mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise today, on the eve of the second anniversary of the military coup in Burma, to introduce a resolution marking the occasion--and the terrible 2 years that the people of Burma have had to suffer since then. I am proud to introduce this resolution today alongside my colleagues Senators Young, Merkley, and Collins. prgtoken The resolution condemns the illegitimate Burmese military coup and calls for an immediate return to democratic governance grounded in respect for civil liberties. Demonstrating our support for the Burmese people is more important than ever, as the human rights situation in Burma threatens to deteriorate even further. prgtoken Tomorrow marks 2 years since the Burmese military overthrew the democratically elected Government in Burma, on the eve of what was to have been the convening of the Parliament that was elected on November 8, 2020, and installed a repressive, authoritarian regime. prgtoken Since February 1, 2021, the Burmese military has reversed years of uneven but generally positive democratic reform. The military has engaged in mass atrocities, including by detaining over 13,000 people for exercising basic freedoms and killing over 2,800 civilians, including children. Today, over 17 million people in Burma are in need of humanitarian aid, and 1.5 million people remain internally displaced due to the ongoing violence and instability fostered by the military. prgtoken I would note that it is the same military officers now running the country who were implicated in the genocide waged against the Rohingya people, an assault that was recognized by the Secretary of State on March 21, 2022, only the eighth such determination since the Holocaust. The Burmese military continues to systemically target its most vulnerable people, including women, children, and ethnic and religious minorities. The junta also continues to silence activists and opposition parties, most recently illustrated by the 33-year prison sentence handed down to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi after a series of sham trials. prgtoken Today, we honor those lives we have lost due to the junta's violent repression and calls upon the Burmese military to end its senseless killing of its own people. prgtoken The U.S. Senate fully stands behind those peacefully protesting for their prgtoken rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and the press. We also remain committed to free and fair elections in Burma and the peaceful and expedient transition to a civilian-led government. The United States and the international community must hold accountable human rights violators for their actions. This resolution calls on the President to impose targeted sanctions and restrictions on those responsible for the February 2021 coup and human rights abuses in Burma, including through the bipartisan BURMA Act of 2022, which I was proud to have led, and which was enacted as part of the NDAA in December. prgtoken While the February 20
HONORING THE 50TH ANNUAL NORWEGIAN RECIPROCAL TROOPS EXCHANGE
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise today to honor the 50th annual Norwegian Reciprocal Troops Exchange between the Minnesota National Guard and the Norwegian Home Guard. Known as NOREX, this annual exchange between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Norway is the world's longest-running military partnership, an enduring tradition which continues to strengthen the bonds between our two countries. Not only is this anniversary a cause for celebration, but it is particularly fitting that it occur as the Minnesota National Guard and the Norwegian Home Guard prepare to formalize this friendship as official partners in the National Guard State Partnership Program. prgtoken This month, more than one hundred Soldiers and Airmen of the Minnesota National Guard will travel to Norway and conduct winter operations training with the Norwegian Home Guard, known as Heimevernet. This unique training opportunity takes place over five days in Norway's countryside and includes skiing techniques, avalanche training, emergency food rationing, bivouac routines, constructing a lean-to, and building and lighting a fire. Meanwhile, members of the Norwegian Home Guard will travel to Camp Ripley in Minnesota, to learn joint domestic response exercises with local law enforcement. prgtoken In addition to military training, our Soldiers and Airmen will participate in cultural exchanges by spending a weekend with Norwegian host families and visiting cultural sites. Similarly, the visiting Norwegian troops will enjoy American cultural experiences such as attending a Minnesota Wild hockey game, visiting the Mall of America, enjoying walleye at a local VFW fish fry, and being the guests of honor at an official dinner hosted by the Saint Paul-based civic organization Serving Our Troops. prgtoken Of course, it is especially fitting that the Minnesota National Guard participate in this exchange. Thousands of immigrants from Norway came to Minnesota during the 1800s. Today, over 850,000 Minnesotans claim Norwegian ancestry--myself included. Minnesota has more Norwegian- Americans than any other state and these Minnesotans keep alive many proud traditions passed down from their Nordic ancestors. In Congress, I have been proud to honor Norwegian-American heritage prgtoken as a co-chair of the Friends of Norway Caucus. prgtoken Additionally, as Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense in the 117th Congress, I had the incredible privilege last year to travel to Norway to meet with senior leadership of the Norwegian Armed Forces and conduct oversight on prepositioned stocks of U.S. military equipment in country. As Vladimir Putin continues his unprovoked, unjust, and illegal invasion of Ukraine, it is more important than ever that the United States stand in support of our democratic allies. That includes those with geographic vulnerabilities to Russian aggression, like Norway. prgtoken Formalizing the Minnesota National Guard's relationship with Norway t
PANDEMIC IS OVER ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-1-31

. All I can say is that health professionals by and large in hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices will say no. They need their patients healthy. As many people that can get vaccinated with information should get vaccinated and, of course, guided by your healthcare provider. prgtoken I don't think it makes any good sense to be able to talk about how you never got tested, how you never got vaccinated. That is all well and good. I applaud an individual who is able to survive not getting tested, not getting vaccinated, but I know of so many of my close friends who died because there was not a vaccination, there was not good healthcare. They came to the end stages of COVID and COVID killed them. prgtoken So I don't make a mockery of the hard work of President . I truly believe that his time frame--I might think it is a little too quick, but I adhere to the President's time frame of May 2023. Let us organize so that we can save lives.
