mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022--Continued
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-11-30

on November 3 of this year, Special Counsel Durham indicted Christopher Steele's primary subsource, Igor Danchenko. He indicted him on five counts of lying to the FBI. He lied about his contacts and the identity of his sources. prgtoken One of the more serious lies was about Sergei Millian. The indictment shows that Danchenko alleged a phone call occurred between him and Millian about a -Russia conspiracy. That call was part of the basis that the FBI used to get a FISA warrant on Carter Page. prgtoken Now, according to Durham, Steele's source lied about the call because that call never happened. This is yet another stunning, fatal defect against the - administration's fake predicate to investigate --specifically, yet another illustration of Justice Department and FBI failure. prgtoken Now, as a result of these failures, this country has been dragged through the mud for years. That statement is well understood at this point, but I have more to explain about it. prgtoken The indictment also shows that one of Steele's sources was a ``longtime participant in ic Party politics'' and that he ``fabricated'' at least some of the information that he gave to Danchenko. prgtoken This source, identified as Charles Dolan, ``actively campaigned and participated in calls and events as a volunteer on behalf of Hillary Clinton'' during the 2016 election. prgtoken Another one of Danchenko's sources was also a Hillary Clinton supporter. Charles Dolan gifted to this particular Russian subsource an autobiography of Hillary Clinton signed with these words: ``To my good friend, a great .'' prgtoken Now--get this--while the were smearing with false Russia allegations, they were the ones rubbing elbows with Russians and spreading false information in the media, and, of prgtoken course, the media, as we know, gladly ran with that information. For example, President 's current National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, promoted the false story about the Russian bank called Alfa Bank communicating with the organization, when he worked for the Clinton campaign. prgtoken Notably, during congressional testimony, several years ago, Sullivan said that he wasn't sure who Marc Elias represented when he presented opposition research to the campaign. Now, for crying out loud, Elias was the Clinton campaign's general counsel. prgtoken My oversight work dating back to December 2016 has focused on the ic Party's and Clinton campaign's links to the Steele dossier. Last Congress, Senator Johnson and I obtained many records relating to Crossfire Hurricane. We were able to get many of them declassified for the public. prgtoken I point you to our April 15, 2020; December 3, 2020; and December 18, 2020, press releases on this information. Some of the declassified records show that the FBI had reports in its hand that showed the Steele dossier was most likely tainted with R
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022--Continued
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-11-30

for nearly 50 years, Roe v. Wade has been a disaster for our country and its citizens. Sixty million unborn lives have been lost to abortion, and our politics have been distorted by a ruling that deprives the American citizen--the voter--of the right to determine questions on which there is constitutional ambiguity. prgtoken The Senate confirms individuals to the judicial branch to be judges. They are to judge, not to legislate. Listening to those whom we represent and proposing legislation on their behalf is our job here in the Capitol and the job of our representatives in State legislatures throughout all 50 States. The separation of these powers is crucial to how our democracy functions. prgtoken Yet previous iterations of the Supreme Court have seen fit to usurp this legislative power, particularly as it relates to abortion. prgtoken In doing so, a majority of these unelected judges and Justices have relied upon specious jurisprudence to eviscerate State laws that protect the unborn. prgtoken You don't need to take the word of a conservative from Kansas. Writing when she was a circuit court judge, the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg explained: Roe v. Wade . . . invited no dialogue with legislators. Instead, it seemed entirely to remove the ball from the legislators' court. prgtoken One more liberal law professor acknowledged that ``Roe short- circuited the democratic deliberation that is the most reliable method of deciding questions of competing values.'' prgtoken These assessments are exactly right. The fallout of Roe, and affirmed by Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992, is obvious. A vacancy to the Supreme Court has become a cage match--a fight here in the U.S. Senate. Someone as eminently qualified as Amy Coney Barrett should have been confirmed unanimously. prgtoken Today, many of my ic colleagues support packing the Supreme Court with more Justices because they believe the Court will block their agenda, which is ironic because for nearly a half century, virtually every State ever to provide protection to unborn babies has been foiled by the judicial branch. Something terribly wrong has happened to our democracy when so much energy is focused on the Court. prgtoken Again, quoting then-Justice Ginsburg on Roe's attempt to put the issue of abortion to bed, she said in 1985, the Court's ``heavy-handed judicial intervention was difficult to justify and appears to have provoked, not resolved, conflict'' and in 1993 declared that the ruling ``prolonged divisiveness and deferred stable settlement of the issue.'' prgtoken Given these examples of our polluted discourse, no one can reasonably say that the politics of abortion have improved since then. In fact, it has only gotten much worse. prgtoken What has improved, however, is our understanding of the science of embryology. Regrettably, it is not enough to say a unique human life begins at the moment of conception for it
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022--Continued
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2021-11-30

