mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING SANTOS RODRIGUEZ OF THE CITY OF DALLAS
Jasmine Crockett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-7-26

it is with heartfelt sorrow that I rise today to pay tribute to the memory of Santos Rodriguez--a young soul whose life was tragically cut short 50 years ago. On July 24, 1973, this innocent 12-year-old boy from Dallas, Texas, fell victim to an appalling act of violence that shook our Nation's conscience and forever changed the lives of his family and community. prgtoken On that fateful night, a Dallas police officer z--who was entrusted with protecting and serving the community--took Santos and his brother, David, from their home while responding to a call about a petty theft at a local gas station in the Little Mexico neighborhood. The two brothers were still in their pajamas as they were handcuffed and placed in a police car. In a shocking display of recklessness, the police officer aimed his gun at Santos' head and engaged in a lethal game of Russian roulette. Santos denied any involvement in the crime. Tragically, when the trigger was pulled--the gun fired. Santos was killed as his brother prgtoken watched from the backseat. On July 24, 1973, young Santos Rodriguez was taken away from his loved ones in a brutal act of violence, shattering the dreams he had yet to fulfill. prgtoken As the Congressional representative for the Little Mexico neighborhood--what is now known as Uptown--I feel a deep responsibility not only to honor the memory of Santos, but also to stand in solidarity with the Mexican-American community of Dallas as we continue the fight for equality. Santos Rodriguez's story remains a stark reminder of the continued need for oversight within our law enforcement system and the devastating impact of unchecked abuses of power. His untimely death exposed the harsh realities faced by marginalized communities and the profound importance of addressing racial injustice. prgtoken Residents of the City of Dallas have a right to know the truth of their city. We have a right to live in a city governed by leaders who believe that the only way towards a more equitable future requires us to reconcile with our past. While we remember Santos Rodriguez, let us also honor his memory by recommitting ourselves to creating a safer and more equitable Dallas. In his memory, we must strive for a future where no child or individual lives in fear, where persons in positions of authority are held to the highest standards of integrity, and where the tragedies of our past are never forgotten. prgtoken In 1973, the story of Santos' murder inspired the Chicano movement in North Texas. In the five decades since that heart-wrenching event, we have seen the community of Dallas and the nation rally together in solidarity to demand change. Santos Rodriguez's memory has become a symbol of resilience inspiring movements for justice, equality, and meaningful police reform. prgtoken Today, as we solemnly remember Santos, let us recommit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and fairness, and strive for a society where no life is ev
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-7-26

last week, we saw an important step to recognize the legacy of our nuclear weapons program and live up to our obligations to the people and communities still touched by that work. And, no, I am not talking about a movie. The new release may focus on part of the story, but there is another important chapter I will not let us overlook or forget, one that takes place in my home State of Washington, one that is not over yet. That is Hanford, where men and women in my State are diligently now doing the hard, dangerous work of cleaning up one of the most hazardous nuclear waste sites on the planet. prgtoken As some of my colleagues may know, during World War II, the Federal Government established the Hanford Site in Central Washington State to produce the plutonium our Nation needed for nuclear weapons. Hanford wasn't just where they made the plutonium; it is also where they left 177 tanks, 56 million gallons of highly toxic radioactive waste. For decades now, workers have been doing the critically important work and very dangerous work of cleaning up that site. prgtoken I have fought for decades to make sure the Federal Government lives up to its moral and legal obligation to support our Hanford workers and clean up the Hanford Site, and I am still fighting to make sure we live up to those obligations today. That is why I meet regularly with workers from Hanford to hear about the challenges they are facing and the help they need. It is exactly why I have been pushing so hard to get my Beryllium Testing Fairness Act passed, and I was thrilled that the Senate voted overwhelmingly last week--96 to 2--to add this to the annual Defense bill. prgtoken My legislation makes sure that workers are getting support to deal with one of the most dangerous threats they face at Hanford--beryllium exposure. This is a serious health risk that can cause severe respiratory disease, irreversible scarring of the lungs, and lung cancer. prgtoken Now, Congress passed legislation in 2000 providing care to those who have made incredible sacrifices by working on our nuclear arsenal. I fought to make sure this covered the medical costs for those with chronic beryllium disease and provided cash benefits to people who have been diagnosed with that disease. But here is the thing: Not everyone who needs those critical medical benefits for beryllium exposure can get them today. That is because the diagnostic standard is outdated and out of line with current science. prgtoken Right now, to qualify for advanced medical monitoring, you have to show an abnormal blood test. But if your blood test is borderline for beryllium sensitization, that doesn't count toward your diagnosis at all--even when you are plainly experiencing the effects of beryllium exposure or even if it is your third such borderline result. That is not right, and by the way, it is not consistent with today's science. prgtoken Workers in America who are cleaning up one
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024--Continued
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2023-7-26