MORNING BUSINESS
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-1-31

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
CELEBRATING WIND RIVER TRANSFER
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise today to recognize the iUrban Teen organization for creating an incredibly diverse talent pipeline in my district. prgtoken IUrban Teen provides skills training for teens and young adults and gives them access to career pathways and alternatives that they need to be successful and have more opportunities. prgtoken For example, the Future Teachers Pathway program brings together Vancouver Public Schools, Washington State University Vancouver, and Clark College to mentor students and give them the training they need to succeed in their chosen career paths. prgtoken This is so critical for young people who face challenges and gives them the support they deserve in their efforts to become critical members of our community. prgtoken For the past 13 years, iUrban Teen has hosted a breakfast on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I was honored to attend their event. prgtoken I thank the iUrban Teen team for bridging the gap for students and inspiring all of us to keep working for change. Honoring Mikhail Pavenko
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise to speak in support of the Wildfire Emergency Act, bipartisan legislation that Senators Padilla, Daines, Wyden, and I are introducing today, to help address the threat of catastrophic wildfire throughout the West. prgtoken Wildfires have always been a part of life in California and other Western States, but climate change and drier forests have increased the threat of catastrophic wildfire. The new fire season is nearly year- round, and the wildfires themselves are more destructive as they spread faster and burn hotter. prgtoken The new reality of the wildfire threat requires transformative action to protect our forests and neighboring communities. Our bill would do just that, empowering Federal, State, and local land managers to make both our forests and infrastructure more resilient. prgtoken The most recent National Climate Assessment, conducted by leading scientists from the research community and across the Federal Government, found that the number of acres burned in the Western United States is double what would have burned without climate change. prgtoken My home State of California knows this all too well as it is the epicenter of this destructive phenomenon. The top three worst wildfire seasons in California were all in the last 5 years, including the largest single wildfire in California history in 2021. Since 2017, wildfires have burned more than 11 million acres, killed nearly 200 people, and destroyed more than 32,000 homes. prgtoken Worryingly, these wildfires are predicted to only grow worse as climate conditions continue to change, and the Federal Government has not yet adequately responded. Important investments in wildfire resilience were included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, which were enacted in the last Congress, but stakeholders are nearly unanimous in supporting additional policy changes to improve the pace and scale of wildfire resiliency treatments. prgtoken At the same time, the urgency of this crisis should not prompt Congress to vitiate important environmental safeguards. Throughout my time in the Senate, I have consistently championed the preservation and careful stewardship of our treasured forests, and this bill will be no different. prgtoken Our Wildfire Emergency Act is the result of a considered approach to the wildfire crisis and includes feedback from conservationists, public and private stakeholders, and the U.S. Forest Service. prgtoken First, it would provide the U.S. Forest Service with a pilot authority to leverage private financing options to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration projects. These projects would involve a collaborative approach to forest management to ensure that the forests are protected. prgtoken This conservation finance model would be a new way of implementing forest restoration work, but the principle at its core is that forests are vital to a healthy environment and
BRISTOL BAY