I rise today ahead of one of the most important moments in our decades-long battle to protect life. prgtoken When our Founding Fathers laid out the Declaration of Independence, they talked about life, they talked about liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They called them certain unalienable rights endowed by our Creator. The reality is you can't have liberty and the pursuit of happiness without first having that unalienable right given by God, and that is the right to life. prgtoken Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the Mississippi late-term abortion case Dobbs prgtoken v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. prgtoken This puts our Nation at the crossroads of history. Our Nation has a moment to finally modernize our laws. We have got the aptitude to catch up with the great advancements seen in science, in technology, and medicine that indisputably show the humanity of unborn children. prgtoken We have the opportunity to end an extreme judicially imposed abortion regime that is aligned with nations such as China and North Korea. The United States is just one of seven nations that allows late-term abortions. prgtoken We have the opportunity to write a new chapter of American history where the people's elected representatives get to decide abortion policy in this country. prgtoken The Supreme Court of the United States has the chance to right a historic injustice and finally overturn Roe v. Wade. Our Court's nine Justices have the opportunity to reconsider a wrongly decided case. prgtoken And, by the way, that wrongly decided case that became case law, it was nine men in black robes that really have overruled the will of the people. It wasn't a State legislature. It wasn't the U.S. House. It wasn't the U.S. Senate. It was nine men in black robes in 1973 that has since resulted in the death of over 62 million innocent babies--62 million. prgtoken They have the opportunity to reverse this horrific decision that imposed abortion on demand until the moment of birth across the United States. They have the opportunity to recognize that Roe was based on flawed and outdated science and that the right to abortion, which Roe invented, has no support in the text, the history, or the structure of the Constitution. prgtoken The Supreme Court has an opportunity to restore the Constitution and defend our most fundamental right, and that is a right to life. prgtoken Now, let's go back to 1973, when Roe was decided. Many things were different than they are today. Why? Well, one reason is because science and technology--and certainly fashions--have advanced greatly. prgtoken Our phones in the 1970s went from large brick-like devices with antennas--in fact, the first cell phone call was placed in 1973, the very year that Roe v. Wade was decided. They were called bricks. They were about 2\1/2\ pounds. Compare that to these thin, touchscreen smartphones that we fit in our pockets today that are less
HONORING THE TIMELESS ZOROASTRIAN LEGACY
J. Luis Correa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-11-30

. Madam , I rise today to issue this recognition of ``Timeless Zoroastrian Legacy'' to all Zoroastrians for their extraordinary contributions to history and civilization, in pioneering the first universal human rights, world democracy, abolishment of slavery, and freedom of religion. The Zoroastrian legacy has greatly influenced the American founding fathers, the American Constitution, and the design of the Statue of Liberty. prgtoken Please join me in recognizing the remarkable contributions of the Zoroastrian community in the United States and throughout the world.
CONGRATULATING DETECTIVE TIMOTHY METZGER FOR HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE ROCK ISLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT
Cheri Bustos (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-11-30

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Detective Timothy Metzger, who is retiring from the Rock Island Police Department after 28 years of service. His last day was Friday, November 12. prgtoken Detective Timothy Metzger joined the Rock Island Police Department in December 1992. A graduate of Blackhawk College and Western Illinois University, Detective Metzger reported to duty each day with impeccable work ethic and compassion for the neighbors he strived to protect. After nearly 20 years, his peers and principals rewarded him for his commitment to the City of Rock Island by promoting him to Detective of the Police Department. For almost 10 years, Detective Metzger has handled every facet of investigations conducted by the Police Department. He specialized in computer, cellphone, and video forensics and helped with the Illinois Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at a local level. When he was not putting himself in harm's way, he enjoyed giving back to the area he served, helping coach youth softball and baseball teams in Rock Island. prgtoken It is because of committed and honorable leaders such as Detective Metzger that I am especially proud to serve Illinois' 17th Congressional District. Madam , I would like to, again, formally congratulate Detective Timothy Metzger on his retirement and thank him for his 28 years of service to our community.
MATERNAL VACCINATION ACT
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-11-30

