mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Remembering Elizabeth Peratrovich (Executive Calendar)
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2022-2-16

I have come to the floor this evening to speak in honor and recognition of a woman by the name of Elizabeth Peratrovich. prgtoken Elizabeth Peratrovich is recognized in my State of Alaska as a champion, a relentless champion, for civil rights for all Alaskans. prgtoken It is on this day, the 16th of February, that the State of Alaska observes Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. In communities across the State, in schools, cultural centers, you are going to be seeing activities to honor this really remarkable Alaska Native leader. prgtoken PBS has an award-winning show for children called ``Molly of Denali.'' It is a great TV show, and they recently had an episode highlighting the story of Elizabeth Peratrovich. prgtoken It was just 2 years ago, now, that her image was placed on a dollar coin issued by the U.S. Mint. So that recognition has gone beyond the State of Alaska, clearly, to the national and the Federal level. prgtoken So as we are celebrating Elizabeth Peratrovich Day back home, I am going to share a little bit of her story with the Senate because it is a legacy of seeking and realizing a more inclusive society and certainly a more representative democracy. prgtoken Elizabeth was a Tlingit, a member of the Raven/Sockeye or Lukaax-Adi clan. She was actually born on Independence Day, born in Petersburg, AK, in 1911. prgtoken And it was just a year after that, 1912, a group of Native people from across the southeastern part of the State mobilized to form an organization called the Alaska Native Brotherhood, ANB. Then, 2 years later, they formed the Alaska Native Sisterhood. ANB, ANS these are considered the oldest indigenous civil rights organizations in the world, started right there in southeastern Alaska. prgtoken ANB and ANS sought to advance equal opportunities for education, for employment, for housing, and they fought to secure Native civil rights. prgtoken Elizabeth married Roy Peratrovich, and the two of them became very active in ANB and ANS activities in the 1940s. prgtoken In 1941, they had moved to Juneau, and they encountered a level of discrimination in that community against Alaska Native peoples that, as we look at the accounts of the time, paralleled the Jim Crow practices in the South, but it strengthened their resolve. It strengthened their commitment to fight back against the discrimination that they saw. prgtoken Through their work with ANB and ANS, Elizabeth and Roy began advocating for an antidiscrimination bill in the Territorial legislature. If you will recall, we didn't become a State until 1959. This is the early forties, and they are talking about an antidiscrimination bill in our legislature. They pointed out to all who would listen that Alaska Natives were paying taxes for a public school system that excluded their children. They weren't part of that school system. They pointed out that Alaska Native men were fighting in World War II, but then on their return, they were den
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-2-17

I was surprised to learn that Facebook recently flagged a news article that I posted on my Facebook pages as ``false information.'' The article I posted was about new Durham investigation allegations against Hillary Clinton's campaign and its associates. The article clearly cited a Federal court filing and a former congressional investigator with a deep understanding of the ' work to concoct the bogus Russia collusion narrative that divided our Nation for years. prgtoken This wouldn't be an issue today if more journalists did their job of being the police of our society and governmental system and reported on all investigations, not just ones that appeal to certain political parties. prgtoken What kind of a message does this censorship send to a reporter who does take on the new allegations against the Clinton campaign and its associates and then it is labeled ``disinformation''? I don't think that is going to encourage more journalists to cover this issue. prgtoken It is truly mind-blowing that these companies continue to interfere in free expression. Big Tech is silencing everyone they disagree with, and clearly they see no check to their powers. The article I cited--I cited two in my post--was on foxnews.com, a mainstream news organization. prgtoken Why does Facebook and one of its third-party fact-checker partners get to make the decision that this news article is considered false information? That decision should be made by the American people who should be able to view that content and decide that fact for themselves. It shouldn't be decided by our Big Tech overlords who seem to only find fault with content that is conservative or goes against the liberal narrative. prgtoken These are the same outlets that allowed information relating to the Steele dossier to run wild and very free, yet censored Hunter 's news articles during the 2020 election. prgtoken Now they are doing the bidding for the Clinton camp. Why are they so afraid of reporting that exposes the Russian collusion hoax? Silencing or chilling free speech and the back-and-forth discussion of ideas is entirely wrong. Increasingly, we see the tag ``misinformation'' or ``disinformation'' given to content that the liberal mainstream media simply disagrees with or goes against their chosen narrative. Finding and seeking the truth should not be about silencing voices but allowing robust discourse. prgtoken It is time that we examine the section 230 immunity that has enabled these companies to avoid any liability. We must stop these companies from arbitrarily deciding what speech is acceptable for this free country we live in. It has become increasingly clear that these dominant platforms controlling discussion and dialogue are more beholden to cancel culture and not to the fundamentals of free speech principles that this country was founded upon. prgtoken These Big Tech companies have few competitors and are immune from lia
SUPPORTING AN INDEPENDENT AND DEMOCRATIC UKRAINE AGAINST ANY FURTHER RUSSIAN MILITARY INVASION
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-2-17

