mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ORDERS FOR MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2021
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2021-4-22

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 3 p.m Monday, April 26; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Miller nomination; finally, that the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-4-22

in the Judiciary Committee right now, we are holding hearings to fight against the scourge of voter suppression and the unfortunate abolishment of section 5 by the Shelby case. I heard shouts of hallelujah when that case was abolished. The reason is because we are here today denying citizens of the United States the right to be represented fairly in the United States Congress. prgtoken The 23rd Amendment? prgtoken Well, I can cite for you the 14th Amendment and the 15th Amendment, not depriving people of their liberty and their justice. prgtoken What about those soldiers who shed blood from the District of Columbia? What about those who are paying taxes from the District of Columbia? What about the very citizens who work to move the engine of government living in the District of Columbia? prgtoken My friends know that the Capitol will be separated. My friends understand that there is a basic constitutional unfairness when you deny people the right to vote. prgtoken I wonder whether or not the problem is that, when I first arrived here many years ago, it was called chocolate city. prgtoken Let us not make this a racial issue. Let us make this a justice issue, a constitutional issue. It is important, . Vote for this legislation, for the 51st State. prgtoken , as a senior member of the Committee on the Judiciary, as an original cosponsor of the legislation, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act,'' which declares the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, to be a State of the United States of America, and declares its admission into the Union on an equal footing with the other States in all respects whatsoever. prgtoken In passing this legislation, we remove a stain that has blighted our nation for more than 200 years. prgtoken Today, we vote to end two centuries of shame and correct an injustice to the citizens of the District of Columbia. prgtoken , let us not lose sight of one indisputable and shameful fact: nearly 500,000 people living in the District of Columbia lack direct voting representation in the House of Representatives and Senate. prgtoken Specifically, the citizens of the District of Columbia pay more in federal taxes than 22 states and pay more in federal taxes per capita than any state. prgtoken The District of Columbia's population (705,000) is larger than the populations of Wyoming and Vermont, and seven states had populations under one million in the last census. prgtoken The District of Columbia's annual budget ($15.5 billion) is larger than the budgets of 14 states. prgtoken The District of Columbia has a higher per capita personal income and gross domestic product than any state. prgtoken District of Columbia residents have fought and died in every American war, including the Revolution itself, and almost 200,000 District residents have served in the military since World War I alone. prgtoken Approximately 30,000 veterans live in the District
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-4-22

if you believe the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is a good piece of legislation--and, obviously, over 90 Senators voted to move to proceed to this bill--then you can't vote for the Lee amendment because the first thing he does before he puts out his own idea of what we should consider instead is to strike key sections of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act that require the Attorney General to issue guidance to establish online reporting of hate crime incidents, collect data on hate crime incidents, and expand public education in campaigns. The Lee amendment strikes that. He doesn't want us to do that. prgtoken He wants us to assign the Attorney General the responsibility, in the next 180 days, to survey every COVID-19 restriction in every State in the Union. prgtoken I urge a vote against the Lee amendment. Vote on Amendment No. 1425
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-4-22

I thank Madam Chairwoman Maloney for yielding, and I salute her for her leadership in bringing this historic legislation to the floor. prgtoken All of us join in saluting Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who has been the patron saint of D.C. statehood since she came to Congress. She has been tireless, persistent, and dissatisfied as she has built historical support for this bill, which passed in the previous Congress with 235 votes. prgtoken I rise as of the House to join my colleagues on this momentous day for American democracy as we right a historic injustice by passing legislation to finally grant Washington, D.C statehood. prgtoken Statehood for the District of Columbia is about showing respect for our democracy, for the American people, and for our Constitution. That Constitution begins with our preamble, ``We the people,'' setting out our Founders' vision of a government of, by, and for the people. prgtoken Yet, for more than two centuries, the people of Washington, D.C have been denied their right to fully participate in their democracy. prgtoken D.C as Congresswoman Norton mentioned, pays more Federal taxes per capita than any other State. Its budget is larger than 12 States. Its population is larger than two States. Its people have fought in every American war since the Revolution. prgtoken D.C. residents have been fighting for voting rights and autonomy for 220 years, with a full 86 percent recently voting for statehood. prgtoken It is well past the time to grant them the rights that they have been fighting for and that they deserve. prgtoken As I said, , I rise as of the House on this momentous occasion. It is an official honor to do so, but it is also a personal privilege to join Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; the distinguished chair of the committee of jurisdiction, Congresswoman Maloney; many of my colleagues; and the distinguished majority leader, Mr. Hoyer, who has made this part of his life's work in the Congress to join in this fight for statehood. prgtoken It is a personal privilege because when I was born, my father was a Member of Congress from Baltimore, Maryland, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr. He served as chairman of the District of Columbia Appropriations Subcommittee. That position made him the unofficial mayor of Washington because of the authority that the committee had over the District of Columbia and their every decision. prgtoken However, my father did not agree with that. He was a proponent for what was then called ``home rule.'' They often say that statehood for the District of Columbia is in my DNA. It went from home rule, then to finally having a mayor, and now we want statehood. We have always wanted statehood, but now we finally are able to pass it in the Congress. prgtoken There is nothing theoretical or abstract about statehood. For example, last summer, the country watched in horror as Federal agents and out-of-State National Guard troops were deployed against
4/23 ANNIVERSARY OF JOSEPH STONE'S DEATH
Gwen Moore (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2021-4-22

