mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Kids Online Safety Act (Executive Session)
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-7-30

, while he is still here on the floor, for his diligence and his work and his partnership as we have worked on the Kids Online Safety Act. Indeed, he has put many hours, as his team has also put many hours, into this. prgtoken As we get ready to move forward with passage, I think we have to remember that it was 1998 the last time this body took up and passed a bill that became law that protected children in the virtual space. And a lot has changed since then. We have seen the emergence of social media. We have seen 100 million Americans born during that period of time. prgtoken So thinking about these platforms and that emergence, when you think about Facebook and Instagram and Snapchat and TikTok and online video games, those interactive games that are pulling kids into those, you think about how social media has changed the lives and the exposure of children today. They have grown up in this. prgtoken And, as Senator Blumenthal said, , it is so important to note that there are laws that protect children from buying alcohol, buying tobacco, buying pornography, being taken to a strip show. We, as a society, have decided kids can't drive until they are 16 years old and they can't vote until they are 18 years old. But when you look at the social media platforms, there are no guardrails, and children are constantly exposed--constantly exposed--to content that encourages self-harm. prgtoken That is why we have started to see, over the last decade, such a rise in cyber bullying. I had one mom tell me her child was bullied to death--cyber-bullied nonstop. I had a principal tell me--he said: You know, Marsha, it is interesting. Previously, in previous decades, children could go home and get away from the schoolyard bully. Now, that takes place over that phone, and it never stops. prgtoken Indeed, many of the behavioral issues at school are related to what is happening online. And we have seen a rise in mental health disorders. We have seen an increase in eating disorders, online sexual abuse, human trafficking, drug overdoses in teens, and of course, suicides--online challenges where a child loses their life. And we have seen how, the way Big Tech approaches this, our kids are basically defenseless. prgtoken That is why the Kids Online Safety Act has moved forward, as Senator Blumenthal said. We have worked on this. We have met with colleagues. We have met with wonderful parents. We have met with principals and pediatricians and so many people that are involved in children's lives. That is why this legislation is focused on safety by design. And that is a change. That will be a change for social media. It will have that duty of care. There will be that toolbox for kids and parents to make it a safer environment. Those algorithms are going to have to be opened up. There is going to have to be a portal so bad actors in the virtual space can be reported, and the social m
CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MR. ED DWIGHT
Sharice Davids (Democrat, KS) \u2014 2024-7-30

I rise today to celebrate the accomplishments of Mr. Ed Dwight. prgtoken In 1961, Mr. Dwight was a U.S. Air Force pilot when President John F. Kennedy selected him as a candidate for NASA's early astronaut corps. In the face of great pressure and prejudice, Mr. Dwight became the first Black astronaut candidate and advanced to the second phase of the training course. Despite his stellar accomplishments, qualifications, and graduation in the top half of a test pilot school, Mr. Dwight was not selected to be a part of the final astronaut group. prgtoken But, on May 20, 2024, at 90 years old, Mr. Dwight finally achieved spaceflight. prgtoken This story is perhaps a perfect representation of Mr. Dwight's drive and tenacity. He was born and raised in racially segregated Kansas City, Kansas. Mr. Dwight was the first Black male to graduate from Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, a feat that did not come without experiencing hate and injustice. He earned his Associate of Arts in engineering prgtoken from Kansas City Community College and graduated cum laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering before serving as a captain in the Air Force. prgtoken Even in the wake of disappointment following his rejection from the final 1963 astronaut group, Mr. Dwight did not retreat. Instead, he worked for IBM, started a construction company, opened his own barbecue restaurant, and finally, as if none of this was enough, earned a Master of Fine Art in Sculpture from the University of Denver. He's since become a highly respected artist. His sculptures focus on Black history and include memorials and monuments across the country. prgtoken The Kansas state motto is ``ad astra per aspera,'' which means ``through hardships to the stars.'' Mr. Dwight embodies everything it means to persevere and, literally, reach for the stars. He is a true example of the American dream, and I'm honored to have such an extraordinary individual call Kansas City home.
Welcoming the Guest Chaplain (Executive Session)
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2024-7-30

