mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Iowa (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-9-6

ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I come to report to you on some of the activities I did during the August break and what Iowans were telling me. prgtoken On August 29, I completed my annual 99 county meetings for the 43rd year in a row. My decades-long practice is a part of my commitment to the people of Iowa to keep in touch with them because representative government is a two-way street. Those of us elected to the Senate and the House are one-half of the process, and my constituents are the other half of that process. prgtoken Holding at least one Q&A in every county every year is one way that I foster dialogue. No matter the setting, the format is the same: My Iowa constituents set the agenda. prgtoken I have spent the last 5 weeks, while the Senate was not in session, convening with Iowans in every corner of the State with nearly 40 Q&As that I had with those constituents in those counties. From factory floors and rural hospitals to town meetings, Iowans shared their point of view with me. Now, I am bringing their concerns to my colleagues here in the Congress. Even though you don't represent Iowans, you need to know what they are telling me. prgtoken One consistent theme that I gathered from my meetings: Iowans are fed up with soaring inflation and high interest rates. The economy is not working for Iowans. Contrary to the sales pitch parroted by this administration, Iowans aren't buying the economy. prgtoken From the feedback I got at my county meetings, the so-called omics ``rebuilding our economy from the bottom up and the middle out'' is not working as Iowans see it. Iowans are emptying their pocketbooks just to make ends meet. prgtoken I heard from Iowa families about the high cost of groceries at their supermarkets and the pain that they are feeling each time they fill up their gas tank. prgtoken The administration's assault on fossil fuels and lackluster support for homegrown biofuels isn't helping. Young Americans, as well as young Iowans, in particular, are concerned about the record high mortgage rates hindering homeownership. Iowans work hard, but the economy is hardly working for them. prgtoken Another issue that Iowans are especially attuned to, as you would expect because we are a great agricultural State, is the timing of the upcoming farm bill. I held a meeting with Lamoni Food Pantry to learn about their nutrition services there in Decatur County. And they were also concerned about the SNAP program within the farm bill. prgtoken I also met with egg producers, pork producers, dairy producers, and cattlemen at the Iowa State Fair, and their message was very clear: Farmers need certainty and a farm bill should be passed as soon as possible. prgtoken I look forward to working in a bipartisan way to deliver a farm bill to the American people. After my 99th county meeting, I celebrated, as usually I do, with a Snickers Blizzard at the Dairy Queen in Onawa,
August State Work Period (Executive Calendar)
Pete Ricketts (Republican, NE) \u2014 2023-9-6

boys and men should not be allowed to participate in girls' and women's sports. This used to be common sense, but today, apparently, it is controversial. prgtoken When I was back home in Nebraska for the August recess, two events highlighted this. The first was Volleyball Day. prgtoken Volleyball Day in Nebraska saw four of our women's volleyball teams showcase their talent. Over 92,000 fans crammed into Lincoln's Memorial Stadium to watch the event. It was a prgtoken world-record event, the most attendees for a women's sports event in history, and it was a great day for title IX to demonstrate how much success that has had over the last 50 years. In fact, Omaha World- Herald columnist Tom Shatel wrote, ``Volleyball Day in Nebraska may be the biggest Title IX statement of all time.'' Certainly, it demonstrated the progress we have seen, creating equal opportunity for our daughters, granddaughters, and sisters. And it is not just about athletics; it is about scholarships, about educational opportunities and, of course, those career opportunities as well. prgtoken But sadly, today, title IX is under attack from bad policies that are undermining what has been so successful for half a century. prgtoken That brings me to my second event. I, along with 1,100 other Nebraskans, had the honor to listen to Riley Gaines. Riley was a women's swimmer for the University of Kentucky, and she described her experience competing against Lia Thomas. prgtoken Lia Thomas was William Thomas, a man who competed against other men for 3 years of his college career, and at that time, he was mediocre at best. He came in ranked 462nd in the Nation. But after a year of testosterone suppression therapy, under NCAA rules, Thomas was allowed to compete against women, and he went from being ranked 462nd nationally to being top-ranked. Riley described how unfair this experience was. prgtoken We also heard from Dr. Greg Brown. He is a physiologist and professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He described the differences between men and women. It is crazy that we need to have somebody talk about the differences between men and women. He described that men produce 10 to 20 times more testosterone than women on average and that this testosterone suppression therapy that I mentioned--well, it reduces it, but according to NCAA rules and IOC rules, you only have to get below the ``normal'' range, and that level is still 5 to 10 times more testosterone than what women produce. prgtoken Here is the kicker: There is no research--none whatsoever--that shows that by reducing testosterone, you eliminate the male sex-based athletic advantages. None. It is bogus. It is arbitrary. That is part of the unfairness. prgtoken When we support policies that undermine title IX, we are potentially robbing women of the opportunity to be able to have those sports careers and to have the opportunity to get those scholarships. prgtoken As school starts
August State Work Period (Executive Calendar)
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2023-9-6

