mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2022-3-2

. I am here today to talk about vaccine mandates. Of course, I led the effort on the vaccine mandate that was preposterous when our administration said ``Either take a vaccine or lose your job,'' impacting down to 100 employees. prgtoken Thank goodness the Supreme Court weighed in, citing that Congressional Review Act as one of the reasons it did it, taking that cue from here in Congress. But there still are mandates remaining, and it has to do with the administration's pandemic policies that have just gone too far, and millions of workers are dealing with the consequences. prgtoken You cannot make these arbitrary decisions, especially when it was clear we were coming to some type of resolution, some type of different dynamic with the COVID saga, and then drop these kinds of mandates upon any entity at the worst possible time. prgtoken In this case, we are talking about the CMS vaccine mandate on healthcare workers--10 million of them affected. The very same frontline workers who have been heroes and served their fellow Americans during the pandemic were given a choice: your careers or a vaccine. prgtoken With all of the logic that went into the Supreme Court's ruling on employers with employees down to 100, it should apply to healthcare entities as well. prgtoken It is no surprise that you see healthcare workers leaving at the highest rate--leaving their profession--in over 20 years. It is worse in rural areas, like the State of Indiana, and that compounds other problems that rural places are contending with. prgtoken It also fails to acknowledge evidence-based science that clearly tells us stuff now that we didn't know before, like natural infection has a much better defense against COVID and it has more durability. prgtoken Common sense doesn't make any difference, and now we have got this. He has robbed these healthcare workers of the freedom to make their own choices and added to the challenges patients have had to access the healthcare system. Today, the Senate can overturn this mandate--another example of government in overdrive, getting into individual decisions it was never intended to. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to correct this later today, and let's base this on science, not political science, which seems to drive so many of the decisions here. prgtoken .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-3-2

last night, President gave a State of the Union Address that might have worked OK for a popular administration that had been successfully tackling America's problems and naturally earning high marks, but that is not the reality in which we live. prgtoken spent the last 12 months making major and painful policy errors. The public overwhelmingly disapproves. President didn't need to stay the course and rehash a scattered wish list; he needed to make a dramatic pivot. But he chose not to. prgtoken The President first discussed Ukraine. Everyone agrees with the sentiments President expressed, but the sentiments are not enough. The President articulated no meaningful new steps, no specific plan. He made no explicit commitment to keep flowing weapons, intelligence, and advanced capabilities into Ukraine as long as the Ukrainians need them, nor did he explain why his administration was slow to provide lethal assistance in the first place. Instead, the President focused on trying to claim credit for the remarkable European and worldwide response that his administration did not foresee, let alone orchestrate. prgtoken Apart from Ukraine, the President's other remarks on our dangerous world were not just insufficient; they were basically nonexistent. prgtoken The President spoke for over an hour but only mentioned China twice. Neither time had anything to do with national security or military modernization. The President only mentioned Iran one time, and it was literally by accident. There were zero mentions of North Korea, zero mentions of the botched Afghanistan retreat the administration originally boasted was a ``success.'' Our 13 servicemembers who lost their lives were completely unmentioned until Governor Reynolds took the microphone. And there were zero mentions of rebuilding the defense budget that President actually tried to cut last year. prgtoken Meanwhile, the President's speech tried to skate by the serious kitchen-table concerns that are actually keeping families up at night. The President talked about ``made in America'' but keeps fighting against energy independence. want us to ``Buy American'' but not American oil or gas. On President 's watch, we have set a new record for importing Russian oil, and we are begging OPEC to produce even more, and his energy vision is to dump huge subsidies into supply chains that are dominated by China--borrowing from our grandkids to build back Beijing. prgtoken The President tried yet again to revive the zombie spending plans which a bipartisan majority of Senators have already killed and buried because they would make inflation even worse. He tried to brag about fancy technology on our southern border, as if we hadn't just seen a new record for illegal crossings on his watch. prgtoken The President's address was not responsive to the country's concerns. He needed to pivot, but he didn't. prgtoken CNN conduc
REAL STATE OF THE UNION
