mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Robert McKinnon Califf (Executive Session)
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-2-15

I rise today to speak in opposition to the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration. prgtoken For more than two decades now, the United States has suffered a devastating epidemic of opioid use disorder, overdoses, and deaths. Since 1999, almost 1 million Americans have died of drug overdoses, with the vast majority of those deaths attributable to opioids. prgtoken As our country continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we must remember and prioritize this other deadly public health emergency. prgtoken In 2020, overall drug overdose deaths reached an alltime high for the year, with approximately 93,000 Americans losing their lives. More than 60 percent of those deaths were from synthetic opioids like fentanyl. That is a staggering 69,000 Americans dead from an opioid-related overdose--more than gun violence, more than car accidents, more overdose deaths than ever before in our history. prgtoken We cannot let the tragedy of COVID-19 overwhelm the daily suffering of the opioid epidemic. Sadly, for the scourge of opioid misuse and overdose in our country, there is no vaccine. prgtoken My home State has been hit especially hard. In Massachusetts, more than 2,100 residents died from an opioid overdose in 2020--a 5-percent increase from the previous year--and many more struggled with opioid use disorder. Early data from 2021 shows this unfortunate trend continued through the first 9 months of last year, where 1,613 people died in Massachusetts from opioid overdoses. prgtoken We cite these numbers with outrage and disbelief, but for impacted families and loved ones, it is an ever-present mourning for lost opportunities, futures gone too soon, and unanswered questions; all the while, for each and every community, there is the growing challenge still to be addressed. prgtoken In Congress, my colleagues and I have worked to respond to this crisis, passing several bipartisan packages--the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, CARA, and the SUPPORT Act to help bring relief to our communities. prgtoken I am proud several pieces of legislation I authored to fund and expand opioid use disorder prevention and treatment programs became law in those packages. Those investments are important, and we must continue to build on them, but we cannot forget how we reached this epidemic in the first place or we are doomed to repeat it for those families. prgtoken Those failures started at Big Pharma and were aided and abetted by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA is supposed to be our Nation's pharmaceutical gatekeeper, but over many years, it repeatedly rubberstamped new prescription painkillers that increased the risk of misuse and dependence. prgtoken As evidence of the deadly harm those opioids caused became clear, the FDA did almost nothing. It acted too slowly to remove them from the market, to limit access to those supercharged opioids. prgtoken What started as an OxyContin
CELEBRATING THE WORK OF WALTER SMITH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DC APPLESEED
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , I rise to recognize the critically important and remarkable work of Walter Smith, who, after over 20 years, is stepping down as the executive director of the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. At DC Appleseed, Walter has made significant contributions to the District of Columbia on issues ranging from democracy to public health to the environment to education. prgtoken I have worked closely with Walter in the fight for statehood, congressional voting representation and home rule for D.C. Walter has been one of the intellectual architects of these efforts, leading litigation, testifying before Congress and authoring legal opinions. prgtoken Walter has led DC Appleseed's important work on HIV/AIDS, early childhood programs, special education, drinking water, the Anacostia River and end-of-life care. Last year, Walter's work led to a settlement with a health insurer that resulted in the creation of a $95 million fund to address public health needs in D.C. prgtoken Walter has litigated numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the D.C. Court of Appeals. Prior to joining DC Appleseed, Walter served as Special Deputy Corporation Counsel at the D.C. Office of the Corporation Counsel, which is now D.C.'s Office of the Attorney General, where he oversaw major litigation. Prior to his D.C. service, Walter practiced appellate litigation at Hogan Lovells for 16 years, where he served as a partner and was the full-time director of the firm's pro bono practice. Walter also served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps. prgtoken Walter is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and Harvard Law School. After law school, Walter clerked for a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. prgtoken Walter has been recognized for his outstanding legal work. For example, Walter received the President's Award from the Washington Council of Lawyers in 2011, was named one of the ``90 Greatest Washington Lawyers of the last 30 years'' in 2007 by the Legal Times and received the D.C. Bar's highest award for public service, the Brennan Award, in 2014. He has also enjoyed an active role in local musical theater, staring in several major productions. prgtoken I ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the important contributions of Walter Smith, and to congratulate him as he steps down as the executive director of the DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice.
