mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Freedom to Vote Act (Executive Session)
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2022-1-7

I come to the floor today to speak in support of legislation that is critical to our democracy, the Freedom to Vote Act, which I introduced this year with many Senators who worked together through the summer to come up with a bill that would make a difference for our country, with input from secretaries of state across our country, election experts, in order to give the people of this country the right to vote, to protect the right to vote, and to make sure that they understood that they can vote anywhere from any ZIP Code in a safe way because right now, sadly, that is simply not the case in many States in our country. prgtoken If you are in North Carolina right now and you want to cast a mail-in ballot and you have COVID or you are in the hospital, you have to get a notary public to sign off on your ballot. prgtoken If you are in Georgia, and you don't register, you are a new resident there, you have moved there from another State, and you are in a big election, and you think, well, I am going to vote in the final place, you are no longer allowed to register in the last month as you were in the past during the runoff election. prgtoken As we saw in the last election in 2020 in Houston, in that county--5 million people--there was only one drop-off box in the entire county; County, 5 million people, only one drop-off box. prgtoken There are places in States where you wait in line, 8, 10 hours in the hot Sun just to exercise your right to vote. prgtoken That is why, through the year, we worked together with, of course, Leader Schumer, who brought us together, and Senators Manchin, Merkley, Padilla, King, Kaine, Tester, and Warnock--different Senators coming from different parts of the country with different political views on certain issues, but we came together and cosponsored this bill, which is supported by every Member of the ic caucus. prgtoken I want to thank all of them for their ongoing hard work to get the bill passed and also to thank Senators Schumer, Durbin, Kaine, and Merkley for joining me on the floor today in support of this bill. prgtoken The freedom to vote is fundamental to all of our freedoms, which is why we called it the Freedom to Vote Act. It ensures that people are part of a franchise and that government is accountable to the people, but, today, this fundamental right that is the very foundation of our system of government is under attack. prgtoken Since the 2020 election, we have seen a persistent and coordinated assault on the freedom to vote in States across the country. I just used a few examples of the laws that have changed, the attempts that have been made in nearly every State, with over 400 bills, to change those laws. prgtoken But then there have been direct threats. Local election officials, many secretaries of state have told me that they are having trouble now recruiting people to run their election-day and election-month facilities. Why? Because th
Freedom to Vote Act (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-1-7

I want to thank the Senator from Minnesota. She is an extraordinarily talented legislator and works well in a challenging political environment, and she has tackled this issue with a ferocity and intensity which is seldom seen in the U.S. Senate. It is fitting that she did prgtoken and that she continues even to this day because of the gravity of the issue, but we are fortunate to have her leadership--extraordinary leadership--to bring us to this moment where we are facing the issue of voting in America. prgtoken , I started on Capitol Hill at the lowest possible level, as an intern, in the office of U.S. Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois. I was a college student at Georgetown University. prgtoken Senator Douglas had served in World War II. He volunteered at the age of 50 to enlist in the Marine Corps and worked his way into a fighting position in the South Pacific. And on the island of Okinawa, he was shot up, and his left arm dangled by his side the rest of his life, much like Bob Dole. He used to refer to that left arm as his paperweight. prgtoken He had a way of running a Senate office which would be impossible in these days, but he insisted on signing every letter that went out of his office. And he would read them and make notes, which I thought were illegible, but they were his efforts to send personal greetings along with the letters. prgtoken Well, you can imagine that they stacked up the letters each day--his staff did--as they typed them and used carbon paper back in the day. And he would come in at 5 o'clock at his conference table with a large stack of letters and start to fold them. Of course, with one arm, he needed help. That is where I showed up--and the other interns. We sat next to him and pulled the letters as he signed them. prgtoken And we were told by the senior staff in the office that, as interns in that capacity, we weren't supposed to talk to this great man because he had important thoughts going through his mind and we shouldn't interrupt him. But, lo and behold, he would open the conversation with me and others, and we felt really fortunate to have a chance to just speak to him for a few minutes. prgtoken So I would prepare, every time I was going to play that role, to read even more about his background so I knew what he had been through. I can recall the day when I worked up the courage and said--they called him Mr. D.--Mr. D I read somewhere that before Franklin Roosevelt was elected President of the United States, that you were a socialist and a follower of Norman Thomas, another American socialist. Why were you not a ? prgtoken He said: Dick, in those days, the ic Party was the party of southern who were not good on civil rights and big-city bosses, whom I always fought in the city of Chicago. So socialism was a good alternative for a progressive like me. prgtoken I think he used the word ``liberal''--``a liberal like me.'' <
ORDERS FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 10, 2022
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2022-1-7