I rise today with Senator Jeanne Shaheen to request that the Ukraine resolution introduced by us, along with Senators Risch, Menendez, Cornyn, and Durbin be passed by unanimous consent. prgtoken This is a dangerous time in the world, especially for our ally, Ukraine. There are over 150,000 Russian troops poised on their border, an overwhelming force that could invade at a moment's notice. prgtoken This resolution is very simple and straightforward; it makes it clear that for 30 years Ukraine has been an independent and sovereign country. It commends the bravery of the Ukrainian people and their desire to integrate with the West, to align themselves with democratic values and freedom and continue to move away from the autocratic rule of Russia. prgtoken It also acknowledges the over 14,000 Ukrainians who have been killed since 2014 in fighting against Russian backed separatists. prgtoken It details the ongoing illegal Russian aggression against Ukraine. prgtoken Most importantly, this resolution reaffirms our unwavering support to Ukraine and the importance of our NATO alliance and our transatlantic partnerships. prgtoken This is simply a strong, bipartisan show of support to our ally Ukraine as they face a threat and danger not of their making. prgtoken I now yield the floor to my friend, Senator Shaheen from New Hampshire.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-2-17

in November of 2017, I spent some time in western Ukraine, sitting down to be able to have a meal and be able to talk to a group of Oklahomans from the 45th Infantry of the Oklahoma National Guard. Some had been in Ukraine since January of that year, and they were still there in November. They spent the entire year in 2017--the Oklahoma National Guard--training the military of the Ukrainians. Why? Because Russians, in 2014, had moved into Crimea and had crossed the border into the eastern part of Ukraine in what is called the Donbas and taken over two different areas that--they said there were separatists that were doing it. They were Russian speakers, so they clearly should be under Russian domination. And they moved in. prgtoken It was an entire year that Oklahomans spent with Ukrainians developing friendships, training them, preparing them for battle against a very large Army in the Russians. They hoped to be able to push the Russians out of the eastern side of their country. prgtoken And as we sat and visited and talked, they told me about the tenacity of the Ukrainian fighters, their commitment to their families, and their commitment to be able to be independent, to prgtoken be a separate functioning democracy, to engage with the rest of the world as any independent sovereign nation would choose to be able to do. That was 2017. prgtoken To Oklahomans, this conversation about Ukraine and the Russians surrounding Ukraine on three sides is not theory. Some Oklahomans know the names of Ukrainians that are currently on those front lines. They served alongside of each other, and they have stayed in contact, calling them friends. If you go into the Ukrainian Embassy today for the United States, you will see a picture of some Oklahomans up on the wall because they remember that group of Oklahomans that came to Ukraine to help them prepare for a day they hoped would never come and to be able to be ready to push the Russians out of the eastern part of their nation. prgtoken But today--literally, right now--Ukrainians living on the border, especially in the north, can literally hear the sound of Russian artillery practicing just miles away. They have been able to hear that sound for days and days now as they do live fire exercises just on the other side of the border. They are seeing that the Russians have amassed well in excess of 100,000 troops. They gathered troops from Russia from the far east next to their border with China and had moved them all the way to the west to be able to surround Ukraine on three sides with naval forces and with ground forces. prgtoken They are very aware the Russians have moved their special operations. They moved in field hospitals. They are very aware they are doing live training exercises in preparation. They hope that it is only saber- rattling, but they hear the sound of the guns just a few miles away. prgtoken Since hearing from the Russian perspective, even within t
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-2-17