RECOGNIZING DR. BARBARA SHANNON-BANNISTER
Jason Crow (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Dr. Barbara Shannon-Bannister for receiving the Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award from Aurora Community of Faith, and for her lifelong service to our community. prgtoken The Spirit of MLK Award is presented to an individual who emulates the values, ideas, dreams, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, prgtoken Jr. This year, Aurora Community of Faith presented the Spirit of MLK Award to Dr. Shannon-Bannister for her selfless service as an ally and advocate for our community. Devoted to a cause greater than herself, Dr. Shannon-Bannister works tirelessly to take risks and address critical issues and concerns in the lives of everyday people--just as Dr. King did. prgtoken Dr. Shannon-Bannister dedicated her life to serving the community. From founding several nonprofit organizations that aid the underserved to bringing the Aurora Branch of the NAACP to Colorado, she has long been engaged in civil rights advocacy and issues impacting marginalized communities. Upon her retirement from a 36-year career with the City of Aurora, Dr. Shannon-Bannister has focused her efforts on Grand Design Inc.--a nonprofit organization she founded in 1984 to preserve cultural and musical traditions of the Black community in Aurora. It is still one of the only Black performing arts companies in the city. prgtoken Dr. Shannon-Bannister is a fervent advocate and champion for the African American community, and her commitment--and voice--has never wavered from aiding those in need. Her extraordinary career and service to our community epitomize what it means to live a life for others. In honoring the legacy of Dr. King, I can think of no one more deserving of the Spirit of MLK Award. I congratulate and thank her for her incredible dedication to our community.
INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH AND REAFFIRM THE DIRE NEED TO PROTECT VULNERABLE AND MINORITY POPULATIONS AND THEIR ALLIES IN AFGHANISTAN UNDER TALIBAN RULE
André Carson (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , I am proud to introduce a bicameral resolution today, to express solidarity with and reaffirm the dire need to protect vulnerable and minority populations and their allies in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. I thank my Senate Colleague, Senator Markey, for his leadership on this urgent human rights issue. prgtoken The United States spent over twenty years in Afghanistan, in an endless war. It was crucial that we leave, and I applaud President for commanding this effort and not leaving it as a task for yet another President. There is no good way to end a war without a decisive resolution; however, what we must not do is not leave innocent Afghan people behind. We cannot abandon the innocent women, children and families who have suffered through this war. We have a moral obligation to ensure that they are left with some system of government that respects and honors the international standards of human rights that our country has helped establish. prgtoken Reports have shown that Taliban fighters have explicitly targeted religious and ethnic minorities, abusing them with impunity, and have threatened Afghan journalists with violence. Similar reporting shows that the Taliban continue to target LGBTQI individuals, forcing them into hiding due to the threat of physical violence and attacks perpetrated by Taliban fighters. Women, in particular, are facing dire circumstances. Despite promises to the contrary, the Taliban leadership have re-instituted many of the draconian measures that characterized their previous rule. Restrictions on their freedom of movement, punishments for dress code violations, and constraints on their occupational and educational opportunities all severely limit the future of Afghan women--and subject them to gross injustices and violence. prgtoken The rapidly deteriorating human rights conditions in the country are exacerbated by the worsening humanitarian crisis, by which vulnerable and minority communities are disproportionately impacted. prgtoken I am proud to introduce this resolution today, which calls on the Administration to work closely with the international community and nongovernmental organizations to support at-risk Afghan communities, including efforts to counter the growing humanitarian crisis that unduly impacts already vulnerable groups. prgtoken Madam , I hope my colleagues will join me in calling for the protection of vulnerable and minority communities in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, especially during this humanitarian crisis.
HONORING THE LIFE OF JONATHAN ``JON'' FLAGLER
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , I rise to celebrate the life of Mr. Jonathan ``Jon'' Flagler, a beloved community member and firefighter in the 33rd Congressional District who passed away in the line of duty at the age of 48 on January 6, 2022. prgtoken Born on October 9, 1974, Jon was born and raised in the neighborhood of San Pedro in the City of Los Angeles. He attended Crestwood Elementary School, Dodson Middle School, and graduated Class of 1992 from San Pedro High School. Immediately after high school, Jon threw himself into working towards his passion, dedicating his time to helping others by becoming a firefighter. After high school, he attended El Camino Community College to take fire science classes and then later graduated from Rio Hondo's Fire Academy. Jon continued his education and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Fire Administration from California State University, Los Angeles in 2001. prgtoken Jon began his 21-year career as an industrial firefighter with Northrop Grumman Aerospace in 2002 before being hired by the City of Vernon Fire Department later that same year. He spent the majority of his career working at Vernon Fire Station One and Three. In 2020, Jon relocated to the Los Angeles County Fire Department after the agency took over firefighting services for the City of Vernon. As a part of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, he worked at Fire Station 22 before moving to Fire Station 83, located in Rancho Palos Verdes, just a few blocks from his childhood home. Tragically, Jon lost his life in the line of duty--bravely fighting a fire, selflessly protecting the community he served. prgtoken Jon exemplified the important traits of a firefighter both on the job and off the job. Jon was known by friends as always being willing to lend a helping hand and for his infectious smile that would light up a whole room. As a man of faith dedicated to a life of service, Jon's greatest love was always his family. prgtoken Jon is survived by his loving wife Jenny and sons Brody and Jack Flagler; his nephews Matix, Corey, Van, and his niece Mikiela, and his in-laws Dwight, Cindy, and Tracy. May his kindness and dedication to selflessness continue to live on in those he touched with his compassionate and welcoming spirit.
