mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOMMENDING THAT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FIND UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK B. GARLAND IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS FOR REFUSAL TO COMPLY WITH A SUBPOENA DULY ISSUED BY THE COMMITTEE ON...
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-6-12

the gentleman just attacked Special Counsel Smith. This dangerous attempt to demonize anybody who would hold accountable for his actions is despicable and it is a full-out assault on the basic tenets of our democracy. prgtoken I want to remind my colleagues that these types of actions have consequences. They affect the lives of many men and women who have dedicated themselves to public service and upholding the rule of law. prgtoken , I include in the Record a June 11, 2024, article from The Washington Post by the Honorable Merrick Garland titled: ``Unfounded attacks on the Justice Department must end.'' [June 11, 2024] Unfounded Attacks on the Justice Department Must End (By Merrick Garland) Merrick Garland is attorney general of the United States. Last week, a California man was convicted of threatening to bomb an FBI field office where hundreds of agents and other employees work. In one of his threats to the FBI, the man wrote: ``I can go on a mass murder spree. In fact, it would be very explainable by your actions.'' These heinous threats of violence have become routine in an environment in which the Justice Department is under attack like never before. In recent weeks, we have seen an escalation of attacks that go far beyond public scrutiny, criticism, and legitimate and necessary oversight of our work. They are baseless, personal and dangerous. These attacks come in the form of threats to defund particular department investigations, most recently the special counsel's prosecution of the former president. They come in the form of conspiracy theories crafted and spread for the purpose of undermining public trust in the judicial process itself. Those include false claims that a case brought by a local district attorney and resolved by a jury verdict in a state trial was somehow controlled by the Justice Department. They come in the form of dangerous falsehoods about the FBI's law enforcement operations that increase the risks faced by our agents. They come in the form of efforts to bully and intimidate our career public servants by repeatedly and publicly singling them out. They come in the form of false claims that the department is politicizing its work to somehow influence the outcome of an election. Such claims are often made by those who are themselves attempting to politicize the department's work to influence the outcome of an election. And media reports indicate there is an ongoing effort to ramp up these attacks against the Justice Department, its work and its employees. We will not be intimidated by these attacks. But it is absurd and dangerous that public servants, many of whom risk their lives ever
TRIBUTE TO STELLA WHITNEY-WEST
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2024-6-12

I wish to congratulate Ms. Stella Whitney-West on her illustrious career and much-deserved retirement from NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center in Minneapolis, MN. Ms. Whitney-West will retire from NorthPoint on June 30 after 20 years with the organization, having served as CEO since 2007. Under her leadership, NorthPoint has evolved prgtoken and expanded their impact exponentially. Ms. Whitney-West has been a lifelong champion of equitable health outcomes for all and has promoted health equity while expanding NorthPoint's footprint and offerings. She shepherded the center to become a certified Health Care Home, provide expanded interpreter services, transition to an electronic health record system, and much more. Most importantly and impactfully, during her tenure Ms. Whitney-West oversaw a historic $100 million campus expansion project, doubling the size of NorthPoint's main campus facility and opening several satellite clinic locations throughout North Minneapolis. As a result of her leadership and commitment to these historic changes, NorthPoint is now able to serve over 30,000 residents of North Minneapolis and provides a wide range of health and human services. As a lifelong member of the community, Ms. Whitney-West has surely made a meaningful impact at NorthPoint and in our community, creating standards for health and wellness across Hennepin County and the entire State of Minnesota. I wish you the best in your retirement.
RECOGNIZING TED DANSON AND MARY STEENBURGEN
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-6-12

I rise today to pay tribute to Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen for their deep and abiding allyship to the LGBTQ+ community. They did so early in their careers, at a time when we were without many allies who would stand with us. Their courage is to be commended. prgtoken Ted Danson is known to many through his leading roles on hit TV shows and movies, like ``Cheers'' and ``The Good Place.'' He has used his platform as a bully pulpit, fervently championing marriage equality and vocally opposing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. He has used his star power for good, raising money for LGBTQ+ advocacy groups that fight for a more just and equal society. By bringing the power of his celebrity to bear, Danson exemplifies the profound impact public figures can have in shaping a more inclusive and accepting society. prgtoken Mary Steenburgen has built a career on playing warm and wise characters--winning an Oscar along the way--but also one deeply entwined with advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. From ``Philadelphia'' to ``Happiest Season,'' she has found ways to use her public persona to advance the cause of LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. Rarely has any one person been able to combine their artistry and advocacy into one, complete body of work. She is a wonder. prgtoken Together, Ted and Mary form a formidable team whose combined efforts have significantly bolstered the LGBTQ+ movement. Their enduring commitment to championing LGBTQ+ rights highlights the indispensable role of influential allies in the ongoing struggle for equality and underscores the transformative power of advocacy. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing these two remarkable artists and advocates, who are true allies to LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8070, SERVICEMEMBER QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENT AND NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025; RELATING TO CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE REPORT 118-527...
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2024-6-12

