mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Women's Healthcare (Executive Calendar)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-2-24

I am really disappointed to feel like I need to come to the floor today to respond to these anti-women, anti- family bills that have been introduced. Not only would these bills interfere with a woman's ability to make her own reproductive choices, they would threaten doctors with prison time if they perform abortion services that women have a constitutional right to receive. prgtoken These bills are dangerous, extreme, and they are part of an ongoing effort by this administration to overturn Roe v. Wade. We don't need this legislation to prevent the killing of infants. prgtoken Let's be very clear. Infanticide is already illegal under Federal law. In fact, prosecutions have occurred under the current law that prevents infanticide. This legislation would do nothing but set up ambiguous standards for cases that are often medical emergencies and add uncertainty to laws that are already on the books to prohibit infanticide. prgtoken This uncertainty will have a chilling effect on the ability of women to access the services they need in the United States. The legislation we are voting on would also imprison doctors for up to 5 years for performing abortions after a woman is 20 weeks pregnant, even though-- even though Federal courts have ruled that this 20-week abortion ban, as is proposed under one of these bills, would violate the Constitution. prgtoken The 20-week abortion ban bill would only allow for exceptions for minors who are victims of rape or incest if those young women report that rape or incest to the police. For adult women, the rape exception would only apply if she waits 48 hours and gets counseling from a healthcare provider that her government--not that she or her family but the government--determines is acceptable. prgtoken These exceptions are just shameful because my colleagues know, as I do, that almost three-quarters of rape and sexual assaults are never reported, often because women have legitimate fears of being victimized again. They fear the rapist or the person who has assaulted them. prgtoken More broadly, it is really this simple: We should not be putting doctors in prison for providing a woman with the reproductive care she chooses. We must always remember that abortions that are performed later in pregnancy are almost always done as a result of severe fetal diagnoses and the serious risk that the pregnancy poses to the life of the woman. prgtoken This isn't a decision that any woman or family wants to be in a position to make. It is tragic, and it is heartbreaking. The fact that these bills would demean the women who have to make these decisions by suggesting that this is something that government should decide for them instead of the woman with her family and with her doctor is nothing but tragic. I don't understand how people can think the government is better positioned to make these personal decisions than women and families and their doctors. prgtoken Protecting pregn
Russia (Executive Calendar)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-2-24

I come to the floor today with a sense of urgency. Our next national election is a little more than 8 months away. We know from public reporting that Russia is back to its 2016 playbook and working to interfere again. What some called a political Pearl Harbor in 2016 is in the process of happening again. It is happening to us again. prgtoken I notice that every Member of the Senate has Washington's Farewell Address. It is an annual ritual in which that address is read by Members. It is interesting, in the introduction, that one of the things Washington warned about is interference by foreign powers in the Nation's domestic affairs; George Washington, President, one of the Founders of our country, wrote back then about the interference of foreign powers in our domestic affairs. prgtoken This isn't about the Kremlin helping , although we know that was their preference the last time. But it has become increasingly clear that at least at this point, chaos is the true goal. We haven't seen anything that may have changed what their preference was 4 years ago. Nothing that the President has done should be a reason for them not to want to see him be reelected again. But regardless of whether that is or is not the case, chaos is part of their goal. Rendering our democracy incapable of standing up to bullies abroad is their goal. prgtoken What is this administration's response? Is it paralysis? No, it is anything but. This administration now appears to be engaged in a proactive strategy to deny this body access to information on this interference. With the appointment of Ric Grenell to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence, the administration is sending a clear message to the American people, to the Congress, and to governments around the world that our intelligence services are now political commodities to be manipulated and used to gain electoral advantage. Amid all of the oversight challenges we face with this administration, we will likely look back on this decision as perhaps one of the most consequential and most damaging to our democratic institutions, and that is saying a lot about this White House. prgtoken These reports of Russian interference do not come as a surprise. They should not find us flatfooted. Several of us have introduced sanctions legislation that would deter such Russian behavior from happening. The DASKA bill that I introduced with Senator Graham had broad bipartisan support and passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a strong bipartisan vote and is waiting on the Senate floor for action. prgtoken What are we waiting for? The election is 8 months away. What are we waiting for? We are waiting for responsible Senators to defend our democracy, waiting for a vote. Yet it sits here, and it is an outrage. prgtoken Inaction at this very precarious stage in our democratic story violates the very oath that Members swore to uphold upon their elec
VOTE EXPLANATION
Kamala D. Harris (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-2-24