Andrew S. Clyde (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , I appreciate Mr. Johnson's leadership in this Special Order. prgtoken Last night, President had an opportunity to pivot his failing administration by using the State of the Union to present a new plan that would actually help the American people and address the multitude of crises that he created by his policies. prgtoken Instead, President wasted his State of the Union speech by doubling down on his failed agenda and flat-out lying to the American people. prgtoken When I heard his tough talk on sanctioning Russia and his vow to buy American, I had hope that maybe this would include energy, American oil and gas. But no, his administration continues to double down on Green New Deal priorities and promote the purchase of oil and gas from other countries. prgtoken Why would he do that? Why would he encourage the United States to continue to buy over 635,000 barrels a day from Russia alone? Just look at the spot price of oil, $114 per barrel today, which means we are sending Vladimir Putin over $72.5 million every day to fund his war machine against Ukraine. Every dollar we spend on foreign energy weakens domestic energy production. prgtoken When he spoke about inflation, 's only so-called solution to combat 40-year high prices and hyperinflation was to tell businesses to lower costs. That was it. prgtoken Despite promising that he will secure the southern border, 's severely misguided immigration policies have led to over 2.1 million illegal encounters at our border in his first year alone, not to mention record high levels of dangerous drugs like fentanyl flooding into our communities. prgtoken Just today, his own acting assistant secretary of Border Security and Immigration Policy at DHS admitted in our Homeland Security Committee meeting that they are actively working to fight against and overturn the lower-court-mandated remain in Mexico policy at the Supreme Court level. prgtoken Last night, the President conveniently claimed victory over COVID and urged Americans to stop looking at COVID as a partisan dividing line. But don't forget, has routinely enforced medical tyranny and used the pandemic as a weapon to sow division. Throughout his Presidency, has said that unvaccinated Americans are destroying our economy, killing our people, and are the root of our country's problems. No, , that is simply not right. prgtoken But it was right to say last night that the answer is not to defund the police. So why the change in message? For years, have dangerously called for defunding our brave men and women in law enforcement. Even candidate said funding should be redirected away from our police. prgtoken Meanwhile, there was no mention of the administration's abysmal failure in Afghanistan that resulted in 13 fallen heroes, handed billions of dollars worth of military equipment to the Taliban, and abandoned Americans behind enemy lines. prgtoken
HONORING KYLE KILLINGER
Greg Pence (Republican, IN) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , I rise today to honor a fellow Marine from Columbus who is making a difference for fellow veterans from sea to shining sea. prgtoken Kyle Killinger set out on foot, running from San Diego, California on a cross-country journey to raise awareness for veteran suicide. prgtoken Kyle completed his run just a few steps away from here at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. prgtoken Kyle started his own non-profit, entitled, ``Because He's My Brother'' to raise awareness of veteran suicide and post traumatic stress. prgtoken He has raised money along his journey to benefit another organization that strives to prevent veteran suicide, SAVE 22. I hope that each and every veteran is inspired by Kyle's 3,000-mile run. prgtoken His long Journey through peaks and valleys is not unlike that of every man and women who has served our nation in uniform. prgtoken My hope is that anyone who needs help finds the courage to ask. prgtoken Semper Fi.
CURRENT BORDER INSECURITY
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , up there where you sit, last night stood here and delivered his State of the Union address. He spoke about lots of issues. But he didn't even touch on the biggest issue facing our country today, and that is the southern border. prgtoken Make no mistake, the state of our border, it is not good. The Border Patrol has encountered over 150,000 illegal aliens--not last year but just last month, in January, just 33 days ago, when they tallied up those numbers. That is a 96 percent, almost 100 percent increase from last year. prgtoken Over 62,000, out of that 150,000, 62,000 of those individuals were released into the United States. It is unbelievable. It is unacceptable. It is dangerous. prgtoken When I get to travel around North Carolina and visit with law enforcement, as I love to do and have the honor of doing, the sheriffs tell me there are about 3,200 counties in this amazing country. They said every single sheriff right now is a border sheriff because of the policies that are happening right here, just down the street in the White House. There are drugs, fentanyl. prgtoken We think about the devastation and the suffering years ago in the Vietnam war, a decade where we lost about 70,000 servicemembers. We think about what we lose every single year, not in a decade, but every single year from drug overdoses. That is about 70,000, largely because of what happens at the border. prgtoken Just a few months ago, when I was down there visiting with our Customs and Border Patrol agents, they were off duty that day. We were in a pickup truck as far as from here to, Madam , where you sit. They slammed on the brakes and said: I am sorry. I have got to go on duty. I have to arrest these cartel members. prgtoken He said the sad thing is they will be back out on the street or, in this case, back out in the desert in just a few days. prgtoken We looked all up and down the border, and there was tens of millions of dollars of steel just laying there. Then there was tens of millions of dollars' worth of idle diesel equipment that has been idle since January 20 of last year. prgtoken He said: You know what? We need to finish this wall. prgtoken That is what the Customs and Border Patrol agent told me. He says: But what we really need, what we really need is an administration that has our back and, sir, right now, we don't have that. prgtoken Instead, Madam , what we have is an astounding 11,200 pounds of fentanyl, deadly fentanyl that was seized last year, and even more has made it into the homeland. It is killing thousands of our fellow Americans. Dangerous cartels are flooding this country with counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and meth. All of this can be prevented and should be prevented. It must be prevented. prgtoken The bottom line is it is time to finish the wall. It is time to support our border agents and end this administration's dereliction of duty.