. Madam , the balance of my time to close. prgtoken As you may have guessed, I strongly oppose this rule. The rule likely guarantees that there will not be bipartisan support for the NDAA, and like last year, this means that the House will get steamrolled by the Senate. prgtoken As we have discussed this morning, the two contempt resolutions included in this rule are not a serious legislative effort but a manufactured dispute between House s and the Attorney General, which threatens to undermine rather than promote the rule of law. prgtoken We would be a lot better off with a clean rule for the NDAA, stripped of all the partisan nonsense, so we can focus on our core constitutional duty to provide for the common defense. prgtoken Conducting oversight over our Armed Forces and funding our national security are two of Congress' most important responsibilities, but the kind of politicization we see from the House s is disrespectful to the American people, unbecoming to this Chamber, and signals to our servicemembers that we don't have their backs when they need it the most. prgtoken As the NDAA goes to the floor this week, I call on my colleagues to reject the poison pill amendments that have been presented and maintain the bill's bipartisan support. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question and the rule, and .
REMEMBERING RASHEED A. MALIK
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2024-6-12

I rise today to honor the life of Rasheed A. Malik. He was a champion in the field of childcare and a devoted community leader. prgtoken Rasheed was an accomplished policy researcher and the senior director of Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress. His work focused on childcare infrastructure and supply, the economic benefits of childcare, and bias and discrimination in early childhood policy. His landmark analysis identifying ``childcare deserts'' across the country advanced the Nation's understanding of the childcare crisis and drove policy action at the national, State, and local levels. prgtoken He testified before Congress several times to advance knowledge and understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the childcare sector, the importance of increased investments in early childhood education, and the merits of comprehensive legislation to address the childcare crisis. Malik's research has been featured in the New York Times, Vox, the Washington Post, NPR, Slate, CNN Business, and CNBC, among others. prgtoken Before joining the Center for American Progress, Malik was a government affairs and communications associate for the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, which aims to make the New York Harbor a shared, resilient, and accessible resource for all New Yorkers. He received his master's degree in public policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree in public affairs from Baruch College. prgtoken Above all, Rasheed was a beloved husband, father, friend, and colleague. He was known for his warmth, generosity, and willingness to support others. I am grateful for his service. He will be dearly missed, and I wish the best to his family.
SERVICEMEMBER QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENT AND NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025
Jennifer L. McClellan (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2024-6-12

. Madam Chair, I thank Ranking Member Smith for yielding time. prgtoken I have good news in that the NDAA does include a raise for our servicemembers, which is long overdue, but we can multitask. prgtoken For all of the reasons that Ranking Member Smith said, it is important that we work to save our planet because, if we don't, it will have longer-term and short-term national security implications and implications for the readiness of our servicemembers, which we heard in committee time and time again. prgtoken In addition to the climate benefits, EVs emit less noise and heat, so they are harder for our enemies to detect. They improve responsiveness and flexibility and decrease our reliance on fossil fuels so that, should fuel supplies ever be compromised or slow, our Armed Forces will still be able to respond because they have more options available. prgtoken Yet, s want to play politics with climate; not the . We are working to address climate change. We are looking to respond to climate change and make sure that our military remains ready and does not continue to contribute to global warming itself. prgtoken As written, though, this amendment doesn't just block the DOD's adoption of electric vehicles. It prohibits maintenance of existing EVs and charging infrastructure or the potential installation of infrastructure that has already been secured but subject to a servicing contract. prgtoken Why in the world would we tie the hands of our military to maintain what they already have? That is just dumb. I don't understand why we are doing it. We shouldn't do it. prgtoken Previous NDAAs have contained provisions that address reasonable concerns related to the DOD's adoption of EVs, including ensuring grid stability, proper phasing of support infrastructure, and resiliency planning. That is not in this amendment. prgtoken The notion that EVs contain Chinese component parts and are, therefore, more of a threat than traditional internal combustion engines is specious. That argument could be used for every battery found in every vehicle, every phone, every computer, and almost anything that has a battery the DOD uses.
RECOMMENDING THAT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FIND UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK B. GARLAND IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS FOR REFUSAL TO COMPLY WITH A SUBPOENA DULY ISSUED BY THE COMMITTEE ON...
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-6-12

