mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 78
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-12-9

I rise today to urge my colleagues to support these two resolutions of disapproval. I appreciate my distinguished colleague from Kentucky and his support and advocacy here in these particular arms sales to the United Arab Emirates. prgtoken Simply put, many aspects of this proposed sale remain conceptual-- conceptual. We are being asked to support a significant transfer of advanced U.S. technology without clarity on a number of key details regarding the sale or sufficient answers to critical national security questions. prgtoken There are simply too many outstanding questions about the protection of critical U.S. military technology and the broader implications of these sales to U.S. national security regarding the UAE's relationships, for example, with Russia and China as they exist today-- as they exist today. prgtoken I have heard some of my colleagues say: Well, aren't we concerned that they will go to Russia--they have relationships with Russia and China as it exists today in a military purchase context--and about the long-term implications, of course, to the United States and to our ally, the State of Israel, in terms of national security? prgtoken Now, it is disappointing that we are forced to discuss these issues in such a public way through a formal congressional expression of disapproval. That is not normally how we do this. However, the administration left us no prgtoken choice because of the way that it attempted to rush through these sales by completely subverting congressional oversight, and, it appears, increasingly, the need for greater interagency review. prgtoken Now, the U.S. Congress has a unique legislative responsibility to oversee U.S. arms sales abroad. This process allows Congress to engage privately with relevant national security agencies and the intended recipient countries in order to better understand the intricacies and security implications of any proposed sale. But as it has done before, the administration decided to ignore the congressional responsibilities here and rush through with this sale. They blew right through that period of review that the Congress has had normally for about 40 days. prgtoken Let me just say, the United Arab Emirates, from my view, has been an important partner in the fight against terrorism and for other U.S. national security priorities, and I will suspect it will continue to be so after this. It is unfortunate, however, that we find ourselves in this situation. prgtoken Following the historic Abraham accords, we started hearing that the administration was planning to grant the UAE a longstanding request-- the sale of the most advanced U.S. stealth fighter jets. Both the Emiratis--and I have spoken to their Foreign Minister and to their Ambassador--and the U.S. administration continued to insist, however, that there is no connection--none--between the Abraham accords and this sale. So that is a red herring for those who are concerned that
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 77
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-12-9

sadly, I return to the floor today to say farewell to another Member who will conclude his time in the Senate at the end of the term, the junior Senator from Alabama, Doug Jones. prgtoken We all know Doug came to the Senate as a storied courtroom lawyer and U.S. attorney, but fewer people know about his more humble origins. Doug was born and raised in Fairfield, AL, just outside of Birmingham, the son of a steelworker, the grandson of a coal miner. When he was 19 years old, he spent his summer working at the local cotton tie mill, 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. prgtoken One day, a freak accident sent a bit of shrapnel flying his way, and he came within inches of losing an eye. Several stitches later, Doug went right back to work--early evidence of a stubborn streak. Only at the end of the summer did Doug decide it was time to focus a bit more on his studies. prgtoken That same work ethic--the sometimes stubborn work ethic--followed him his entire life. He brought it next to law school. On the one occasion Doug decided to skip class, it wasn't to throw a pigskin around the quad or engage in some extracurricular activity with friends. No, Doug skipped class to attend the trial of the Klansman ringleader of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, a tragedy that had shaken the conscience of a nation. prgtoken A young Doug Jones was moved by the disposition of justice in that trial, but he was left with the impression that other members of the conspiracy had escaped the reach of the law. Only a scriptwriter could have imagined that 24 years later, that law school truant would become the U.S. attorney in Alabama and that his office would uncover the evidence to bring charges against two more Klan members involved in the bombing, and that 40 years after that awful crime, Doug Jones would win the conviction of the remaining conspirators, delivering a long-delayed yet righteous justice. prgtoken History would repeat itself a few years later, when Doug would again find himself at the center of events. Doug was eating breakfast one day just blocks away from the scene of the bombing of the All Women Health Clinic. He took charge that day and made sure that investigators and first responders worked together in perfect unison. Doug would later go on to secure the indictment of Eric Rudolph, the perpetrator of that heinous bombing, as well as the Olympic Park bombing 2 years later. prgtoken Of course, not every one of Doug's cases involved matters of life and death. The U.S. attorney's office once prosecuted local officials for trying to steal an election by bribing absentee voters with cash, beer, and a little liquor for good measure. Now, if only the defendants had known about Doug's affinity for bourbon. prgtoken Kidding aside, kidding aside, those years revealed for Doug something profound about public service and government: You can have the best laws in the world in principle, but it takes dedi
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 77
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2020-12-9

