mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 HATE CRIMES ACT--Continued
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2021-4-20

I echo the sentiments expressed by my colleague from Minnesota, and I rise today in support of the nomination of Vanita Gupta to be Associate Attorney General of the United States. Today, I am focusing my remarks on Ms. Gupta, but I will have some words of support for Kristen Clarke later. prgtoken For 4 years, treated the Justice Department like his personal law firm. He ordered that the Department's attorneys drop charges or reduce sentencing recommendations against his friends and cronies. He ordered investigations and prosecutions against his political enemies. He even had the Department step in to defend him against the defamation claim relating to an allegation of rape. prgtoken By the end of the administration, the Justice Department's reputation was tarnished and the morale of its employees was lower than at any point since Watergate. prgtoken Thankfully, President has named a professional, highly qualified team to lead the Justice Department and to restore its place of prominence and moral authority in following the rule of law. prgtoken It is significant that the Senate confirmed Merrick Garland as Attorney General and will shortly confirm Lisa Monaco as Deputy Attorney General with strong bipartisan support. prgtoken I am disappointed that Vanita Gupta, a similarly well-qualified nominee, is not receiving the same bipartisan support. prgtoken A few weeks ago, I sat in the Judiciary Committee for nearly 2 hours, listening to my colleagues smear Ms. Gupta with lies about her record--lies like that she wants to decriminalize all drugs, that she wants to defund the police, that she is somehow responsible for the production of crystal meth in Mexico. prgtoken When Chair Durbin finally called for a vote, not a single supported Ms. Gupta's nomination. As I sat there listening to these lies and smears, I asked myself a question, and I am still pondering that question today: What exactly are s afraid of? prgtoken Unlike many of President 's nominees, Vanita Gupta is actually qualified to help lead the Justice Department. Throughout her career, Ms. Gupta has shown the strategic acumen, dogged determination, and coalition-building skills necessary to navigate the challenges facing our country. prgtoken As a young attorney with the ACLU, she worked to exonerate 38 wrongfully convicted men and women in Tulia, TX. Mostly people of color, these individuals had been convicted of drug crimes based on the testimony of a single undercover police officer and sentenced to prison for periods of up to 434 years. prgtoken Ms. Gupta was able to show that the officer was racially biased and had a reputation for dishonesty. She demonstrated that he falsified reports and misidentified defendants. In light of this evidence, the court found that the officer ``may be the most devious, non-responsive law enforcement witness this Court has witnessed in 25 years o
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CHAD KALEPA BAYBAYAN
Kaiali’i Kahele (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2021-4-20

. Madam : (English translation of the statement made in Hawaiian by Mr. Kahele is as follows:) prgtoken The dark, clouded heavens weep. The spirit has embarked on the path with no return. Ua kani mai ka papa wa`a Ua ue ka lani po panopano Ua lele ka `uhane i ke ala ho`i`ole mai prgtoken Madam , I stand before you today to share with you and the Nation the sad news of the passing of a great navigator, leader, educator, and friend, Chad Kalepa Baybayan. prgtoken On March 8, 1975, the deep-sea voyaging canoe Hokule`a was launched. Born of legends and stories brought to life through the paintings of the acclaimed Hawaiian artist Herb Kane, it was the first Hawaiian voyaging canoe to sail Hawaii's waters in over 600 years and became a catalyst for Hawaiian pride and identity during the Hawaiian renaissance. prgtoken At the age of 19, Kalepa's first connection to Hokule`a was on the shores of his home island of Maui in 1975 during Hokule`a's sail trials and crew training. This first connection inspired him and forever changed his life. He has diligently served the voyaging movement ever since, learning, growing, then mastering and teaching the next generation of navigators. prgtoken Kalepa also believed deeply in the importance of education as a vessel to expand the reach of voyaging, and the legacy of education his kupuna and lahui, his ancestors and nation, left for him to continue. prgtoken Kalepa obtained a bachelor's in Hawaiian studies and a master's in education, all while being intimately involved with voyaging and wayfinding. He was fluent in `olelo Hawaii and had a firm belief that indigenous knowledge guiding modern technologies will hold the answers to many of the challenges facing our world today. prgtoken In his professional career, Kalepa served as the site director of Honukai, the exploration sciences division of the `Aha Punana Leo, where his dedication to his language, culture, and love of voyaging inspired him to build the first Hawaiian language voyaging canoe, Hokualaka`i, that touched hundreds of students and introduced them to voyaging through the perspective of his native tongue. prgtoken Kalepa then went on to serve as the first-ever navigator in residence at the `Imiloa Astronomy Center at UH Hilo, which he helped to establish. His work at `Imiloa also allowed him to engage in the international indigenous education movement while also engaging in the various sciences, bringing the knowledge of his people to the world. prgtoken Kalepa was one of just five Native Hawaiian navigators inducted into the rank of Pwo by the late Satawalese Master Navigator Pius ``Mau'' Piailug in 2007. When asked about the kuleana, or responsibilities of being a Pwo master navigator, Kalepa would always simply state that being Pwo is being a light for your community and for your people. prgtoken Most recently, Kalepa was key to the success of the World Wide Voyage, which took the voyaging canoe Hokule`a
TRIBUTE TO BISHOP CHARLES E. DAVIS
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-4-20