Bannon and Navarro never spent a minute with the January 6th Committee and never turned over a single document to our committee. These people had zero percent compliance with Congress. They demonstrated true contempt, which is why they have been sentenced to jail. prgtoken Chairman Comer, in his wisdom, would hold the Attorney General of the United States of America in contempt for what I think is 100 percent compliance, but in any event, it is something like 98 or 99 percent compliance. prgtoken If you think a Federal official has not rendered proper compliance, you take them to court. You don't hold them in contempt. It is rich beyond measure, like billionaire rich, to be asked to hold the Attorney General in contempt by people who themselves received subpoenas to testify before the January 6th Committee who never rendered a single document nor a single minute of testimony to the January 6th Committee. prgtoken , I urge Congress to reject this absurd motion.
HONORING THE RETIREMENT OF JACK SIMES
Grace F. Napolitano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-6-12

I rise to recognize Jack Simes as he retires after more than four decades of federal service. prgtoken Mr. Simes has dedicated 43 years of public service to our country and to nine Southern California counties that are home to more than 23 million people. For the last seven years, Mr. Simes served as the Southern California Area Manager for the United States Bureau of Reclamation. As Area Manager, Mr. Simes was responsible for implementing water reclamation and reuse projects under the Title XVI authority, conducting water and related resources planning, water conservation field services, and Native American Affairs. Mr. Simes established constructive working relationships with dozens of locally led water and power districts, guiding them through the process of seeking federal financial assistance for much needed infrastructure improvements. prgtoken Mr. Simes brought a can-do spirit and commitment to work that inevitably turned his colleagues and stakeholders into friends. Notably, he has a sign in his office detailing his motto: be good, be kind, and be of service. Mr. Simes leaves behind a legacy that will be impossible to match. prgtoken As a direct result of Mr. Simes's exemplary work, the federal government was able to financially participate in and expedite the development of hundreds of millions of dollars in locally developed water resiliency, conservation and water supply projects that are operating today. prgtoken , Jack Simes has been an invaluable resource to Members of Congress, our staff, and to the constituents and water agencies we represent in the West. I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in congratulating Mr. Simes and wish him and his wife, Karen Simes, a rich and rewarding retirement.
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 359--Continued (Executive Calendar)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2024-6-12

first, let me thank the chairman of our committee for attempting to bring this bill to the floor and to get us on it. Even though the s have objected to Supreme Court ethics, it is important for us to continue to make the effort because the American people understand that there is something gone very wrong at the Supreme Court. prgtoken The objections that we just heard amounted to a long excursion through a great variety of topics: through abortion; through past FBI investigations; through allegations about a two-tiered system of justice; through wokeness; through things we all agree on, like separation of powers and an independent judiciary. I think it would be helpful to actually come into focus on what we are actually talking about here because most of what was said in opposition to this bill is completely irrelevant to what we are seeking to achieve. prgtoken We all accept the doctrine of separation of powers. Senator Blumenthal, who is here, is an expert in the subject. He has argued more cases in the Supreme Court than any other Senator. To be clear, our bill does not make the Supreme Court subservient to Congress in any respect. The bill obliges the judicial branch of government to create its own ethics enforcement mechanism that will be run within the judicial branch of government by the judicial branch of government. There simply is not a separation of powers concern when the judicial branch of government runs an ethics program for the judicial branch of government that is administered within the judicial branch of government. It just ain't so. prgtoken The existing state of affairs is that the ethics requirements that apply to the Justices of the Supreme Court, first, related to recusal and, second, related to disclosure of gifts are laws passed by Congress. prgtoken And the enforcement, particularly of the disclosure requirements, is done by the Judicial Conference. The Judicial Conference is a body established by Congress. prgtoken When Harlan Crow first started giving free yacht and jet travel secretly to Clarence Thomas, that question was taken up by the Judicial Conference a decade ago. prgtoken Did the Justices complain that the Judicial Conference was investigating Justice Thomas and his disclosures? No, of course not, because the argument would make no sense. So to hear it here on the Senate floor is a bit disappointing. Right now, the Judicial Conference investigates and can sanction or refer for further investigation Justices of the Supreme Court. prgtoken We are trying to fix three really simple problems: One is factfinding. Factfinding ought not to be an issue in dispute. Every member of government in the United States who is subject to any kind of supervision or ethics requirement--which is everybody--had a process whereby the actual facts are found of what went wrong. Hell, even the President of the United States had to sit for a factfinding interview about
UNWINNABLE RACE: CONGRESS'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PREVENT A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-6-12

