mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--Motion to Proceed--Resumed
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-6-25

the House of Representatives will pass the Justice in Policing Act today--a comprehensive, strong bill to bring lasting change to police departments across America and tackle the extremely large and difficult problem of police bias, police violence, racial bias, and the lack of transparency and accountability in law enforcement. prgtoken Unlike the policing bill, the Justice in Policing Act will fully ban choke holds. The Justice in Policing Act will ban no-knock warrants in Federal cases, not just study them like in the s' bill. Unlike the s' bill, the Justice in Policing Act will also bring sorely needed accountability to police officers who are guilty of misconduct, including qualified immunity reform, use-of-force standards, and policies to end racial profiling. prgtoken My colleagues should look to the House today if they want to see what a serious attempt at policing reform looks like and if they want to understand why their bill failed to earn enough votes to proceed yesterday. prgtoken The s' policing reform bill failed because it was not a serious enough effort at reform. The legislation itself was so threadbare, so weak, and so narrow, it could hardly be considered a constructive starting point. That is why more than 138 civil rights organizations, which want nothing prgtoken more than to see progress on these issues, strongly urged Senators to oppose the s' bill. That is why the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights called the bill ``deeply problematic'' and a ``menial, incremental approach.'' That is why the lawyer representing the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor said he was shocked that the s' bill could even be ``thought of as legislation.'' prgtoken As I said the other day, I know my friend from South Carolina is trying to do the right thing, but the problem we have and the problem so many civil rights groups have is with the substance of the bill and with the way the leader--Leader McConnell, who controls the floor--set up the process. The majority drafted a bill on its own, and instead of putting it through committee, where members of both parties could analyze and amend it, he dropped it on the floor and dared the to block it. prgtoken Let me be very clear: The debate on policing reform is only over for those who want it to be over and for, maybe, those who never truly wanted this debate in the first place, because the truth is, by the end of the day today, the House will have passed the most serious policing reform bill in decades. Here in the Senate, the Senate have been clear that we want to sit down with our colleagues and try to negotiate a bipartisan product that can go through committee and come to the floor. prgtoken As I said a week ago, I know my friend from South Carolina is trying to do the right thing, but Leader McConnell decided to go abo
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-6-25

the time for change is now. prgtoken Not next month. prgtoken Not after more studies. prgtoken Not after more deaths. prgtoken Now. prgtoken Our country demands it. prgtoken We, as a Congress, have listened. Today, we must act. prgtoken For George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and the countless others, we demand justice. We demand change. prgtoken In my very own district, just last week, a young Latino kid, 18 years old, Andres Guardado, was shot in the back by police. There were no body cameras. Surveillance video gone. And Andres is gone, with six police bullets in his back. prgtoken The public should not need to call for a third-party investigation into these deaths. We should be able to trust the system. prgtoken More importantly, they should not need investigations because the killings must stop--today. prgtoken , we must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2020-6-25

. Mr. Presisent, according to press reports, the administration plans to nominate Mauricio Claver-Carone to be the next president of the Inter-American Development Bank, IDB. It is also my understanding that a number of Latin American governments have already expressed support for his nomination. prgtoken As someone who has supported the IDB for decades, including at times when amendments were proposed to eliminate or reduce the U.S. contribution, it is important to be aware that this nomination could jeopardize U.S. support for and cooperation with that institution. Further, if the U.S. Treasury Department and other IDB shareholders believe this nominee will help to build support for a capital increase for the Bank in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, of which I am vice chairman, Mr. Claver-Carone is the wrong nominee to make the case for such an increase. prgtoken This nomination would break a 60-year precedent that a Latin American serves as president of the IDB and a U.S. citizen serves as executive vice president. That precedent exists for a reason. The Bank is an institution working to improve the lives of millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean, and absent a compelling reason to the contrary, it should continue to be led by a person from the region it serves. There are any number of Latin Americans who are well-qualified for the job and who would be supported by the United States. prgtoken I am disappointed, albeit not surprised, that the Treasury Department would nominate such a controversial candidate as Mr. Claver- Carone. As senior director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council, he has been the architect of President 's most ideologically driven policies toward Latin America, policies that have failed to achieve any of their stated goals. In fact, these ineffective policies have made resolving conflicts with governments we disagree with more difficult, and they have complicated our relations with friends and allies. prgtoken Mr. Claver-Carone's idea of diplomacy is often to admonish and impose sanctions, which in Latin America more often than not means unilateral sanctions, which have isolated the United States, emboldened those who the sanctions are intended to punish, and harmed people in those countries who we want to help. While there are circumstances when well- designed sanctions make sense, Mr. Claver-Carone seems to believe that even when it is obvious that sanctions have failed the solution is to tighten them rather than fix them. This approach to regional problems is wholly unsuited for the IDB, whose shareholders have traditionally supported the institution, in part, because of its long history of addressing regional priorities. A polarizing American at the helm could intensify divisions, weaken shareholder support, and diminish the Bank's ability to carry out its mission on behalf of the people it was established to serve.
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020
Cheri Bustos (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-25