I would like to continue this wall of honor, this honor roll of these patriotic public servants. prgtoken Rear Admiral John Gumbleton to be a vice admiral of the U.S. Navy and Deputy Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. He currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Budget. He has 34 years of service to the Navy. His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal. prgtoken Rear Admiral Christopher S. Gray to be a vice admiral of the U.S. Navy and the Commander of Navy Installations Command. He currently serves as Commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic and has 34 years of service. He has served as the Commander of Navy Region Northwest and the Chief of Staff of Navy Installations Command. His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal With Combat ``V'' and Strike/ Flight numeral 1. prgtoken Rear Admiral James Pitts to be a vice admiral in the U.S. Navy and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities. He currently serves as the Director of the Warfare Integration, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He has 37 years of service. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit with one gold star, Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Meritorious Service Medal with three gold stars. He has 30 different awards, many received multiple times. prgtoken Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach for reappointment as a general in the U.S. Air Force and Commander, Air Force Combat Command. He currently serves as the Commander of Pacific Air Forces. He has 38 years of service. General Wilsbach is a command pilot with more than 5,000 hours in multiple aircrafts, Defense Distinguished Service Medal with one oakleaf cluster, Defense Superior Service Medal with one oakleaf cluster, Legion of Merit with two oakleaf clusters, and the Bronze Star Medal. prgtoken Maj. Gen. Linda S. Hurry to be a lieutenant general in the U.S. Air Force and Deputy Commander, Air Force Materiel Command. She is nominated to be the Deputy Commander of Air Force Materiel Command, which manages installation and mission support, discovery and development, testing and evaluation, and life cycle management services and sustainment for every Air Force weapon system. Air Force Materiel Command employs nearly 86,000 military and civilian airmen, managing a $71.3 billion budget. Major Hurry has served for 32 years. Her awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with one oakleaf cluster, and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oakleaf cluster. prgtoken BG Miguel Mendez to be a major general in the Army National Guard of the United States. He served 35 years in the Army, encompassing 20 different duty stations. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oakleaf clusters and the Army Commendation Medal with one bronze oakleaf
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-7-26

on AI, finally, with so much going on in the Senate, I want to remind my colleagues that today we will hold our third all-Senate briefing on artificial intelligence. Our presenters are Rick Stevens from the Department of Energy's Argonne National Lab, Dr. Sethuraman ``Panch'' Panchanathan from the National Science Foundation, and Dr. Kathleen Fisher from the Information Innovation Office at DARPA. Finally, our moderator will be Dr. Jose-Marie Griffiths, member, National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, and president of Dakota State University. It is a broad range of presenters. prgtoken The last few briefings were well-attended. I know people are busy today, but please try to make the time. And the Q-and-A was surprisingly very direct. We got a lot of answers and learned a lot. prgtoken So I look forward to seeing my colleagues at the briefing for what surely will be an illuminating, important discussion, and I thank everyone for their good work.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2023-7-26

. Mr. Chair, Americans are not fighting and dying in Ukraine, Ukrainians are. All they ask of the great country they admire and they want to emulate is that we help with equipment and training. prgtoken Putin benefits from this amendment. Putin, a sociopath, who is engaged in the most depraved behavior in our lifetime: killing innocent men and women, targeting hospitals, targeting schools, and showing no restraint. prgtoken This Congress must stand with Ukraine. This Congress can never be seen as Putin's enabler. That is what this amendment does. That is what is behind it. prgtoken The author of this amendment has already said she wants to give zero to Ukraine, so we know the motivation behind the amendment. Let's reject it. prgtoken Let's stand with Ukraine and make sure Putin gets that message loud and strong with a forceful voice here on the floor of the House of Representatives.
INTRODUCTION OF THE EXPEDITED FEDERAL PERMITTING FOR CALIFORNIA ACT
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-7-26