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 p.m Monday, January 10; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; and that upon conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Davidson nomination.
TRIBUTE TO CAITLIN-McGRATH LEVESQUE OF PORTSMOUTH
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2022-1-10

I am honored to recognize Caitlin McGrath-Levesque of Portsmouth as December's Granite Stater of the Month. Following the death of her youngest brother, Caitlin and her two siblings turned their grief into action by creating a nonprofit in his honor to provide free, hot meals to those in need. prgtoken Caitlin's late brother--who went by ``Red''--was an avid volunteer in the Seacoast area. After he died, Caitlin and her siblings decided that the best way to honor their brother was by giving back to their community. prgtoken Following a $100 donation from each of the siblings, Red's Good Vibes was officially born. prgtoken Red's Good Vibes consists of one food truck--with a second one on the way--that travels around the Seacoast to communities with the most need. The nonprofit collects monetary donations, as well as utilizes relationships with the NH Food Bank, local restaurants, and grocery stores, which allows them to service communities 3 days a week with the help of dedicated volunteers. prgtoken For Caitlin and her siblings, one of the most important goals of Red's Good Vibes is to make sure that all clients are treated with the utmost respect and dignity. prgtoken In that vein, Red's Good Vibes always works to ensure that clients have multiple meal options, which helps make the experience feel more like a normal food truck than a charity. The nonprofit also never asks for suggested donations when volunteers are actively serving food to avoid making anyone feel compelled to donate in the moment. prgtoken Red's Good Vibes is a labor of love for Caitlin and her siblings, who found a way to honor their brother in the most authentic way that they could. Thanks to their dedication, and the hard work of their volunteers, Red's Good Vibes distributes 1,500 hot meals a week to Granite Staters facing food insecurity. Soon, the nonprofit hopes to double that number using a second food truck that they are leasing from the city of Dover for $1 a year. prgtoken Caitlin turned a tragedy into an opportunity to give back to her community, which exemplifies the Granite State's ingenuity and all- hands-on-deck spirit. I am proud to honor Caitlin as December's Granite Stater of the Month, and I wish Red's Good Vibes continued success serving their community.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-1-10

. A few moments ago, I went through the typical rule XIV process, which the majority leader always does to place legislation from both minority and majority on the legislative calendar. It is merely technical. prgtoken Now, the leader seems to want to place a bunch of ``gotcha'' bills on the legislative calendar that he thinks would be tough votes for to take as some kind of payback for pursuing legislation to protect the sacred right to vote. prgtoken Well, we aren't afraid of these votes, so what I propose to the leader is that the Senate hold up-or-down votes at a majority threshold on each of the bills he has outlined tonight, as well as the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. prgtoken Let me say again. In a few moments, I will ask unanimous consent to have the Senate vote on the Freedom to Vote Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and all the so-called tough bills the leader is proposing tonight at a majority threshold. prgtoken We believe the right to vote, to protect our democracy, to get rid of dark money from elections, to end gerrymandering to ensure the American people pick their elected leaders, not politicians, is so important, I would hope the leader would go along with this proposal. prgtoken Our caucus strongly disagrees with the bills on this list, but for the sake of our democracy and getting to a majority vote on voting rights, we are willing to vote. prgtoken So, , I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the leader, that the Senate vote on passage of the following bills in the order listed; that there be no motions or amendments in order to the bills; and that the passage be at a majority threshold, all without intervening action or debate: S. 2747, the Freedom to Vote Act; H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act; S. 3452; S. 3453; S. 3454; S. 3455; S. 3456; S. 3457; S. 3458; S. 3459; S. 3460; S. 3461; S. 3462; S. 3463; S. 3464; S. 3465; S. 3466; S. 3467; S. 3468; and S. 3469.
TRIBUTE TO COHASSET HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM 2021 MASSACHUSETTS DIVISION VII SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS
Stephen F. Lynch (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-1-10