. Madam , I rise today to mark the fourth anniversary of the tragic death of Joseph Stone, a U.S. paramedic serving with the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine. prgtoken My heart and prayers go out to his family who still feel his absence each and every day. prgtoken Joseph Stone was killed on April 23, 2017, when his vehicle struck a landmine in Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine. Born in my district in Milwaukee, he was a courageous young man whose life ended much too soon. prgtoken Stone gave his life serving a noble mission: helping those who document the human suffering inflicted by the Kremlin's senseless assault on Ukraine. The mission he served with, established in 2014, monitors implementation of the Minsk Agreements, which were designed to bring peace to eastern Ukraine. It is an unarmed, civilian mission that serves as the international community's eyes and ears on the security and humanitarian situation in the war zone. The SMM operates under a mandate adopted by consensus among the 57 OSCE participating States, including the United States, Russia, and Ukraine. prgtoken The tragedy of Stone's death--a direct result of this needless conflict--is compounded today by the continuation of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Recent weeks have seen a dramatic escalation by Russia, which has amassed forces and equipment on Ukraine's land and maritime borders and in Crimea, which Russia continues to illegally occupy. Moscow's actions are accompanied by boldfaced denial that these threatening moves should be of any concern to Ukraine or its friends. prgtoken The latest Russian escalation only underlines the crucial role of the SMM and the need to ensure that the mission Joseph Stone died serving can fully carry out its mandate. Moscow currently blocks the SMM from accessing Russia-occupied Crimea. And in parts of Ukraine where the SMM is able to operate, its monitors are harassed, blocked, and threatened on a daily basis by Russia-led forces, who also interfere with the SMM's equipment by jamming UAVs or blinding static cameras. prgtoken Madam , all OSCE states, including Russia, must do everything possible to support the OSCE monitors who, to this day, face unacceptable threats and restrictions as they shine a light on the daily cost of this war. The monitors must be allowed unfettered access throughout Ukraine--including Crimea. And rather than deploying more troops, Russia should be working with the OSCE to help deescalate the situation, including to support the deployment of more monitors to prevent further conflict and provocation moves. The mission's efforts will remain crucial in ensuring the international community has full visibility on the Kremlin's malignant actions against Ukraine. prgtoken Madam , please join me today in marking the solemn anniversary of Joseph Stone's death. Let us use this solemn occasion to redouble efforts to work for peace. I also want to use this
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-4-22