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise today to applaud the administration and their historic step to permanently protect Bristol Bay, AK. More than a decade after the Pebble Mine was proposed, the Environmental Protection Agency, today, is finalizing a Clean Water Act protection that will permanently protect Bristol Bay. No company will ever be able to stick a mine on top of some of the best salmon habitat in the world. prgtoken Salmon fishermen from Alaska and from my home State of Washington will continue to earn their livelihoods from Bristol Bay salmon, as they have for generations. No Bristol Bay salmon will ever have to swim through toxic soup just to get to its spawning grounds. prgtoken This scientific decision today by the Environmental Protection Agency puts a final nail in this mine's proposal. prgtoken It is difficult to understand and to really know the importance of Bristol Bay. In an average year, 40 to 60 million sockeye salmon swim into or out of the bay. Last year was a blockbuster run. Nearly 80 million sockeye salmon returned to Bristol Bay. prgtoken That is why Bristol Bay is known as the holy grail of salmon. Today, Bristol Bay salmon fisheries are a $2.2 billion annual industry. They support over 15,000 jobs in the Pacific Northwest and nationwide, and that is through commercial fishing, recreational fishing, tourism, seafood, restaurants, shipbuilding, and other associated industries. prgtoken I know the Presiding Officer knows this well because northern California also benefits from these salmon sectors and the salmon industry. prgtoken Salmon are one of the most important products that we in the Pacific Northwest have. It is the symbol of our region. So Bristol Bay salmon, being a powerhouse and supporting nearly half of the sockeye salmon harvested around the globe, is certainly worth fighting for. prgtoken So, as you can imagine, when a mining corporation decided to try to build a mine in the headwaters of this most powerful salmon run on the planet, fishermen in my State and in many other States were outraged. Estuaries and mines really don't mix, and they certainly don't belong together at the headwaters of one of the most important salmon runs and spawning grounds in the Nation. prgtoken For fishermen, the destruction wrought by Pebble Mine would have swept away their businesses and their way of life, and they certainly raised their voices and came to ask me and others in Washington for help. prgtoken In 2011, I was proud to stand with fishermen and Tribes from my State and from Alaska to speak out against Pebble Mine and to call for permanent protections under the Clean Water Act if the science showed that the mine would have irreversible impacts on salmon. Well, sure enough, the science is damning, and that is what is being released as part of this decision today. prgtoken In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency found that more than 185 miles of streams and over 3,800 acres of wetlands wo
REINTRODUCTION OF THE TRANSITION-TO-SUCCESS MENTORING ACT
André Carson (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2023-1-31

as we mark National Mentoring Month, I am proud to reintroduce legislation to the Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act to help local education agencies prepare at-risk students for the transition from middle school to high school. I would like to thank MENTOR for their endorsement of this bill and Senator Booker for his leadership on this legislation in the Senate. prgtoken I have had many mentors at every stage of my life, whether it was my theatre teacher in school who encouraged me to be who l am and elevated the confidence in myself to pursue sports, or my grandmother who raised me and a reason I find myself following her large footsteps. Mentors are important at every stage in life and especially at a young age. Our children need to foster these mentor/mentee relationships to look up to someone bigger than themselves. prgtoken The Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act would establish a grant program for school-based mentoring programs targeted at helping at-risk middle school students transition from middle to high school. Under my legislation, participating students would develop and execute a formalized plan for success in high school and beyond, and be supported by a school faculty member or volunteer from the community known as a ``Success Coach.'' prgtoken Middle school is a uniquely challenging time for students and ensuring a smooth transition from middle to high school is critical to their long-term success. School-based mentoring is innovative supplement to the traditional learning that takes place in the classroom, providing underserved and at-risk students with attention and support to keep them engaged in school. This legislation is a small step towards providing some of the most vulnerable students with individual attention to help cross the bridge towards high school, college, and career. prgtoken , I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing the need for mentors for our children by signing on to this important legislation.