. Madam , I rise today to honor and congratulate the players, coaches and administration of the Cohasset High School football team. On December 1, 2021, the Cohasset High School Skippers won the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division VII Super Bowl, earning them the title, State Champions. prgtoken Cohasset High School has a long tradition of excellence in high school football. This is the school's second state championship in the past seven years. prgtoken Cohasset High School's 2021 team finished the season by winning ten consecutive games, after starting the season 0-2. The win streak included four hard-fought victories in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Tournament. prgtoken This championship playoff run included a 26-13 home victory over the Mayflower League Champion Nantucket Whalers, a 21-7 road victory over the previously undefeated Cape Ann League Champion Hamilton-Wenham Generals, a 14-8 neutral site victory over the Mashpee Falcons, and culminated with a 27-12 Super Bowl victory over the previously undefeated Suburban League Champion Wahconah Warriors. prgtoken Madam , the young men on this football team conducted themselves in such a way as to bring honor, pride, and recognition to the Town of Cohasset. They represent what is truly best about high school student athletes. Today it is my honor to join the families, friends and residents of Cohasset, Massachusetts, to congratulate the 2021 Cohasset High School football team on their impressive achievement. prgtoken Players: Jamie Smith, Liam Appleton, Thomas Hansen, Will Henle, Jack Mullaly, Henry Burke, Mick Dockray, John Shannon, James Appleton, Jack Cullinan, Ryan Lynch, Owen Rigby, Danny McGinty, Will Baker, Grayson Corbett, Sam Ellinger, Charlie Grudinskas, Josh Burke, Charlie Donovan, Blaine Basile, Luke Willmott, Carter Wimberly, Kyle Wakefield, Luke Moore, Declan Lee, Michael Donahue, Lucas Najjar, Henry Dionisio, Levi O'Duggan, Ben Henry, Christian Steinmetz, Simon Frank, Nick Henry, Charlie McKeen, Robbie Norton, Teddy Fox, Ryan Stevens, Michael Hession, Noah Simone, John Higgins, Christopher Comerford, Lincoln Pattison, Charlie Sebastyen, Jackie Lyons, Henry Richard, Santiago Talavera-Rubio, Jr Ben Joyce, Brendan Cingari, Martin Rigby, Jay Fox, Ben Weissensee, Nanbeel Bonifon, Will Norgeot, Will McLoughlin, Sam Larsen. Managers: Bridget Mahoney, Mia Froio, Audrey Ryan. Administration: Superintendent Patrick Sullivan, Principal Brian Scott, Athletic Director Steve Rotondi, Head Coach Pete Afanasiw, Assistant Coaches Brian Pattison, Phil Mahoney, John Maher, Danny Tangherlini, Jake Cuneo.
Voting (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-1-10

I listened carefully to the leader's statement about the institutions of the Senate, the traditions of the prgtoken Senate, the rules of the Senate, the precedents of the Senate, and why we are dutybound to follow them, but I couldn't get this image out of my mind as he spoke: the image of that news that came to us one day that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had tragically passed away. prgtoken And we all remember what happened next. It was the same leader who sent the word out to his Members: Don't even entertain the possibility that President is going to fill this vacancy on the Supreme Court. We are going to keep this vacancy open in the hopes that we can elect a President to fill it. prgtoken Now, that was 8 months at least, maybe 10 months, before the election. And it was the first time in the history of the United States that a leader of the Senate used his power to browbeat his members not even to meet with Merrick Garland, the President's nominee, President 's nominee. They wouldn't even entertain an office meeting with him to discuss it. It was out of the question. The Supreme Court was going to have 8 members, period, and not one more because there was an election coming and a opportunity in that election. And so that is what happened. You remember it well, and I do too. prgtoken So when I hear about preserving the sanctity of traditions in the Senate, I can't help but remember that vacant seat on the Supreme Court for almost a year. I cannot help but remember that in the last year of 's Presidency that he was denied the opportunity which other Presidents routinely were given to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. That was the reality. prgtoken And now there is a question of the future of the filibuster, and I will concede that the filibuster has been part of the profile in the Senate for a long, long time--for many decades. But what the Senate leader fails to note is that the use of the filibuster is out of control. prgtoken We now have filibusters threatened on everything in sight. It was by design, not by accident. And it was by design to slow down the business of the Senate and stop the production of the Senate, and that is why day after weary day this Chamber is empty. Nothing is happening because a filibuster is usually looming over the body. prgtoken And for those who want to restore the Senate to an actual legislative body with actual debate and amendments on the floor, we are being told by the leader that we are somehow denying the basic birthright of the Senate, and we know that is wrong. We know that the Senate, as many of us remember, has changed dramatically. prgtoken It was 25 years ago that I came to the Senate. We voted a lot. We actually had 12 appropriations bills come to the floor of the Senate every year--every year--under an open process where any amendment
IN REMEMBRANCE OF FRANCIS KENNETH SILVA
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-1-10

