mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2024-3-14

I come to the floor to give an update on my oversight work. I often speak on the floor about the importance of oversight. Now, my remarks today have some history that goes back from now back to 8 years ago, so it might not seem very important today, but I speak so the Defense Department won't make the same blunder they made over that period of time. That blunder I am talking about is the mess- up with the JEDI contract, a cloud contract. prgtoken The parable of the vineyard tells us about corrupt tenants who tried to steal someone's harvest and keep it for themselves. It is especially bad, then, when public officials try to take the fruit of the taxpayers' vineyard for private gain. We can't ignore this sort of corruption or it will surely get worse. prgtoken The 2019 planned Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract-- otherwise known as JEDI--was an attempt to move the entire Defense Department to cloud, meaning cloud computing, which happened to be a very, very expensive project. It was around $10 billion and was ultimately canceled, as it should have been. prgtoken Ten billion dollars is a lot of tempting fruit, even by Washington, DC, standards. Early on, there were allegations that various Defense Department officials were helping the big corporation of Amazon behind the scenes to gain a contracting advantage. The allegations caused the inspector general of the Department of Defense to review the matter. prgtoken My oversight work started in 2019. My oversight has centered on conflicts of interest on the one hand, and on the other hand, the inspector general's review. It is a good-government oversight inquiry. prgtoken I know Amazon didn't end up getting this particular contract, but that doesn't matter to my oversight and what I am telling you today. Even attempted efforts to steer a government contract need to be exposed. That is what the taxpayers deserve. prgtoken Sally Donnelly, a key person in my investigation--happened to be a close adviser to then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis and former Amazon consultant--is a central figure. Let me make it very clear. Sally Donnelly was a close adviser to the Secretary of Defense and a former Amazon consultant. So that is the central figure of what I am talking about today. prgtoken Throughout her time at the Defense Department, Donnelly received payments from the sale of her consulting business, which she sold right before she entered government service. She didn't disclose precisely who purchased her firm to either the Defense Department, which she should have, or to the inspector general, even when asked the identity under oath. prgtoken In late 2022, I obtained new evidence the inspector general failed to obtain during its investigation. That evidence was that the actual name of the company that purchased Donnelly's firm was VMAP--an acronym, V- M-A-P. This company was a portfolio company of C5 Capital, an Amazon- linked company. prgtoken T
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 7511 (Executive Session)
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2024-3-14

it is for the reasons articulated by my friend and colleague from Kansas and my friend and colleague from Indiana that, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 341, H.R. 7511; that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
Israel (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-3-14

I was shocked to hear the comments of the Senate majority leader this morning excoriating our closest ally, the only democracy in the Middle East. You know, we don't appreciate it when other countries tell us how we ought to govern our country. I am sure that feeling is reciprocated by our Israeli allies. prgtoken Here is what the former Ambassador of Israel said on social media: Regardless of my opinion of Netanyahu and his fitness to serve, Senator Schumer's call for new Israeli elections is deeply disrespectful of our democracy and sovereignty. Israel is an ally, not a vassal state. Along with the U.S we're one of the few countries [that have never] known a non- democratic government, and the only democracy never to have known a moment of peace. We [certainly] deserve that respect. prgtoken I think Ambassador Oren is exactly right. The majority leader's speech this morning was deeply disrespectful of our ally, which is, indeed, as I said, a sovereign nation and a democracy. prgtoken I traveled to Israel and Saudi Arabia and Jordan in January with five other members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. We met in Jordan and then in Saudi Arabia with Mohammed bin Salman and then with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Defense Minister Gallant in Israel. prgtoken Of course, war involves collateral damages to innocent people. But the people responsible for initiating that war in Israel was Hamas, a proxy of the Iranian regime--one of many. And for somehow to say now, 5 months after that horrible attack on October 7, that Israel ought to stay its hand and allow Hamas potentially to reconstitute in Gaza is not only deeply disrespectful, it undermines the ability of the Israelis to do what they must do, which is destroy that threat. prgtoken I know 3 months after the attack on October 7, when I was in Israel, when I heard some of my colleagues say we need to have a cease-fire-- well, I know if Hamas had not started the shooting, that Israel would not have started and we would not find ourselves with all of these casualties on both sides. prgtoken But we know that Iran is the head of the octopus and the tentacles reach far and wide. We all learned more about world geography and how the world works in recent years since America--we thought we were safe on our own continent, and we had an ocean to protect us on each side. But 9/11 was a reminder that not even Americans are safe from the hand of terrorists. prgtoken And Iran is the No. 1 state sponsor of terror--no doubt about it. They sponsor the Houthis in Yemen. They help Shia militias in Iraq and Syria. They help Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon on the northern border. Israel is under attack by people who want to wipe that country and those people off the face of the Earth. Of course, they have a right to defend themselves. Of course, they need to eliminate the terrorist threat that killed so many innocent civ
Introductory Statement on S.J. Res. 65
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-3-14