I was absent for vote No. 300 on the Nomination: Confirmation: Daniel Habib Jorjani, of Kentucky, to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior. Had I been present, I would have voted no on the nomination. prgtoken , I was absent for vote No. 339 on the Amendment S. Amdt. 1209: Lee Amdt. No. 2109; To prohibit the expenditure of certain amounts from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for land acquisition. Had I been present, I would have voted no on the amendment.
Women's Healthcare (Executive Calendar)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2020-2-24

it must be a day that ends in ``Y'' because, once again, Senators are pushing for backward, ideological bills to restrict a women's constitutional right to abortion. Once again, s are peddling a ban that is blatantly unconstitutional. Once again, they are pretending we don't already have laws on the books that protect infants and are using that as a pretext to drum up fear and misunderstanding about one of the most heartbreaking situations a family can face, and are pushing for anti- doctor, anti-women, anti-family legislation. prgtoken Once again, I am here on behalf of women and men across the country to deliver the same message we have already made clear countless times: not on our watch. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he wants to pivot to legislating, which makes these two atrocious bills an interesting choice because all 100 Senators know they are going absolutely nowhere. The truth is, s' charade today is not actually about passing laws any more than it is about people's health or medical science or what is best for patients. It is really about s' crass political calculation that they can fire up their far-right base with an all-out war against the constitutionally protected right to safe, legal abortion. prgtoken The two bills differ in some significant ways, but they have the same consequences. They would criminalize--criminalize--abortion, take deeply personal, often painful decisions out of the hands of parents and use scare tactics and misinformation to try to weaken strong public support for Roe. prgtoken Another thing they have in common? They have already been panned by leading medical groups. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has called one of these bills ``an unconstitutional attempt to intimidate health care providers and prevent them from providing the safe care their patients want and need.'' And they have said the other is ``a gross legislative interference into the practice of medicine.'' prgtoken It is not just medical experts. Families across the country have actually faced these decisions, have spoken out to make clear politicians should have no part in them. Pressing for these awful bills year after year may be nothing more than a cynical political tactic for s, but passing them would be an unconscionable exercise in cruelty to the people who would actually be affected: prgtoken People like Judy, who is from my home State of Washington. Judy learned over 20 weeks into her pregnancy that her son's organs were not developing properly. One lung was 20 percent formed. The other was missing entirely. prgtoken People like Kate, whose doctor informed her that if her daughter survived birth, she would not be able to walk, talk, or swallow and likely would not even be comfortable enough to sleep. prgtoken People like Lindsay, who learned her daughter had a fast-growing, inoperable tumor growing
Black History Month (Executive Session)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2020-2-24

I rise today to celebrate Black History Month and to pay tribute to Pennsylvanians whose work has made a real difference in our Commonwealth. prgtoken This year we will honor three individuals who have dedicated themselves to uplifting the lives of others. We know that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr once said: ``Life's most persistent and urgent question is: `What are you doing for others?' '' For purposes of today's remarks, I will substitute one word. I will substitute the word ``children'' for the word ``others'' and ask: What are you doing for our children? prgtoken It is an important question, not only for those of us who gather for Black History Month today and to celebrate this month, but it is also an important question for every Member of Congress to ask themselves. prgtoken This year we are going to honor these three Pennsylvanians: Kathy Elliott, Rosemary Browne, and Ellyn Jo Waller. All three have dedicated their lives to answering this urgent question and to building pathways toward hope for children in their communities. prgtoken I can think of no calling more important and no mission more essential than this one: to help our children. It is an honor for me to have the privilege to recognize these remarkable Pennsylvanians. They are beacons in their communities, and they are each, in their own way, an inspiration to me in my work in the Senate and, I know, to the work of our staff as well. prgtoken American children face a crisis created by policy choices made by adults over now several decades. Despite low unemployment and overall economic growth, children are being left out and left behind. Almost half of young children in the United States of America live in poverty or near poverty, with infants and toddlers at greatest risk. prgtoken Nearly half of children live in those circumstances. prgtoken According to the Census Bureau's ``Supplemental Poverty Measure,'' which takes into account many of the government programs designed to assist low-income families and individuals, childhood poverty worsened--worsened--in 2017 for the first time since the Great Recession. prgtoken Poverty harms children both immediately and for a lifetime, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine concluded in their 2019 seminal report, ``A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty.'' They found that poverty itself, especially when it occurs in early childhood or is persistent over time, is damaging to children in ways that last a lifetime. prgtoken Specifically, the report finds the following--and I am quoting the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine: ``We find overwhelming evidence . . . that . . . a child growing up in a family whose income is below the poverty line experiences worse outcomes than a child from a wealthier family in virtually every dimension, from physical and mental health, to educational attainment and labor market success, to risky behaviors and delinquency
Women's Healthcare (Executive Calendar)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-2-24