we are about--at least many of us--ready to return home to our States and to visit with our constituents in person, and that is a common practice for me. I can indicate to my colleagues in the Senate that the conversations--they are wide-ranging at home, but certainly, if there is a theme, it is the consequences that Americans and Kansans are feeling in regard to inflation. The things at the grocery store, the price at the pump, rent--all those things are rising, and people are struggling to pay the bills. Things are being left out of what someone can afford in their budget because everything costs more. prgtoken Kansas is an energy-producing State. We certainly are an agricultural State. I would tell you, when I talk to farmers and ranchers, commodity prices have gone up. One might think that is something that would be very beneficial to farmers, but this inflation has raised the price of everything they purchase to create the crops that feed us across America and around the world. prgtoken One of the components and one of the reasons that inflation is rising so rapidly is energy costs. Even for my farmers, fertilizer is made from phosphates and natural gas. Diesel fuel is used in the vehicles and tractors and trucks. Our ability to provide that food for the world is being hampered because we are going to lose money when we grow crops even though they may bring a higher price than they did just a few months ago. prgtoken So many components of what we purchase in this country and one of the reasons costs are all rising is because of the price of oil and gas. I am confused by the policies that many in this body promote. At the same time, they are asking for relief at the pump. Yet, time and time again, what policies, what legislation, what conversations here, what actions are taken--particularly by --are to reduce the supply of oil and natural gas. prgtoken It makes no sense to me when the policy--in fact, how can it make sense for people to propose to eliminate the tax on gas? I suppose their interest in making gas more expensive is to reduce the use of oil and natural gas fossil fuels, but on the other hand, if they lower the tax on gas, it would lower the price, which is to encourage the ability to purchase. prgtoken President asked the Russians to increase their production in order to alleviate the price at the pump in the United States. We have been talking to Europe about how we are going to help them solve their natural gas shortage should we have a crisis in Ukraine and natural gas can no longer be imported from Russia, and we are working to provide more natural gas. prgtoken We should be doing everything in our country to increase the supply. The definition of ``inflation'' is, I think, pretty basic. It is ``too few goods being chased by the same amount of dollars.'' prgtoken Even this week in the Banking Committee, the conversation over the last month has been about whe
RECOGNIZING MILLER, SOUTH DAKOTA
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-2-17

today I wish to honor the Miller School District staff and students, first responders, and all community members who contributed to the successful emergency evacuation of Miller School and Hand-in-Hand Daycare. prgtoken On what seemed to be a typical morning in Miller, SD, on February 2, 2022, an explosion and fire suddenly took place in the Miller High School. prgtoken A potentially devastating situation was thankfully prevented by the swift actions of the Miller School District teachers and staff. Miller superintendent Dr. Charlene Crosswait, junior/senior high school principal Steve Schumacher, elementary school principal Drake Bachmeier, Mr. Mark Ketelhut, and the teachers and staff efficiently executed the evacuation plan, ultimately saving the lives of all 447 students from kindergarteners through the senior graduating class of 2022. prgtoken I would like to commend the teachers and staff members for their diligent training, emergency preparation planning, and quick action to lead students to safety. I would also like to recognize each and every student for their attentiveness and exceptional conduct in an emergency situation. Because of the rapid response, every child and staff member made it out safe and unharmed. I would also like to commend Hand-in- Hand Daycare Center located adjacent to the school for safely evacuating all staff and children. prgtoken In emergency situations like this, while people are moving swiftly to get to safety, heroic emergency responders are always there running toward the blaze. The well-coordinated response from Hand County emergency manager Arlen Gortmaker, volunteer firefighters from Miller, Ree Heights, and Wessington Fire Departments, and first responders from Hand County and the city of Miller who secured the area and extinguished the fire deserve recognition. The first responders endured hours of freezing temperatures, frozen pump lines, and weather challenges with equipment. These hard-working, generous volunteers, and workers have big hearts and show up relentlessly under all circumstances to ensure the safety and well-being of others. Thank you to all of our firefighters and first responders for all you do. prgtoken In true South Dakota fashion, the entire community pulled together. Despite fire and smoke damage, which made the school inaccessible, thanks to the compassionate generosity of St. Ann's Catholic Church, First United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, and the Community Church of St. Lawrence, students will be able to utilize facilities to complete the rest of their school year. Sunshine Bible Academy has offered their gym for Miller Rustler basketball team practices and games. Communities across South Dakota have been reaching out to offer support and assistance. I am proud to be part of a State that strongly believes in joining together to help friends and neighbors through tough times. The buildings need work, but they ca
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2022-2-17

