mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Economy (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2024-7-31

America has always been a place where, if you work hard, you can get ahead. But it is a lot more challenging in the economy. prgtoken Inflation has dealt working families a series of setbacks that have made it harder to get ahead, and it is, in large part, due this administration's reckless spending. prgtoken , 3\1/2\ years ago, Vice President cast her first tiebreaking votes in the Senate to advance a $1.9 trillion spending bill under the guise of pandemic relief. prgtoken She and our ic colleagues had been warned that that level of spending risked setting off inflation unlike any we had seen in a generation, but they passed it anyway. prgtoken And inflation began to take off almost immediately. And 3 years later, prices have gone up more than 20 percent; groceries are up 21 percent; the cost of car repairs are up 31 percent; energy costs have gone up 40 percent. prgtoken Nearly every aspect of daily life is more expensive in the - economy, and Americans are struggling to make ends meet. More than prgtoken one-third of Americans are worried about paying their bills. They are pulling back on their spending and putting more on their credit cards. Some people are even taking on extra work just to get by, but sometimes it is still not enough. prgtoken As one new mom in Missouri put it: It's just hard. I work full time. My husband works full time. I feel like at this point, we're moving more towards survival mode, rather than thriving. prgtoken Another mom in Virginia says of her sons and their wives: [E]verybody is working as absolutely hard as they can. They are not farther ahead than my husband and I were 30 years ago. prgtoken Another woman, in Pennsylvania, who is working two jobs, says: Prior to inflation, I didn't have any debt, I didn't have any credit cards, never applied for like a payday loan or any of those things. But since inflation I needed to do all those things. . . . I've had to downgrade my life completely. prgtoken They are not alone. For many Americans, life in the - economy feels like a downgrade. It now costs a typical family $13,000 more per year just to maintain the same standard of living it enjoyed when President took office--$13,000 more per year just to tread water. prgtoken That is an incredible strain on families' budgets. And it is not just higher prices. Measures to tame inflation have also added to Americans' financial pain. prgtoken To fight inflation, the Federal Reserve has been forced to keep interest rates high, which affects Americans' finances in a variety of ways. prgtoken As I said, many Americans have turned to credit cards to cope with inflation. And higher interest rates, in part, the result of the Feds' actions, are making credit card bills harder to pay down. The same is true for car payments. prgtoken And Americans looking to own their
NDAA (Executive Session)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2024-7-31

we shouldn't be here giving speeches about the National Defense Authorization Act. We should be here on the Senate floor voting on the National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken Once again, as he has done year after year since I have been here, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is refusing to advance this critical bill to set the policy and funding levels for America's Armed Forces. prgtoken Washington's failure to move legislation forward is always frustrating, but the majority leader's refusal to act on the NDAA, a bill which passed with strong bipartisan support out of the Armed Services Committee more than a month ago, is more than frustrating; it is actually dangerous. prgtoken Every single day, our enemies--communist China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea--are actively working with one single goal in mind: to dominate the world stage by destroying the American way of life. prgtoken And without some of the good policy in the NDAA we passed out of committee a month ago becoming law, communist China has tools at its disposal to do great harm to our country. prgtoken Our country has fallen into a trap of dependence on our enemies--like communist China--for everything from drugs to food, and we have got to stop that today. prgtoken When the Senate fails to quickly advance the NDAA, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has done year after year, it sends a strong message to our enemies that military strength and cutting dependence on our enemies is not a priority for the U.S. Congress. It is dangerous and unacceptable to allow that message to go out to the world, especially as we watch war after war erupt around the globe thanks to the weakness and appeasement of the - administration. prgtoken I hope we can all come together and recognize that we cannot be depending on communist China for our medicine, technology, or food, especially if we are at war. The time is now to get serious about securing U.S. interests and decoupling our supply chains from communist China. As a body, we must demand action today. prgtoken I am a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with my colleague who is presiding, and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Personnel. So I know firsthand how much hard work has gone into crafting a good bill that is essential to maintaining America's military as the most lethal fighting force on the planet. prgtoken But this bill does so much more than that. The NDAA isn't simply a reauthorization of our military and support programs. This bill sets the policy that ensures America's Armed Forces are on the cutting edge of innovation to not just win wars but to deter threats from our enemies because they know they stand no chance of victory in a conflict with the United States. prgtoken Try as they might to project weakness, President and Vice President , thankfully, do not have a hand in crafting this legislation. Thank God that is the case. prgtoken Through
REMEMBERING CARVER McGRIFF
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2024-7-31