. Madam , Bishop Charles E. Davis was born in Leland, Mississippi in 1923, he graduated from high school in 1940 and migrated to Chicago, Illinois. In 1940 at the age of 19, he joined the military and participated in World War II. prgtoken In the military, Charles Edward Davis spent time in France, Holland, and Germany. He was a good soldier and attained the rank of Sergeant. After the war, he returned to Chicago and with his friend James McDonald, they opened an upholstery business and through his friendship with the McDonald Family he was introduced to the Indiana Avenue Pentecostal Church. He was welcomed into Indiana Avenue by Elder Charles Ellis and enjoyed going there and being with the people. prgtoken After the passing of Elder Ellis the new Pastor Elder Odee Akins recognized the leadership abilities of the young man and assigned him to leadership roles. He served as Sunday School Superintendent, Young Peoples Leader and President of the Senior Choir, all of the time growing in spirituality and experiencing the call to preach. prgtoken In 1970, Elder Charles E. Davis was elected Pastor of the Indiana Avenue Pentecostal Church after the death of Elder Atkins. He soon resigned from his job at Hart, Schaftner and Marx and became a full- time Pastor and the rest became history. prgtoken The church grew, new programs were established, community outreach took place, the church acquired property in the area as both Elder Davis and the church rose in religious, social, and political circles. prgtoken Elder Charles Davis and his wife of 43 years Geraldine Olivia Davis were actively involved in all aspects of community life and in 1986 he was elevated to Bishop. prgtoken After the death of his wife Geraldine he was blessed to wed again in 2004, to his second wife Dr. Jessie Bell Ray and they continued to provide great leadership until his death and being on earth for 98 years Bishop Charles Edwards Davis went home to meet his maker, May He Rest In Peace.
THE NORTHERN BORDER
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-4-20

it has been 395 days since the United States-Canadian border closed, and the closure was just extended another 30 days. prgtoken Families on both sides of the border have been torn apart. People who love each other, parents, and grandchildren are unable to see each other. Vaccinated citizens of both countries significantly lower the risk of getting COVID and wearing face masks significantly lowers the risk of giving COVID. prgtoken We need a plan to open the U.S.-Canadian border with vaccines, face masks, and good physical distancing. We can do so safely and successfully.
COVID-19 HATE CRIMES ACT--Continued
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2021-4-20

as we await a very important moment for justice in my State today. Our work goes on. prgtoken I am here today, first of all, to acknowledge the loss of my mentor, Vice President Walter Mondale. He caught the Nation's attention fighting for justice. So, it is such a moment. He worked on the forefront of the right to counsel in the landmark case Gideon v. Wainwright. prgtoken He followed in the footsteps of Hubert Humphrey to arrive in the Senate. He did great things passing civil rights legislation. prgtoken As Vice President, he defined the office of the modern-day Vice President. prgtoken He was ``Fritz'' to us. He was our attorney general, our Senator, and our Vice President, and I know he is up there right now rooting for justice. prgtoken I am going to speak more about Walter Mondale next week. Senator Smith, prgtoken Senator Grassley, and I have a resolution honoring him for his time in the Senate and for his time as Vice President, which we will be presenting next week. Nominations of Vanita Gupta and Lisa O. Monaco prgtoken , now, in the name of justice and the idea that justice must keep rolling along, I want to talk a little bit about some of the people we need in place as we look to the future, as we look to the future of police reform and the work that you have done as the lead on this bill, , and the work we have to do. prgtoken To do that, we need a functioning Justice Department. We have an Attorney General who is excellent in Merrick Garland. We congratulate Lisa Monaco, who is expected to be confirmed later today with a strong bipartisan vote. prgtoken But we need more. We need the presence of true leaders in the Justice Department. We need to see Kristen Clarke and Vanita Gupta confirmed. prgtoken Walter Mondale was someone who always raised the bar. He was someone who was ahead of his time. When he introduced housing legislation and childcare legislation, a lot of people said: Oh, why are you doing that right now? prgtoken I think that is a little bit like the experience of these two women, ahead of their time, doing the right thing, speaking of raising the bar. prgtoken We know that when many of the women of the Senate come to the floor, something important is going on. And given the challenges our States face today, the stakes are high. prgtoken So today we make the case for Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke, and we address the unfair and unsubstantiated attacks we have heard from the other side of the aisle against these eminently qualified women. I have worked closely with Ms. Gupta and Ms. Clarke for many years, and I am confident they will lead the Department of Justice with honor and integrity. prgtoken Their nominations also represent the historic opportunity to make progress toward the goal of ensuring that the government looks more like the people it represents, especially at the Department of Justice. When we confirm Ms. Gupta, she will b
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2021-4-20