I rise in recognition of today's guest Chaplain, Rajan Zed. Mr. Zed is not new to Congress. He was invited in 2007 by Majority Leader Harry Reid to read the first-ever Hindu opening prayer before the U.S. Senate. And he has read opening prayers in the U.S. House of Representatives, various State legislative bodies, county commissions, and city councils all across the United States. prgtoken Mr. Zed is a religious leader of the Hindu community in Reno, and he has taken up causes from all over the world. He is president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, an active member of the Nevada Interfaith Association, and a spiritual advisor to the National Association of Interchurch & Interfaith Families. prgtoken He has been invited to and participated in the World Economic Forum. He has met with the President of the European Parliament in Brussels to promote interfaith dialogue, and he has received several awards for his contributions to both local and global religious communities. prgtoken Outside of his faith leadership, Mr. Zed has been active in the Reno community. He serves on the governing board of directors of the Northern Nevada International Center, the board of directors of the Nevada World Trade Council, the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Regional Transportation Commission, and on the Reno Police Chief Advisory Board. prgtoken , I am honored to have Mr. Zed back in the U.S. Senate to deliver opening prayers once again today. I welcome him to the U.S. Senate and his beautiful family. prgtoken .
Nomination of Stacey D. Neumann (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-7-30

today the Senate will vote to confirm Stacey Neumann to the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine. prgtoken Ms. Neumann earned her B.A. from James Madison University (2000) and her J.D. from Cornell Law School (2005). Following law school, she clerked for Judge John A. Dooley on the Vermont Supreme Court and Judge Peter W. Hall on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. prgtoken Ms. Neumann began her legal career with the Chittenden County Public Defender Office in Vermont. In 2009, she joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine as a special assistant U.S. attorney and became an assistant U.S. attorney in 2010. At the U.S. Attorney's Office, she served as the Project Safe Childhood Coordinator. In this role, she was responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the possession, transportation, and production of child sexual abuse material. prgtoken Since 2013, Ms. Neumann has been a litigator with Murray Plumb & Murray, where she maintains a diverse practice that consists of criminal, civil, and administrative matters. She has focused her civil practice on representing employees in workplace discrimination cases while also serving as a member of the Criminal Justice Act panel, accepting appointed indigent clients. prgtoken Over the course of her legal career, Ms. Neumann has handled 15 trials or adjudicated matters that proceeded to verdict or judgment. prgtoken The American Bar Association unanimously rated Ms. Neumann as ``well qualified,'' and she has the support of her home State Senators, Ms. Collins and Mr. King. prgtoken Ms. Neumann's diverse experience as a litigator and commitment to service make her well-prepared to serve on the bench with distinction. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting her nomination.
Anniversary of the Maui Wildfires (Executive Calendar)
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2024-7-30

for so many people in Lahaina, next week marks 1 year since the worst day of their lives. They watched in horror as wind-whipped fires barreled into town at blistering speed and sent everything in their path up in flames. They saw the only homes and places they had ever known and lived in fall around them. And with just minutes to escape, they gathered whatever they could and ran for their lives. prgtoken It is a testament to the generosity and camaraderie that typifies Hawaii that, even amid all of that panic and chaos, so many people put their loved ones, their neighbors, and total strangers before themselves. In their darkest hour, their first instinct was to provide help. In that moment, everyday people became eternal heroes. prgtoken The outpouring of kindness continued far beyond those first few hours. As the grim and heartbreaking reality of death and destruction set in, people did everything that they could to ease the burden, even if just a little bit. Everybody pitched in--not because they were asked but because they saw that their ohana needed help. prgtoken For the survivors who lost everything in an instant, no amount of help is ever truly enough 102 people died that day; 2,200 structures, most of them homes, flattened. More than 12,000 residents were displaced overnight. And so the process of recovery was never going to be quick or easy. This was always going to be a yearslong effort, riddled with stubborn realities to confront and difficult challenges to overcome. prgtoken And in spite of the grace and good will of the community, in spite of a robust Federal response since the very beginning, there is still so much unmet need and unfinished work. And, understandably, people are worried and anxious and exhausted. They are tired of having to uproot their families from one temporary housing unit to the next, every few weeks or every few months. They are tired of wondering what the future holds and if that future will be on Maui at all. They worry about their friends and their neighbors grappling with depression and post- traumatic stress from the lingering trauma of the fires. They worry about their kids missing out on school and getting left behind. prgtoken One year later, people's lives are nowhere near back to normal. National headlines may have moved on, but life for survivors has not. They still need help. prgtoken From the very next day after the fires, following President 's disaster declaration, the Federal Government mobilized a sweeping recovery effort that has delivered more than $300 million in aid to date. prgtoken Here in Congress, Senator Mazie Hirono, Representative Jill Tokuda, Representative Ed Case, and I worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver disaster relief funding and get survivors the help that they deserve. prgtoken And while we should be clear-eyed about the long road ahead, it is worth, just for a moment, reflecting o
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE AND MEMORY OF CHARLES OLVERA LONA
Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2024-7-30

