mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-1-20

at noon today, was sworn in as our new President. I never served with President when he was a Senator, but I can tell you, from direct and firsthand experience, that he is a man of tremendous empathy. I have witnessed it. And so I pray that God will bless him with strength, with health, and with wisdom, because I don't need to tell anyone that we, in our Nation, are living in troubled times. prgtoken President was elected and then, in this last cycle, received 75 million votes, in part because he spoke to and was brutally honest about some of the grievances and the fears that are now dividing our country. It is important to understand that he didn't create them, and that is why his exit alone is not going to make America normal again. prgtoken The troubles we face and the things that now divide us really aren't so much about politics or about ideology. If you look into them, they are really more about the things that are at the core of our identity as a nation and as a people. prgtoken Our people want a country where everybody has the opportunity to find a good job, to get married, to live in a safe neighborhood, to not go into debt because they have a baby, to send their kids to a good school, and one day to retire with dignity and security. But we have millions of Americans who increasingly feel that that kind of life and those kinds of things are out of reach for them, and they are really frustrated that neither those in government or either political party seem to be doing much about them. prgtoken The people need a sense of belonging and purpose, but the places that we used to get that from--our families, the community groups we joined, the synagogues, the churches--many of them are in collapse. So now you have millions of people who feel isolated or alienated and some who are turning to hyperpartisan politics and even online conspiracy cults to fill the void that those institutions once filled. prgtoken The overwhelming majority of Americans reject racism and bigotry and discrimination. But they also reject identity politics, which constantly seems to want to divide us against and apart from each other on the basis of race and ethnicity and gender. prgtoken We are a nation that is proud of our heritage as a nation of immigrants, but millions of Americans--I would say the majority--also believe we are a nation that has to have immigration laws. They need to be followed, and they need to be enforced. prgtoken Most Americans accept that our country, our society is changing, and they understand that there are people with different views and different ways of life. What they do resent is efforts to demonize and to persecute those who hold the traditional values that are inherited from our Judeo-Christian heritage. prgtoken Most Americans believe decency and morality require that everyone is entitled to dignity and to respect. But there are also many growing increasingly tired
TRIBUTE TO MAJOR GENERAL, RET. ARTHUR T. DEAN
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-1-21

I would like to recognize the retirement of MG Arthur Dean as CEO and executive chairman of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, known as CADCA. MG Arthur T. Dean, U.S. Army, Retired, came from humble beginnings in North Carolina to rise to the highest, most distinguished levels of military service, where he retired after 31 years at the grade of major general. He possesses numerous military awards, with the highest being two awards of the U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal. prgtoken I have had the honor to work with CADCA for many years and have long supported their efforts to prevent drug abuse. For instance, I supported and led efforts to create the Drug Free Communities Program in 1997. prgtoken Major General Dean began his career as CEO and board chair at CADCA in 1998, so we have had the pleasure of working on anti-drug efforts for over 20 years. I applaud him in his well-deserved retirement. prgtoken Over the past 23 years of service, I have had the pleasure to witness General Dean use his superior leadership, diplomatic skills, and passion to build CADCA into a world-class organization. Under his leadership, the Drug Free Communities Program has grown, and now over 2,000 communities benefit from these grants. prgtoken General Dean is a leader with vision, compassion, and a steely determination to ensure that substance use prevention remains a national priority so the next generation of Americans can grow up safe, healthy and drug free. prgtoken General Dean has been an outstanding leader of CADCA. His legacy will be one of progress and dedication towards reducing rates of youth substance use and misuse. prgtoken I want to thank General Dean for his dedicated and exceptional service to our Nation, both as a military and civilian leader, and wish him well in his much-deserved retirement.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2021-1-21

along with my colleague Senator Mike Crapo, I rise today to ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the mission statement for the Citizens Committee for Election Integrity and their recommended minimum standards for fair and honest elections. Idahoans concerned about election integrity formed the Citizens Committee for Election Integrity to demonstrate the meaning of the Constitution by helping ensure the voices of ``We the people'' are heard.
PROVIDING FOR EXCEPTION TO LIMITATION AGAINST APPOINTMENT OF PERSONS AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITHIN SEVEN YEARS OF RELIEF FROM ACTIVE DUTY
Mike Rogers (Republican, AL) \u2014 2021-1-21