I wanted to come to the floor today to just say a brief word and maybe set the record straight a little bit about President 's nominee for Associate Attorney General of the United States, Vanita Gupta. prgtoken Let's start with some facts about Ms. Gupta. She is the daughter of immigrants who worked hard to receive some of the best legal education this country has to offer. She spent 2 decades as a civil rights lawyer, where she has fought to defend Americans' individual rights and freedoms, often against abuses by the government, something you would think some of my colleagues on the other side would appreciate. prgtoken When a small town in Texas wrongfully convicted 40 Americans of drug charges, based solely on the false testimony from an undercover police officer, she fought to have them exonerated, and she won them a $6 million settlement for that miscarriage of justice. prgtoken She defended 25 children who had been separated from their parents and thrown into prison-like conditions at a private detention center in Texas. Her success in that case forced the center to improve its conditions and prevented more kids from being held there. prgtoken President recognized her leadership by making her the top civil rights official at the Department of Justice, where she protected servicemembers from eviction, cracked down on human smugglers and sex traffickers, defended religious freedom, and protected Americans' fundamental right to vote. prgtoken Over the past 4 years, Ms. Gupta has led the largest civil rights organization in America, where she has been at the forefront of efforts to reform our criminal justice system, strengthen our democracy, and make sure COVID relief reaches those who need it most. prgtoken That is her record. It is an outstanding record. I think my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know that it is an outstanding record because they don't want to contend with her record. They don't want to contest her record. They can't defeat her nomination with the truth. So they are just using talking points that aren't true. prgtoken I heard the junior Senator from Texas say Ms. Gupta's record ``is that of an extreme partisan ideologue.'' He called her ``an extreme political activist,'' a ``radical,'' and a ``zealot,'' when all she has done her entire career is uphold the rule of law and defend our democracy, just like the 60 judges, many of them confirmed by colleagues, who rejected President 's utterly unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2020 election; just like the election officials who stood up to conspiracy theories about the election at great risk to themselves and to their careers, who were all undermined by radical Members of Congress who sought to overturn the will of the voters for their own power. prgtoken I also heard the junior Senator from Texas say Ms. Gupta's beliefs ``don't align with the majority of the American people.'' I am willing
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 51, WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1573, ACCESS TO COUNSEL ACT OF 2021; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1333, NATIONAL...
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2021-4-20

. Madam , I thank my good friend for yielding and for his support of H.R. 51. prgtoken The rule before us is not ordinary. It is the prelude to history, and I use that word advisedly. Last Congress, the House passed the D.C. statehood bill, the first time either Chamber of Congress had passed the bill. This Congress with controlling the House, Senate, and White House, D.C. statehood is within reach for the first time in history. prgtoken As a result of education from House proceedings like today's, 54 percent of the American people support D.C. statehood according to a wide-ranging poll that has just been released, and we predict that with increasing exposure, that percentage will continue to rise. prgtoken For the 220 years since D.C. became our capital, District residents, who have had all of the obligations of citizenship, including paying full Federal taxes and serving in the Armed Forces, have been excluded from much of American democracy. The citizens who live in our Nation's Capital have never had voting representation on the floor of either Chamber of Congress, and Congress has always had the final say on their local affairs. This is uniquely un-American. It is undemocratic. prgtoken For me, it is deeply personal. My own family has lived in D.C. since my great-grandfather Richard Holmes as a slave walked away from a plantation in Virginia and made his way to D.C. almost 200 years ago. Richard Holmes made it as far as D.C a walk to freedom but not to equal citizenship so far for our family.
COVID-19 HATE CRIMES ACT--Continued
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2021-4-20

