mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-2-17

it is now February. It has been nearly 6 months since the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. prgtoken Thirteen servicemembers lost their lives in the attack on Abbey Gate, along with hundreds of civilians. As a result of the botched evacuation operation, hundreds, if not thousands, of American civilians were left behind to the enemy. prgtoken We hear from our friends on the other side of the aisle that my insistence that we actually vote on nominees is unprecedented. I would humbly suggest that the crisis into which this President has led this country is unprecedented. In my lifetime, it is unprecedented. prgtoken And who has been held accountable for this disaster? No one. Who has the President fired? Who has offered their resignation? Which of the planners at the Department of State or the Department of Defense or the National Security Council have been relieved of duty? No one. prgtoken Until there is accountability, I am going to ask that the Senate do the simple task of its job, which is to actually vote on these nominees. The least we could do is observe regular order and vote on these leadership positions at the Department of State and at the Department of Defense. prgtoken My colleagues say that we have got to put national security first. I agree with them about that. But I believe that begins at the top, with the President of the United States and the leadership of the Department of Defense and the Department of State. I, for one, am not going to stand by and look the other way while this administration systematically endangers our national security, imperils the American people, and watches the sacrifice of our soldiers go by without any accountability, without any change in direction. prgtoken Accountability for the Afghanistan disaster is all the more urgent given new revelations from the U.S. Central Command investigation of the Abbey Gate bombing. The investigative report makes clear that the administration had ample warning prior to mid-August that Kabul could collapse rapidly in the face of the Taliban's offensive. It shows further how the administration refused to acknowledge those warnings and act in a timely manner to prepare for Kabul's fall. And it shows in astounding detail just how chaotic the final evacuation effort was, with U.S. servicemembers often left without clear guidance, the State Department constantly missing in action, and the administration itself intent only on evacuating as many people as possible, regardless of whether those individuals were eligible for evacuation or might pose a threat to America's own security. prgtoken I am not willing to look the other way and just pretend that Afghanistan didn't happen, which seems to be the posture that many in this body have adopted. I am not willing to do that. I can't do that because I promised the parents of the fallen that I wouldn't do that. prgtoken I am going to discharge my responsibility. And as long as it
FURTHER ADDITIONAL EXTENDING GOVERNMENT FUNDING ACT
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-2-17

the American people do not want a Federal vaccine mandate. The American people just want to be able to go about doing their jobs. They want to be able to go work. They don't want to be told by someone who lacks the authority that they have to choose between an unwanted medical procedure on the one hand and on the other hand, losing their ability to put bread on the table. prgtoken It is not just illegal; it is not just immoral; it is wrong. We all know it is wrong, and we know that it is time to end this. prgtoken Please vote yes on my amendment.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard C. Shelby (Republican, AL) \u2014 2022-2-17

. Thank you, . You are being very kind today. prgtoken Today, I rise to pay tribute to a longtime, vital member of my staff, Shannon Hines. There aren't many in the Senate who don't know Shannon or know of Shannon. Her sterling reputation precedes her, as it should. prgtoken Shannon has been one of the most valuable members of my staff throughout my career. Those who know her are aware of her resounding work ethic, having spent countless late nights right here in the Senate and long weekends at the office. Not only has she been a trusted asset to me, but she has proved to be essential in our work here in the Senate to fund the government and our Nation's defense during my time in leadership on the Appropriations Committee. prgtoken Having grown up in North Carolina, Shannon is a proud graduate of Wake Forest University. She began her career on Capitol Hill as a staff assistant to freshman Representative Fred Heineman of North Carolina and then worked as a legislative assistant to Representative Lamar Smith of Texas. prgtoken I first met Shannon in 1999 when she applied for a job in the Senate with my staff. She joined my staff after experience in the House as a legislative assistant. prgtoken Shannon has served in many important roles on my senior staff, including my legislative director, which is a very important post, as the Presiding Officer knows; as chief of staff, which is an even more important post; senior policy adviser for the Senate Banking Committee when I was chairman of the Banking Committee; staff director of the Senate Rules Committee when I was chairman of the Rules Committee; and staff director of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Defense Subcommittee. prgtoken Notably, she is, as you would know, the first female staff director for the full Senate Appropriations Committee--first female staff director of the Senate Appropriations Committee--something she was humbly unaware of until it was mentioned by a former colleague. prgtoken When I first took over as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee a number of years back, Shannon was able to lead the committee in moving the most appropriations bills, with the help of everybody in the Senate, in 22 years in a bipartisan way. By the end of the fiscal year, 75 percent of the government was funded on time and through an open, bipartisan way. The Presiding Officer will remember; he was part of that. prgtoken Shannon's 27 years of service on Capitol Hill deserve the utmost recognition and praise, not just by me but I think a lot of us. She has earned my respect and the respect of countless others. I admire her for her valued commitment to her work and unending determination to get the job done. prgtoken Although I am sad to see her go, I remain grateful for her diligence, hard work, and guidance over the years. I wish Shannon all the best as she prepares for a new phase in her remarkable career in the private sector. prgtoken I c
RECOGNIZING FARM GIRL GIFTS AND BAKE SHOP
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-2-17