just yesterday, all of us returned to the U.S. Capitol following a 5-week stretch where we exercised the opportunity to meet with our constituents in our homes, visit updated projects and attend events in our respective States; and some of us traveled across the country and around the world to expand our understanding and gather lessons so that we can apply that to our work here in Washington. prgtoken I was able to accomplish this at home by attending my State's annual economic development summit, where I met business leaders from all across West Virginia on a variety of issues from a variety of fields. prgtoken Through meetings with individuals in specific industries, I was able to share the landscape that I currently see in Washington and hear about the specific policies that are impacting West Virginia most directly. I was also able to attend a really great event, a ribbon- cutting ceremony for a brandnew high school in Kanawha County. This school, Herbert Hoover High School, had been decimated--the former school--in 2016 by floods, and we all gathered there and celebrated something that was really awful into something very joyful. And our own home State Brad Paisley came and gave us a concert to celebrate with. prgtoken During the ceremony, the West Virginia spirit was really palpable as the community worked hard to remedy the scars from that horrible flood. It was a special occasion, and I think it proved to me and to all of us the resiliency that defines the people of my State, and I would say Connecticut as well. prgtoken The August work period also provided the opportunity for me to lead an all-women Congressional delegation of bipartisan, bicameral members to the Indo-Pacific region. The trip kind of had a dual mission. The first was to discuss national and global security and energy in the Indo-Pacific region. The second was to explore issues related to the empowerment of women and girls--the status of women in sports--and building on current momentum in that space. prgtoken To do both in a week is certainly a tall order, as the two are seemingly disconnected. We went hoping, originally, obviously, to see the U.S. women's soccer team play in the World Cup. We didn't quite get to see them, but we did see all of the excitement around the Women's World Cup, and we did get to see a great match between Japan and Sweden. prgtoken But the experience we gained proved that these topics are really more related than what meets the eye. The center focus that binds these two missions that we had together are our U.S. values. These values have tangible power, and our ability to lead by our values displays the influence that our Nation has in both of these areas. prgtoken When Congress passed title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, sex discrimination and education programs and activities offered by any entity that receives Federal financial assistance was barred. It was monumental legislation fo
Military Promotions (Executive Session)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-9-6

I rise this morning to discuss the promotions of our military leaders. prgtoken During the past month, I had the opportunity, as many of my colleagues did, to visit our troops overseas and around the country. As always, I was moved by their selflessness and courage, and I was impressed by the knowledge and skill of our military leaders. prgtoken We ask much of our servicemembers and their families, and they deserve our gratitude and support. So although I was proud to spend time with our troops and their families this past month, I was appalled by the hardship and disrespect many of them are experiencing. prgtoken While Congress had a month of recess, hundreds of military officers were denied their promotions, hundreds of military families were played as political pawns, and our national security was undermined--all because one Senator disagrees with a legal healthcare policy. prgtoken For more than 6 months, the senior Senator from Alabama has blocked every senior military promotion--now totaling nearly 300 officers--in his bid to extort the Pentagon to overturn its reproductive healthcare policy. prgtoken The Senator claims that he is not harming military readiness, but he is dangerously wrong. The Secretary of Defense and every member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have condemned his hold and described the damage he is inflicting on U.S. military leadership. Seven retired Secretaries of Defense--both and ic--have condemned the Senator's actions and urged him to drop his hold. prgtoken Just yesterday, the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force rebuked the Alabama Senator and the damage he is causing to our military readiness. As they wrote, the Senator ``has prevented the Defense Department from placing almost 300 of our most experienced and battle-tested leaders into critical posts around the world.'' prgtoken Many of our most important officers are being blocked. Indeed, if you look at the photo behind me, you will see what visitors to the Pentagon encounter. Instead of a consistent group of leaders, there are notable absences. And eventually, if the Senator persists, this whole board will be full of blank spaces. We will have no effective military leadership. Three of these faces, as you noticed, are blank because of the Senator's hold. For the first time in history, the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps are without top leaders. prgtoken He is blocking the confirmation of Gen. Eric Smith, the next Commandant of the Marine Corps, and GEN Randy George, the next Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. Next week we will hold confirmation hearings for ADM Lisa Franchetti--the first female officer to be the Chief of Naval Operations--and Gen. David Allvin, the next Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The Senator has indicated he will block both of these nominations. prgtoken At the end of September, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley, is legally required to retire. The J
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Fetterman (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2023-9-6

