mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Resumed
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-5-27

I wanted to come to the floor very briefly today to thank Chairman Menendez and Ranking Member Risch for the great work they did on the Foreign Relations Committee to add to the pending legislation a title developed in the Foreign Relations Committee that makes sure that we are building the kinds of capacities inside the State Department and USAID that are able to make sure America can compete with China and a host of other developing, advancing nations all around the world. prgtoken The fact is, we are often fighting our competitors with one hand tied behind our back. For instance, the size of the Chinese international development bank dwarfs the capacities of the similar institution that is used by the United States of America, the DFC. prgtoken We have added new capacities to the DFC in this legislation that will allow the United States of America to be able to make sure that we can do development deals around the world and compete with other nations that are fast investing significant amounts of money and trying to use that money as leverage to gain political interest and political influence. prgtoken Included in that title, midwifed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is a provision that builds upon the expectation that Congress should have that the administration share with us agreements that they have entered into on behalf of the United States. If we want to play our constitutional role to be a coequal branch with the executive on the setting of American foreign policy, then, of course, this body needs to have access--immediate access--to any agreements, whether they be binding or nonbinding, that the Federal Government, through the executive branch, has entered into on behalf of the American people. prgtoken I am very pleased that the legislation includes a requirement that, in an expeditious manner, the executive branch, whether there is a President or a ic President, share with Congress any agreements that they have entered into on behalf of our constituents. prgtoken That section of the bill goes a little bit further than that, though. It also says that the administration shall notify Congress anytime that the administration is beginning a negotiation over a prospective agreement with a foreign nation. Again, that, on its face, makes a lot of sense, the idea that the administration should be communicating with Congress when they have begun a significant negotiation with a foreign country that may ultimately obligate the United States or this Congress with respect to an international agreement. prgtoken I raised, during the consideration of this bill in the Foreign Relations Committee and I have continued to raise both publicly and privately, concerns I have that I think are shared by current and former diplomats that there is a potential that by going too far in our request that the administration inform us of negotiations, we could provide a chill on
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Resumed
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-5-27

. I was tremendously proud and grateful to be at the bill signing last week in the East Room of the White House with the President of the United States, at his side when he put his approval on a measure that took years to pass, the NO HATE Act--known as the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, named after Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer, who perished as a result of the most vicious and vile hate crimes in this Nation's history. The occasion was centered on legislation addressing protection for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It was a tremendously moving and powerful event when the President spoke passionately and unequivocally that hate has no safe harbor in the United States. prgtoken I was reminded of those moments with the President of the United States as I witnessed just very recently this surge in anti-Semitic hate crimes across this country. We have seen them again and again and again. The Anti-Defamation League has been tracking anti-Semitic incidents in the country since 1979, and the past three annual reports have included two of its highest tallies. Last year's report recorded more than 1,200 incidents--a 10-percent increase from the previous year. prgtoken These assaults and insults, brawls, and vicious desecrations have occurred across the country to individuals in synagogues and places of worship, and we should be rising to condemn them now unequivocally and clearly, condemn all of these acts of hate, because we are all in this perilous time together. prgtoken We know from the acts of hatred directed against Asian Americans that they follow similar kinds of assaults and incidents involving Muslim Americans, Black Americans, and Jewish Americans. An assault on one is an assault on all of us. But the assaults and the acts of hatred against Jewish Americans have been particularly vile and venomous over these last 2, 4 weeks and months. We have seen not only the physical attacks but also Holocaust denial and distortion, including intentional efforts to excuse or minimize the impact of the Holocaust. prgtoken These kinds of vicious and intolerable statements have grown. That is one reason why I continue to support the Never Again Education Act, which was signed into law almost 1 year ago, to expand the United States Holocaust Museum education programming and the development and dissemination of accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to improve awareness and understanding of the Holocaust. But prevention through education is not enough. We must do more. We must act. prgtoken What is most important to remember about every one of these incidents is that they involve real people, real communities, and real victims whose lives are torn apart in the most heartbreaking cases. They involve real lives that are lost forever and real families who will never see their loved ones again. prgtoken That is what happened to the families of Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer. They were in the East Room of the White Hous
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Resumed
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-5-27