I come to the floor this afternoon to support the nominations of Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke to serve in the leadership of the U.S. Department of Justice, and I am here, , to say that just because you are pro-civil rights does not mean that you are somehow anti-police. To be for a Department of Justice that will help us make the right decisions in enforcing civil rights laws around the United States is what is at stake with these nominations. I personally am tired of the challenges that we have faced at home when we do not have people being held accountable and we have incident after incident. And the last administration said, instead of playing our role on consent decrees and making sure federal civil rights laws are enforced, instead they said, ``We're going to stop playing that role.'' prgtoken So it is so important that we get a Department of Justice that will fight for the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans. Both these women are highly qualified. They have defended our constitution. They have defended the civil rights of all Americans, and they will ensure that everyone, including the police, are held accountable. We have probably heard this afternoon my colleagues praising Vanita Gupta and supporting her to serve as Associate Attorney General, the third highest position in the U.S. Department of Justice. She is very qualified for the position. She will be the first civil rights lawyer and woman of color to serve in this role. She led the Civil Rights Division during the administration and previously served as an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. When it came to enforcing consent decrees, she made sure the administration did the job. prgtoken Now, why is this so important? I can tell you, in Seattle, we had a Native-American carver who happened to stop carving on one corner to walk to another corner and was shot and killed by a police officer because he didn't respond immediately to ``Drop your knife.'' I am so glad the Federal Government was there to say what is going on in Seattle with the police department and overseeing on a consent decree. We had a tragic situation in Spokane where a disabled man just went in to buy a soft drink and snacks, but because somebody thought he was fooling around with the ATM machine, they called the police. And when the police arrived and he didn't respond immediately, he was brutally beaten in the head with a baton, tasered, improperly hogtied to the ground, and stopped breathing shortly after first responders improperly strapping a non-rebreather mask to his face. That was Otto Zehm's afternoon activity, to just go to the store. As he lay there dying, he said, ``All I wanted was a Snickers.'' prgtoken And thank God we had a Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice that said, yes, we are going to intervene and make sure that there is oversight of the Seattle Police Department
Infrastructure (Executive Session)
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-4-21

I join my colleagues today to address the ongoing discussions taking place in Congress among the executive branch and in communities across the country about the state of our Nation's infrastructure and how to improve it to propel our economy forward and enhance the quality of life in Arkansas and every State. prgtoken As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I understand the importance of infrastructure investment. I have been a constant advocate for water resources development, surface transportation investments, and the expansion of rural broadband. prgtoken President recently released a plan that claims to rebuild America, claims to rebuild its crumbling infrastructure. While I agree that infrastructure investment must be a top priority, I have serious concerns about this particular proposal. The President should look to the successful example of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as a starting point for this critical bill. There are a number of bipartisan infrastructure-related bills in the Senate which have been thoroughly vetted and are ready to be passed. Instead, the administration is trying to reinvent the wheel. prgtoken My advice to President is simple. The path to achieve long-term infrastructure improvement is through bipartisanship. Just weeks ago, the Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously passed the Drinking Water and Waste Water Act. prgtoken Last Congress, the Committee unanimously passed America's Transportation Infrastructure Act to provide resources and long-term certainty for States and local governments to build safer and more modern highways, railroads, and bridges. prgtoken These bills are just two examples of the good work the Senate has been doing to invest in our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. I am pleased to hear this Chamber may begin consideration of the Drinking Water and Waste Water Infrastructure Act this month. prgtoken Unlike the House of Representatives and the administration, which continue to undermine bipartisanship by developing and advancing a progressive policy agenda, the Senate has been working in a bipartisan manner to find solutions for our transportation challenges. prgtoken If President is listening, my message to him is this: Work smarter, not harder. There is no reason we need to start at the beginning of this process. The Senate EPW Committee has done the work which can and should be the basis for any infrastructure proposal. prgtoken I have always said that if you take the ``E'' out of EPW, we actually get a lot done in our committee. For a good example of the type of cooperation that can be achieved, look no further than the work of Senator Inhofe and former Senator Boxer. These two colleagues had little in common. However, they agreed on the importance of infrastructure investment, and they were able to usher major legislation through Congress through a collaborat