I rise today to congratulate Dr. Cheryl A. McConnell on her historic inauguration as the 29th and first female president of Saint Joseph's University. She is to be inaugurated on September 8, 2023. prgtoken Since joining Saint Joseph's University 3 years ago, Dr. McConnell has served in integral roles as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Her presidential inauguration is the result of an exceptional 35-year career in higher education. prgtoken As a first-generation college graduate and dedicated leader of Jesuit higher education, Dr. McConnell has demonstrated her commitment to learning and uplifting the next generation. Among her many accomplishments, she has created new, in-demand academic programs to expand Saint Joseph's University's impact throughout the greater Philadelphia community and has focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion to create a more robust and productive learning environment. Further, in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. McConnell's leadership was essential to the university's response to keep students, faculty, and staff healthy and safe. prgtoken I am proud that Saint Joseph's University has selected Dr. McConnell as its next president and know she will continue the university's commitment to academic excellence and service to generations of students. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Cheryl A. McConnell on her historic inauguration and continuing her career in public service to students in Pennsylvania.
Introductory Statement on S. 2729
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2023-9-6

today I want to discuss legislation I am introducing, the End Shutdown Act. prgtoken When Congress is unable to come to an agreement about government funding, Federal employees, government contractors, and Americans who depend on critical government services all suffer the consequences of using government shutdowns as a negotiating tactic. This bill prevents government shutdowns by initiating an automatic continuing resolution on October 1 if no appropriations bill is passed by that date and stops Congress from considering any nonemergency legislation until it reaches a long-term spending deal. prgtoken For Federal employees who are forced to go without a paycheck through no fault of their own during a government shutdown, furlough can mean falling behind on mortgage, rent, or student loan payments and uncertainty about how to put food on the table for their families. I am glad my colleagues and I were able to guarantee backpay for all Federal employees in 2019, but the potential for prolonged shutdowns continues to threaten families' budgets and local economies. Virginia is home to more than 170,000 Federal employees and tens of thousands of Federal contractors. They are not a bargaining chip to be played in these negotiations. prgtoken Government shutdowns disproportionately harm Virginia's economy, but over 80 percent of Federal workers live and work outside of the DC area. Shutdowns inflict pain on communities across the Nation, as they disrupt Federal contracts and loans to small businesses, complicate supply chains, and stall the release of data business owners need to make decisions. prgtoken Further, government shutdowns halt the essential services that furloughed employees are unable to provide, from food inspection services to passport renewals and Social Security card replacement. Over the past two decades, government shutdowns have put some of our most essential programs like Medicare, SNAP, TANF, and WIC in jeopardy. Using government shutdowns as a negotiating tactic has the potential to inflict senseless pain on millions of Americans who rely on these and other Federal programs. prgtoken By ending the threat of government shutdowns, Congress can ensure no one can ever again hold public servants and critical programs hostage by using a shutdown as a negotiating tactic. I encourage my colleagues to support this common-sense proposal that is needed for both the American people and the Federal employees across the country on whom we rely.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-9-6