imagine a farmer in rural South Dakota who can no longer drive to get to town for appointments, prescriptions, or groceries--enter the automated vehicle. prgtoken This technology has potential to keep people in their homes and communities longer. prgtoken Moreover, AVs have potential to greatly increase roadway safety. Currently, there are an average of more than 35,000 traffic fatalities on our Nation's roadways each year, including pedestrian, motorcycle, and bicycle fatalities. Automated vehicles could dramatically-- dramatically--reduce that number. Distracted driving, driving while impaired--automated vehicles could eliminate those dangers. prgtoken For automated vehicle technology to advance, it is imperative that the regulatory framework catch up with private-sector innovation. That is why I have pushed for the enactment of AV legislation over the years and why I had hoped--I had hoped--that we would be voting to add my automated vehicles amendment to the legislation before the Senate today. prgtoken I have spent nearly 5 years--5 years--working in a bipartisan manner on a legislative framework to govern the testing and deployment of automated vehicles. The amendment I offered to the bill before us today is an amendment that I had hoped to be able to offer with bipartisan support. It would have paved the way for expanded testing and deployment of automated vehicles in the United States under the oversight of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. prgtoken And let me emphasize that oversight point. My amendment would ensure that automated vehicles would not--not--touch pavement without the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's certification that they are at least as safe as a conventional vehicle. The data gathered from the vehicles deployed as a result of this amendment would be crucial to the development of future motor vehicle safety standards for AVs. prgtoken Unfortunately, bipartisan agreement on my amendment collapsed when special interests expressed their opposition, despite major efforts to accommodate their concerns. And I am deeply disappointed that, once again, yielded to pressure from special interests against the best interests of our economy and the American people. prgtoken Advancing AV technology is not just a vehicle safety issue. It is also an issue of U.S. leadership and global competitiveness. Investing in the production of AV technology here in the United States would not only strengthen the resilience of the auto industry but also the Nation's industrial base and our national security. prgtoken The auto industry touches nearly every American State. For example, Horton in Britton, SD, manufactures engine cooling systems, providing steady, good paying jobs for that community and strengthening the local economy. The same story repeats itself countless times in communities all across the Nation. prgtoken Providing millions of jobs and inve
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Continued
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-5-27

I want to make two points. prgtoken First, I want to associate myself with the remarks of some of my colleagues earlier about the fact that we don't know what is in this bill. That is not a criticism of anyone or any party. You can only absorb so much. If you define our job, at least in part, as representing our people and knowing what we are voting on when we vote, I would respectfully suggest we would be better off having our staff vote. Now, I doubt there is more than one or two or, maybe, three staff members who really know or who have a global, macro, picture of what is in the bill, but at least our staffs know more about it than we do. That is not a criticism of anybody or any party. That is just a fact. prgtoken I think, if you were to just pick 10 Senators at random and ask them off the record, ``Do you know what is in this bill? Not every word, but do you have a general idea of everything in this bill?'' 9 out of 10 would tell you that they don't, and the 10th is probably lying. prgtoken Now, I have said before--and I really think that it is a shame. I have said before--and I meant it--that I know some of my colleagues better than others, but I think I know all of my colleagues in the Senate. These are the most interesting, complex people--that is, in part, why they are interesting--whom I have ever been around. There are some enormously talented people in this body. Let me just pick one at random. prgtoken When Senator Scott doesn't have time to understand or Senator Durbin doesn't have time to figure out everything that is in the bill because things are moving so fast, that shortchanges all of us. They are talented people. They may be able to say something: What about this provision? This doesn't make sense. What do you think, Senator Kennedy? What do you think, Senator Murphy? prgtoken So that really bothers me. That is not a criticism of my ic friends, and that is not a criticism of the majority leader, Senator Schumer. It wasn't any better when the s were in control. I just think that it is so sad, so unfortunate, and it is so avoidable. prgtoken I understand that floor time is limited. So we want to do things quickly around here. But there is no law that says we can't start earlier and work later. There is no law that says we can't cooperate in terms of allowing the majority to have more floor time so that all of us have a greater opportunity to understand what we are voting on. prgtoken I mean, excuse me, Senator Scott, look at that. I think that is only a portion of the bill. Honestly. prgtoken Now, the second point I wanted to make--I learned really quickly when I got here that Senators are like cats: They do what they want. Why is that? Because we have minority rights. Our rules pretty much are written to protect the minority. prgtoken So a fair question is, Well, how do we ever get anything done? Well, we do it by consent. We couldn't run this place without consen
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2021-5-27