I rise today with a heavy heart to announce the passing of Charles ``Charlie'' Olvera Lona on June 26, 2024. Charlie was a beacon of justice, advocacy, and hope in Kansas City's Westside community and beyond. I urge us all to celebrate and remember the life of this incredible activist, community leader, friend, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. prgtoken Born in Kansas City on October 14, 1946, to Wesley H. and Luz O. Lona, Charlie became an active community member of Kansas City's Westside neighborhood--a historic Mexican-American community--at birth. A graduate of Westport High School and Metropolitan Community College, Charlie took over his family business and transformed it into a Westside, and Midwest, staple. prgtoken Through dedication, effort, and business acuity, Charlie transformed his father's automotive repair shop into one specializing in building custom lowriders. His business, Lona & Sons Hydraulics, brought this unique aspect of Chicano culture to Kansas City. As Charlie allowed lowrider culture to make its mark on Kansas City, his skill and work brought attention from all over the United States. prgtoken Charlie's contribution to Kansas City's Chicano community did not stop at his business. He spent his life uplifting and empowering the residents of the Westside through his relentless advocacy and commitment to being a voice for the unheard. Worried that his fellow residents were being excluded from city affairs and left with disproportionately low resources, Charlie became a proud supporter of the Chicano Movement in the 1960s. He courageously marched, organized, and protested for prgtoken equal rights and better conditions for the Westside neighborhood and beyond. Charlie also founded the Kansas City chapter of the Brown Berets, a Chicano activist group inspired by the Black Panthers. Collaborating with other famous Chicano leaders like Rodolfo ``Corky'' Gonzales and Cesar Chavez, Charlie inspired Kansas Citians to join El Movimiento. prgtoken In addition to bringing nationwide movements to Kansas City, Charlie placed great value on local activism. His political influence helped elect many Chicano leaders to local government, allowing Westside residents to take part in the city affairs from which they long felt excluded. He also is responsible for the founding of the Aztlan Center for Chicano cultural education and empowerment, and for immensely expanding the impact of the Guadalupe Centers, a local social service agency for Latin Americans in the United States, that is now the longest continuously standing agency of its kind. Even as he neared the end of his life, Charlie never wavered in his fight for justice and equity. prgtoken Though Charlie has passed, his legacy and impact on Kansas City will remain long past our mortal lifetimes. I am reminded of Mark 10:45-- ``For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
INTRODUCTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY OFFICER PROTECTION ACT OF 2024
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2024-7-30

today, I introduce the Department of the Treasury Officer Protection Act of 2024. This bill would help protect Treasury Department police officers and the public by allowing all the officers, including those who work at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), to carry their government firearms home. prgtoken BEP officers are not allowed to take their government firearms home. However, BEP officers can be targets because they wear uniforms to and from work. Many BEP officers carry personal firearms to and from work because they are not allowed to take their government firearms home, and some are forced to leave those personal firearms in their cars while they are on duty, creating a possibly dangerous situation. prgtoken Allowing BEP officers to carry their government firearms home will put them in the same position as Mint officers. Although both agencies are under the Treasury Department under Treasury Department rules, Mint officers are allowed to carry their government firearms home, while BEP officers are not. There is no meaningful distinction between officers for these two agencies. They should be treated equally. prgtoken This bill would allow all police officers in the Treasury Department to carry their government firearms home to protect officers and the public, eliminating separate carrying rules for the Treasury Department's different law enforcement agencies. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to support this bill.
Kids Online Safety Act (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-7-30