I have had the privilege of serving with many, many Senators of both parties and with very many whom I have applauded. Some stand out specially--some for their longevity and some for who they are. Doug Jones stands out for who he is. prgtoken I think, in listening to his work as a prosecutor--of course, that is near and dear to my heart in my having been a prosecutor--I had never faced what he had. I think of his discussion of the summation he gave in the trial of the people involved with the bombing of the church in Alabama and the killing and maiming of youngsters. In fact, I had a chance to meet one of the survivors of that with Doug, and I saw how she had felt about him all these years later because he had had the courage to stand up and do something that may not have been popular with some in his State, but that had been the right thing to do. In all of the years I have known him here, what he has done has been the right thing to do. prgtoken Now, I have only had one objection about him. He showed me a picture that was taken when this young man, Doug Jones, was working for Howell Heflin--Judge Heflin, as I recall. They were standing there with these gray beards, and this Senator from Vermont asked: Who is the youngster in the picture? prgtoken Senator Jones, thank you for bringing that. I know Ann Berry, in my office, got a kick out of that because she had the opportunity to work with you. prgtoken We have done things that we have been able to joke about, like being in an airplane, where he was sitting in the front and I was sitting in the back. Fortunately, it was on the ground. Senator Jones hollered out to somebody, one of the military people there: Where is the button for the ejection seat for the back? prgtoken It caught my attention. prgtoken I have also seen this man sit there and try to discuss legislation. He would ask: How will that help people? I don't want this because it is politically beneficial to me. How will it help people? prgtoken I have heard about towns now in Alabama that I had never heard about. I have also heard things he would tell me about that would make me think of towns in Vermont and make me realize we were talking about the same problems. Never once would he say: These are s or these are . He would say: These are people in Alabama who need help. So we would work on that. prgtoken I will speak further about this, but, Senator Jones, I think of you and your wonderful family. I think of the trips you and your wife and my wife and I have taken together, and I feel that I have been a better Senator for knowing you and traveling with you and listening to you. I will miss you, my friend, and I will speak further on this. prgtoken .
HBCU PROPELLING AGENCY RELATIONSHIPS TOWARDS A NEW ERA OF RESULTS FOR STUDENT ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-12-9

as a member of the bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus and an original co-sponsor, I rise in support of the bipartisan S. 461, the ``HBCU Propelling Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for Students Act'' (HBCU PARTNERS Act), which will strengthen partnerships between federal agencies and the country's more than 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). prgtoken The HBCU PARTNERS Act requires federal agencies with relevant grants and programs to undertake annual planning and coordinate their efforts to support and expand HBCU participation in those programs. prgtoken The bill strengthens the rigor and transparency requirements of existing law by requiring that agencies track their progress toward past goals and share their plans with Congress. prgtoken In addition, it codifies the White House Board of Advisors on HBCUs, ensuring an ongoing avenue for the institutions' priorities and policy concerns to be raised. prgtoken As a strong proponent of the preservation of our nation's HBCU's and MSI's, I support this bill because our students deserve to receive an outstanding education and have access to equal resources, regardless of the institution they choose to attend. prgtoken , I am proud that one of the greatest HBCUs in the country, Texas Southern University, is located in my congressional district. prgtoken Texas Southern University has a rich history with nine academic units, 1,000 dedicated staff members, and over 9,200 esteemed students. prgtoken Like most of my HBCU Caucus colleagues, I have worked closely with my local HBCU to provide funding and resources needed to enable them to fulfill their mission of educating the next generation of social engineers and conducting research programs addressing issues of major concern to the African American community. prgtoken As Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection in the 111th Congress, I authored the legislation to' establish a Transportation Security Center of Excellence at TSU and worked to help TSU secure $1.2 million in funding over four years from the Department of Homeland Security for this Center of Excellence. prgtoken One of my proudest accomplishments as a member of Congress is my success in working with federal officials in the Clinton Administration to settle the lawsuit against TSU that had been pending for more than 23 years. prgtoken I was proud to spearhead the initiative that brought more than $13 million in financial aid relief for the students and campus of Texas Southern University. prgtoken I also worked with TSU administrators to initiate digital archive projects to preserve the records of two of its most distinguished alumni, the legendary Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland, both of whom preceded me as the Member of Congress for the Eighteenth Congressional District ofTexas, prgtoken I was pleased to facilitate a partnership between Comcast and TSU's
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--CONFERENCE REPORT
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-12-9