today I introduce the ``Expedited Federal Permitting for California Act.'' This new bill would make permanent the U.S. Department of Transportation's program for eliminating duplicative environmental reviews for federally funded infrastructure projects. It would also make federally funded airport and port development projects eligible for this expedited federal environmental review and permitting. Only federally funded highway, public transit, and multimodal projects are eligible under current law. prgtoken Established by Congress in 2015 under the leadership of former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), then-Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public prgtoken Works, this federal pilot program allows states like California with more stringent environment laws than the federal National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to substitute their state environmental reviews in lieu of completing a second, unnecessary federal environmental review at additional taxpayer expense. This cuts the permitting backlog in half for major transportation infrastructure projects statewide, which can proceed immediately to construction on time and budget. As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I helped to develop and pass the 2015 Highway Bill (Public Law 114-94), which established this pilot authority. prgtoken Under the leadership of then- Pelosi and President , Congressional made a generational investment under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-58) and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-169) to modernize our nation's infrastructure and build the clean energy economy of tomorrow. As one of five cosponsors of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and having voted with every other ic member of California's Congressional delegation to enact the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, I am committed to getting California our fair of this historic federal investment. prgtoken However, I am increasingly concerned that California will miss out on this federal funding only available for the next 3 years to fix our roads and public transit if we remain bogged down in a state and federal permitting morass that is unnecessarily cumbersome and litigious. My bill would simply make permanent the pilot authority established under the 2015 Highway Bill for substituting by California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for NEPA reviews for federally funded transportation projects. Under current law, this pilot authority will expire on December 4, 2027. prgtoken In January 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation finalized the necessary regulations to finally implement this pilot authority. To date, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has never made use of this federal pilot authority and continues to insist on completing less stringent federal environmental reviews on behalf of the Federal Highway Admini
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Terri A. Sewell (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2023-7-26

today, I was unavoidably detained attending to important matters in my district. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on the Motion on Ordering the Previous Question (H. Res. 614), NO on H. Res. 614, YES on Ryan Amendment No. 1, NO on Ogles Amendment No. 2, NO on Greene Amendment No. 3, NO on Greene Amendment No. 34, NO on Bost Amendment No. 35, NO on Rosendale Amendment No. 37, NO on Roy Amendment No. 38, NO on Roy Amendment No. 39, NO on Roy Amendment No. 40, and NO on Zinke Amendment No. 41.
COMMEMORATING THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-7-26

fifty-eight years ago, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 became a staple in the fight to expand democracy to all Americans. Unfortunately, much of the ground gained from the law has since eroded. After the 2013 Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder that stripped essential oversight provisions from the Voting Rights Act, a tidal wave of anti-democratic practices washed over our country to systematically disenfranchise Black and brown voters, harkening back to the Jim Crow south. prgtoken Over the past decade, s have implemented restrictive changes to voting practices to intentionally exclude groups of voters. These tactics include reducing the number of polling locations to leave out locations where ic voters live, placing limitations on early voting and mail-in voting, implementing strict voter-id laws, gerrymandering voting-districts, enabling armed individuals to intimidate voters and election officials, purging voters from voter rolls, and declaring election fraud when ic candidates win. Furthermore, s and right-wing media figures have spread incendiary lies about the U.S. election integrity, leading to far-right extremists storming the Capitol in a failed attempt to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. prgtoken The idea of democracy is sacred. Democracy promotes self-governance. Democracy promotes settling our differences non-violently and the peaceful transition of power. Democracy promotes tolerance and inclusion. We stand at an unprecedented point in American history where the very existence of our democracy hangs in the balance. We must prevent extreme political actors from implementing anti-democratic voting practices. prgtoken I am proud of the work Illinois has done to protect voting rights. For example, all Cook County polling locations offer same-day voter registration on election day. Additionally, Illinois has open-access to mail-in-voting. These provisions make it easier to vote, not harder. These provisions support greater democratic participation, not less. However, these provisions do not go far enough. Congress must protect, defend, and expand democracy at the federal level. prgtoken Two years ago, the House passed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, a bill that would require states to receive federal preclearance before implementing changes to voting practices if they have demonstrated a history of voting rights abuses over the past 25 years. The bill would restore the oversights stripped from the Voting Rights Act by Shelby County v. Holder. Congress must enact the Voting Rights Advancement Act and bills like it if we are to ensure the survival of American democracy. prgtoken Recent Supreme Court decisions on reproductive rights and affirmative action demonstrate that the struggle for equality has not ended for many groups in this country. We cannot grow complacent with the political vic
COMMEMORATING THE RETIREMENT OF JOHN ELSESSER
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-7-26