I rise today to in honor of Hoosier Hero Carver McGriff. prgtoken A great Hoosier is gone, and with him, another link to our Greatest Generation is lost. Carver McGriff of Indianapolis, who died on July 20 at the age of 99, never considered himself a hero or sought the many honors he received. prgtoken After all, thousands of other boys stormed the beaches of Normandy. As Carver would remind us, he was just among the fortunate who came home. But a few of those honors bear mentioning: the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the French Legion of Honor medal. Characteristically, on his induction into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame, Carver said, ``I have no idea what I did to deserve it, not very much.'' prgtoken Let the record show, here is what he did to deserve it and why he was a hero: prgtoken As part of the 90th Infantry Division, he manned a machine-gun on Utah Beach, surrounded by the enemy during Operation Overlord. He took artillery fire in both legs and one arm, was captured by the Germans, and spent a month as a prisoner of war. Injuries prevented further Active Duty, but after his rescue, he remained with the Army until the war was won and the Axis defeated. prgtoken Like so many other Americans, he then came home, started a career, raised a family, and contributed to his community. He tried his hand at business, but Carver's calling was the ministry. He served for 26 years as the senior pastor at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, growing its congregation dramatically during his tenure. prgtoken Carver rarely celebrated his part in winning the war and spoke of his service humbly. What he took from this difficult period of his life was a sense of grace, inspired by the humanity he saw in the worst moments of combat: the French priest who offered him and other hungry Americans food and the common citizenship among soldiers that mattered more than color or creed. prgtoken What he thought of most often, though, were those boys who did not come home. In later years, when he would guide tours across Normandy, Carver would point to the crosses standing in the American Cemetery. Then he would ask his companions to pick one out, say the name engraved on it, and offer a prayer for the soldier resting under it. ``It has been a long time since someone has said a prayer for that boy, but you can,'' he would remind them. prgtoken And we can do the same. I ask my fellow Americans to join in saying a prayer for Carver McGriff and extending condolences to his beloved wife Marianne, their three daughters, and nine grandchildren. But as we mourn his loss, we also celebrate an incredible life, full of years and purpose, led with humility and courage. prgtoken If, in the decades ahead, future Americans ever wonder why we referred to this generation as the Greatest, they need only look to the example of Carver McGriff, not simply because of his valor in a war, but because of how he li
Tribute to LaVerne Allen (Executive Session)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2024-7-31

I will be brief. Back in the early eighties, disco was popular. I was young, and LaVerne Allen was just coming into the Senate, first as an intern and now as what everybody refers to as the ``enforcer'' on the floor. prgtoken I had to come over here. I am even doing this on a bipartisan basis. I came to the ic side of the aisle to trace LaVerne down to force her to get into the picture, probably the first time in her career. prgtoken But ladies and gentlemen, a lot of times we take for granted what happens in this Chamber. We don't think about all the hard work the staff does. They get here before us, they leave after us. We don't think about how difficult it is to come to a U.S. Senator and tell them to be quiet. I will tell you, she trains her proteges well because she just had Sherrod Brown be asked to be quiet by an intern over there, somebody who just started. I saw it happen. LaVerne was about to, but you trained somebody to take your place really well. prgtoken Ladies and gentlemen, we have to recognize this place only runs because we have a strong Sergeant at Arms staff and great staff in both cloakrooms and up on the dais. prgtoken I did not want this week to pass, when LaVerne is about to take retirement and hopefully spend a little time with her beloved son Marcus, who is in the Navy stationed in Japan right now. I feel like, if it weren't against the rules and it wouldn't make the Parliamentarian mad for me to ask unanimous consent to take a selfie on the floor--I am not going to do that, but I am going to thank LaVerne for 43 years of service to this great institution. prgtoken I know we are not supposed to applaud, but I will anyway. prgtoken Thank you, . (Applause.)
NDAA (Executive Session)
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2024-7-31

