mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PEACE
Raphael G. Warnock (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2024-2-28

I rise tonight in anguish and in sorrow over the heinous and horrific attack by Hamas on the people of Israel on October 7 and also in response to the catastrophic humanitarian nightmare unfolding on the ground in Gaza right now, leaving over 100 Israeli hostages and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians suffering and tens of thousands--including many women and children--already dead, with no end in sight. prgtoken While much can be said about the geopolitics, perhaps because I am a pastor, I see first and foremost the people. On all sides of this awful and ugly, deadly conflict, I see the children of God. All of us are children of God. I especially see the children. prgtoken The haunting and penetrating witness of that ancient woman of the Jewish Scripture speaks to me in this moment. A voice is heard in Ramah, the sound of mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, and she refuses to be comforted, for they are no more. prgtoken I hear Jewish mothers and fathers and Palestinian mothers and fathers weeping for their children, and the question is, What would we do if we truly believed that all of the children are truly our children? What would each side do if they could look into the eyes of the children on the other side and see in those children's eyes what they see when they look into the eyes of their own? prgtoken When we come to see that the safety of other people's children is inextricably connected to the safety of our own, we will do so much more to ensure that all children are safe. When we come to see that the health of other people's children is inexorably related to the health of our own, we will do so much more to ensure that every child can eat. When we come to see that the future of all children is tied to our children's future, we will ensure that every child can learn, play, imagine, and grow. We will hasten toward that path that leads to peace. prgtoken In that spirit, I rise tonight to explain why I think we have reached an inflection point in this conflict, one that demands all involved redouble our efforts to get a cease-fire and ultimately a just and sustainable peace. prgtoken I do not mean to suggest that any of this is simple. Indeed, if it were simple, it would have been resolved a long time ago. The issues of the Middle East are complicated. They are age-old and seemingly intractable. We live in a dangerous world, rife with conflict and replete with enemies who do not want to see peace. prgtoken October 7 was a tragic reminder. Hamas, a brutal terrorist organization that has the total destruction of Israel etched in its charter documents and ensconced in its mission, perpetrated the most devastating attack we have seen on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Some 787 civilians were killed, more than 1,100 if you count security personnel. Unbridled brutality and cruelty were visited upon seniors and women and children. Among those taken as hostages w
Tribute to Robert Weiss (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2024-2-28

my colleagues, I come to the floor today to celebrate a remarkable man, a really important friend of mine, an irreplaceable member of a community that is very important to me. Monsignor Robert Weiss--more affectionately known as Father Bob-- retired last month from his post at St. Rose of Lima Church in Newton, CT. prgtoken A Florida native, Father Bob was just a teenager when he heard his calling to join the priesthood. In 1968, he entered St. Bernard's Seminary in Rochester, NY. He was ordained 5 years later. prgtoken His first assignment led him to St. Andrew Parish in Bridgeport, CT, and 26 years later, he was assigned to St. Rose in Newton, CT, what became his last job in the church. Father Bob gave his final sermon just weeks ago. prgtoken I am going to tell you the story in a moment of why Father Bob is a household name in Connecticut. He is a hero to many of us, forged by fire and tragedy. But that is not the sum of Robert Weiss because during his 50 years in the priesthood, he has brought such great joy to the people and the families he has served. He is such an easy person to talk to. You just meet him for the first time, and you see why it is no wonder that over his years of leadership, thousands and thousands of parishioners have sought out his counsel and advice, confided in him, relied upon him. He has this wonderful smile, a buoyancy to him. He will admit that a little bit of that has been robbed from him in the last 10 years, but it does just make you feel better just by being around him. He is also wise. He has a gravitas about him that he carries with him. It just makes you feel safer. It makes you feel cared for when you are around him. prgtoken He cares about his church community. He helped grow St. Rose, but he cares about the community beyond the church just as heartily. He reaches out and builds bridges between religious institutions, between church and state, between believers and nonbelievers. He isn't judgmental. He is a consensus- and community-builder. He is an exceptional leader. That is who he was before December 14, 2012. That is who he has been after December 14, 2012. But that is the day, whether he likes it or not, that defines his career. prgtoken It started out like any other day for Father Bob. He went to his favorite diner in Sandy Hook. He ordered his usual: French toast. He was going to spend the morning wrapping Christmas presents. He didn't have a mass that day. Then he got a call from the Newton Police Department: A gunman had opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. prgtoken He told the administrators at St. Rose School, the school affiliated with his church, to put the students in lockdown, and then he drove to Sandy Hook. He stopped at the firehouse, where parents and teachers and kids were waiting. He went to the parking lot of the school. The State police officer on the scene asked him if he would bless the children-- the 20 bodies that lay on
HONORING PAUL ELMSTRAND, MATTHEW RUGE, AND ADAM FINSETH
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2024-2-28