today I would like to congratulate Randall ``Randy'' C. Gordon on his retirement from the National Grain and Feed Association, NGFA, after nearly 43 years of service. prgtoken A native Nebraskan, Randy graduated from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, UNL, with undergraduate degrees in journalism, history, and political science. After college, Randy worked at UNL's Agricultural Communications Department and freelanced for the Omaha World-Herald. prgtoken Randy's NGFA story began on July 1, 1978, when he was hired as the director of information services. In 1987, he was promoted as NGFA's vice president for communications and government relations. A voracious reader and writer, in 1996, Randy authored a history of the first 100 years of the NGFA for its centennial celebration, entitled ``A Century of Agricultural Abundance Through Free Enterprise.'' In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration awarded Randy for his contributions to preventing the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE, in the United States. In 2012, Randy became president and CEO of NGFA. Through more than four decades of NGFA service, Randy has made countless contributions to the U.S. agricultural industry. prgtoken As the senior senator from Nebraska, I congratulate Randy on a successful and impactful career representing crucial aspects of the agricultural value chain. Randy, I wish you, your wife Barbara, and your children and grandchildren good health as you enter retirement. You have done Nebraska proud.
JANUARY 6 COMMISSION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-5-27

now one final matter. As my colleagues know, I have been clear and unflinching in my own statements about January 6. But as I have also repeated, there is no new fact about that day we need the ' extraneous Commission to uncover. prgtoken The Department of Justice is deep into a massive criminal investigation. Four hundred and forty-plus people have already been arrested. Hundreds--hundreds--have been charged. Even more arrests are said to be planned. And the Attorney General indicates this investigation will remain a top focus. Multiple Senate committees are conducting their own bipartisan inquiries. And, obviously, the role of the former President has already been litigated exhaustively-- exhaustively--in the high-profile impeachment trial we had right here in the Senate several months ago. prgtoken I do not believe the additional extraneous Commission that ic leaders want would uncover crucial new facts or promote healing. Frankly, I do not believe it is even designed to do that. prgtoken That is why the 's first draft began with a laughably rigged and partisan starting point and why the current language would still lock in significant unfairness under the hood. prgtoken So I will continue to support the real, serious work of our criminal justice system and our own Senate committees, and I will continue to urge my colleagues to oppose this extraneous layer when the time comes for the Senate to vote.
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Resumed
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2021-5-27

I am very proud of where the Senate is headed today. It has taken well over a year-and-a-half for this bill to finally come together, to come to fruition. There have been many committees of jurisdiction that actively participated in this process, Members who have accommodated other Members, and I am proud of the work product that we have been developing here. prgtoken I especially want to thank, as we head toward what I hope is final passage later on this evening, my legislative director, Lauren O'Brien; my national security adviser, Brandt Anderson; Dan Cheever, who worked on Commerce Committee, all manner of work for me. They have worked tirelessly with Senator Schumer's staff and my colleagues on the side to ensure that this day came about, and we got a positive outcome. prgtoken Let me say a bit about this legislation. We Americans have always looked toward the frontier and forward to new horizons. Our ancestors chased them across a continent and to the sea. When the wilderness was no more, they followed them elsewhere--in workshops and laboratories and factories and on farms, in the air and beyond. prgtoken Our spirit is restless. We prefer the difficult as Americans. We have never accepted limits or impossibilities in life. No, instead, we sought to cure disease to lift the human condition, to better understand the world around us, to constantly go faster and further in these and other endeavors. And we do these things always aware that the new knowledge that they bring will benefit mankind and make our Union stronger. prgtoken But this spirit is not entirely ours alone. You see, there are others out there who also harbor bold ambitions, but they don't share our democratic prgtoken values. Just days ago, Communist China orbited, landed, and deployed a rover on the surface of Mars. No other nation has done this. No other nation has done this. It was their first voyage to the red planet. It is only part of the Chinese Communist Party's ambitious space program. And it is another direct challenge to the United States of America. prgtoken Now, this momentous event happens at a time when so many of our citizens feel overlooked, when the communities they call home are hollowing out, when trust in our civic institutions is eroding, and when our allegiance seems increasingly to our political tribes and not to one another as citizens for the common good. prgtoken Let's not kid ourselves. The Chinese Communist Party plans to exploit our difficulties and divisions. Their power and their capabilities are growing. They are, indeed, locked in a global competition with this great Nation, and they intend to win it. They intend to win it. prgtoken They think of those of us in this Chamber as powerless to stop them and unable to prioritize our Nation's long-term goals over our party's short-term gains. prgtoken So I ask you this: When future generations of Americans cast their gaze toward new frontier
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Continued
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2021-5-27