I want to congratulate and thank my colleague from West Virginia for her remarks and for her leadership to make America strong again so that we can have peace through strength. prgtoken The distinguished Senator mentioned a hearing that the Committee on prgtoken Armed Services had yesterday. Our witnesses were two distinguished experts in the field of national security. The who testified before us was none other than former Representative Jane Harman of California--a high-ranking committee chair when she was in the House of Representatives and a loyal , but she is someone who understands that we are not where we need to be under this administration when it comes to national defense. The other witness was Eric Edelman, a very distinguished diplomat and Ambassador. prgtoken Their message was absolutely as the Senator said: The United States is not ready to face and to face down and to deter this axis of aggression that threatens the United States as we have not been threatened since 1945. Those are not my words. Those are the words of this bipartisan Commission on a unanimous basis. We are more threatened as a nation than we have been since 1945, and we know what was happening during that decade. prgtoken Just over a year ago, in a late-night vote after a long, long day, 86 Senators stood together and passed the National Defense Authorization Act and advanced American security. As I say, we had spent a full day with debate. We had 24 rollcalls. We passed 121 amendments--the most ever adopted on the floor for such a bill--and we overwhelmingly passed the Senate's version of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. We did it in the light of day so that every American could see how their Senators stood on important issues. That was last year. prgtoken Over the past several days, we could have done the same thing with this year's National Defense Authorization Act. We could have followed the same procedure, but for whatever reason--and I will speculate on those reasons--the Senate majority leader has allowed politics to stand in the way of such progress of our national security obligations, preventing Americans from seeing in the light of day how their elected Senators feel on some very controversial issues of taking up this important legislation that we do every year in an open process. prgtoken The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has worked hard this year to develop our 2025 NDAA. It is a bill that reflects the overwhelming bipartisan consensus of the committee, and I am pleased to report--and Americans now know--that, in a bipartisan vote, the committee added a $25 billion budget top-line increase specifically designed to address the rising threats of this axis of aggressors: China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and their proxies. prgtoken We are entering a long Presidential leadership transition period, and we need to present a strong front to that axis of aggressors that pr
JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-7-31

now on another matter, the Senate is about to leave Washington for the August State work period. prgtoken When we come back, Senate will face a daunting list of judges that the - administration will want them to confirm. prgtoken There is Adeel Mangi and his record of bumping elbows with terrorist apologists and advocates for cop killers. prgtoken There is Kevin Ritz and Karla Campbell, both the nepotistic beneficiaries of corrupt bargains between the - administration and the judges they would replace. prgtoken There is Julia Lipez, another nepotism hire, who has distinguished herself in her leniency toward a parent who killed their baby with fentanyl. prgtoken There is Embry Kidd, who went soft on sex abusers and then misled the Judiciary Committee about it. prgtoken There is Ryan Park, the self-described ``tip of the spear'' of progressive activism, who fought hard to let colleges discriminate illegally against Asian applicants. prgtoken There is Sparkle Sooknanan, whose nomination Congressman Velazquez called ``an insult to the people of Puerto Rico.'' prgtoken And then there is Mustafa Kasubhai who has advocated incorporating-- listen to this--Marxist theory into property law. prgtoken So as our ic colleagues head out of town, I would suggest that they consider whether the radical goals of the - judicial project are really worth it.
NDAA (Executive Session)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2024-7-31

on October 23, 1983, terrorists killed 241 Americans, including 220 marines in Beirut, Lebanon. prgtoken Last night, Israeli Defense Forces reportedly killed a top Hamas leader responsible for those American lives lost. The events of last night highlight why the Senate now needs to move on the NDAA to strengthen our military and our allies abroad. Instead, Senator Schumer has done nothing this week but bring low-level nominations to the floor while the bipartisan NDAA gathers dust on his desk. prgtoken It is par for the course for Senator Schumer. ride the fence on this because Hamas is a key constituency of the ic Party. That is why couldn't bring herself to show up to the Prime Minister's congressional address this past week. It is why the administration has flushed Iran with cash and now Iran is bankrolling terrorism all over the Middle East. But they act surprised when the Middle East is destabilized. They are more concerned about appeasing our enemies and supporting our friends and our allies. prgtoken Now and have brought us to possibly World War III. It is the weakest administration in the history of the United States of America. prgtoken We have become a complete joke in the eyes of the world, which is why I rise today to call on Senator Schumer to immediately bring the NDAA to the floor for a vote. Senator Schumer has refused to act on this legislation since it passed out of committee on June 13 with bipartisan support. After the events last night, it is imperative now more than ever that we move this bill. prgtoken Senator Schumer, let's be serious here, if you really care about our military, you will bring the NDAA up for a vote immediately. Stop wasting our time on messaging bills that are a ploy to bail out vulnerable ic colleagues in an election. We need a military that is 100 percent focused on protecting our country and enhancing our national security, not implementing the - woke agenda, which is why I have taken steps to return our military to greatness in this year's NDAA. prgtoken Among these victories, I count my amendments which will help refocus the Pentagon on its stated mission to deter war and ensure our Nation's security. One of these amendments includes eliminating all funding for the woke diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at the DOD. prgtoken Another amendment prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars from being spent on transgender surgeries or any other costs associated with these services. prgtoken I appreciate my colleagues on the committee supporting these commonsense amendments that were included in this year's Senate NDAA. I, along with millions of Americans, am scratching my head as to why the DOD has implemented these policies to begin with. prgtoken Sadly, no institutions, not even our great military, are safe from infiltration by the - regime's radical woke polici
Remembering Sheila Jackson Lee (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-7-31