I mentioned recently in one of these speeches that an identity-laundering group called Donors Trust decided to do a letter to the editor of my home State paper asserting that they were just as innocent as newborn lambs. prgtoken The Center for Media and Democracy has recently obtained the IRS form 990 for calendar 2019 for this little lamb, Donors Trust, and it has some fascinating findings. prgtoken Donors Trust took in a total of $312 million in donations in 2019-- nearly a third of a billion dollars--up from $198 million in 2018. Of that, more than two-thirds came from two huge donations--two--one for $150 million and another for $69 million. prgtoken Out of the $312 million they received, $219 million came in two donations, and both of the donations were anonymous. Now, who makes anonymous donations of that size? Most people making a donation that big want their name on the building at the university. What is going on? Who has that kind of money to give away and a desire to hide themselves? One wonders. prgtoken Donors Trust gave out $162 million in anonymized grants in 2019-- mostly to rightwing groups. This is up from $142.3 million in 2018. I should actually probably not say that Donors Trust gave them out but, rather, that they transmitted the funds for the anonymous donors because a donor can tell Donors Trust where the money is to go. Donors Trust then provides the expedient service of hiding the donor's identity. prgtoken So where did this anonymous money go? Well, grants of interest include $7 million to the Federalist Society--1 year, $7 million--up from last year's $5.9 million. Yes, this is the same Federalist Society that has selected judges and Justices for the administration. prgtoken Is it not obvious that big special interests might buy their way to the Federalist Society judicial selection table with big, anonymous donations? When you farm out to secretive private organizations the power to select Supreme Court Justices and the secretive organizations take big, anonymous donations, what else are you to expect? prgtoken It would be interesting to know who paid for a voice in selecting Supreme Court Justices, and it would be interesting to know what business they may have before the Court. But all of that is shrouded in secrecy and anonymity. It would be logical to assume that $7 million bought a seat or two at that table; we just don't know for whom or what their interests were. prgtoken Relatedly, Donors Trust transmitted $10.5 million to something called the 85 Fund, a Leonard Leo shell group formerly known as Judicial Education Project. Who is Leonard Leo? Leonard Leo ran the Justice- picking, Court-packing scheme for the Federalist Society for years until an expose by the Washington Post made it prudent for the operation to bring in a new face named Carrie Severino. It is a little bit like replacing a burned agent in a covert operation with a new agent. prgtoken The log
FAREWELL TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Joseph P. Kennedy III (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-12-9

I rise today to say good-bye to this body as my time serving the Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts comes to a close. prgtoken This job has been an honor. We have come quite a long way since my first days in the Capitol when I had an AP reporter following me around for the day, and I got so lost trying to find the House floor that I ended up in the Longworth parking garage. prgtoken Luckily, things have mostly improved from there: prgtoken Seeing my name on that office door for the first time; prgtoken Keeping company with giants that I grew up idolizing, like John Lewis, Eliseo Medina, and Dolores Huerta; prgtoken Having the honor of responding to 's first State of the Union from Diman Regional Voc-Tech in mighty Fall River, Massachusetts. prgtoken There are a few people who I would not be here without. prgtoken To my wife, Lauren: Thank you for serving alongside me, for the sacrifices that you made and the heart that you gave to this job, too. Tell Ellie and James that dad has breakfast, bath, and school drop-off duty for the next 15 years or so. prgtoken To the Massachusetts delegation: I loved serving with you. I loved learning from you. There is no team I would rather have been in the trenches with every day. prgtoken To my constituents back home: I am so grateful for the trust that you put in me. My proudest moments were when you allowed me to bring your voice to this Chamber, when I could carry what you felt in Taunton or Attleboro or Fall River or Milford to this floor. Thank you for the privilege that you afforded me. I will see you back home soon. prgtoken Finally, to the staff members who worked and thought and fought and talked and wrote and served alongside me over the course of the last 8 years; you all are the heroes behind my story. There will never be words for my gratitude for everything that you took on every single day--and so many nights--to ensure that we did this job right. I will miss not seeing all of your faces quite so often. prgtoken , I leave this body proud and hopeful because here is what I know: that we are a complicated and messy country, that we violated our founding promises before the ink was dry. We boldly declared, ``We the people,'' and promptly defined ``we'' as rich, White, Protestant men. We staked out moral high ground of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and paid for it with human bondage, abuse, and suffering that we carry to this day. prgtoken But embedded in that history is a slow and stubborn story that every generation shares, a journey to heal those wounds, an understanding fought and bled for over time that we are in this mess together whether we like it or not. prgtoken Our arc isn't clean, but it is clear that each generation expands that definition of ``we.'' We suffer setbacks. We get pushed off track and sometimes can't feel that progress. We fight amongst ourselves. But still, generation after generation, we expand. prgtoken And
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-12-9