I rise in strong support of H.R. 51 and D.C. statehood. prgtoken My mother and father met at D.C.'s Western High School in the 1940s before my father went off to West Point and Korea. I was raised in the Potomac Palisades of Washington and went to high school a few blocks from the Capitol. My grandchildren are fifth-generation Washingtonians. prgtoken Through the generations, we have been confounded and confused that the United States citizens who live in the District of Columbia have been denied self-rule. prgtoken The right to self-determination is the defining principle on which this Nation was founded. Yet, this very right is denied to those who reside in our Nation's Capital. prgtoken Taxation without representation sparked our own war of independence from Great Britain. Today, the same cry for democracy, impressed on every D.C. license plate, calls out for the peaceful passage of H.R. 51. prgtoken The American citizens of the District of Columbia overwhelmingly support statehood, passing a statehood referendum with 85 percent support in 2016. prgtoken My statehood opponents argue that statehood should be denied D.C. because it is too small; because it is not rural enough; because it has insufficient logging, manufacturing, agriculture, and mining; because it is not well-rounded; and because its residents are not real Americans. D.C. does, by the way, have a Tesla car dealership. prgtoken The real reason my friends oppose statehood is that they disagree with the political views of today's Washingtonians. This is terrible short-term thinking. Texas voted ic for generations, while California and New York have elected many Governors and Senators. Political pendulums swing both ways. prgtoken This view betrays our democratic principles upon which our Nation was founded.
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-4-22

I rise in very strong support of this legislation. prgtoken I want to just briefly respond to the remarks of the gentleman who preceded me about retrocession. Retrocession is an interesting idea that my colleagues have. It has to do with the issue of two United States Senators. One could say that has to do with both sides of the aisle, two United States Senators. prgtoken The history of adding States has been a history where focus is on those two United States Senators that would be added, and the party that wanted them and the party that didn't want them. But retrocession, frankly, is an interesting idea, except for the fact the gentleman talked about the Founding Fathers and James Madison and the Federalist Papers. prgtoken One of the articles of debate was, if you had a State, i.e. Maryland, whose land, of course, the Federal city is located on--Virginia gave some, but they took it back--you would have a State surrounding the Federal enclave. No difference, except for it would be Maryland and not Washington, Douglass Commonwealth. So that argument limps. It fails because you are suggesting the same thing that some have said is of concern to them. So the only difference is two Senators. prgtoken So this is about politics. Throughout history people have guessed as to what the new States are going to be. Now some knew absolutely. We have North and South Dakota. I don't know whether any of you know why we have North and South Dakota; two Senators versus four Senators. And the s who were in charge wanted to have four Senators to assure their majority in the Senate as opposed to the in the South. Ironic how things change. prgtoken So if you are voting on politics, I get it. But on principle, Nevada was added and taken from Utah, by the way, because the s who were then in charge back in the day wanted to have two additional Senators. And they got them, with less than 10,000 people living in the area that was taken from Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado, and formed Nevada. prgtoken So let's not get mired in these principled votes, because this is about two Senators. We get it. It is not about principle because there are over 700,000 people--712,000, to be exact, maybe more when we get the Census report--who are unequal citizens in America. prgtoken I want to thank the incomparable Eleanor Holmes Norton for her hard work and tireless advocacy for so many years as the leader of this cause on behalf of equal rights for the citizens she represents without a vote. Why, are they lesser citizens? Is she a lesser Representative? Surely not. prgtoken If a President of the United States, or , asked somebody to come to the District of Columbia and work for the U.S. Government, bring your talents, your energy, and your focus to work for your country in Washington, D.C but, oh, by the way, you have to give up your vote in the Congress of the United States through your Re
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
Haley M. Stevens (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-4-22

I rise today in support of H.R. 51, in the esteemed tradition, the responsibility that we have as legislators of this body to evaluate adding a 51st State to this Union, to form a more perfect union; yes, in the tradition and in the written words of our Constitution because, as when my native Michigan became the 26th State in 1837 added to this Union, the President recognized that we will admit Michigan on equal footing. prgtoken But we know that the Founders and the originators of our beautiful Nation did not know a Michigan when they were writing our Constitution. They did not know a Wyoming. So we ask ourselves here, as the ambassadors of democracy, what message we send to the world when we deny over 700,000 people the right to vote; when we tax them without the proper representation. prgtoken This, my friends, is an exciting and profound and welcomed day in this body that deserves debate, and this legislation deserves to pass.
BLACK APRIL
J. Luis Correa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-4-22

. Madam , April 30 we will commemorate the 46th anniversary of Black April and the Fall of Saigon. On this day we are reminded of the pain of losing your homeland and the sacrifices made in the search for freedom from tyranny. prgtoken When Saigon fell in 1975, thousands of families were forced to flee their home or be brutalized in reeducation camps. Today, the refugees of Vietnam are proud Americans who are a very important part of our community and our country. prgtoken The United States must always be a beacon of hope to those without hope. We must continue to stand up for human rights and religious freedom around the world.
IN HONOR OF THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND LEGACY OF REVEREND ROY L. FERGUSON
Terri A. Sewell (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2021-4-22