I thank Chairman Jeffries for yielding me the time. prgtoken , I rise today as the wife of the sheriff of Rock Island County, Illinois. I also rise today in support of the Justice in Policing Act. prgtoken I have listened to so many people throughout the district that I serve who are hurting, so many stories of people who are in pain: a woman whose cousin died when the police used a neck restraint like the one that took George Floyd's life. That was in 2010, a decade ago. Her family has been fighting for justice ever since. prgtoken I recognize that I as a White woman cannot fully understand the pain that Black Americans feel, but I also know that if we are going to make real and lasting change to end systemic racism, I must care just as much and I must be just as motivated as those in the communities who are hurting most. prgtoken Today, I lift their voices. America will hear you. prgtoken For this family's decade-long quest for justice, we can, we will, and we must act.
TRIBUTE TO EMILY AHO
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-6-25

I am proud to recognize Emily Aho of Jaffrey as June's Granite Stater of the Month. Aho has stepped forward and provided emotional support for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting our State's commitment to the idea that every individual can make a difference in times of critical need. prgtoken Aho is the executive director of the Newfoundland Pony Conservancy in Jaffrey, a nonprofit organization that provides a safe living environment for the endangered Newfoundland pony. Up until December 2019, Aho was also a registered nurse until some physical ailments made it difficult for her to work in a hospital. prgtoken Shortly after her retirement, COVID-19 began to spread rapidly throughout the United States, and Aho found herself feeling helpless as she watched her loved ones succumb to the deadly virus, including her father, a World War II veteran who was a guard during the Nuremburg trials. prgtoken After her father's death, Aho went searching for her father's old photos and memorabilia and found them in the closet where she also kept her materials for equine-assisted learning. Her discovery of those materials was an inspiration and a reminder that, despite her loss, she had much to give. prgtoken Through a partnership with True Hope Therapeutic Horsemanship, Aho helped establish the Heal the Heroes program, which provides free therapeutic sessions with ponies and horses for healthcare workers who have experienced heightened mental and physical challenges amid the pandemic. prgtoken The healthcare workers visit Aho's conservancy once a week for 4 weeks, where they learn to communicate and connect with her Newfoundland ponies. Due to social distancing guidelines, the program can only take two people in one session, and all the equipment is properly sanitized to avoid spreading the virus. After 4 weeks with the Newfoundland ponies, the participants graduate to True Hope Therapeutic Horsanship, where they continue therapeutic work with horses, both ridden and unridden. prgtoken This pandemic has impacted people and organizations throughout our State, including nonprofit organizations like the Newfoundland Pony Conservancy that Aho operates. But despite her own financial struggles, Aho still found a way to give back to her community and provide support to those on the front lines of this crisis. Aho's empathy and commitment to improving the mental wellness of her fellow community members exemplifies the best of our State and what it means to be a Granite Stater. I am honored to recognize her.
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020
Cedric L. Richmond (Democrat, LA) \u2014 2020-6-25