March 23--March 23 has been a long time from this date, and a lot of things have happened in America since March 23. Over 200,000 American lives have been lost. Millions of Americans have been infected with the COVID virus. Our families have changed. Our lives have changed. We have tried to adjust to the worst pandemic America has seen. prgtoken We know that we have fallen short many times in providing the resources that were needed in a timely way. I can remember in the early stages of this pandemic when in my State of Illinois there were desperate phone calls from the Governor asking if I could find some way to help, in Washington or any other place, to provide protective equipment for the people in the healthcare field. prgtoken We know as well that many people have seen businesses close in their communities. In my hometown of Springfield, IL, our favorite restaurant is clinging to its business life, and we are finding excuses to order food out as often as possible to keep them open. Others haven't been so lucky. Their businesses are closed, and their jobs have disappeared. prgtoken Millions of Americans are drawing unemployment. Many are waiting in long lines for food. Desperate decisions are being made because people are in desperate circumstances. prgtoken A lot has happened since March 23. The reason I mention that date is that was the day we passed the CARES Act. It was a momentous, historic effort--$3 trillion to try to rescue this economy, to help the American people through this crisis, to provide resources that were needed--and it was overwhelmingly bipartisan. It passed the Senate by 96 to 0. prgtoken Since then, many things have happened. We have also learned that the CARES Act was not enough. We thought this crisis would end long ago, and it didn't. Perhaps now with vaccines coming online, we will see some dramatic changes in the few months ahead, but what are we going to do in the meantime? Are we going to continue to help those drawing unemployment? Are we going to continue to help the businesses that are struggling to survive and to help their employees make it through another week or another month? Are we going to do what is necessary to help State and local governments that have seen losses in their revenues in historic terms? Are we going to take care to provide the logistical support for the actual vaccinations that are necessary across America? That question is unanswered because we have done nothing--virtually nothing--since March 23. prgtoken A group of Senators several weeks ago met for a socially distanced, safe dinner at one of the homes of my colleagues and talked about another approach--a new approach, a bipartisan approach--to try to deal with COVID relief. If the leaders were unable to act, perhaps we could start the conversation. prgtoken I signed up for that effort with a number of Senators and ic Senators, and we set out to write a COVID relief
INTRODUCTION OF THE OUR HOMES OUR VOTES ACT
Jesús G. "Chuy" García (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-12-9

. Madam , I rise today to introduce the Our Homes Our Votes Act along with my colleague from Pennsylvania, Mary Gay Scanlon. This bill will help close the voter turnout gap between rich and poor by making it easier for eligible tenants in federally subsidized housing to register to vote. prgtoken People have fought and died for the right to vote in this country, but many still face barriers to voting. Tenants in federally subsidized housing already have their residence and identity verified by public agencies, and this bill will allow them to register to vote as they sign their lease without duplicating information or finding additional paperwork to fill out. prgtoken The best way to confront this country's history of voter suppression is to remove barriers to voting that exist today. Eligible voters in working class districts like mine vote at lower rates than wealthier voters, and that discrepancy undermines our democracy. This bill is a step toward fixing that, and I urge this body to advance it.