on another matter, last week, in the State of the Union Address, President bragged that he was taking ``the most significant action on climate ever in the history of the world.'' prgtoken What he failed to mention is that his radical climate policy almost always comes at the expense of American workers and job creators. prgtoken Just recently, the administration rolled out yet another job- killing mandate that would impose more unilateral economic pain here at home. This one goes well beyond the regulatory standards of most of our European allies, let alone our top strategic competitor, China. prgtoken The EPA wants to tighten limits on fine particulates in the air, known as PM2.5, despite its own data showing that concentrations have actually gone down by over 40 percent in the last two decades. The vast majority of these emissions come from sources like wildfires and dust from agriculture and roads that are not easily contained and, in some cases, impossible to control. We are talking about a climate boogeyman conjured out of smoke and dust. prgtoken The EPA's new standard is so strict that when it takes effect, 30 percent of U.S. counties, including many in my home State, would immediately find themselves out of compliance, grounding manufacturing growth to a halt. Meanwhile, the job of actually implementing the EPA's new mandate will fall to the States that are forced to inherit all the costs of this bad policy--from offshore manufacturing jobs to greater reliance on China to higher prices when Americans can least afford it. prgtoken In order to keep up with President 's new mandate, American manufacturers would be forced to import raw materials, like concrete and steel, for virtually any construction project--the kind of projects that grow our economy and support good-paying jobs. In other words, the administration is saying, in no uncertain terms, that they are willing to make our economy more--more--dependent on foreign supply chains just to appease the green activists in this country. prgtoken So it is no surprise that State leaders are pushing back on this ruling. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman is leading a lawsuit with West Virginia to challenge the EPA's mandate; and so far, nearly half of our States have signed on. Unlike the administration, local and State leaders understand just how damaging this new rule would be for workers and for job creators back home. prgtoken So today, I am happy to announce that Senate s stand ready to do our part. Today, I am introducing a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that would prevent the EPA from plowing ahead with this senseless regulatory overkill. prgtoken I am thankful to more than 40 colleagues who have joined my resolution, so far, as cosponsors. Senate s will continue to stand with American workers and job creators, especially when the administration tries to make the
President Biden's Budget (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2024-3-14

President released his budget on Monday, and, predictably, it was filled with the same old, tired, tax- and-spending proposals--so much spending and so many taxes. prgtoken All told, the President's budget raises taxes by a staggering $5 trillion. You heard that right--$5 trillion. His corporate tax hike and capital gains tax proposals would both raise rates higher than those in communist China. prgtoken Many small businesses would see a hefty tax hike under the President's proposal, and most Americans would see an income tax hike, as his budget would allow current income tax rates to expire after 2025--so much for the President's commitment to not raising taxes for anyone making under $400,000. prgtoken Something President and never seem to understand is that raising taxes has consequences. The corporate tax hike that President would like you to believe will be borne by CEOs and CFOs--in fact, that tax hike would hit working Americans hard. prgtoken Studies have shown that workers bear a huge percentage of the burden of corporate income taxes. Impacts aren't just limited to workers employed by corporations. Corporate tax hikes can hit all Americans in the form of higher prices for goods and services. prgtoken Or take President 's proposed tax hike on gas and oil, which would be on top--on top--of the energy tax hikes he has already imposed. Taxing energy can drive up the cost of Americans' energy bills and make it more expensive every time Americans have to fill up their cars--not exactly a desirable outcome when Americans have already seen huge increases in energy prices under President . prgtoken As I said, all of those tax hikes are accompanied by a lot of new spending proposals as President continues his mission to increase the size--and the intrusiveness--of the Federal Government. His budget includes massive new spending programs and big increases for government departments and Agencies like the IRS. prgtoken Yet even as the President uses budget gimmicks and accounting tricks to blow through the nondefense spending cap for 2025, he makes no attempt to use any of his budgeting sleight of hand to address the serious readiness problems facing our military. prgtoken The President spent ample time in his State of the Union Address talking about the dangerous world in which we live, and he is right. Yet his budget makes little attempt to ensure that our military is equipped to meet that dangerous world. We have military services well below their recruitment targets. We are behind on shipbuilding and ship maintenance. There is a persistent pilot shortage. In a number of cases, we have too few mission-capable aircraft. And we are not doing an adequate job of maintaining the kind of supply we need of munitions. Yet President is happy to blow through the nondefense spending cap but can't find an extra dollar in his budget for our military. It says a lo
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 7511 (Executive Session)
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2024-3-14