Nominations (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2022-2-15

something happened today in Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee that I have never seen before in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Three weeks ago, Senator Toomey--the ranking member, the senior on the committee from Pennsylvania--Senator Toomey and I agreed that there would be a committee vote today for six nominees: Sandra Thompson, who would be head of the FHFA; Lael Brainard, Vice Chair at the Federal Reserve; Jay Powell, the Chair--sitting Chair, who has been nominated, to confirm him as the Chair; and then three new members of the Federal Reserve, Sarah Bloom Raskin, who would be Vice Chair of Supervision; also Philip Jefferson; and Lisa Cook. prgtoken This would be the--I think the best qualified, most diverse in terms of gender and race, but also most diverse Federal Reserve in terms of knowledge and perspective because one of the most poignant, I think, legitimate, criticisms of the Fed is how sort of the Federal Reserve has always kind of looked like me, except they think like Wall Street. prgtoken And this is the first time where I have seen a Federal Reserve with the breadth of knowledge. There is a--the President wants to appoint a gentleman who grew up right near RFK Stadium in a poor part of Washington, who now is a dean at a southern school; another, a woman from a small town in Georgia, who is now at Michigan State; a former bank regulator and Federal Reserve Governor and also was No. 2 at Treasury; in addition to the two Federal Reserve members, Lael Brainard would be elevated to Vice Chair and Jay Powell. prgtoken That is just all background to show, , the diversity and the breadth and the depth of these five members. And they would bring a perspective on our economy that matters to your voters in Connecticut and mine in Ohio; that they don't have this lean towards Wall Street. They don't have this sort of singular view of the Federal Reserve. They understand that the Federal Reserve should look at the economy through the eyes of workers. prgtoken We have a chance right now to appoint a Federal Reserve Board--the seven members of the Board--that really will put workers at the center of our economy. We really haven't had that. We have a President who does that now, I think we have a Senate that increasingly does that, and that will mean that we will pay--the Federal Reserve will pay attention to wages, the Federal Reserve will fight inflation. That is their job. They will do a number of things that will matter to our economy. prgtoken Now, this would be the first time that there would be a full complement of seven governors on the Federal Reserve. It is a seven- member board. President never filled all seven of those jobs. President , at the end of his term, tried to and didn't quite get there. So this would be the first time in a decade. prgtoken And what makes that important is that their job--they are tasked with fighting inflation. prgtoken
Nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin (Executive Calendar)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-2-15

I rise today regarding President 's nominees to the Federal Reserve. I just came from the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where we met in order to advance an extraordinary group of candidates who were nominated to the Federal Reserve. As our Nation's top economic policymakers, these nominees will be charged with steering our country through one of the most difficult environments the Fed has faced in many years. But s have decided to block any attempt for the Banking Committee to consider this group. Why? Because they object to one of the nominees, whom they have pummeled with particularly desperate attacks. prgtoken Professor Sarah Bloom Raskin will bring deep experience to the role of the Fed's Vice Chair for Supervision. During the height of the 2008 financial crisis, she was on the frontlines as the State of Maryland's top financial regulator. As our country slogged through the aftermath of the crisis, Professor Raskin was a Governor of the Federal Reserve, facing difficult policy decisions as she worked to help families rebuild. She then served as Deputy Treasury Secretary, helping to shepherd our Nation through the postcrash economic expansion--an expansion that has turned out to be the longest on record right up until the pandemic struck. prgtoken Professor Raskin has unparalleled expertise in both the monetary policy and financial regulatory components of the job. Few people in the entire Nation are as qualified for this role as she is. prgtoken Now, I understand that s are launching hysterical attacks on her over climate issues--never mind that her views align with those of the rest of the nominees; never mind that she has a history of sound judgment at the Fed; never mind that community bankers have spoken glowingly of how well she worked with them during a time of great stress; never mind anything. prgtoken The s are also launching bad-faith attacks about ethics without the facts to back them up. If we are going to discuss ethics, then let's be clear. Professor Raskin has voluntarily committed to the strongest ethics standards and postemployment limitations of any nominee to the Federal Reserve ever. prgtoken In fact, each of these nominees has voluntarily committed to stronger ethics standards, except one--Jerome Powell. That is right--s on the Banking Committee are united in voting for the only one of the five Fed nominees we are considering today who has refused to voluntarily commit to stronger ethics standards. This is particularly hypocritical because Chair Powell is currently presiding over the biggest ethics scandal in the Fed's more than century-long history. prgtoken We should recognize these attacks on Professor Raskin for what they are. There is no actual concern about Professor Raskin's ethics or about her extraordinary qualifications. No. These are bad-faith attempts to take down a highly qualified candidate