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , before I begin, I want to take a minute to thank the men and women of the National Guard for the service they have provided in protecting this Capitol over the last 2 weeks. prgtoken I especially want to thank the 750 men and women from the State of Alabama who came here to the call of duty. prgtoken Once again, these citizen soldiers left their homes and their jobs to respond to this call, and, although it is unfortunate they were needed, it is certainly appreciated by all of us that they were here. prgtoken , I firmly believe that each President deserves the opportunity to fill their Cabinet as they see fit. And I agree that it is important to confirm President 's national security team as soon as possible, especially given the grave threats that we face. prgtoken Four years ago, this House provided a process to consider a waiver for General Mattis. We were all disappointed when General Mattis did not appear before the Armed Services Committee. Yet the Armed Services Committee still convened and held a public markup of the waiver, which passed without a single vote from any . Then the full House debated and voted on the waiver. prgtoken This time around, the Armed Services Committee was excluded from the process by the leadership of this House. This was not a decision prgtoken made by Chairman Smith, who wanted a public hearing as much as I did. There has been no public hearing, no markup of a waiver, no opportunity for amendments. prgtoken Just 4 years ago, leadership told us how important it was to follow regular order and allow the Armed Services Committee to consider the Mattis waiver. prgtoken Pelosi said, ``The American people are entitled to regular order and thoughtful scrutiny of nominees and any potential waivers.'' prgtoken Majority Leader Hoyer said, ``The committee has a right and a responsibility to inquire of General Mattis why he thinks he ought to be given a waiver.'' prgtoken I guess this time around they don't feel the same way. prgtoken , civilian control of the military is a fundamental tenet of our Republic. It is rooted in our Constitution. The law prohibiting recently retired military from serving as Secretary of Defense was enacted shortly after World War II to uphold this principle. prgtoken In nearly 75 years, the law has only been waived twice, for General Marshall and General Mattis. This will be the third time. prgtoken But didn't have to do it this way. There was a strong pool of diverse civilians and former military leaders with qualifications and experience to serve as Secretary. President could have selected from this talent pool, but he chose not to. prgtoken I voted for the waiver for General Mattis, and I will vote for the waiver for General Austin. For me, it is just fair--a waiver for a President and a waiver for a President. prgtoken But I stand here frustrated
HONORING THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL POLICE
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-1-21

I can say with certainty that General Austin has no better friend or ally in this Chamber than Senator Dan Sullivan, who has seen him as a person and seen him as a commander. prgtoken Those votes will occur later today. prgtoken , I rise today on the floor to talk about what happened yesterday at the Capitol and what happened 2 weeks ago at the Capitol. prgtoken Yesterday, we had the 59th Presidential inauguration right here. The citadel of democracy was once again the place where a President and Vice President were sworn in for 4 years. prgtoken Starting in 1789, every 4 years, America and the world have witnessed this remarkable event that provides for the peaceful transfer of Executive power and the continuity of government--something we sometimes take for granted but is rare, even today. It has happened through wars. It has happened through economic recessions. We have had our inaugurations today and during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken What is more, the inauguration took place 2 weeks to the day on the very west steps of the United States Capitol where a violent mob stormed this building, desecrating these halls, and tried to stop our constitutionally mandated deliberations in this body. prgtoken It was the ninth inauguration ceremony I have attended. I was proud to be there as President and Vice President were sworn in. prgtoken I am here on the floor today to thank the Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service and its Director, Jim Murray, who took the lead on this national special security event to ensure that things went smoothly and that we, indeed, had a peaceful transfer of power. prgtoken I also want to give special thanks to the men and women of the National Guard, who worked to ensure this ceremony was safe and secure. Over the past 2 weeks, 25,000 National Guard troops from across the country, including all 50 States and 3 territories, answered the call, leaving their families and friends and, for most, leaving their regular jobs to help defend this sacred celebration of democracy that occurred at this place yesterday. prgtoken This number of 25,000 troops includes nearly 1,000 guardsmen from my home State of Ohio. I had the opportunity to meet with a couple hundred of these citizen soldiers from Ohio yesterday. I was able to tell them how much we appreciate their commitment to the mission and what they have done, truly, to protect democracy and to help our Capitol Police during a stressful time. Because of their efforts, the ceremony was safe for everyone in attendance, and we were able to proceed with this transfer of power. prgtoken When I thanked them, they all told me the same thing--they were just doing their duty. They were proud to be here. They were protecting their country and their fellow citizens prgtoken I have seen this firsthand over the years when I have visited Ohio National Guard insta
PROVIDING FOR EXCEPTION TO LIMITATION AGAINST APPOINTMENT OF PERSONS AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITHIN SEVEN YEARS OF RELIEF FROM ACTIVE DUTY
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-1-21

