mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SACRAMENTO REGIONAL TRANSIT
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-3-30

I rise today to celebrate the Sacramento Regional Transit District on 50 years of service, helping Californians commute to work, visit loved ones, and explore the beautiful county of Sacramento. prgtoken Since first providing service in 1973, Sacramento Regional Transit, or SacRT, has grown to include over 97 electric light rail vehicles and over 230 buses, traversing 440 square miles to include the cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Citrus Heights, and Rancho Cordova. prgtoken Throughout that time, SacRT has been committed to finding new ways to serve Californians, by spearheading an on-demand microtransit service accessible via mobile app, and by converting 10 buses into WiFi hotspots during the height of the pandemic when internet access was a necessity for school, work, and public health. prgtoken By providing free fares for K-12 students, SacRT has helped countless students pursue their education without having to worry about affording a ride to school. During a time of unprecedented weather events in California, SacRT also partnered with the city of Sacramento to provide free bus rides to warming centers for individuals experiencing homelessness. prgtoken SacRT has fought to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases. Their leadership in renewable energy, accessibility, and service have been rightly recognized by both State and Federal agencies. prgtoken In the capital of the fourth largest economy in the world, SacRT is an integral part of the community, constantly finding ways to better serve the people of Sacramento who rely on it for affordable transit. After 50 years of service, Californians know SacRT can get you ``where you want to go, when you want to go.'' And we are excited to see where the next 50 years will take us.
FIRE GRANTS AND SAFETY ACT
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-3-30

when I took the gavel as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, one of my first goals and objectives was to restore the committee's oversight role. prgtoken Since the beginning of the 117th Congress, we have kept a close watch on those Agencies in the executive branch which are within our jurisdiction. We have held oversight hearings on the Justice Department, the FBI, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, to mention a few. This last Tuesday, we continued that tradition with a second oversight hearing on the Department of Homeland Security. prgtoken It is worth noting that, under the previous administration, the previous President, the Homeland Security Secretary only appeared before our committee one time in 4 years. So we were glad to welcome Secretary Mayorkas back to the hearing room and learn about the work that he is undertaking to keep America safe. prgtoken As I mentioned on Tuesday, I think Secretary Mayorkas has one of the hardest jobs in Washington. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for defending our Nation from a wide range of threats from domestic terrorism, narcotics trafficking, the climate crisis, and even cyber attacks. But, despite this broad mandate, our discussion kept returning to one subject last Tuesday: America's broken immigration system. prgtoken It was interesting to hear the Senators on my committee being critical of the job that Mr. Mayorkas is doing as head of the DHS while, at the same time, it has been over 30 years since this body, the U.S. Senate, has enacted legislation to upgrade and modernize our immigration system--30 years. Trust me. The world has changed dramatically in that period, but the Senate has refused to keep pace. prgtoken It is easy to criticize Secretary Mayorkas about our border situation, and he faces some amazing challenges. But let's face it. We share in the responsibility for this situation, and we certainly share in the burden of coming up with solutions that help. prgtoken For years, I have tried my best to pass appropriations reform. There was a bipartisan moment 10 years ago when the so-called Gang of Eight Senators--four , four s, and I was included in that group--sat down and wrote a comprehensive immigration reform package. I think it was pretty good. In fact, it was so good that it passed on the floor of the U.S. Senate with over 60 votes in favor of it. prgtoken We had our fingers crossed and sent it across the Rotunda over to the -controlled House, and, for 2 years, they refused to even consider it, even call it for a debate, or even offer their own amendments. They did nothing--nothing--and we are paying the price for that today. prgtoken So here is the question after this week's hearing: Are we going to keep pointing our fingers and mugging for the cameras or are we going to come together to fix our immigration system? prgtoken I am ready. I certainly hope the Members of the Hou
CONGRATULATING SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY'S MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
Sara Jacobs (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-3-30