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , today, we are continuing our work to combat the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis facing our country. The legislation before us will help ensure that pregnant women and their healthcare providers are aware of the benefits and availability of safe and effective vaccines. prgtoken Tragically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 700 women die each year in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications. prgtoken While there is no one cause of pregnancy-related death or health complications, we know that some illnesses like flu, pertussis, and COVID-19 can cause serious harm to pregnant women, including early labor and delivery and other complications. Vaccines prevent these illnesses and can save the lives of pregnant and postpartum women and their children. prgtoken However, despite strong evidence of vaccines' safety and efficacy, vaccine uptake among pregnant women is far below targeted goals. prgtoken We can and should do more to increase the vaccination rate of pregnant women. H.R. 951, the Maternal Vaccination Act, will ensure that our vaccination outreach and awareness campaigns and public health grant programs include outreach to obstetric healthcare providers, as well as pregnant and postpartum women. The legislation will also ensure that we are reaching women from racial and ethnic groups and their children. prgtoken , I urge all Members to support this commonsense public health effort, and .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022--Continued
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-11-30

our collective heart as a nation is breaking for your State. At Oxford High School today, reports suggest that a 15-year-old turned a semiautomatic weapon on his classmates. Three are dead. Eight are injured. prgtoken Our hearts are breaking a little bit harder in Connecticut because we know the pain that ravages a community when a shooting happens at a school. Newtown, CT, will never be the same after what happened there now almost a decade ago. prgtoken Reports are that at Oxford High School nearly 100 911 messages came into police during the time of the shooting. It gives you a vision into the terror that happens inside a school when a classmate opens fire. I think about this, first and foremost, as a parent of a seventh grader and a fourth grader who are part of a generation that accepts as part of their childhood the risk of not leaving school at the end of the day because of a violent attack. That is the reality of being a kid in school today. I am angry about it as an American, but I am angry about it as a parent, that my children have to go through active shooter drills because this has become a regular facet of being a child in America--exposure to gun violence. prgtoken It sickens me to think that my fourth grader has to worry about this when he goes to school every day. prgtoken I understand that my colleagues have very strong views on issues related to abortion, but I listened to my colleagues come down here one after another today and talk about the sanctity of life at the very moment that moms and dads in Michigan were being told that their kids weren't coming home because they were shot at school due to a country that has accepted gun violence due to s' fealty to the gun lobby. prgtoken Do not lecture us about the sanctity, the importance of life, when 100 people every single day are losing their lives to guns, when kids go to school fearful that they won't return home because a classmate will turn a gun on them, when it is in our control whether this happens. prgtoken You care about life? Then get these dangerous military-style weapons off the streets, out of our schools. prgtoken You care about life? Make sure that criminals don't get guns by making sure that everybody goes through a background check in this country. prgtoken This only happens in the United States of America. There is no other nation in the high-income world in which kids worry about being shot prgtoken when they go to school. It happens here in America because we choose to let it happen. prgtoken We are not unlucky. This is purposeful. This is a choice made by the U.S. Senate to sit on our hands and do nothing while kids die. prgtoken It doesn't even involve any political risk. The changes we are talking about in order to make our schools safe places, they are supported by the vast majority of Americans, s and . And yet the gun lobby and the gun industry is more impor
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022--Continued
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2021-11-30

60 years ago, President Dwight David Eisenhower warned Americans about the unwarranted influence of the military-industrial complex. He told us of the relentless defense interests that would use their lobbying muscle to keep money flowing into the coffers of the Pentagon. While our adversaries and competitors have changed in the past six decades, the military-industrial complex's revolving door is as well greased as Ike warned our country. prgtoken Today, Congress is set to vote to increase the already-bloated defense budget in the same year that we ended our longest war--the latest proof that the military-industrial complex is alive and well and banking on a pay raise, all while Americans struggle to afford groceries and gasoline. prgtoken Here is the simple truth about the defense budget we are debating this week: We plan to spend $768 billion to fuel the military- industrial complex even in our moment of relative peace. Yet many in this Chamber are relentlessly attacking the Build Back Better act despite this spending bill being four times its size in new spending. prgtoken What we are hearing in this Chamber this week are Cold War echoes-- words that sound like talk of the bomber and the missile gap with the former Soviet Union that drove an arms race that brought us to the brink of annihilation. prgtoken Our top military general recently called China's most recent hypersonic test a ``Sputnik moment.'' That is our top military general. But how in the world can it be a ``Sputnik moment'' if we are set to spend more on defense than the next 11 countries combined, many of which are U.S. allies and partners? There is no technological or military gap that we need to close. We have the strongest military in the world. prgtoken Our rivals, our adversaries are not 10 feet tall. We are the country that is 10 prgtoken feet tall, and they are looking up at us militarily. We should just understand this, as people bad-mouth our military. It is not accurate. They are afraid of us. We are technologically superior to them, whoever they may be. prgtoken But wait. As if we weren't spending enough, Congress has tossed in an additional $25 billion that was not even requested by the Pentagon in this year's budget. You heard that right--an additional $25 billion. How many kids could go to pre-K for that? How many seniors could get dental or vision coverage? How many public housing units could we build with that, with the money that has not even been requested by the Pentagon? prgtoken We should not accept the logic that says we can afford to build a $100 billion intercontinental ballistic missile that will never be used but we cannot possibly afford paid family leave that Americans desperately need. prgtoken Universal prekindergarten is too expensive, but padding the wallets of defense firm executives with taxpayer dollars is money well spent. That is insane. That is immoral. prgtoken We should not have to fight toot
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-11-30

