife and two sons. prgtoken In the immediate aftermath, we brought together Officer Bomba's colleagues and the head of NIMH, Dr. Joshua Gordon, and others to chart a course of action. We discussed access to care, the stigma surrounding mental health, and how we could be advocates for change. prgtoken The roundtable produced two calls to action: increasing peer counseling support opportunities for mental health and providing parity and benefits for mental health conditions. prgtoken I made a promise that day to do everything I could to turn these ideas into law. Six months ago, we accomplished one of our goals when I stood alongside Officer Bomba's wife and two sons as President signed the first of our two bills into law. prgtoken The COPS Counseling Act increased access to peer support and will help fight stigma and improve access to mental health services. Today, I stand here and applaud the passage of our second bill, the Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022. prgtoken According to research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, public safety officers are 25 times more likely to develop acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health conditions than our general public, and the conditions often go untreated due to the stigma of mental health. prgtoken As it stands, mental health is excluded from the PSOB program. For officers killed in the line of duty, the family is eligible to receive benefits. However, when an officer dies by suicide that is directly tied to their job, the family is unable to seek death benefits. prgtoken This bill will address the issue of stigma and provide the overdue parity between physical and mental injuries. prgtoken Officers that are totally disabled as a result of their service will have access to disability benefits. The families of officers who pass away from service-linked suicide will have access to death benefits. prgtoken This approach has been endorsed by numerous mental health organizations, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. prgtoken With the help of the public safety officer community, mental health experts, and my colleagues in Congress, I am proud to bring this piece of legislation before the House. prgtoken I thank everyone who joined the roundtable in 2019. We have taken a tragedy and turned it into actionable solutions. prgtoken I thank all the stakeholders who have worked hard to bring this legislation to the House floor. I appreciate their hard work. I thank, Congressman Reschenthaler, for co-leading this bill and for helping us give it strong bipartisan support.
INCREASE REPRESENTATION OF AAPI COMMUNITY IN MEDICAL RESEARCH
Katie Porter (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-5-18

during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we recognize that diversity is more than a cultural exchange that enriches our Nation. It is a tool that we can use to save lives. prgtoken Despite being the fastest-growing minority group in our Nation, AAPI communities remain underrepresented in medical research. In 2019, NIH invested less than 1 percent of its budget to support clinical studies in AAPI communities. That is not enough. prgtoken In Orange County, our institutions recognize the need to reach all of our communities with medical research. UC Irvine recently received $750,000 in Federal resources to increase diversity in clinical research, and that money is going to help AAPI communities benefit from the university's groundbreaking Alzheimer's research. prgtoken A medical innovation is only a miracle when it reaches patients in need. The Nation should follow Orange County's lead and work to provide the benefits of publicly funded research to all communities.
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF SENATOR HIRAM RHODES REVELS
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2022-5-18

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and service of Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels. prgtoken Senator Revels was the first Black person to serve in the United Sates Senate, and he was the first pastor of Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Natchez. prgtoken Senator Revels was born a free man in Fayetteville, North Carolina on September 27, 1827. In 1845, Senator Revels was ordained a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church after attending the Beech Grove Quaker Seminary in Indiana and Darke Seminary for Blacks in Ohio. At the beginning of the Civil War, Senator Revels established two Colored Troop regiments from Maryland, and in 1862, he served as Chaplin for a U.S. Colored Troop regiment in Vicksburg, MS and Natchez, MS. In 1863 Senator Revels established a Freedman's school in St. Louis, MO. In 1866 after serving churches in Louisville, KY and New Orleans, LA, Senator Revels settled in Natchez, MS where he became pastor of Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1868, Senator Revels' first elected position was as a Natchez Alderman. In 1869, Senator prgtoken Revels was elected to the Mississippi Legislature as a Senator. On January 20, 1870, the Mississippi Legislature voted to seat Senator Revels to fill one of two unexpired Mississippi U.S. Senate seats vacated by Senator Albert Brown and Senator Jefferson Davis, who vacated his Senate seat to serve as President of the Confederacy. During Reconstruction, as Mississippi was readmitted to the Union on February 23, 1870, Hiram Rhodes Revels took his seat on February 25, 1870 as the first Black person to serve in the United States Senate and served on the Education and Labor Committee. prgtoken At the end of his Senate term on March 3, 1871, Senator Revels chose to return to Mississippi to become the first President of Alcorn State University, formally known as Oakland College. Alcorn is the first landgrant school in the United States for Black students. Alcorn is named for Senator Revels' political supporter, Governor James Alcorn. Briefly, in 1873, Senator Revels was chosen as Mississippi interim Secretary of State after the death of John Roy Lynch. He took a hiatus from Alcorn in 1874 and became the pastor of a church in Holly Springs, MS. In 1876 he returned as President of Alcorn and retired in 1882. Senator Revels returned to the ministry in Holly Springs where he died January 16, 1901. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels.
DOMESTIC TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2022
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2022-5-18