ENERGY POLICY
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2023-1-31

I saw some exciting news this morning, and it said that General Motors announced it is making a $650 million equity investment in Lithium Americas to develop the Thacker Pass Mine in Nevada. Now, this has been talked about for 10, 12, 13 years, but it is time to do something. prgtoken According to GM, this represents ``the largest-ever investment by an automaker to produce battery raw materials,'' and that is exactly what the Inflation Reduction Act was meant to do. It is a tangible result because of that, and now, we have to make sure we follow through. prgtoken GM's CEO, Ms. Mary Barra, even said: Direct sourcing critical [electric vehicles] raw materials and components from suppliers in North America and free-trade agreement countries helps make our supply chain more secure, helps us manage cell costs, and creates jobs. prgtoken This is really what we are dealing with. We are dealing with-- basically, China has a captive market. I had a hard time understanding why our administration was going down a path of transitioning into electric vehicles as quickly as they intended and wanted to do without having our own secure supply chain. prgtoken China right now has 80 percent of the world's anode production, which is the positive and negative part of the battery that makes the battery work; 80 percent of the world's battery material processing, which is the processing of raw material that makes the batteries that run the vehicles we have; 60 percent of the world's cathode production; and 75 percent of the world's lithium ion battery cells. prgtoken I am old enough to remember--and maybe the Presiding Officer might be, too--that basically in 1974 I was standing in line waiting to buy gas, if it was my turn to buy gas, to go to work. I don't intend to stand in line to wait for China to send a battery to make my car work. I just won't do it. So this is why we are moving in the direction we are. prgtoken China has worked long and hard on cornering this market and done a very, very thorough job. prgtoken We have seen firsthand what Russia has done to the EU--to Europe, our allies--and most importantly, to Germany. They have used their production of energy--inexpensive, cheap energy--and let Europe and mostly Germany put their guard down and become totally dependent. Then Putin weaponized energy against them and put them in a heck of a stranglehold. Then basically decisions were being made about what they could do. prgtoken Well, the first thing they did was basically eliminate their dispatchable, dependable fuel, whether it be the coal-fired plants, which they had a desire to do, but they actively worked quicker than they had anything to replace it with and became more dependent. They got rid of their nuclear plants because their extreme environmental community wanted none of that; they wanted to go absolutely clean and green. prgtoken There will be a time probably--hopefully in our l
DEBT CEILING
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-1-31

it took 15 votes for Kevin McCarthy to become of the House of Representatives. It may not have been historic, but it was a sight to behold. To finally become , Kevin McCarthy made all kinds of commitments to the MAGA extremists in his Party. prgtoken One of the promises he made to the hard-right holdouts in order to become was that House s prgtoken would use their razor-thin majority in the House to try to freeze Federal spending in fiscal year 2024 to fiscal year 2022 levels. Let me bring that down in plain English. This means cutting $130 billion out of the Federal budget that Congress just passed last month--$130 billion is nothing to sneeze at. prgtoken Now, how are they going to do it? What is on the agenda in terms of cuts? McCarthy won't say and neither will the House s. What they have said is they plan to use the debt ceiling as leverage to try to get their way. prgtoken What is the debt ceiling? prgtoken Let me give you an example. Last night, you went to a restaurant with your family. You had a wonderful meal, and you paid for it with your credit card. In a couple weeks you are going to get a bill from your credit card company saying now it is time to pay for that wonderful meal. That is our debt ceiling. prgtoken If we don't pay those bills on a timely basis, it raises the question as to whether we are credible or reliable, and those people who loan us money, if they worry about whether the United States is going to pay its debts, they are going to demand higher interest rates to protect their purchase of U.S. securities. That is the bottom line. prgtoken We have never--underline ``never''--defaulted on our national debt and debt ceiling in our history. As a consequence, the United States enjoys a solid reputation for financial stability. Well, McCarthy has decided to put that on the chopping block. prgtoken Let's get right up to the eleventh hour and see if we are going to extend the debt ceiling. It is within his power to stop it, and that is his threat. What we have said to him is: If you have something, a plan for cutting spending or raising taxes, which is unlikely--if you have a plan for cutting spending, be honest with us and tell us what it is. prgtoken Some of the proposals are incredible. There is an actual proposal to create a Federal--that is national--sales tax of--listen--30 percent. A 30-percent sales tax. So if that loaf of bread cost five bucks at the grocery store--and in Springfield, some of them do--instead of paying $5, you will pay $6.50. Did you think prices were already going up for food in the grocery store? Tack on 30 percent and see how it feels. prgtoken And the problem with this is not just the notion of a national sales tax of 30 percent; the problem is, who will pay it. Do you think the richest people in the world give a toot about grocery bills? They don't. But folks who are struggling paycheck to paycheck, tr