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Reverend Roy L. Ferguson, a beloved pastor and active community leader who passed away at the age of 76 on April 15, 2021. In 1983, Rev. Ferguson was elected Pastor of Saint John Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he served his congregation valiantly for 38 years. Demonstrating a continued dedication to public service, Rev. Ferguson contributed to the lives of many through mentorship and ministry, lifting spirits and soothing troubled souls. prgtoken Born on July 16, 1945, in Pickensville, Alabama, Rev. Ferguson graduated from Mississippi Valley College, where he studied physical education. He continued his education attending Birmingham Bible College and Samford University. In 1978, Rev. Ferguson answered the call to ministry under the leadership of Dr. J.C. Curry, Pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Flint, Michigan. Shortly after, Rev. Ferguson's employer transferred him to Tuscaloosa, where he began his tenure as an associate minister at Saint John Baptist Church in 1982. He married Coleen Hudson, and together they had seven children. prgtoken Rev. Ferguson was a dedicated public servant who contributed to the progression of Civil and Human Rights through his positions as a board member of the State Southern Christian Leadership Conference, President Emeritus of the Tuscaloosa County Chapter Southern Christian Conference, and President of Tuscaloosa Ministerial Alliance. Expanding his influence outside of ministry, Rev. Ferguson gave back to the Tuscaloosa community by acting as a mentor in the Stars Program at Tuscaloosa City Schools and Tuscaloosa Juvenile Detention Center. He lived his life by example, encouraging the members of his community and congregation to live up to their full potential in Christ. prgtoken Throughout his life, Rev. Ferguson prioritized the importance of teaching the next generation about Black history. He believed that if we are to truly bring about change in this Nation, it is our responsibility to preserve the legacy of those on whose shoulders we stand. prgtoken On a personal note, I am eternally grateful for the support, friendship, and wise counsel that Rev. Ferguson and his dedicated wife Coleen always extend to me. The amazing congregation of St. John Baptist Church was a special refuge to my staff and I and will always be a comforting source of love and support. I am forever indebted to Rev. Ferguson for representing Alabama's 7th Congressional District at the National Day of Prayer in Washington, D.C. I could always count on Rev. Ferguson to extend his ministry for the good of our community. I was constantly reminded by the example that Rev. Ferguson set on how to extend favor and fulfillment to others. May we find comfort in knowing that the legacy of Rev. Ferguson will live in the many people that he touched. Let us be renewed by his giving spirit to make a difference in our communities. Re
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
Mondaire Jones (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-4-22

the truth is, there is no good-faith argument for disenfranchising over 700,000 people, most of whom are people of color. prgtoken These desperate objections are about fear--fear that, in D.C their white supremacist politics will no longer play; fear that, soon enough, white supremacist politics won't work anywhere in America; fear that, if they don't rig our democracy, they will not win. prgtoken Today, are standing up for a multiracial democracy, to democratize all 51 States in this country.
REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO THE EARTH
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-4-22

in Northwest Oregon, raging wildfires have made the air unhealthy to breathe. Ocean acidification, harmful algal bloom, and hypoxia threaten our fisheries. Droughts and extreme weather patterns jeopardize the livelihoods of our farmers. prgtoken But there is hope. By recognizing the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, we can take meaningful action to address it. prgtoken Today, the - administration is convening a group of world leaders to commit to ambitious action. We stand ready to work with them to enact policies that reduce emissions, create jobs, and support frontline communities. prgtoken Last year, I joined my colleagues on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis in releasing our bold, comprehensive, science-based Climate Action Plan to reach net-zero emissions no later than mid- century, and net-negative thereafter. It includes bills like my bipartisan Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act, which I am reintroducing today, to help capture the power of the ocean and coastal ecosystems in mitigating the climate crisis. prgtoken The Climate Action Plan is our road map. Now, on this 51st anniversary of Earth Day, we must all reaffirm our commitment to the Earth and to taking bold action to solve the climate crisis.