today I joined thousands of people in Minnesota who gathered for the public funeral for Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, and Firefighter-Paramedic Adam Finseth who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. prgtoken On Sunday, February 18, 2024, these courageous public servants answered a call to protect a family and our community, and were gunned down in a horrific act of violence. This heartbreaking incident occurs amid a crisis of gun violence and domestic abuse, and our first responders are on the front lines every day. prgtoken Officers Elmstrand and Ruge dedicated their lives to protecting our community. Firefighter-Paramedic Finseth was committed to saving lives, as he was attempting to do that day. He also served our Nation proudly in the U.S. Army, twice deploying on tours of duty in Iraq. Their deaths in the line of duty are a devastating tragedy that touches their families, their fellow first responders, the Burnsville community, the state of Minnesota, and our Nation. prgtoken I extend my deepest condolences to their families and friends who loved them. Their heroic sacrifice will always be remembered and honored.
Tribute to Martina McLennan (Executive Calendar)
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2024-2-28

Ann Bancroft, the first woman to reach both the North and South Poles, said: It looks like I do these journeys alone, but it takes great support from people in the wings pushing you along these journeys and helping you. prgtoken The same can be said of us here in the U.S. Senate. It might look like Senators here in this Chamber lead and legislate alone; but, in fact, we are only able to do our work with support of the people in the wings--our dedicated and our tireless staff. prgtoken Tonight, I am here to bid farewell to one of the Senate's most dedicated staffers and one of the longest serving members of Team Merkley, my communications director Martina McLennan. prgtoken Martina, like Ann Bancroft, is a daughter of Minnesota. Martina, like Ann Bancroft, then connected with Oregon--Ann by attending the University of Oregon, and Martina, by serving the people of Oregon for the last 13 years. prgtoken She joined our communications team in 2011. Back then, President and I were still in our first terms. Social media was still pretty new. Our world and our media landscape have, in fact, changed a lot since then. prgtoken Along the way, Martina has done every possible role in communications: writing speeches, drafting press releases, creating social media content, prgtoken crafting op-eds, jotting talking points, compiling newsletters, pitching reporters on both coasts, and reading and translating my handwriting, which may have been the most difficult task of all because I can't read it 5 minutes after the ink dries--all the while thoughtfully advising and gently guiding me. prgtoken She has been by my side through some of the biggest and most challenging moments of the time that I have been here in the Senate: helping secure more funding for the U.S. Forest Service to fight wildfires in 2012; supporting Janet Yellen, the first woman to chair the Federal Reserve; ensuring that regulators actually implemented our stronger Volcker rule in 2013; mourning with the citizens of Roseburg, OR, after the Umpqua Community College shooting in 2015; ensuring that we led the resistance at rallies and protests following President 's election in 2016; preparing and staffing me through the night during my 15-hour-and-27-minute marathon speech against Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination in 2017; traveling to the southern border with me in 2018 to show the world how the administration was ripping immigrant children out of their parents' arms; writing, editing, and annotating our office's comprehensive 80-page report on the administration's attacks on immigration and asylum in 2019; reorienting our entire communications operation to a virtual operation when the pandemic hit; supporting Oregon communities after the Labor Day wildfires in 2020; cleaning up my hideaway after it was ransacked by insurrectionists on January 6, 2021; and, through it all, finally, for filling
TRIBUTE TO TOM SKILLING
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-2-28