this week, the Senate is having yet another debate on legislation to restrict healthcare for women, and I am going to take just a few minutes to talk about what this debate is really all about. prgtoken The old slogan was ``a chicken in every pot.'' The new slogan is ``a in every examining room.'' prgtoken The Senate has done remarkably little legislating while under the recent control of the other party, but somehow, some way, there always seems to be time to have an attack on women's healthcare. It has come up again and again, and it is always the same basic proposition on offer: politicians trying to somehow squeeze themselves in between women and their physicians. prgtoken My view is that the government ought to make sure that women can get healthcare from the doctors they trust and that politicians ought to stay out of things. Roe v. Wade says that is supposed to be the law of the land when it comes to access to abortion. More than four decades of settled law says that these are choices to be made by women and their doctors, and the ideological agendas of politicians ought to have nothing to do with it. The legislation up for debate this week, based on yet another far-right cause, says the opposite. Amongst other problems, one of the proposals on offer this week would actually criminalize the practice of intensely personal healthcare. It would essentially say to doctors: Just throw out your training. Throw it away. Discard your medical judgment, and forget what is in the patient's best interest. prgtoken Rightwing politicians are going to call the shots in the exam room. Doctors who provide necessary medical treatment and care that can be lifesaving could be thrown in jail if they run afoul of these new ideological government standards. prgtoken Now, this isn't a debate just here in the Senate. There have been hundreds of bills brought forward in States across the country restricting women's healthcare, including safe and legal abortion. Among the people hit hardest by these proposals are the millions of women in this country who are every single day walking an economic tightrope. If they can't see the doctor they trust and if their local Planned Parenthood clinic is forced to shutter its doors because of these harsh new rules, they may not have anywhere else to turn to for vital healthcare. It is another way in which the far right and the agenda supporting it goes back to the days when healthcare was really just for the healthy and the wealthy. prgtoken Bottom line: This debate is fundamentally about whether the government gets to control women's bodies. It is a dangerous, in my view, unconstitutional proposition that just throws in the garbage can decades of settled law. This majority has proved that we can always find time here in the Senate to go after women's healthcare with ideological bills, regardless of what other
TRIBUTE TO WILLIAM GASTON CAPERTON III
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2020-2-24

it is a great privilege of mine to rise and honor the legacy of one of the most influential, generous, and inspiring West Virginians I have ever had the pleasure of calling a dear friend: William Gaston Caperton IIII. My friend Gaston turns 80 years young on February 21, 2020, and it is an honor to celebrate his legacy with my fellow West Virginians. prgtoken It would be difficult to find anyone as knowledgeable or dedicated to our home State as Gaston. The son of Eliza and William Gaston Caperton, Jr Gaston was born and raised with his sister, Cary, in our home State's capital, Charleston. I have always said there is no greater accomplishment in the world than to be in a position to give back to the community you love, that made you who you are. That is what made Gaston the wonderful, inspiring, and generous person he was. After attending Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gaston returned home to join the family business. Under his leadership, the McDonough-Caperton Insurance Group became the 10th largest privately owned insurance brokerage firm in the United States. Along the way, he owned and operated a bank and a mortgage company. prgtoken The people of the home State that Gaston and I share have an exceptional can-do spirit, a neighborly love that is unrelenting, and are grounded by the same core principle: to help others be the best they can be. That is Gaston's legacy as a public servant and as a leader. After a successful business career in finance and insurance, Gaston was elected as West Virginia's 31st Governor in 1988 and quickly revolutionized West Virginia's education system. During the 8 years of his administration, the average teacher salary went from 49th in the Nation to 31st. He launched one of the country's earliest and most comprehensive basic skills computer initiatives, as well as invested more than $800 million into building, modernizing, and improving school facilities throughout the State. He also conducted an aggressive program of international trade missions to promote the export of West Virginia products. Gaston's focus on investing in the future paid off, adding almost 90,000 jobs between 1989 and 1997, lowering the unemployment rate to its lowest level in 17 years, and increasing total investment by new and expanded businesses by more than $3.9 billion. prgtoken Throughout the years, we bonded over our passion for public service, for inspiring the next generation of leaders, and we share the common goal of helping the rest of the country discover all that West Virginia has to offer. Gaston left office in 1997 and spent 2 years teaching at Harvard and Columbia Universities before becoming the eighth president of the College Board in 1999. As president, he helped transform the century-old institution into a mission-driven, student-first operation promoting college success and opportunity for all America
STRAWBERRY CREST HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
Ross Spano (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-2-25