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2022-2-16

. Senator, I will reiterate what my colleague from Minnesota said. I do not serve on the Judiciary Committee, and I do not serve in the Department of Justice. Therefore, I am not privy to the information that has been provided in privacy to the Department of Justice. prgtoken Those marshals, if they would like to divulge their information, they are free to do so as U.S. citizens. But there are privacy agreements with attorney-client privilege that is clearly not being able to be pursued in this fashion. So my opinion does not matter. What matters is the law. I do not serve in the Department of Justice; therefore I cannot answer your question.
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-2-16

I join my colleagues, the Senators from Nevada and Minnesota, in my frustration as to why we are here today. prgtoken Today, I am joining them and urging my colleagues to join me in calling for the swift confirmation of Chief LaDon Reynolds to be the U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. As a seasoned law enforcement officer, Chief Reynolds is more than ready to take on the challenges of this important leadership role, including playing a key part in addressing the rising violent crime devastating our communities in Northern Illinois. prgtoken Yet the only reason he is not already confirmed to this position is because of a hold from Senator Cotton--a hold that is completely unrelated to Chief Reynolds' immense qualifications. These qualifications include serving with distinction as the chief of police of the Oak Park Police Department for nearly 30 years, teaching law enforcement officers about the importance of community-oriented policing at the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and prgtoken Standards Board Executive Institute, and working to protect communities from rising hate as a board member of Governor Pritzker's Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes. prgtoken Senator Durbin and I carefully reviewed Chief Reynolds' experience and expertise. It is clear to us and the White House that he is the best fit for the job. What we are asking for now is simply to let Reynolds get to work; let him take charge of an office that has already gone without Senate-confirmed leadership for 4 years. We need to have a confirmed U.S. marshal leading Federal law enforcement operations to secure our Federal courthouses and capture violent fugitives of the law. prgtoken As U.S. marshal, Reynolds would also play an important role in the administration's multijurisdictional strike force to investigate and prosecute gun traffickers channeling deadly weapons into the city of Chicago. prgtoken Every day, there are new stories of horrifying and often deadly impacts of rising violent crimes in the Northern District of Illinois. In fact, last year was one of the city of Chicago's deadliest in decades. prgtoken But statistics alone cannot fully describe the devastation our communities have endured. For so many Chicagoans, the presence of gun violence is a constant source of trauma and grief in their day-to-day lives. It is painful and gut-wrenching to see this sort of senseless violence happen again and again. prgtoken We cannot wait any longer to advance Reynolds' confirmation, especially not for his nomination to be used as a pawn for Senator Cotton to expedite a response to his unrelated pending inquiry to the U.S. Department of Justice. Instead, we must act to make sure the Northern District of Illinois U.S. Marshal's Office has the leadership it needs to fulfill its mission of administering justice and enforcing the law. prgtoken If Senator Cotton is serious about tackling violent crime an
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-2-16

that last admission by the Senator from Arkansas tells the whole story. He doesn't even know why the Department is turning down representation of 1 person out of 74. They have agreed to represent 70 of these U.S. marshal employees, and they said they will represent them; and three are under review. One has been turned down; and he hasn't received a privacy waiver, so he doesn't know why. I don't know why either. But you know who is paying the price for it? prgtoken Millions of Americans who are asking for Federal law enforcement to be adequately staffed to do their job. The U.S. attorneys and U.S. marshals that want to keep us safe and be part of the team to do that. And because this Senator suspects there may be something suspicious about this, he doesn't have a privacy waiver, he is going to hold up those officials throughout the United States and put their communities in peril. Tell me that that is devotion to law enforcement.