there are many things that Chicagoans disagree on: deep-dish or tavern style, Cubs or Sox, giardiniera or sweet peppers. But one thing that Chicagoans have in common? They get their weather from Tom Skilling. For 45 years, Tom has been the authoritative source on all things weather in Chicago. And after nearly five decades of forecasting snow, sleet, sun, and storms, today was his last day on air. prgtoken A native of Aurora, Tom began his career at the almost unbelievable age of 14. He held a series of radio and television jobs throughout Illinois and then studied meteorology and journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In August 1978, Tom joined WGN, and it is not hyperbole to say Chicago's weather forecasts have never been the same since. prgtoken As a meteorologist, Tom gave weather forecasts to his viewers. But he was prgtoken so much more than just a ``weatherman.'' Tom was a storm chaser--having famously chased and been chased by a tornado. He was an awestruck weather observer--being overcome by emotion while watching a total solar eclipse in Carbondale in August 2017. He was a comedian--bringing viewers belly laughs with his viral ``Tom Freakin' Skilling'' skit. And perhaps most importantly, he was an educator--explaining to viewers the ``why'' behind the weather. prgtoken In fact, Tom's focus on the science of climate change and weather patterns only grew as his career did. In addition to broadcasting his weather forecasts on WGN News, Tom also hosted nearly 40 years of severe weather seminars at Fermilab and penned a Chicago Tribune column answering weather-related questions. In both, Tom used his platform to educate his audience in a down to earth and understandable manner. prgtoken Tom's legendary career has earned him a reputation for setting the gold standard in television weather, garnered him a cult-like following, and afforded him a permanent place in Chicagoans' living rooms. Unsurprisingly, he has been showered with countless accolades for his work, winning multiple Emmy Awards from the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and receiving several honorary degrees. He deserves each and every one. prgtoken I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Tom in the summer of 2019 at a forum to discuss climate change with U.S. Representatives Bill Foster and Sean Casten. I can tell you, not a single Member of Congress on that stage was under the illusion that they were the main attraction. People were there for Tom. prgtoken Tom, congratulations on a truly remarkable career. From choosing how many layers to wear in the morning to knowing when the break in the snow is coming so we can shovel our parking spots, I don't quite know how we will weather the storm of life without your valuable insights. You are nothing short of a Chicago institution. And it is only fitting that you will live on in the weather world, in the form of a Chica
CRIMINALIZING REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE
Teresa Leger Fernandez (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2024-2-28

recently Johnson and most House s cosponsored a bill that could ban IVF nationwide and criminalize reproductive healthcare. The Alabama Supreme Court's anti- IVF ruling is consistent with these extreme attempts to steal women's freedom to decide when, how, and if to have a family. prgtoken and the MAGA extremists want a Federal abortion ban. Packing the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade wasn't enough for them. Every State law and constitutional amendment protecting women's reproductive freedoms from New Mexico to Kansas to Ohio could be overturned if and s win in 2024. prgtoken Criminalizing pregnancies, outlawing IVF and birth control, and forcing pregnancies on children who have been raped--that is the nightmare we face unless women and those that love them act now to defeat this extremism. Women need healthcare, not handcuffs.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-2-28

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
Government Funding (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-2-28

negotiators in both Chambers continue working to ensure the government will not shut down at the end of the week. We continue to make very good progress on an agreement, and we are very close to getting it done. prgtoken I met yesterday with President , with Johnson, with Leader McConnell, and Leader Jeffries; and we all agree a shutdown is a loser for the American people. In a shutdown, costs would go up, safety would go down, and the American people would pay the price. prgtoken I am hopeful that the four leaders can reach this agreement very soon so we can not only avoid a shutdown on Friday but get closer to finishing the appropriations process altogether. prgtoken If our House colleagues of good will want to avert a shutdown--if they want to govern responsibly, as they say they do--they must resist the centrifugal pull of the extreme hard right who want to burn everything down, who openly use the threat of a shutdown to push their extreme agenda. They are brazen about it. They are brazen. prgtoken We know what the hard right has been pushing. They want to restrict women's reproductive freedoms--we saw the case in Alabama. They want to rip apart gun safety laws and reward corporate polluters. Or else, they say, they want a shutdown. This is no way to govern. prgtoken If our House colleagues of good will want to do the right thing, they must accept a fundamental truth about divided government: s cannot pass a bill without ic support; it takes both sides working together--and ignoring the extremes of the hard right--to get anything done. prgtoken I have said this over and over again directly to the , even in my first conversation with him: The only way we will get things done is by bipartisanship. And I am proud in our Chamber, not just on the supplemental but in bill after bill after bill, we are working in a bipartisan way. I am proud of that record. The should understand that. prgtoken So I am hopeful that soon we will have an agreement for keeping the government open beyond Friday's deadline. We will keep working very diligently today. And I ask my colleagues to stay flexible and be ready to act quickly when the time comes.
REMEMBERING PATSY MINK
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2024-2-28