this week my fellow Texans and people across the country will be celebrating the life and legacy of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Like some of the best known Texans, from to Simone Biles, Sheila wasn't born in Texas. But as we like to say, she got there as soon as she could. prgtoken She was born in New York, but she and her husband, Elwyn, chose to plant roots in Texas, and it didn't take long for her to become a leader in the Houston region. prgtoken She was a lawyer, then a judge, then a city council member and, finally, a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. prgtoken When I came to the Senate, I quickly learned a few important qualities about Sheila. No. 1, she was passionate--very passionate. Sheila was honored to represent the 18th Congressional District, and she cared deeply about her role as a voice for those constituents, here in Congress. prgtoken Two, she was persistent. Some might even say relentless. She was never afraid to pick up the phone or track you down and try to convince you to see things her way on an issue. prgtoken And, third, she was willing to cross party lines to get things done. Despite our opposing political parties, Sheila and I partnered on a number of bills to notch bipartisan wins for our State. Along with the rest of the Texas delegation, she helped secure critical resources and disaster assistance after numerous storms and hurricanes, which always seem to find their way to the southeast region of Texas. We worked on bills to support survivors of sexual assault and violence, including the Debbie Smith Act, which was just signed into law this week. We passed a law that serves as a first step toward establishing the Emancipation National Historic Trail, which will stretch from Galveston to Houston. And, 3 years ago, we led legislation to establish Juneteenth as a Federal holiday, something that existed in Texas for the last 40 years because Juneteenth celebrates something very important that happened in Galveston, TX, when, 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the African-American slaves in that region learned for the first time that they were indeed free. prgtoken Sheila was a true stateswoman. She was a Texan through and through, and she devoted her life to serving the people of Houston. We will miss Sheila, both in Texas and in the Halls of Congress. prgtoken And Sandy and I send our prayers for comfort to Elwyn, Jason, Erica, Ellison, Roy, and the entire Lee family.
NDAA (Executive Session)
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2024-7-31

as election season approaches, our political discourse has been heated, to say the least. From an assassination attempt a couple of weeks ago to destructive protests across Washington last week, the friction within America is undeniable. prgtoken My colleagues and I are here today to discuss one of the things Americans do agree on: defending our Nation. prgtoken We all see the tension simmering around Taiwan and South Korea and the tension exploding in Israel and Ukraine. And we see the threats China and Russia pose to our Nation. These threats are decades in the making. And while they sound far away--they are, after all, around the other side of the world--the close connections between the security of the world's democracies and the economies of the world mean that these developments impact our everyday lives. prgtoken America should have woken up and gotten ahead years ago, but, at the very least, we must wake up now. prgtoken The most critical job we have in the U.S. Senate is providing for our national security, and we do that through our National Defense Authorization Act. We passed the NDAA out of the Senate Armed Services Committee last month with bipartisan approval. It includes provisions that will benefit our servicemembers and that will bolster our national defense. prgtoken I supported a pay raise for members of our military and secured funding for several Nebraska military construction projects. prgtoken This year's NDAA also included important provisions to address issues within the munitions industrial base, contributing to thousands of good-paying jobs throughout the country while providing for our national security. prgtoken The bill incorporated elements of my Restoring American Deterrence Act to foster a skilled nuclear manufacturing and vocational trade workforce. We heard about the importance of that need at our SASC hearing yesterday, when members received the report from the Commission on the National Defense Strategy. prgtoken I am hopeful that the full Senate will recognize the bipartisan importance of passing the NDAA, just as we did on the Armed Services Committee. But before we can do that, Majority Leader Schumer must prioritize bringing the NDAA up for a vote. prgtoken Just as these threats impact our everyday lives, so also does our response or lack thereof. This is a matter of urgency. Our defense is not something we can deal with in 5 years, in 10 years. It is something that we must address now, and we had better get started. prgtoken If we fail to ensure that we can produce munitions at scale, we will run out of missiles within weeks of a conflict. If we fail to field and equip a modernized Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, or Space Force, one day Xi will think: Maybe we can win. prgtoken Preventing that day will prevent a conflict that would touch the life of every American citizen in ways this country hasn't seen since the Second World War. The majority leader sh