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Let me just quickly reply to what I think the big difference is between the two sides. We just heard an eloquent argument about the financial impact to families if a police officer loses his job, that they have loss of income. What we are talking about is the loss of love and support both financially and emotionally to a family when they lose their father or their mother or their child. So while one side looks at this as a purely financial or economic problem, we look at it as life or death. prgtoken I also heard them talk about the Senate bill. I won't even go into the Senate bill. It doesn't ban chokeholds. It doesn't end no-knock warrants. That bill has about as much teeth as a newborn baby. prgtoken But what I will say, Madam , is that America is burning, and my colleagues can't see it or they don't want to see it because of blind loyalty to a self-absorbed leader who lacks the character or concern to care. prgtoken But America is not only burning; America is also weeping. She is weeping for the victims of excessive force by those sworn to protect and serve. She is crying for her American leadership to man up to meet this moment and to write in the laws of this country once and for all that Black lives do matter. prgtoken She is calling on us to act, not to cower to the moment, be wilfully ignorant, or just deny the ugly facts. Now is not the time for the quintessential coward or the political hypocrite. prgtoken America is crying and America is weeping. If you open your hearts and your ears and get past the purposeful irrelevant noise, you will then hear that she is begging for help. Just listen. America is crying for help just like George Floyd did. prgtoken So the real question today is: Will you pretend you didn't see those horrific 8 minutes and 46 seconds? Will you cower to the white nationalists or will you continue to only protect life until it is born? prgtoken In church, we are taught that weeping may endure for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. Colleagues, today we will determine how long the night lasts, how long the mourning will last, the weeping will last. How long before we see the joy of the morning? How long before we make this a more perfect Union? prgtoken It is time for results, not rhetoric. prgtoken And to the Members on the other side who may have African-American children, let me just tell you the difference really quickly.
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020
Tom Malinowski (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-6-25

I will proudly vote for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act because I believe that Black lives matter, because I believe that nobody in America should have to fear an encounter with police simply because of the color of their skin, and because I believe that what we need right now above all is trust, trust between law enforcement and the people, all the people they are sworn to protect. prgtoken Trust is not built by police who use force as a first resort, it is not built by police who look like they are the 82nd Airborne parachuting into a war zone, it is not built by hiding problems so abusive officers get assigned to train rookie cops or those fired for misconduct can get rehired somewhere else. prgtoken Trust is built from better training, transparency, and the accountability that every true public servant welcomes. prgtoken Now, this may not be a perfect bill, but it is surely the start of a process that will make us better. So, please, let's get this process started. prgtoken If we also want to fund the police, if we want to support the good cops who are out there, then please ask the Senate to support the HEROES Act alongside police reform, the whole point of which was to help our State and local governments keep our first responders on the job.
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020
Hakeem S. Jeffries (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-6-25

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , despite the representation that was just made, Pelosi, as she always does, has risen to the occasion. prgtoken The question is, will you? prgtoken The minority leader just said that we have put politics over people. That is insulting, because it is our children, our sons, our daughters, our brothers, our sisters, our fathers, our mothers, our husbands, our wives who are the ones who are being killed. prgtoken This is not about politics. We know that racism has been in the soil of America since 1619. We need transformational action. prgtoken The time to talk the talk is over. It is time to walk the walk. That is why we are moving forward with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. prgtoken , I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice), my good friend, a distinguished member of the New York delegation, a former Federal prosecutor, and a district attorney of one of the largest prosecutorial offices in the Nation.
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-25

I rise in strong support of this legislation that is long overdue. As a matter of fact, people like me have been fighting these issues for years and years. Now, we get an opportunity to actually vote. prgtoken I want to thank Chairman Nadler and Chairman Bass for giving us the opportunity to vote on what might become and should be the most important legislation we will pass this year, because it does say that Black lives, and all lives, matter. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. I am an original co-sponsor of The Justice in Policing Act which will for the first time ever under federal law: prgtoken 1. establish national standard for the operation of police departments; prgtoken 2. mandate data collection on police encounters; prgtoken 3. reprogram existing funds to invest in transformative community- based policing programs; prgtoken 4. streamline federal law to prosecute excessive force and establish independent prosecutors for police investigations; prgtoken 5. make Lynching a federal crime to conspire to violate existing federal hate crime laws. prgtoken Among other specifics it will: make it easier for the federal government to successfully prosecute police misconduct cases, end racial and religious profiling, and eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement. prgtoken The bill incentivizes the use of independent prosecutors for police misconduct investigations, helps take equipment made for war off of our streets, and requires the use of body and dashboard cameras. The legislation bans the use of choke holds and no-knock warrants the federal level and encourages states to do the same. prgtoken This bill contains no new federal funds for policing except where constitutionally-mandated for data collection and conditions access to federal grants based on a state's willingness to adopt the transformative provisions in the bill. Instead it reprograms existing grants to law enforcement and reinvests in our communities by supporting critical community-based programs to change the culture of law enforcement and empower our communities to reimagine public safety in an equitable and just manner. prgtoken The ``Executive Order'' signed by President recently was too little, too late. Surrounded by bellicose declarations of ``law and order'' in the face of persistent and on-going murder of Black men and women, especially our youth, it was nothing less than an insult and an attempt to deny the demands put forward by more than three weeks of protest and calls for real change by hundreds of thousands in more than 100 cities, towns and villages in every state of the union. prgtoken I view the Justice in Policing Act as a long overdue minimum federal action to address 400 years of terrorism against the African American community and other oppressed communities and our responsibility as Members of Congress to utilize the power of the voice of the people in streets in every c
GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2020
Gwen Moore (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2020-6-25