I rise today in support of this waiver. prgtoken General Lloyd Austin grew up in south Georgia, where he was raised by his parents in Thomasville. A graduate of West Point, he would go on to a career that spanned numerous units, responsibilities, and engagements. His first assignment was to the 3rd Infantry Division, now stationed in my district at Fort Stewart. prgtoken In the early 2000s, he served as assistant division commander for the 3rd Infantry Division during the invasion of Iraq. He would later go on to serve as a division commander and the chief of staff of the United States Central Command, CENTCOM; the commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps; the Army vice chief of staff; and, finally, the commander of CENTCOM. prgtoken He has been described as a private individual who is committed to carrying out his duties. prgtoken I, like others, have my reservations about continuing down a path of waivers for former military leaders to serve in civilian positions. What first started with a waiver for General Marshall in 1950 and then again for General Mattis in 2017, we have now seen several requests for what many see as a once-in-a-generation issue. However, General Austin's service and assignments are a reflection of his success in his military career. prgtoken If confirmed, it is my hope that General Austin will carry out his commitment to civilian control of the Department of Defense and advocate for the priorities central to national security, such as the modernizing of the triad. prgtoken In a time when our adversaries seek to capitalize on any weaknesses, we need strong leadership. General Lloyd Austin will provide us with that.
TRIBUTE TO TEAM INHOFE
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2021-1-21

we recently said goodbye to a lot of really good, hard-working men and women from the previous administration, and I want to highlight a few of them. prgtoken We refer to them--some of my friends and some of my enemies refer to them as the ``Inhofe mafia.'' It comes from the committees that I have chaired, both the Armed Services Committee as well as the Environment and Public Works Committee. But anyway, they are really a great bunch of people. prgtoken I am going to start with Andrew Wheeler. Andrew Wheeler was with me for a number of years--14 years--before he became the Director of the EPA. Here is a guy who was nominated to be the Administrator. At that time, I said that there is no one in America who is as qualified as Andrew Wheeler for this job. The first job he had out of law school was with the EPA. When he was nominated to be Administrator, I kind of gave his whole life history. prgtoken All of my Senate colleagues know Andy and have known him for a long period of time-- and s. He has worked for me in the Senate as well as becoming one of my ``has-beens,'' as we refer to people who used to be with me and are still my good friends. prgtoken Andy started in my personal office as chief counsel and went on to serve as the staff director and chief counsel during my time as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. He has decades of experience and is one of the most skilled energy and environmental policy experts I have ever come in contact with, and I am immensely proud of what he has been able to accomplish throughout his career, but particularly as EPA Administrator. prgtoken Andy understood that the EPA's mission is to implement the laws that are passed by Congress for the American people. The EPA's job is not to legislate. A lot of people think that. That is our job, to legislate, and then he carries it out, and he did really just a great job with that. prgtoken Contrary to what many on the left say s want, we do want clean air and clean water and clean land, and Andy proved that he could accomplish that without burdensome overregulation. During his time at the EPA, he spearheaded a number of the rules and deregulatory actions that brought important relief to American job creators while protecting our environment. prgtoken He rolled back the economy standards on cars that were created to try to force Americans to drive vehicles they don't want to drive and that they can't afford. In its replacement, Andy developed the SAFE vehicles rule, which expands consumer choice and lowers the price of vehicles. prgtoken Andy also repealed and replaced the waters of the United States rule, or WOTUS. On the WOTUS rule, if you talk to any of the agricultural groups--I am talking about the Farm Bureau and other agricultural groups--they would say that was the rule we really had to do something about. States like mine don't need Washington bureaucrats imposing
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-1-21