. Madam , I rise today as an incredibly proud San Diegan and the proud daughter of an SDSU alum to congratulate San Diego State University for making it to the Final Four for the first time in program history. prgtoken After the tournament was canceled in 2020 during one of SDSU's best seasons, our dreams of a championship appearance were dashed. prgtoken This team has risen to the challenge, and this year's tournament has been electric for SDSU, defying the odds and expectations set against them. prgtoken Led by Coach Brian Dutcher, they have been focused, steady, and resilient. They beat No. 1 seed Alabama 71-64 in the Sweet 16. They beat Creighton 57-56 after senior Darrion Trammell sank a free throw with 1.2 seconds left in the game. prgtoken Out of 363 Division I men's basketball teams, SDSU has outlasted all but three. They will face off against Florida Atlantic this weekend. prgtoken With more than 400,000 alumni, our entire community and all of California are behind you and rooting for you. prgtoken Let's go, San Diego State.
DERELICTION OF DUTY
Becca Balint (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2023-3-30

. Madam , this week I have heard from grandfathers, moms, students, and even from my Uber driver the other night, all asking some version of the same question, which is, how can we continue to allow our children to get murdered in their schools? prgtoken This week, six Nashville families are heartbroken. The parents of three 9-year-olds are grieving. They will join the families of thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of American families who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Four hundred American children have been gunned down this year already. prgtoken It is unbelievable that it is happening in this Nation. prgtoken I do not accept that this is the cost of freedom in this country. Americans have said overwhelmingly that they want us to do something about it. We in Congress actually could do something about it. We can vote on the floor of this Chamber for background checks and to ban assault weapons. prgtoken Throwing up our hands and saying there is nothing that we can do is a dereliction of duty. prgtoken I stand with the children of America.
REPUBLICANS USED TO CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-3-30

. Madam , I rise today to discuss the Lower Energy Costs Act, or H.R. 1. prgtoken That is a joke. Once again, the title of a bill does not match the content. prgtoken This bill does not save Americans one dime in energy costs. Instead, it will cost them at least $2.4 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. prgtoken It will pollute drinking water and poison the air we breathe. It eliminates Federal funds to decrease greenhouse gases, and it increases dangerous drilling on Federal lands and in national parks. prgtoken It was President Richard Nixon who started the Environmental Protection Agency. Back then, s cared about the health and safety of the environment and Americans. Clearly, this bill shows they could care less about both.
SPRINGFIELD 1908 NATIONAL RACE RIOT NATIONAL MONUMENT
Nikki Budzinski (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-3-30

. Madam , more than a century ago, the Black community in Springfield, Illinois, came under attack by a violent mob, resulting in the loss of lives and livelihoods. prgtoken While the 1908 Springfield race riot demonstrates our Nation's deep history of racial violence, it also gave rise to the NAACP, an organization that would lead the charge in securing civil rights for millions of Black Americans in the decades to come. prgtoken Today, I am honored to introduce bipartisan legislation with Congressman Darin LaHood to make the site of this historic event a national monument, providing long overdue recognition for our local history and its impact on our Nation. prgtoken I am grateful to Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth for their work on this bill in the Senate, and I look forward to working together to make this vision a reality.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-3-30

I am here on behalf of Senator Sanders, who was pulled away from the floor on an important matter, and he asked me to object on this matter. He gave me some documentation and some points. I don't want to burden the Senate with reading everything I was given, but I would like to ask unanimous consent to enter into the Record the objection on behalf of Senator Sanders, if there is no objection to that, sir. prgtoken And I will say, I really feel so blessed to be a Senator, and one of the great blessings for me has been getting to know my colleagues. I know folks on both sides of the aisle and have sincere friendships and admiration. prgtoken Senator Lee is one of the people I respect in this body the most. He is learned. I have learned from him. My positions on issues have evolved by taking time to actually listen to my colleague from Utah speak. prgtoken I see both colleagues from Utah are here. I need to get Menendez down to this floor and get some firepower here. prgtoken But I have also learned a lot about Utah itself, and when he talks about the reasons for getting rid of this, they are very compelling to me. The reality is, tourism is one of our greatest industries. It creates jobs and opportunities. prgtoken When he talks about sports teams--I am not sure if it is because he is a sports fan--I think he understands that sports teams help promote economic growth and economic opportunity. And even more than that, what I have learned from my colleague and my friend is that Utah is a very special place. prgtoken I remember the Senator from Utah told me that I think one of the cities in Utah is one of the places in America that most foreign languages are spoken and mastered in all of our country, and I imagine because of the extensive foreign travel, there are real connections. prgtoken And he said something that resonated with my spirit, which is this idea that it is affecting families; that we might have blended families. Americans do often marry people from outside of our country. prgtoken All of those reasons I feel are very compelling. When I read Senator Sanders' remarks here, though, I found them compelling as well. And one of the things I found most compelling--I don't know about the Senator from Utah, but I actually have a science degree, a political science degree, so I tend to rely on health professionals. prgtoken And then Senator Sanders' remarks, all of which I will put in the Record, talk to the point about the fact that people are still dying in the United States from COVID, but they also point out that COVID didn't originate here. prgtoken We know it came from another country. We know that a zoonotic disease spread from wet markets in other countries into human beings. It then traveled to our Nation, most likely, and spread to us. We know that variants are still happening. Many of them can come from outside of our country, and there are many health professionals who believe that doing
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Scott Perry (Republican, PA) \u2014 2023-3-30

. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for his comments. Again, the provision also exists. All we are saying is that we should be able to--the American people--should be able to follow the money. If there is a report that says this is where the money came from and this is where it was spent or it wasn't spent, then we can follow the money and we know. That is all we are asking for. That is all this does. prgtoken It doesn't slow anything down. It doesn't speed anything up. It just says you are capable; you are able. There is a way to follow the money. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge adoption, and .
HONORING THE LIFE OF CHARLIE DOWD
Ryan K. Zinke (Republican, MT) \u2014 2023-3-30

Montana and Americans everywhere lost a great patriot, warrior, and servant with the passing of Mr. Charles A. ``Charlie'' Dowd, radioman, U.S. Navy. prgtoken Born in Rochester, NY, and later calling Montana home, Charlie was the son of a World War I veteran and enlisted in the Navy while he was in high school. At age 17 he received his orders and was assigned to duty at Pearl Harbor. On the evening of December 6, 1941, Dowd reported for duty at 2330. He worked through the night before returning to his barracks at daybreak. prgtoken Dowd awoke to America under attack. In just his T-shirt and boxer shorts he grabbed his rifle and brass and took position on the roof. He fired so many rounds at attacking Japanese combatants that his rifle barrel burned like his anger. As Dowd recalled some years later, ``I didn't have any fear at the time,'' he said. ``We were angry.'' It was that courage and anger and love of country that eventually led us to victory in the Pacific and Europe. prgtoken There were 2,403 service members and civilians who died that day, and 14 of them were from Montana. As one of the few survivors on the attack at Pearl Harbor, he continued his military service on vessels in the Pacific Theater in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea until the end of the war and was discharged in 1945. prgtoken For his military service, he was awarded multiple Bronze Stars and several other commendations. prgtoken I had the honor of visiting Dowd over the years. Listening to his stories and the stories of the men he served with are humbling and moving. More than 70 years later at 99 years old, he could still tap to the messages he sent as a radioman in Morse code on the table we visited on in Anaconda. prgtoken In Charlie's time after war, he continued his second life of service as a high school teacher for building trades where he filled young minds with memories they still talk about today. He leaned into his passion as a sportsman by spending time hunting, fishing, and writing a weekly column named `The Wild Side' which became a staple for the Western Montana community. prgtoken Charlie's life with his wife Clara was the epitome of the American dream and our state was made a better place because they called it home. History will know Charlie Dowd as one of the last living survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a Montana legend, and true American hero.
FIRE GRANTS AND SAFETY ACT
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-3-30

in January of this year, a former ic prgtoken Senator penned an op-ed urging to do away with the Senate tradition of blue slips. This was followed within weeks by an editorial from the New York Times and an op-ed in the Washington Post making similar arguments. prgtoken While the ic chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee has indicated his desire to maintain the blue slip process, talk of abandoning blue slips remains concerning, especially given ' attempt last year to do away with the legislative filibuster, a mainstay of Senate procedure and a guarantor of minority party representation. prgtoken Blue slips--so-called because they are literally blue slips of paper requesting perspective on judicial nominees from their home State Senators--are a longtime Senate tradition. They serve the important function of ensuring that Senators are consulted about judicial appointments from their State, and that is particularly relevant when it comes to nominees to serve as Federal district court judges. prgtoken The Founders set up the Senate in such a way as to provide a voice for States in the national legislature, and Senators continue to provide a voice for a whole State in a way that a Representative in the House of Representatives does not simply because he or she only represents a single district. prgtoken State representation is of particular relevance when it comes to the most numerous type of judicial nominee, and that is Federal district court judges. Unlike circuit court judges or Supreme Court Justices, Federal district court judges are responsible for a limited physical jurisdiction that is entirely contained within a single State, and they are regularly required to interpret State law as well as Federal law. Now, given that fact, Senators, as the representatives of their States, should have a particular say in who will receive a lifetime appointment to interpret their State's laws. prgtoken The Constitution gives the President the power to appoint judges by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and the blue slip process in the Senate encourages Presidents to seek that advice--not to just send a nominee over to the Senate for consideration and vote but to actually discuss a nominee with the relevant home State Senators before sending that name over. prgtoken Blue slips also serve as a check on more extreme or problematic nominees, first, by encouraging the President not to nominate excessively controversial candidates, and second, by providing a way for home State Senators to block a nomination for their State if the President does nominate someone problematic. prgtoken Senators of both parties regularly return blue slips for judicial nominees; in other words, they sign off on the nomination of judicial nominees who would not be their first choice but whom they recognize as suitable to sit on the bench. When the nominee in question has problems beyond
HONORING VIETNAM VETERANS DAY
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-3-30