I rise today in support of H.R. 7120--George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. This legislation has been a long time coming and for many it has arrive too little too late. Our nation is a work in progress, and we will continue to fight for equality under the law in every and all aspects. As we recently celebrate Juneteenth, I am reminded of what my ancestors have endured, and I know that they would be proud of the progress we are making today. I know I am. prgtoken This essential legislation has critical provision including supporting the need for more deescalation training for police officers, something that I have long fought for and which has proven time and time again to work. The bill will also block the transfer of weapons of war to police departments, end the no-knock warrants that led to the murder of Breonna Taylor, ban choke holds that killed Eric Garner and George Floyd, and finally end qualified immunity which has shielded police officers from receiving justice for killing or injuring members of the community. prgtoken As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus but more importantly as a black mother, grandmother, and now great grandmother, I am so proud to be an original sponsor of the legislation. prgtoken Our communities are demanding action, calling for strong and effective action that will help not only prevent future tragedies between police and the communities they patrol, but also help increase trust and build safer communities. prgtoken This is a commonsense bill that deserves bipartisan support. This is the first step to making our union more perfect and I urge all my colleagues to support it.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--Continued
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2020-6-25

in the early days of the internet, when we were all just beginning to get online and experience what it was like to have at our fingertips an entree to the entire world--all of the information you could want--everything at that point really felt like a novelty. It had a newness about it. Technology was new, and consumers were able to take their time carving out a comfort zone for what they wanted to do online. They were signing up for Facebook, and they were trying to figure out which of their retail merchants they wanted to visit online, how they wanted to shop online, what transactions they wanted to begin to put into that search engine, and then conduct those transactions online. At the same time, technology firms were carving out their place in the market. prgtoken I don't have to tell you that this dynamic has really changed from those early days and those first experiences with the virtual space. We walk around with computers in our pockets. That level of convenience and connectivity is great, but it has thrown off the balance of power between what is now called Big Tech and consumers. Over the past few years, these companies have treated the American people to a series of scandals that have opened the floodgates to mainstream concerns over issues like data privacy, child exploitation, a national security risk, and blatant, anti-competitive business practices. prgtoken Just this week, I sent a letter to the Attorney General about Google's latest attacks on conservative media outlets. As a reminder to everyone, Google threatened to remove the Federalist and ZeroHedge from the Google Ads platform after determining that these outlets' comments sections--did you get that? It was their comments sections, which are the areas you go to participate in public debate--contained content that violated company policy. Well, how about that? prgtoken A representative from Google ran to the press and insisted that both outlets had published dangerous, hateful content. It really makes you wonder: What was their real reason for this threat? What was the real reason for the Google representative's breathless accusations to the press? prgtoken In my letter, I encouraged Attorney General Barr to meet with representatives from both the Federalist and ZeroHedge so that they could explain firsthand what a permanent ban from the Google Ads platform could lead to in terms of loss of traffic and revenue. Of course, the answer to that inquiry is that a ban would be catastrophic for any outlet, and here is the reason: Guess who dominates online advertising. Google. It is called a monopoly. It is called ``they control those ad platforms.'' prgtoken This Friday, State attorneys general are meeting with Justice Department officials to discuss this, and if I were Google, I would be a little bit nervous about that. I think it is fair to say that many of these attorneys general have just about had it with some of these