there have been few other times in American history when the need for economic growth through strategic, responsible, pro-business policies has been as great as it is today. Nothing is more important to a family than a good-paying job. That is where the American dream begins. prgtoken Today, as our Nation fights to overcome the horrendous health and economic impacts of COVID-19, we must balance our approach. We have to protect American families and individuals who have been hurt by this crisis, support commonsense public health policies and an aggressive vaccine distribution effort, while also keeping businesses open, incentivizing future growth of businesses, large and small, and standing up to our economic adversaries, like Communist China, by reshoring our supply chain back home. prgtoken We also need to continue cutting regulations to make it easier for businesses to operate and for entrepreneurs to create jobs. prgtoken President and his Cabinet have the important task of revitalizing our economy amid one of our Nation's worst economic crises. In my 8 years as Governor of Florida, we balanced our budget each year, cut $10 billion in taxes, paid off one-third of our State debt, and Florida companies added nearly 1.7 million jobs. But instead of looking to innovation and approving policies of States like Florida that will create jobs and help Americans and small businesses, the administrations is already making promises to go in the opposite direction--promises that are being championed by his nominee for Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen. prgtoken Let me be clear. I support targeted relief to help our small businesses and individuals who are hurting because of the coronavirus. With the start of a new administration, I was hoping to hear some fresh, new ideas on how to accomplish our shared goal of addressing this crisis. But that is not what we are hearing from the administration. Their answer is the same as it always has been for : more government, more spending, higher taxes, no accountability. prgtoken Voters are befuddled by the claim that while families cannot borrow without limits or consequences, somehow the Federal Government can. It is irresponsible, and I won't stand for it. We have to get serious about how we are spending taxpayer dollars. We already have more than $27 trillion in Federal debt. prgtoken If interest rates return to their 50-year average, the interest on our Federal debt will make it impossible to fund our military, Medicare, and Social Security. prgtoken President wants to spend more than $350 billion to bail out wasteful, liberal States for their decades of mismanagement, and his nominees, including Ms. Yellen, support this nonsense. prgtoken Andrew Cuomo has threatened the New York wealthy that if they don't help him get a Federal Government bailout, he will raise their taxes. prgtoken I was elected Governor of Florida when Cuomo was e
IN RECOGNITION OF WILEY DECK
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-1-21

. Madam , today I wish to honor a great American and steadfast public servant. James Wiley Deck is leaving the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) after having served in critically important roles of increasing responsibility over the last four years. A polished leader and expert communicator, Wiley worked tirelessly throughout his time at DOT to keep the public safe on our nation's roadways while helping to build the infrastructure needed to accommodate the future of American transportation. prgtoken Wiley joined DOT in 2017 as the Director of Government Relations for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). While in this role, he served as the principal advisor to the FMCSA Administrator with respect to legislative affairs, Congressional relations, and all policy matters affecting Federal, state and local governments, as well as public and private interest groups. His innate ability to collaborate with a variety of government stakeholders led to multiple legislative successes--including the securing of $100 million in autonomous vehicle research and development funding for DOT. prgtoken In 2019, Wiley transitioned to the Office of the Secretary, where he served as Senior Policy Advisor to Secretary Elaine L. Chao. In that role, he served as the principal strategic advisor to the DOT Secretary on issues pertaining not only to the FMCSA, but to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Office of Drug and Alcohol prgtoken Policy and Compliance (ODAPC). He served as the Department's representative on the White House COVID-19 Supply Chain Task Force and the White House Food Supply Chain Policy Coordinating Committee, where he helped shape the Federal response to the pandemic. He also led the Department's efforts to create the National Freight Strategic Plan to guide strategic Federal initiatives for multimodal investments to reduce congestion and improve intermodal connectivity. prgtoken In 2020, Secretary Chao asked Wiley to lead FMCSA. As Acting Administrator of a Federal agency with a $680 million budget and nearly 1200 employees, Wiley led the implementation efforts on two significant regulatory reform efforts: Hours of Service and the Definition of Agricultural Commodities, two issues which are of vital importance to my Congressional District. More importantly, however, he diligently worked with Congress to secure $30 million in Federal funding for a new Large Truck Crash Causal Factors Study. The last comprehensive large truck crash causation study provided the DOT, and safety research community, valuable insight into the factors which contribute to crashes involving at least one commercial motor vehicle, but the data was collected nearly 20 years ago. A new updated study--one that accounts for the changes in technology, vehicle safety, driver behavior and roadway design over the last two decades--is sorely