earlier this month, while we were all home for the Thanksgiving recess, an American patriot passed away. His name was MAJ Ian Fishback. prgtoken During his life, Major Fishback defended our Nation during four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was an accomplished scholar, with degrees from both West Point and the University of Michigan, and a lifelong champion of justice. prgtoken Tragically, like too many of our Nation's veterans, Major Fishback's life ended far too soon. He died at the age of 42. Though his time on Earth was short, he left behind a legacy. He changed our Nation for the better. He inspired the Members of the Senate to make a historic stand against injustice. prgtoken You see, in 2005, while Major Fishback was serving as captain in the U.S. Army infantry, he spoke out against America's inhumane treatment of detainees after 9/11. In a letter to then-Senators John McCain and John Warner, Major Fishback wrote: ``I have been unable to get clear, consistent answers from my leadership about what constitutes lawful and humane treatment of detainees. I am certain that this confusion contributed to a wide range of abuses including death threats, beatings, broken bones, murder, exposure to elements, extreme forced physical exertion, hostage-taking, stripping, sleep deprivation and degrading treatment. I and troops under my command witnessed some of these abuses in both Afghanistan and Iraq.'' prgtoken Major Fishback's courageous letter shed light on the atrocities that were being committed shamefully in the name of our Nation, and he felt that he had ``failed'' the servicemembers under his command. The reality is, our leaders failed Major Fishback. prgtoken In the wake of 9/11, the administration tossed aside our constitutional principles as well as the Geneva Conventions. By condoning torture, they dishonored our Nation and actually endangered our servicemembers. prgtoken After reports emerged about horrific abuses at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, I tried for a year and a half to pass legislation to make it clear that cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees was illegal. Two military heroes, my former colleague Senator John McCain and Major Fishback, turned the tide in this effort. prgtoken In speaking out, Major Fishback rallied the Members of this Chamber to support a torture amendment authored by Senator McCain and myself, which was added to the defense spending package for that year over a veto prgtoken threat from the administration. That provision explicitly banned inhumane treatment of any prisoner held by the American Government--on American soil or overseas. It set us on a course to restoring American values that were cast aside after 9/11-- work that is still ongoing 20 years later. prgtoken We have a defense bill before us on the floor with many things in it that are positive, and I will vote for it. But it is a moment to also reflect that this bill do
PROMOTING RESOURCES TO EXPAND VACCINATION, EDUCATION, AND NEW TREATMENTS FOR HPV CANCERS ACT OF 2021
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-11-30

I rise in full support of H.R. 1550, the ``PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021.'' prgtoken I would like to thank my colleagues Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Congresswoman Kim Schrier for introducing this important legislation. prgtoken The ``Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education and New Treatments for HPV Cancers Act'' or the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act has the ultimate goal of preventing HPV-related cancers. prgtoken Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common virus that causes six types of cancers, leading to nearly 36,000 cases of cancer in the United States every year, according to the CDC. prgtoken Nearly 42 million people are currently infected with HPV in the United States. prgtoken The HPV vaccine provides safe, effective, and lasting protection against the HPV infections that most commonly cause cancer. prgtoken This vaccine is so effective that the World Health Organization established a goal of total eradication of cervical cancer--and this legislation can be part of our nation's commitment to reaching that goal. prgtoken This vaccine can help prevent these cancers, and it is the goal of the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act to increase vaccination rates. prgtoken HPV-related cancers disproportionately affect individuals who are living on a lower income, have lower education levels, and are from a racial or ethnic minority group. prgtoken Increased public awareness and immunization initiatives would help improve vaccination rates in these underserved communities. prgtoken More comprehensive research on the HPV vaccine, as authorized in the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act, would also help better identify these disparities and ways to address them. prgtoken There is rampant societal mistrust and vaccine hesitancy, and while immunizations are one of the greatest public health tools we have, they work best when there is widespread use. prgtoken This legislation will spread awareness so that more people will be vaccinated against HPV, and fund research to help stop the largely preventable deaths caused by HPV linked cancers. prgtoken When we have the tools to prevent cancer, we should without a doubt utilize them. prgtoken , I rise in full support of H.R. 1550, the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021.