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate the girls soccer team of Strawberry Crest High School for winning the Class 6A District 11 title. prgtoken The team exhibited strength and passion all year long. Then their many hours of practice and commitment to one another gave them an added edge on their run to the district title. prgtoken In the semifinals, the team showcased their extraordinary talents by shutting out Tampa Tech, 3-0. prgtoken In the championship game against a very talented Plant City team, Strawberry Crest was resilient in their effort and pitched a fierce comeback to ultimately win the game in double overtime. prgtoken I congratulate Coach Sean Woodhouse and his staff on this title. The time and effort you invest into our youth to help them develop into strong leaders and community members does not go unnoticed. prgtoken I also congratulate the following team members for their fantastic season: prgtoken Sheny Anauo, Cristoval Arevalo, Kamila Arevalo Cortes, Stephanie Briseno, Abigayle Caballero, Ezra Carpenter, Ariana Diaz Cortes, Avery Fearnow, Isamara Flores-Hernandez, Andrea Garcia. prgtoken Alexa Guzman, Madison Hall, Emily Hobbs, Khaijah Jeans, Lydia Linares, Amanda Ocegueda, Lizbeth Ortiz, Ashley Parow, Emily Parow, Mei Ramsey. prgtoken Olivia Reyes, Emily Rosales, Danielle Seunath, Hanna Trotto, Hali Vician. prgtoken I'm proud of them all.
RECOGNIZING TALLY MAC SHACK
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-2-25

as chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize a small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of our country. It is my privilege to recognize a Florida small business that not only creates a delicious product, but dedicates time, effort, and money to serving its community. This week, it is my pleasure to honor Tally Mac Shack of Tallahassee, FL, as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken Despite having a graduate degree in criminology from Florida State University and a job with a State agency, when the opportunity arose, Justo Cruz jumped at the chance to pursue his entrepreneurial dream. After attending a mac-and-cheese fest in 2017, Justo was inspired to create comfort food with a gourmet twist. Creating social media accounts and a logo, Justo started Tally Mac Shack that same day. He traded in his 2006 Nissan Armada for an old Frito-Lay delivery truck, converting it into the original Tally Mac Shack food truck, where he experimented with his mac-and-cheese creations. prgtoken On October 1, 2017, Tally Mac Shack debuted at a food-tasting event and sold out within 2 hours. Two-and-a-half years later, Tally Mac Shack is 30 employees strong, boasts two food trucks, two brick-and- mortar locations, and has established a strong catering presence in the Tallahassee area. Partnering with his alma mater, Justo established a brick-and-mortar location on FSU's campus and a concession stand in its football stadium. prgtoken Since its inception, Tally Mac Shack has emphasized the importance of community service. The business has partnered with local agencies and organizations to support a variety of causes, including Hurricane Michael disaster relief and the Down Syndrome Association of Florida. They have also supported the Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Cancer Center, the Kearney Center for the Homeless, and Fort Braden Middle School. During its summer nonprofit program, Tally Mac Shack donates a portion of its profit and a free visit from one of its food trucks to a local organization. Participating groups include Big Bend Hospice, Alzheimer's Project, Inc Habitat for Humanity, and the local Humane Society. Additionally, Justo recently announced that Tally Mac Shack is an official On the Job Training partner with Leon High School's culinary program, providing mentorship and job training to local students. prgtoken Combined with community involvement, Tally Mac Shack's modern take on a culinary classic was a recipe for success and business continues to boom. Excelling on all fronts, Tally Mac Shack was recognized for its community service as an inaugural winner of the 2019 All in Tally Award for going ``above and beyond to make our community a better place to live.'' Within its first 18 months, Tally Mac Shack was also honored five times as Tallahassee's best food truck. prgtoken Tally Mac Shack is a gre