on February 22, a 22-year-old nursing student prgtoken named Laken Riley went for a morning run on a popular trail. Despite doing everything right--informing her friends of her expected return time and sharing her location with them--Laken never made it home. Her life was stolen by an illegal alien who should have never been in the country. prgtoken The President's open border policies are solely behind it. Remember, before he came in, we were at record lows. Now, we are at record highs. We are even talking about categories we didn't have before, like ``got- aways.'' It is a national security risk that has come into this country when, currently, monthly, 50,000 to 60,000 people never confront the Border Patrol--not to mention the 200,000 to 300,000 who do. prgtoken This individual had been arrested in New York for a felony. The loss of Laken Riley was an avoidable tragedy inflicted by President and his policies. These policies allow illegal aliens like Laken Riley's killer to roam free even after committing crimes. prgtoken The Laken Riley Act demands the immediate deportation of illegal aliens when they are arrested for a crime. It makes sense. prgtoken For those with concerns about due process, remember, we are talking about individuals with zero legal right to be in the United States in the first place. Retainers for ICE deportation should already be issued in these cases but aren't, in many cases, due to sanctuary city status. prgtoken We should honor Laken Riley's memory by assuring that no other family ever has to endure this heartache. prgtoken Pass the Laken Riley Act. prgtoken .
Tribute to Dallas Seavey (Executive Calendar)
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2024-3-14

I am here today for a really fun update. Some of you have been here before when I have had occasion to speak about the Last Great Race. The Last Great Race in Alaska is really all about the Iditarod. prgtoken I note the presence of my friend from Vermont, who was sitting where the Presiding Officer is last year, and he was so captivated by the story of the Iditarod. He said: Lisa, when you come back and you give the great announcement, let me know. prgtoken So I am pleased to be able to regale you with yet another Iditarod. prgtoken This is an extraordinary tradition--51 years in Alaska--where dogs and mushers have left the starting in the Willow, Wasilla area to head north on an almost 1,000-mile--and in some years, an over 1,000-mile race--test of a musher and K-9 against all of the elements. prgtoken And it is always a bit exciting, but this year, I am really excited to be able to announce that we have made history yet again with the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Dallas Seavey has won for the sixth time in a row. This is the first time any musher has ever won more than five Iditarods. This extraordinary young man from an extraordinary mushing family has made history in a way that is absolutely worth celebrating. prgtoken Again, for those who are not familiar with the Iditarod, it is about a 1,000-mile sled dog race. It goes from the Anchorage area, where we host the ceremonial start--I was there a couple of weeks ago--and then they begin their actual race the following day, on Sunday. prgtoken They proceed all the way up to Nome, and this is not easy terrain. You are going over mountains. You are going over ice on the ocean. You are going over rivers. The terrain is challenging, and, certainly, the temperatures are challenging. This year has been a test for all of our mushers. On certain parts of the trail, they were seeing temperatures down in the negative 40 degrees. When you get yourself moving behind a dog team and get that wind in your face, it is no pleasant journey by any stretch of the imagination. It is tough. It tests the mushers. It tests the canine athletes. But it is an extraordinary, extraordinary race that was based off of a relay effort to get diphtheria serum to Nome during an outbreak in the 1920s. We no longer carry the diphtheria serum, but we carry strong messages about, again, the role of working dogs, the role that mushers and their teams have had in a State like Alaska. prgtoken I want to speak a little bit about the Seavey family because, as we are celebrating and recognizing Dallas's extraordinary achievements, having won now six Iditarods, it is important to know that he comes to this race with the Iditarod literally in his veins. prgtoken The family tradition started back in 1973. This was the very first Iditarod, and Dallas's grandfather participated in that race. Dan Seavey ran the very first Iditarod. He ended up placing third--pretty respectable, absolutely--but h
AmeriCorps Week (Executive Calendar)
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2024-3-14