well, today is a momentous day. The Senate keeps its promise to every parent who has lost a child because of the risks of social media. prgtoken Today, after a lot of hard work, twists and turns, the Senate is passing two vital pieces of legislation with a strong bipartisan vote: the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, and the Children and Teens' Online Prevention Act, or COPPA. prgtoken By passing KOSA and COPPA, we are one step closer to the most important update in decades to Federal laws protecting kids on the internet. prgtoken Once we act, the House should pass these bills as soon as they can. prgtoken This is such an important piece of legislation, and I say to my colleagues who have worked hard--Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn, Markey and Cassidy, Durbin, Klobuchar, Chair Cantwell, and others-- thank you. prgtoken But thank you, above all, to the parents who advocated so tirelessly for these bills. I have sat with them. I have heard the terrible stories--children, teenagers, perfectly normal. Some algorithm captures them online by accident, and they end up committing suicide shortly thereafter. I have heard those stories. Can you imagine being a parent and living with that? prgtoken So we have to do something. And these parents have turned their grief into grace. These parents are the reason that we succeeded today. Today the Senate tells the parents: We hear you. We are taking action. prgtoken I am so glad that we have a broad bipartisan vote here. It shows the Chamber can work on something important; that no one let partisanship get in the way of passing this important legislation. prgtoken But this is a historic moment. This is a moment when the Senate has said: There have been horrible abuses. We must end them, and we will. prgtoken . prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled vote occur immediately.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-7-30

I rise to introduce the Scarper Ridge Golden Gate National Recreation Area Boundary Adjustment Act, straightforward, uncontroversial bill to adjust the boundary of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. prgtoken This bill would modify the boundary of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, GGNRA, to include the approximately 896-acre Scarper Ridge property. This land is currently owned by the Peninsula Open Space Trust, who would like to sell this land to the National Park Service to include within the GGNRA. prgtoken The GGNRA is one of the world's largest urban national parks, spanning three counties and more than 82,000 acres of coastal and urban lands. According to the National Park Service, the GGNRA is an assemblage of military, private, and public lands which altogether offer vast skylines, natural beauty, and diverse histories to locals and visitors alike. The GGNRA welcomes over 15 million visitors each year, and strives to be an accessible recreational area for all people. prgtoken Thanks to continuing efforts by the Peninsula Open Space Trust, local partners, Congresswoman Eshoo, and my predecessors in the Senate, Congress has previously awarded funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to purchase additional land to be included within the GGNRA. However, the lands included in my bill--known as the Scarper Ridge property--require a minor legislative boundary adjustment in order for the National Park Service to use future Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to purchase this property and include it within the park. prgtoken I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this commonsense, straightforward boundary adjustment bill as soon as possible.
TRIBUTE TO JOHN R. ALLEN
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-7-30

I rise today to congratulate Maryland resident John R. Allen as he retires from Federal service after 20 years in the Marine Corps and 20 years at the Peace Corps. prgtoken Mr. Allen served as the Chief of the Global Crime Response and Analysis Unit for the Peace Corps, a U.S. Government Agency that sends American Volunteers to serve alongside host communities in roughly 60 countries around the world. John was a key adviser to multiple Directors of the Peace Corps on all areas of the Agency's global safety and security program. Throughout his 20 years with the Agency, he traveled extensively representing Peace Corps and directly supporting Volunteers in Africa and Latin America. prgtoken Mr. Allen joined the Peace Corps after retiring from the Marine Corps, where he served honorably at home and abroad as a senior noncommissioned officer. He has remained active in the veterans community as the leadership liaison for the Peace Corps' Veterans Employee Resource Group. He was also an active member of the Interagency Veterans Advisory Council (IVAC), comprised of Active-Duty and veteran representatives of approximately 100 departments and Agencies, which proudly supports the recruitment, acclimation, retention, and promotion of veterans, Reservists, National Guard personnel, and military spouses in the Federal civilian workforce. Collectively, IVAC advocates for the interests of over 500,000 veteran civilian employees. prgtoken Mr. Allen has a BA in psychology from the University of South Carolina and an MS in management from Troy University. He completed the Key Executive Leadership Program at American University and is currently working on his dissertation for the doctor in ministry degree at Denver Seminary. John resides in Urbana, MD, with his wife Susan. They are the proud parents to two adult sons, a daughter-in-law, and two rambunctious grandboys Miles John and Austin David. prgtoken I am honored to represent such an exemplary civil servant and military veteran. Please join me in congratulating John R. Allen for his Federal service, his contributions to the Peace Corps and the Marine Corps, and the larger U.S. veteran and national service community and in wishing him well as he transitions into his new position at the U.S. Institute of Peace.