. It was not, when they attacked anything. prgtoken You ought to visit the 's home. She has protestors in front of her home all the time. All the time, . prgtoken Legitimate political discourse is demonstration; it is speaking out. And as a matter of fact, as the gentleman knows, we had this bill that raised questions by those very concerned--meaning all of us--about the legitimate exercising of First Amendment rights by all Americans; left, right, and in between. The fact of the matter is that we worked hard to make sure that what the gentleman who previously spoke asserted is not true. prgtoken Secondly, , I will guarantee you that our side of the aisle does not condone violence by either the left or the right. Violence in and of itself should be rejected. prgtoken Now, , on January 6 we saw what happens when extremist ideology disseminated online, in the media, and even by elected officials is allowed to fester into violent action. And I repeat, whether that happens from the right or the left is irrelevant. What is relevant is the violence and the danger that it presents to individuals as well as to property, I would tell my friend from Ohio. prgtoken , we see far too much these days of ideology being transformed into violence, which is never acceptable and must not be met with silence or acquiescence, or--I would tell the gentleman from Ohio--rationalization. prgtoken Legitimate political discourse on January 6. Absurd. prgtoken In recent days, , we have watched families mourn those killed in horrific acts of hatred in Buffalo, New York, where someone who espoused white supremacy committed a mass shooting targeting African Americans. prgtoken We have also seen this terror in places like Atlanta and Laguna Woods, California, where members of the Asian-American community were targeted with deadly violence. We saw it in El Paso in 2019 against the Latino community and in Pittsburgh in 2018 against Jewish Americans. prgtoken This resolution does not condemn extremism on the right or the left. It condemns extremism which leads to violence against people on the right or people on the left or people who are neither right nor left and are not politically identified as such. prgtoken Indeed, in the aftermath of these events, and particularly this week, Americans have been learning more about the kind of violence-promoting and twisted ideologies of hate that pose a clear and present danger to our democracy, to the safety of our communities, and to the social fabric of our country. prgtoken I condemn violence from the left, from the middle, and from the right. And I would hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would condemn, as vigorously, violence from whichever quarter it is proposed. One of the worst of these, which is known as the ``great replacement theory,'' is no more than a centuries-old form of prejudice and bigotry which holds that minorities are conspiring to replace White people. prgtoken This vile
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-5-18

I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the leader, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 461, Marsha Stephens Bloom Bernicat, to be Director General of the Foreign Service; that there be 10 minutes of debate, equally divided in the usual form, on the nomination; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote without intervening action or debate on the nomination, and the Senate resume legislative session.
CONDEMNING RISING ANTISEMITISM
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2022-5-18

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , throughout the month of May, we recognize the struggles and triumphs of Jewish Americans, and we honor the indispensable contributions that the Jewish community has made to our Nation's civic life. Sadly, we also know that anti-Semitism continues to be a menace here at home and around the world. That is why I am pleased to support this important resolution condemning rising anti-Semitism. prgtoken , , Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for being so vigilant over the years to recognize a particular month where we have particular appreciation of Jewish residents' contributions to our country, and for bringing this resolution to the floor to recognize this horrific rise in anti-Semitism. prgtoken Since our Nation's founding, Jewish Americans have served in elected office, from local school boards to this building's hallowed halls, the Supreme Court, and other prestigious positions. They have done so in magnificent manners. They have made crucial contributions to the arts, the sciences, and to our collective struggle for a more just America. They even had a baseball pitcher, Sandy Koufax, who was better than any. prgtoken Indeed, this resolution calls upon us to recognize the Jewish- American story, like the story of America itself, which is also marked by bigotry and hatred. Informed by this experience of prejudice, by the scourge of anti-Semitism, the Jewish Americans have worked so that the opportunities they have secured are extended to others. That is part of the Jewish religion. Part of what you do to have a good life is to help others have that good life, too. They have led movements for social justice, demanding civil rights, women's rights, and workers' rights. prgtoken This work is far from over. Anti-Semitism violence is on the rise. This past weekend, we saw a deranged individual in Buffalo kill 10 African Americans and injure others. He had a hate for African Americans, but he also said he was anti-Semitic. He learned all this over the internet, and he learned a lot of that from rhetoric that has sprung up in different places and political circles around this country. It has spread, and it has influenced people to commit acts of violence.