I rise today to enthusiastically honor and congratulate a true pillar of public service in municipal governance, John Elsesser of Coventry, Connecticut. John is retiring this year from his role as Town Manager for the Town of Coventry--a position he has held since 1988. His almost 4 decades of selfless advocacy for his community and all municipalities has been felt from the halls of local government all the way to the chambers of Connecticut's General Assembly in Hartford and the U.S. Capitol. John's expertise and ability will be sorely missed. prgtoken John began his journey in public service when he started as an administrative assistant in Wethersfield soon after his graduation from the University of Hartford with a master's in public administration in 1982. John's competency and skill navigating the complexities of town government were quickly recognized. Not long after his initial employment with the Town of Wethersfield, he transitioned over to the nearby government of Avon, Connecticut as its Assistant Town Manager. prgtoken In May of 1988, John rose to the pinnacle of his profession when he began his tenure fully in charge as Coventry's Town Manager. Once there, he quickly established himself as an indispensable advocate for the municipality, while simultaneously he brought an enlightened form of town administration for all the departments under his control. John successfully operationalized his vision for Coventry and has been responsible for countless, necessary upgrades to the town's functioning. He secured funding to update the town's administrative software and oversaw a bond rating upgrade by Moody's in a time of great fiscal instability for Connecticut. John has been wildly successful in securing grant money for Coventry, garnering over $57 million in state and federal funding the past year and a half alone for the town--money which has been used to spearhead infrastructure upgrades and create more pedestrian-friendly roads. prgtoken Collaboration has been a cornerstone of John's leadership style, holding a great respect for Coventry's Town Council and working within the legislative framework they provided. He formed partnerships with organizations like the University of Connecticut and Connecticut Department of Agriculture to improve the quality of life for residents in Coventry. Most importantly, John was paramount in the creation of a positive culture of staff and volunteers. As a municipal leader of a small, eastern Connecticut town, John knew the importance volunteers and administrators play in rural civic ecosystems. It stands as a testament to John's community-centric mindset that he laments being unable to construct a community center during his time. prgtoken John's expertise and excellence has been recognized both statewide and nationally. He has served as President of the CT Town & City Management Association, the Council of Small Towns, and the Tolland County Chamber of Commer
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024--Continued
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2023-7-26

as we move forward with the National Defense Authorization Act, I want to say a little bit about why it is so important that we get this done. prgtoken Over the last several months, the administration and all of us in the Senate--with particular thanks to Chair Reed and Ranking Member Wicker--have worked hard to deliver a bill that will keep our country safe. prgtoken There is a lot in this bill, and we all know about some of the big stuff. This year's NDAA will better position us to deter conflict in the Indo-Pacific, strengthen our cyber security capabilities, help us acquire next-gen microelectronics to keep our military competitive, extend our security assistance to Ukraine, and authorize other programs that support our national defense. prgtoken These are all reasons that I support this legislation, but I want to highlight a couple of provisions that are just as important and are focused on taking care of the people who serve our country--civilian and military--and underscore the need for accountability. People are the glue that holds everything together, and they are why we have a strong national defense. Some of these provisions are included in this bill, but others we are still working on to include in the final package. prgtoken One provision we worked to secure in this bill deals directly with the State of Hawaii. When the Department of the Navy's Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility leaked jet fuel into the water system on the island of Oahu, many were exposed to contaminated water. Although we are on a path to defuel and permanently close the facility, we still do not have an accurate accounting of those affected. prgtoken This year's Defense authorization includes my bill establishing a registry to track and collect health data from those who were exposed to the fuel leak. This is a meaningful step to continue to deliver resources to community members, servicemembers, and military families and monitor long-term health concerns. This leak should have never happened, but now we need to do everything we can to help those who have been impacted. prgtoken A key provision we are still working to include in the final package will help us to better protect the most vulnerable among us--kids. In 2018, the Department of Defense's internet network was ranked 19th out of almost 3,000 nationwide networks in the amount of peer-to-peer child pornography shared--19th out of 3,000. The ranking remains shocking and unacceptable, but it was not entirely unexpected. A 2006 investigation by Federal law enforcement officials found that 5,000 individuals-- 5,000 individuals, including hundreds affiliated with the Department of Defense--subscribed to websites that contained child sexual abuse images and videos. prgtoken Out of those 5,000 people, 80 percent of them were not investigated-- 80 percent of them were not investigated. That is because the military lacked the capacity and the resources needed to fol