now, over the past few months, the Senate appropriations process has been a shining example of how things should work in Washington. prgtoken These are divided times, in a closely divided Chamber, but, nevertheless, we can summarize the Senate's work of funding the government down to one word, bipartisan--one word, bipartisan. prgtoken Thanks to the outstanding work of Appropriations Chair Patty Murray and Vice Chair Susan Collins and many other colleagues from both sides, all 12 appropriations bills have been reported out of the committee with bipartisan support. prgtoken Some of them--many of them were with unanimous bipartisan support. That doesn't mean everyone agreed on everything. It means something more important. It means that disagreements haven't paralyzed the process. prgtoken This month, one of the Senate's top priorities will be to keep the government open beyond the September 30 deadline. Both parties in both Chambers will have to work together if we are to avoid a shutdown. So when the House returns next week, I implore--I implore--my colleagues in the House to recognize that time is short to keep the government open and prgtoken the only way to avoid a shutdown is through bipartisanship. House s should follow the Senate's example and work with to pass strong, bipartisan appropriations bills. They will have their first chance to show their commitment to bipartisanship when they return next week. prgtoken The last thing Americans need right now is a pointless government shutdown. Our economy has come a very long way since the darkest days of the COVID pandemic. Inflation is slowing down, job growth remains strong, the investments we have made through the infrastructure law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act are paying off with new projects and new good-paying jobs. We shouldn't squander all of that now. prgtoken A shutdown is unnecessary and would harm so many American families and businesses. But if both sides work in good faith, embrace bipartisanship as we have done in the Senate, and avoid all-or-nothing tactics, then there will be no shutdown, and that will be very good news for the American people because it is the American people who suffer most when there is a shutdown.
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2023-9-6

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, September 7; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Kugler nomination postcloture; further, that at 11:45 a.m all postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; further, that if cloture is invoked on the Gomez nomination, all postcloture time be considered expired at 1:45 p.m.; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.
Nomination of Anna M. Gomez (Executive Calendar)
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-9-7

I rise today to discuss Anna Gomez, one of President 's FCC nominees. If confirmed, she would give the a majority at the FCC that would enable them to impose a radical leftwing agenda, including investment-killing and job-killing so-called net neutrality rules, otherwise known as ``care for the internet.'' prgtoken I strongly oppose her nomination, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. The FCC exercises vast power over how Americans communicate and access information. It also has a history of abusing vague statutory provisions to pursue partisan policy goals. In the wrong hands, the FCC could go down a dark path of censoring speech and engaging in regulatory overreach. prgtoken Under current FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel's leadership, that threat is not merely hypothetical. The FCC has engaged in unprecedented abuses of power, such as killing the multibillion-dollar Standard General-TEGNA transaction without a Commission vote, attempting to expand the Universal Service Fund spending in defiance of clear statutory limits, and holding valuable 2.5 gigahertz spectrum licenses hostage. prgtoken Even more alarming, the FCC is now entertaining requests by radical leftwing groups to revoke a broadcast station's license for alleged ``misinformation'' and turning a routine FCC license renewal proceeding into a truth commission, an alarming assault on the First Amendment. And that is without a majority on the FCC. With a majority, there is no telling what regulatory excesses the Chairwoman could inflict--from forcing antiquated telephone monopoly rules on the competitive broadband industry to micromanaging providers' rates and terms of service, to imposing crippling new legal risks on American companies through ``disparate impact'' lawsuits. prgtoken Make no mistake, a vote for Anna Gomez is a vote for regulating the internet as a public utility. Ms. Gomez has publicly supported the reinstatement of the heavyhanded -era net neutrality rules that would make the internet more expensive and slower for American households, despite privately confessing that had engaged in wild ``hyperbole'' in opposing the repeal of net neutrality. prgtoken Rather than giving reasons for the reinstatement of the failed net neutrality rules, she claims she simply wants ``robust authority'' over the internet. In other words, the power to regulate companies' pricing and terms of service and to collect billions of dollars in new taxes from them and from you, the consumer, all at the expense of investment and innovation and consumer choice. prgtoken She has also refused to disavow the ongoing efforts to impose investment-killing ``disparate impact'' liability on American broadband companies. And she has given noncommittal answers to my requests for commitments to improve transparency and accountability at the FCC. prgtoken Ms. Gomez has a history of failing to protect taxpaye