HONORING HUNTINGTON BEACH POLICE OFFICER NICHOLAS VELLA
Michelle Steel (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-3-2

I rise today to honor Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella who was tragically killed in a crash while responding to a call in Newport Beach on February 19. prgtoken Officer Vella served as a law enforcement officer for 18 years and spent 14 years with the Huntington Beach Police Department. He dedicated his life to protecting our community. My heart goes out to his wife and daughter, the Huntington Beach Police Department, and all who loved and knew Officer Vella. prgtoken I am so thankful every day for our brave law enforcement officers. They put their lives on the line for us, and I am so grateful for their service and sacrifice. I want to thank their families, too, because their sacrifice does not go unnoticed. prgtoken I will be praying for Officer Vella and his family.
REAL STATE OF THE UNION
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , I thank Mr. Johnson for his leadership. prgtoken Madam , let me start off by offering my prayers to Ukraine, its people, and its leaders. I have asked my family to do that. Every night when we say our prayers, we pray for the people of Ukraine and their safety and the miracle of Biblical proportions that needs to occur in that country. It has happened before, and it can happen again. All of us hope that their country finds peace. We want to see this conflict end, Madam . prgtoken Innocent Ukrainians are caught in the middle of Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war against their country. These civilians are not at all responsible for the situation they find themselves in, yet they are the ones who are always paying the price. prgtoken Homes are destroyed. Food and water are scarce. Medical supplies are in short supply. Many institutions necessary for a stable society are under attack. On top of it all, the Ukrainians are living under the constant threat of Putin dropping a vacuum bomb or something worse. Some reports indicate that thermobaric bombs have been introduced to the theater, a whole new kind of hell that we are not used to in this country. prgtoken Discussions are now taking place about the United States supporting the Ukrainians with humanitarian aid. The question remains, how will we pay for this important matter? Congress could save a whole lot of money, Madam , if we would seize Russian-held assets and use them to pay for humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Using a creative funding mechanism like this ensures that we are responsible stewards of our constituents' tax dollars, especially given the challenges they face here at home. prgtoken Since 2015, American taxpayers have spent nearly $3 billion on humanitarian aid to Ukraine. What is wrong with having those responsible for the current humanitarian crisis pay for it, Madam ? Vladimir Putin's invasion sparked this crisis. It makes sense that Russia should pay for the destruction and suffering it is causing these poor, innocent Ukrainians. prgtoken I appreciate Mr. Johnson's truculent use of this apparatus, and I do appreciate his lackluster approach.