I appreciate my friend Senator Markey, his offer to work through this. prgtoken He and I have worked together on a number of issues, actually a number of issues particularly related to America's fishermen. As he mentioned, Massachusetts has a lot of fishermen, and I have tens of thousands of my fellow Alaskans involved in the industry. And, again, I think he and I certainly agree with this concept. I think every U.S. Senator agrees with the concept of basic fairness in trade, basic fairness, in terms of reciprocity, in trade--all trade but especially the seafood trade. We have had 9 years of no reciprocity from Russia-- Putin, the thug. We shouldn't have to take it anymore, and it is hurting my constituents. prgtoken Now, my understanding of the issue raised by Senator Markey is that it is primarily Russian pollock that is imported into Massachusetts. As Senator Markey knows, in Alaska, we have a huge number of fishermen engaged in that fishery. So maybe what we should look at is making sure Massachusetts' workers are actually processing American--Alaskan-- pollock, not the authoritarian pollock in Russia. That would be a fair way to resolve this. prgtoken I appreciate the offer to work together on this, but I will tell the Senator we need to work quickly because it has been 9 years of nonreciprocal seafood trade. I am almost certain that Massachusetts fishermen who once exported to Russia have been hurt by this seafood blockade as well as my fishermen. I take Senator Markey's offer and suggestion in good faith. Hopefully, we can work over the work period in the next couple of weeks and get to a result on this. prgtoken Alaskans will supply Massachusetts' workers pollock or cod or whatever you are processing, and then we will bring reciprocity in terms of trade, which currently does not exist, between Russia and the United States. It is wrong. It is unfair. It needs to be fixed by us, and it needs to be fixed by the administration as well. prgtoken .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2022-2-17

over the next couple hours, we are going to have another CR vote, and we are going to get some votes on amendments. prgtoken When I came to the Senate 3 years ago, a little over that, one of my main goals--I always respected the Senator from Oklahoma, Dr. Tom Coburn. prgtoken I first saw him when he was actually on one of the shows talking about the same subject that I harp on all the time. The difference is, by standards of indebtedness, we had no real worries other than he was one that could see into the future. prgtoken I come from the world of running a business, was on a school board, State legislature. You couldn't get by with what we get by with here. You had a budgeting process. When I was a State legislator, you took it through committees. You brought in witnesses, you fleshed it out. Maybe you didn't need more money. Generally, even at the statehouse, they would ask for more. It wasn't necessarily the case. prgtoken You did the hard work, rolling up your sleeves, which Hoosiers appreciated. Do you know what it has given us back in the State of Indiana? The highest credit rating you can have as a State. It has given us rainy day funds. prgtoken When COVID came along, we could have gotten by without a dollar from the Federal Government. That is what happens when you live your everyday life with responsibility, just like every American has to, just like you have to do in any other level of government. prgtoken Think about running a business. Imagine, up until the recent spending spree, we were only borrowing roughly 23 percent of every dollar that we spend here--and this isn't on tangible investments; this is on consumption. There is nothing to show for it. prgtoken A lot of the things we do, a lot of the things that people look to us to do, we need; but we are doing a disservice to our kids and our grandkids--by the way, who we are actually borrowing the money from-- when we run the biggest business in the world by the seat of its pants. prgtoken I am going to tell you just generally how this all plays out. In 4\1/ 2\ years, we are going to completely go through the Medicare trust fund. And by the way, healthcare expenses based upon a broken healthcare industry that is not transparent does not deliver the consumer good value, something that all of us that own businesses other than the healthcare business have to grapple with every year. They need to reform themselves, and that would bring Medicare and Medicaid into where it wasn't costing us so much. But still then, even if you save there, we probably would find a way to spend the savings. prgtoken We are currently, basically the only reserve currency. That is what keeps our interest rates so low. Historically, they have been three to four times what they are now. And you cannot run now probably close to $1.5 trillion deficits on to the $30 trillion we are already in debt and think that is a good business plan for the biggest business in the wo