I rise to honor and thank the Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and bravery to defend this country. On Wednesday, we observed Vietnam Veterans Day, a day to pause and remember the sacrifice and heroism of our veterans in one of our country's longest and most difficult conflicts. prgtoken We observe National Vietnam Veterans Day on March 29th to pay tribute to the 9 million Americans who served during this era. This year, March 29 is not only National Vietnam Veterans Day, but it is also the 50th anniversary of March 29, 1973, the day the United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disestablished, and the day the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam. In addition, on and around this same day Hanoi released the last of its acknowledged prisoners of war. prgtoken We are blessed to enjoy the freedom and security in this country today because of the sacrifice and service of veterans like these. As elected representatives, we have no higher duty than to ensure our nation's heroes receive the recognition they have earned and to commemorate the 58,000 soldiers that never made it home. prgtoken We cannot express our gratitude enough for all the Americans who served in Vietnam. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Vietnam veterans not just on this day, but every day. Our nation is forever in their debt.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-3-30

I wish we were not here facing these issues yet again. In recent days, our Nation has seen yet another horrific school shooting. In September of last year, I stood on the Senate floor and tried to pass legislation to stop these school shootings. There have been too damn many. I have been there on the ground at too damn many of them. prgtoken Sante Fe High School in Texas, about 45 minutes away from my house-- the morning of that shooting, I got the call within minutes of the shooting. I was down on campus just over an hour after it occurred. I saw the tragedy, the tears, the grieving parents, the children in shock. prgtoken Uvalde, I was there shortly after that shooting as well--the horror, the mayhem. prgtoken Too many of our children have been murdered by deranged lunatics. prgtoken , when you and I were kids, this wasn't a thing. When you went to school, when I went to school, there wasn't a single day that I woke up going to school worried that some idiot, some sociopath, was going to shoot up the school. You might worry about getting punched at recess, but this didn't happen 30, 40, 50 years ago. Now it is a brutal reality over and over again. prgtoken There are lots of causes that we could debate for a long time: causes in our culture; causes of disconnected, emotionally disturbed young men who want to become famous. I think Columbine may have started this whole tragic cycle where an angry young person seeks to lash out by murdering little kids. prgtoken With respect to becoming famous, one rule I try to follow is that I will never say the names of these mass murderers. If they want to be well-known, I hope everyone in elected office--I would like everyone in the news media to follow that rule as well. They deserve to be forgotten in utter obscurity. prgtoken But we also have an obligation to stop this. Every time there is a mass murder, there is a pattern that plays out. No. 1, there is an expression of grief, of love for the community. There are millions of us who lift the community up in prayer. Inevitably, that produces a response from the political left where they scream in unison: Thoughts and prayers aren't enough. prgtoken I will tell you, , I believe in the power of prayer, and I will continue praying for communities that are hurting, whether from a natural disaster or a horrific crime or anything else. But I agree with the sentiment ``thoughts and prayers are not enough.'' That is exactly right. We need action. prgtoken And what is so infuriating is, every time there is a mass shooting, in this Chamber stand up, and they don't actually want to do something to stop the murderers. Instead, they want another gun control bill to disarm law-abiding citizens that won't actually stop the murders, that won't actually protect our kids. prgtoken In September of last year, I introduced legislation that would be the most far-reaching school safety legislation e