RECOGNIZING VALOR K9 ACADEMY
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2022-3-2

as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor Valor K9 Academy as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for March 2022. prgtoken Headquartered in Horseshoe Bend, Valor K9 Academy has established prgtoken itself as one of the premier dog training companies in the Nation. Following their combined 20 years of Active-Duty service in the U.S. Air Force, veteran owners Amy and Justin Pishner realized their lifelong dream of training dogs and opened Valor K9 Academy. prgtoken Thanks to Amy and Justin's passion for training dogs and dedication to providing individualized service for each client, Valor K9 Academy has gained national recognition since its founding in 2014. What started as a two-person company has grown sixfold, with locations in Idaho, Washington, and Tennessee. The success of Valor K9 Academy has also allowed Amy and Justin to open a second business, Valor Protection Dogs, which they operate out of Horseshoe Bend. prgtoken In addition to developing lifelong relationships with its canine clients, Valor K9 Academy has immersed itself in the community. The business routinely donates proceeds to support local rescues and Idaho veterans in need. Thanks to its efforts, Valor K9 Academy is a beacon of entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit for all of Idaho to behold. prgtoken Congratulations to Amy, Justin, and all of the employees at Valor K9 Academy for being selected as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for March 2022. Thank you for your service to our Nation, and thank you for serving Idaho as small business owners and entrepreneurs. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-3-2

the world is in chaos everywhere you turn. In the last week, Vladimir Putin has launched an unprovoked, naked war of aggression against the people of Ukraine. The reason he did this is because of his imperial ambitions to reincorporate Ukraine into the greater Russian Empire in his mind but also because he perceived weakness and opportunity in the West and, regrettably, from President . prgtoken We saw last night the President congratulated himself on the diplomatic coalition he has put together to confront Vladimir Putin. That is akin to Neville Chamberlain celebrating the coalition he assembled against Germany after Germany invaded Poland. The whole point was to deter Vladimir Putin. That failed. Why did that fail? Because for the last year, the President has projected weakness and signaled to Vladimir Putin that he didn't have the nerve to counteract his ambitions. His first action in office was to give Vladimir Putin his No. 1 foreign priority--a no-strings-attached extension of a one-sided nuclear arms control treaty. Shortly after that, he gave Vladimir Putin his second foreign priority. He waived sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. We didn't really take stern measures for the Colonial Pipeline hack from Russian-affiliated hackers. We rewarded Vladimir Putin with a high-stakes summit last summer. prgtoken But it is not just foreign policy; it is also domestic policy here at home. As day follows night, Vladimir Putin gets emboldened and more aggressive when the price of oil is higher. For the last year, the administration has done everything they can to stifle the production of American oil and gas that would not only keep the price of gasoline lower for our citizens, keep the price of heating their homes lower, it would also constrain Vladimir Putin by reducing the revenues he has for his war machine. prgtoken But the administration's war on oil and gas has, in fact, emboldened him, so much so that we are to this day still importing hundreds of thousands of barrels of Russian oil and petroleum products every day. prgtoken Since Vladimir Putin launched his naked war of aggression last week, we have filled his coffers with millions and millions of American dollars to fund his aggression against the Ukrainian people. We still haven't taken the steps necessary to stop this--sanctions on Russian oil and gas to cut off those revenues, to bankrupt Vladimir Putin's war machine, but also to continue the pressure that those sanctions impose, prgtoken to begin to once again pump more oil and gas here at home. prgtoken If we really wanted to add the pressure to Vladimir Putin that oil and gas sanctions would put on him, we would unleash a flood of American oil and gas into the market and deprive Vladimir Putin of those revenues. But, instead, on the very day--literally the very day-- last week when Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, President halted all new oil and gas lea
WE CANNOT FORGET ABOUT OUR SOUTHERN BORDER
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , with regard to what is going on in Ukraine, I stand with everybody in saying it is an absolutely horrific prgtoken thing. If the United States can keep Ukraine and free Ukraine, that is what we should all be hoping and praying for. prgtoken We heard a speech last night, in addition to the very relevant numbers, and in addition to the numbers of people dying in Ukraine and the people being injured, we cannot forget that every month in America another 90,000 people cross our southern border. We cannot forget that every month in America 8,000 more people die of drug overdoses. We cannot forget in America, compared to 3 years ago, we deport, every month, approximately 6,000 less people from this country for committing crimes. prgtoken Madam , I realize a lot is going on around the world and it is easy to forget about it, but America should not allow its politicians to forget about this huge sea of people crossing the border and the huge number of people dying of drug overdoses and the broken hearts of their parents, their siblings, and their children.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-3-2

I appreciate the comments of my colleague from the great State of Oregon, but his arguments all rely upon one assumption, and that is that the vaccine works to prevent transmission. prgtoken But the vaccines don't work to prevent transmission. prgtoken The Supreme Court's ruling was not a ruling on merit. The Medicare and Medicaid vaccine mandate will impact every family, every person across this great Nation. We already have a dire shortage of doctors, nurses, ultrasound techs, custodians, housekeepers, kitchen staff in all these hospitals and nursing homes. This mandate will result in more staffing shortages and firings. prgtoken The science behind this mandate is quite outdated. Natural immunity is stronger than immunity achieved through vaccination at this point in time. prgtoken Last night, during the State of the Union Address, President said: Let's stop looking at the COVID-19 as a partisan dividing line. prgtoken Let's take him at his word. Let's make our actions be consistent with his words. Let's repeal this divisive mandate today. prgtoken I urge all my colleagues to support our resolution. prgtoken . Vote on S.J. Res. 32