volunteerism and service have long defined the very heart of the American spirit. prgtoken It was Alexis de Tocqueville, in the middle of the 19th century, at really the dawn of the modern American Republic, who observed that it was the willingness to take initiative, to get engaged, to roll up your sleeves and get to work helping to build your community that distinguished the people of this new continent from the Old World. And I will say I have seen it myself. prgtoken I am here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of America's national service program, something called AmeriCorps. It was created in a bipartisan effort at the end of the administration and at the beginning of the Bill Clinton administration. There was a concerted bipartisan effort to recognize that models around the country that showed the impact on young Americans of spending a year of their lives in service to others were worth expanding and replicating. prgtoken This week, actually, happens to be AmeriCorps Week--March 10 to March 16--and we are celebrating 30 years of service. prgtoken I have just introduced a bipartisan and bicameral resolution with Senator Cassidy, Congresswoman Matsui, and Congressman Graves. And, as I mentioned, AmeriCorps has been bipartisan from the start, and I look forward to continuing its future in a bipartisan way. prgtoken I have long had a connection to AmeriCorps, going back to one of the first national direct AmeriCorps programs that I ran with the ``I Have a Dream'' Foundation in the mid-1990s. When I was working for ``I Have a Dream,'' we had 150 AmeriCorps members serving in 10 cities, doing afterschool programming and summer programming for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is one of many ways in which young Americans participating in AmeriCorps have contributed to their community, have developed their skills, and have earned money for college. prgtoken Years later, when I was a county executive, I launched the New Castle County Emergency Services Corps to help strengthen the volunteer fire service in my home community. There are dozens of volunteer fire companies in Delaware, and they have often served as the backbone not just of the first responder community but of every community. prgtoken I grew up in a very small town named Hockessin, and that siren going off in the middle of the night from our volunteer fire company was a reminder to me of the call that is at the very foundation of our Nation, to get up in the middle of the night, to jump in your truck, and to drive down to the fire hall and to take on the risk of serving and saving your neighbor. prgtoken Recruiting, training, and supporting AmeriCorps members through the ``I Have a Dream'' Program was one of the most rewarding opportunities in my life. I, actually, for many years, served on the commission that directs and oversees AmeriCorps in Delaware, and it was through that service that I met my wife. prgtoken
Israel (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-3-14

I rise to speak today about what I believe can and should be the path forward to secure mutual peace and lasting prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians. I speak for myself, but I also speak for so many mainstream Jewish Americans, a silent majority whose nuanced views on the matter have never been well- represented in this country's discussions about the war in Gaza. prgtoken My last name is Schumer, which derives from the Hebrew word ``shomer'' or guardian. Of course, my first responsibility is to America and to New York. But as the first Jewish majority leader of the U.S. Senate and the highest ranking Jewish elected official in America ever, I also feel very keenly my responsibility as a ``Shomer Yisreol''--a guardian of the people of Israel. prgtoken Throughout Jewish history, there have been many shomrim and plenty who are far greater than I claim to be. But, nonetheless, this is the position in which I find myself now--at a time of prgtoken great difficulty for the State of Israel, for the Jewish people, and for non-Jewish friends of Israel. So I feel an immense obligation to speak and to act. prgtoken I speak as a member of a community of Jewish Americans that I know very well. They are my family, my friends. Many of them are my constituents. Many of them are , and many are deeply concerned about the pursuit of justice, both in New York and around the globe. From the Talmud--``Tikkun Olam,'' the call to ``repair the world''--has driven Jews around the globe to do what is right. prgtoken We love Israel in our bones. What Israel has meant to my generation within living memory of the Holocaust is impossible to measure. The flowering of the Jewish people in the desert, from the ashes of the Holocaust and the fulfillment of the dream of a Jewish homeland after nearly 2,000 years of praying and waiting represents one of the most heartfelt causes of my life. And unlike some younger Americans, I remember how hard it was to achieve that dream. I remember clutching my transistor radio to my ear in James Madison High School, 1967, during the Six-Day War, wondering if Israel would be pushed into the sea. prgtoken If the events of the last few months have made anything clear, it is that Israel is surrounded by vicious enemies, and there are many people around the world who excuse and even support their aims to expel and kill Jews living in their hard-won land of refuge. prgtoken I will never underestimate the grave threats Israel faces and has faced for the entirety of its existence, nor will I ever underestimate the oppression the Jewish people have endured for millennia. prgtoken It is precisely out of that longstanding connection to and concern for the state of the people of Israel that I speak today about what I view are the most pressing existential threats to Israel's long-term peace and prosperity. prgtoken After 5 months of suffering on both sides of this conflict, our thinking must turn
President Biden's Budget (Executive Session)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2024-3-14

before I address recycling and composting, I just want to say something with respect and affection to my friend from Texas. prgtoken About a month ago, and s joined together here on this floor to pass bipartisan legislation to provide for better--much better--security at the border and to make sure that folks from other countries who have a desire to work, the ability to work, are not a threat to our safety or security--that they could be provided an opportunity to help make this a better country. prgtoken It was a bipartisan vote, and s. So I just want to commend the s who joined the in voting for it. The legislation has died in the House, at least for now, and my hope is that the House will see fit to join us in the Senate to pass commonsense, much needed border security legislation.