later on this evening, it is my hope that we will be moving forward on the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which many of us are still calling the Endless Frontier Act. I will be voting to support final passage. This landmark bill has prompted considerable debate. prgtoken This legislation is about maintaining America's edge in research and technology. That is a top priority for my party, and it is a top priority for the ic Party in this Chamber. And it ought to prompt a spirited discussion. And it has prompted such a discussion. How many bills has this been said about? prgtoken The bill is not perfect. There are elements that I could do without, and there are parts that I wish were included. But on the whole, this is a necessary step to keep our Nation competitive. This bill puts forth a bold vision for scientific research across multiple Federal Agencies and authorizes a historic down payment on the priorities that can keep America at the forefront of innovation. This bill is a huge boost for American R&D. It authorizes substantial R&D investments through the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, NASA, and, of course, the National Science Foundation, which is the gold standard for basic research. prgtoken In addition to a new NSF Directorate, it will speed up the translation of R&D into practical applications and help tech innovators through the creation of technology hubs around the country and expanded manufacturing programs. prgtoken Our adversaries are well aware that America leads the world in innovation. Instead of trying to outinnovate the United States, some of our adversaries are choosing to steal what we create. The Chinese Communist Party is, bar none, the world's worst offender when it comes to research and intellectual property theft, making today's legislation especially urgent. prgtoken This legislation takes steps to improve research security at the National Science Foundation. Although the introduced bill did not contain adequate provisions in this area, I worked with Senator Cantwell, the chair of the Commerce Committee, to craft a package of reforms to safeguard taxpayer-funded research and intellectual property. prgtoken Our approach will ensure that the research community understands and complies with security policy and that grant applicants go through appropriate risk assessments. The research security title establishes a new research security office at the NSF to centralize the process of developing these security requirements and assessing potential risks. The office is empowered to pull in the intelligence and law enforcement Agencies to assist in targeted risk assessments. prgtoken We also establish a clearing-house for the research community to share information about security threats. Importantly, the research security title also includes a ban on Federal employees participating in foreign talent programs and a strict provision on tax-funded
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF KIWANIS CLUB OF MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2021-5-27

I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the Kiwanis Club of Minot, ND, as well as the 100-year birthdays of two Kiwanis members, ND, constituents, Mr. Lynn Aas and Mr. John Sinn. prgtoken Since its founding on May 27, 1921, the Kiwanis Club of Minot has helped make my home town a better place to live. As a former member of this organization, I deeply appreciate their continued dedication and contributions to the community and surrounding area. Some examples of their work include donating books to schools, supporting the arts, and raising money for local service organizations, like the Boy Scouts and the Juvenile Drug Court and Domestic Violence Crisis Center. In these ways, Minot's local Kiwanis prgtoken chapter helps realize the mission of this international organization and makes a real difference to families and children in the region. prgtoken At the same time, two notable Kiwanis members, Mr. Lynn Aas and Mr. John Sinn, are celebrating their 100th birthdays this year. As part of the ``greatest generation'' and as World War II veterans, Lynn and John have both been an important part of the Minot community and set a great example for their fellow Kiwanis members. prgtoken A native of McLean County, ND, Lynn Aas fought as a rifleman in the historic Battle of the Bulge. He served with the 17th Airborne Division of the 193rd Airborne Infantry and received the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the French Legion of Honor medal. prgtoken Following the war, he returned to his home State, where he earned his law degree from the University of North Dakota. In addition to his time as a Kiwanis member, Lynn served in our State's legislature for four sessions, was the president of the Minot Chamber of Commerce, served on the board for the United Way, and has been a longtime supporter of Minot State University. prgtoken As a member of the 386th Infantry Regiment, John Sinn served in the European theatre, where he earned the Bronze Star. He then returned home to farm with family members in Ryder, ND, eventually coming to work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1957. prgtoken John retired in 1989, more than 30 years ago. However, rather than taking a well-earned rest, he has been hard at work serving the Minot community. Among his efforts as a volunteer, he is best known for his work to improve and maintain the Scandinavian Heritage Park. prgtoken This is an iconic outdoor museum that is central to the community's identity and home to the annual Norsk Hostfest, the largest celebration of Scandinavian culture and history in North America. The best view of the park can be found at John Sinn Outlook, a testament to his many contributions. prgtoken It is therefore appropriate to take this time to recognize the hard work, dedication, and service of Lynn Aas, John Sinn, and the entire Kiwanis Club of Minot as they all celebrate their 100th birthdays this year.