. Madam , today I rise to honor the life of Francis Kenneth Silva. A retired farmer, Fran had resided in Sutter County all his life. He was a Director and Board Member of Levee District 1 and a Director of the Feather River Water District. He served as an advisor and historian to local water and levee agencies. He served on the Sutter County Sheriff's Posse and was an avid fisherman. prgtoken Fran is survived by his wife Darlyne Elizabeth Silva of Yuba City; his daughters, Nancy Ellen Silva and Julie Anne Oliver, both of Sacramento; 6 grandchildren; and 5 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his daughter Janice Faye Wildanger of Sacramento, and his son John Francis Silva of Forrest Hill.
John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (Executive Session)
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2022-1-10

last week I spoke on the floor, and I reflected on the unthinkable events of January 6, 2021. We all remember when a violent mob attempted to snuff out one of our democracy's most sacred traditions: the peaceful transition of power. That mob's attack on our Nation's Capitol was fueled by our former President's Big Lie, the utterly false alternate reality that stole the 2020 election through widespread fraud. prgtoken But the January 6 insurrection, as nightmarish as it was, was not the only thing that was spawned by the Big Lie. Inspired by the former President's baseless conspiracy theory, dozens of States have passed new laws suppressing voters and making it easier for partisan officials to overturn the will of their constituents. These have been billed as ``election integrity'' or ``election security'' laws. Even George Orwell would be impressed by these brazen euphemisms. prgtoken Disenfranchising tens of thousands of minority voters does nothing to improve the integrity of our elections, and empowering partisan actors to disqualify ballots and ignore the popular will actually makes our elections more insecure. prgtoken A record number of these voter suppression laws are being considered and enacted as we head toward a major midterm election that will shape the direction of our country. Many of these laws would not see the light of day if the Department of Justice still possessed its preclearance powers under the 1965 Voting Rights Act. However, the Supreme Court unwisely decided to gut the Justice Department's preclearance powers in the Shelby County v. Holder decision in 2013. And then, adding insult to injury, the Supreme Court toppled another critical pillar of the Voting Rights Act in the 2021 Brnovich decision, even further limiting the Federal Government's tools to combat voter suppression. prgtoken So with a green light from our Nation's highest Court and constant prodding from a man who refuses to accept reality, partisan State actors have breathed new life into the Big Lie--not by breaking laws as the January 6 mob did but by making them. prgtoken Now, I happen to have a bipartisan bill to restore the Justice Department's powers to oversee and prevent States from enacting discriminatory voting laws: the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. I worked very hard to craft a compromise bill that has garnered support here in the Senate, so it was truly a low point when s recently refused to even allow debate on my bipartisan legislation--wouldn't even allow debate. Isn't that the whole point of being a Senator--to debate and vote on bills? prgtoken How can you justify telling your constituents that you refuse to even allow debate on a voting rights bill with a 56-year record of bipartisanship? Are we that afraid to simply do our jobs? prgtoken It bears repeating, but the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would simply restore and update provision
HONORING FORMER JUSTICE OF THE PEACE TERESA VERA PEREZ
Vicente Gonzalez (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-1-10

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of Mrs. Teresa Vera Perez of Concepcion, Texas, who dedicated her life to serving the people of Duval County. prgtoken Mrs. Perez was born on November 25, 1933, to Saturnino Vera and Francisca Saenz Vera. At the age of 18, she married Mr. Asildo Lopez Perez with whom she shared a life for 57 years. During this time, they raised five children together: Elena, Ester, Eloy, and twins Eduardo and Ernesto. prgtoken Mrs. Perez first ran for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 in 1977 and won, making her the first female Justice of the Peace in Duval County history. She served a total of three terms, becoming a lifelong member of the Texas Justices of the Peace and Constables Association and Chaplain for the South Texas Association of Justices of the Peace and Constables. In addition to her time serving as Justice of the Peace, Mrs. Perez also worked as a Nurse's Aide at the P&S Hospital, previously located in Alice, Texas. Following her 12 years as Justice of the Peace, she continued to serve as an Honorable Judge by joining couples in matrimony. prgtoken Mrs. Perez was an active member of the Duval County and the Concepcion communities throughout her lifetime. She proudly served as a Eucharistic Minister and member of the Immaculate Concepcion Catholic Church Altar and Rosary Society as well as the Guadalupana and the Fiesta Del Rancho Committee. She was also crowned Queen of the Elderly Nutrition program Twice. In 1993, at the age of 60 years old, she obtained her GED diploma in Alice, Texas. Mrs. Perez passed away on January 23, 2014. Although she is no longer with us, her memory remains eternal. prgtoken Madam , I stand here today to acknowledge the countless achievements and charitable acts of Mrs. Teresa Vera Perez. She devoted her life to the betterment of her community and her legacy will be no doubt be remembered by all who knew her. Her general love for life, her family, the Lord, and commitment to her neighbors is admirable. May she rest in peace.