next month, the U.S. Mint will launch a quarter featuring the late-Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink as part of its American Women Quarters Program, which celebrates women who have made significant contributions to our country. prgtoken Congresswoman Mink, who represented Hawaii from 1965 to 1977 and 1990 to 2002, was a tireless advocate for gender and racial equality, and I am proud to have sent the letter recommending her inclusion in this program. Mrs. Mink's quarter will soon be in circulation alongside Edith Kanakaole's, another noteworthy woman from Hawaii who was honored by the American Women Quarters Program last year. prgtoken Mrs. Mink can be defined by her incredible resiliency and drive in the face of injustice. Born on December 6, 1927, in Paia, Maui, she attended Maui High School and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. After being denied admission to medical school because of her gender, Mrs. Mink chose to pursue a law degree and devoted her life to fighting for civil rights. prgtoken Over the following decades, her life was marked by an impressive series of firsts: She was the first Japanese American woman to practice law in Hawaii; the first woman elected to Hawaii's territorial legislature; and the first woman of color and first Asian American woman to serve in Congress. prgtoken At each stage in her career, Mrs. Mink fought against prejudice and advocated for greater opportunities for woman. While in Congress, she coauthored the Title IX amendment of the Higher Education Act of 1972 (Title IX). This landmark law, comprised of only 37 words, ensured that no person would be denied access to any federally funded education program on the basis of sex. Title IX, coupled with Mrs. Mink's Women's Educational Equity Act of 1974, gave women and girls unprecedented access to educational and athletic opportunities. prgtoken Mrs. Mink also advocated for early childhood education, pushed for greater government transparency, and cocreated the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus--CAPAC--to promote the well-being of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community. prgtoken After Mrs. Mink's passing on August 30, 2002, Mrs. Mink was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our Nation's highest civilian award. Today, Mrs. Mink's legacy continues on through the Patsy Takemoto Mink Foundation, led by Mrs. Mink's daughter Dr. Gwendolyn Mink, which supports educational access for low-income women and children. In 2022, 50 years after the passage of Title IX, we also honored Mrs. Mink's work by hanging her portrait in the U.S. Capitol, where it is now displayed directly across from the portrait of Shirley Chisholm, another trailblazer in her own right. prgtoken Congress has also renamed the Title IX amendment of the Higher Education prgtoken Act as the ``Pasty T. Mink Equal Opportunity in
Access to Family Building Act (Executive Calendar)
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-2-28

I have been called a lot of names in my life: ``Tammy,'' ``Lieutenant Colonel,'' ``Senator,'' and a couple others I shouldn't mention in polite company. ``Mommy,'' though, is, without a doubt, my favorite name. It is the one my 5-year-old uses when she runs into the house after dance class and pulls on my sleeve, eager to show me what she learned during her lesson. prgtoken It is the one my 9-year-old says when she announces her latest life plan. When she was little, she wanted to grow up to be a garbage collector; now, she is leaning towards being an Army cyber warrior. prgtoken My girls are my everything. But they, likely, would have never been born if I hadn't had access to the basic reproductive rights that Americans--up until recently--had been depending on for nearly a half century, because after a decade struggling with infertility after my service in Iraq, I was only able to get pregnant through the miracle of IVF. prgtoken IVF is the reason I get to experience the chaos and the beauty, the stress and the joy that is motherhood. IVF is the reason that my husband and I aren't just Tammy and Bryan but we are ``Mom'' and ``Dad.'' IVF made our family. It made my heart whole. It made my life full. prgtoken But for countless women in Alabama, that desperately sought-after dream of becoming a mom just became so much harder. Last week, that State's supreme court ruled that frozen embryos created through IVF should be considered children under State law--a ruling that paints women like me and our doctors as criminals and one that throws IVF access into chaos as countless women and doctors try to figure out whether they might be criminalized for simply trying to create a family. prgtoken If you are thinking that this makes no sense, you are right. You are not misunderstanding anything; you are not missing something. It is the nightmarish blend of hypocrisy and misogyny that you think it is. prgtoken The very people who claim to be defending family values are the ones trying to enact dystopian policies that would prevent Americans from starting their own families. prgtoken This is no longer a hypothetical worst-case scenario. IVF providers around the State have already paused treatments out of fear that their doctors and patients could be punished. prgtoken Organizations that transport embryos to and from medical facilities in Alabama have already announced that they will stop doing so, meaning that would-be parents there won't even be able to start their families in any other States either. prgtoken And now that the first domino has fallen, it seems like it could only be a matter of time before more hospitals and more organizations make the same call, before more State courts issue similar rulings, before more extremist politicians succeed in enacting even more draconian laws nationwide. prgtoken Think about that. Think about what is at stake if State courts simply can strip away access to IVF. Thi