I rise today to call on this body to fulfill its responsibility in addressing an existential challenge facing our nation. For decades, nuclear weapons have threatened the safety of our country and our planet. Today, as nations re-arm and competition re-emerges, we run the risk of repeating our past mistakes and entering a new cold war. A nuclear arms race is well underway, and it poses an existential threat to all. This Congress must stand up and stop the escalatory spiral before it's too late. prgtoken It's well past time for our voices, the voices of restraint and risk reduction, to be heard in the nuclear arms debate. The United States, the Russian Federation, and the People's Republic of China are locked into an extraordinarily dangerous nuclear arms race. All three countries are rapidly increasing their nuclear firepower with new and more capable bombs, more long-range missiles, new stealth delivery systems, bombers, and submarines. And as tensions heighten, all of this is dependent on the newest field of warfare: space. All three countries depend upon their space assets to observe, detect threats, and communicate the commands to act. prgtoken We must cut through the rhetoric of fear and doomsaying that dominates our nuclear policy debates. We can no longer allow the thoughtful, calm voices to be drowned out by fearmongering cries. We must rise above the noise. Instead of developing cost-effective military systems that provide security while defusing tensions, we have fallen into the fallacy that more missiles make us more secure. Nothing could be further from the truth. prgtoken Today, we must call out the failures of our current approach to nuclear modernization and demand that we treat arms control and de- escalation with the same dedication and focus we give to our nuclear weapons development. It is long past time to develop a strategy that sets priorities, recognizes limitations, and strives for a safer future. prgtoken It is important to step back and consider the history and broader context of nuclear weapons and Congressional involvement. Since their development almost 80 years ago, the destructive capability of nuclear weapons has terrified and shocked, but also led governments to pursue their own arsenals and develop the capacity to destroy our civilization multiple times over. Governments have justified expanding stockpiles with convoluted theories of nuclear deterrence that often defy common sense. prgtoken It wasn't until arms control programs and treaties were established that Russia and the United States de-escalated this spiral of stockpiling bombs. Through four decades, progress was made, the number of deployed and existing nuclear bombs was reduced, and even the most adversarial countries agreed that ``a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.'' Yet, despite this understanding, we continue to maintain and modernize our arsenals with a belief that these weapons dissuade
RECOGNIZING UNION LEADER TOM CASTLEMAN
Norma J. Torres (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-6-12

I rise today to honor Tom Castleman and his 39 years of public service and dedication to the City of Pomona with the Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association, Plasterers' Local 200. prgtoken Tom joined the union in 1985 and became a business agent for the union in 2003. In 2010, he was appointed as a business manager for the Plasterers' Local 200. Throughout his time with the union, he also served on the Apprenticeship Committee mentoring the next generation of plasterers entering the field. prgtoken Tom is officially retiring this year. I hope that he gets to rest and enjoy time with his wife, Patti, and family. We are grateful for his service to our community. prgtoken For his outstanding accomplishments, it is my honor to recognize union leader Tom Castleman. His years of civic service are worthy of commendation.
SERVICEMEMBER QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENT AND NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025
Adam Smith (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2024-6-12

. Madam Chair, this amendment would effectively ban electric vehicles and ban any effort to use them. Now, I will certainly agree that we are a long way off from having all electrical vehicles, but that is not what we are debating here. We are debating whether or not this should even be an option within the military. prgtoken First of all, from a readiness standpoint, having options is always a positive thing. Energy is enormously important within the military. Having access to it can be difficult, and if you have electric vehicles as an option, that gives you one greater option so that you don't necessarily have to rely on fossil fuels to power a vehicle going forward. prgtoken More importantly, the basic debate over global warming--and that is what it is, more than climate change--comes down to the belief that digging up fossil fuels from below the ground and burning them is bad for life. There is considerable evidence of this. It is placing carbon in the atmosphere that is damaging to the planet, and we need to develop alternatives so we are not 100 percent dependent upon fossil fuels. prgtoken That is the basic plan here, to save the planet, which is actually kind of important to all of us, certainly to members of the military, and certainly to the defense of our country. Eliminating this as an option goes in the exact wrong direction. prgtoken Now, the gentlewoman is correct. It is an industry that is still struggling. The fossil fuel industry, the internal-combustion engine, has well over a 150-year head start, has been very thoroughly subsidized across the board. If you build more charging stations, or if you build more electric vehicles, it will become more affordable and more viable. That is the entire point of this. prgtoken This isn't going to happen tomorrow. We are not going to build all electric vehicles tomorrow, but why wouldn't we want that option to preserve our planet and move forward? An outright ban on electric vehicles within the military does not make sense. prgtoken I urge Members to oppose this amendment, and .