as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop of Corydon, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken Entrepreneurship is undoubtedly a unique career path. I guarantee if you ask any small business owner about the genesis of their business, you will find that each start-up story is distinct in its own way. For Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop, baking had long been a hobby of founder and owner, Marganna Stanley, who spent the past 30 years working as an educator in the schools of Henderson County, the last 6 of which as Henderson County school superintendent. Though she has always been passionate about teaching, Marganna did not let her 2020 retirement stop her from chasing her other dream, that of owning her own business. prgtoken In late 2020, undeterred by the COVID-19 pandemic, Marganna opened Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop, a place where one could shop for gifts of all kinds, including glassware, skincare and bath products, children's books and toys, along with a host of local artisan products. Even with the wide array of gifts for sale, there are plenty of other attractions at Farm Girl, namely, the excellent home-cooking of Marganna and her staff. As the business name would indicate, baked goods are her specialty. The team at Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop work tirelessly to ensure that every customer has more than enough options to choose from. From cookies to layer cakes, muffins to pies, sourdough loafs to her signature tall cupcakes, Marganna and her team stay busy in the kitchen. prgtoken As the only restaurant in the town of Corydon, Marganna makes sure Farm Girl always has some hearty Kentucky cooking on hand to satisfy any appetite. Though sweets are Marganna's specialty, sub sandwiches, soups, and sliders are common attractions at Farm Girl Gifts and Bake Shop. Moreover, Marganna brings her experience as an educator and her love for teaching to her new business venture. When stocking her shelves with Christmas gifts for the holidays, she made sure to include educational books and toys for young children. She keeps the Farm Girl atmosphere fun by creating competitions for her devoted customers. In the summer of 2021, she announced that the customer who bought Farm Girl's 10,000th tall cupcake would receive a $100 prize. She ended 2021, her first full year in business, having sold 9,678 of these tall cupcakes. Shortly thereafter Farm Girl hit that 10,000 milestone and that $100 bill found itself in one lucky customer's pocket. Her effort to bring a fun and engaging feeling to her business harkens back to Marganna's tenured career as an educator. Needless to say, his beloved presence in Henderson County is still brightening the faces of Corydon reside
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-2-17

I want to begin my remarks today with a few words to specifically urge American seniors and the immunocompromised to continue to protect themselves against COVID-19 by ensuring that you are fully vaccinated, including a booster shot and by wearing a high-quality mask. prgtoken As States around the country begin to unwind mask and vaccine mandates, I implore America's seniors to remain vigilant against this virus. First, get boosted. The vaccine is the most powerful tool we have to protect yourself against COVID-19 infection. We know that the vaccine continues to be highly effective at preventing serious illness and death from COVID-19, but we also know that thousands of Americans have died from breakthrough cases of COVID-19, and the vast majority are over the age of 60. prgtoken In Massachusetts alone, 2,200 vaccinated individuals have died of COVID-19, and more than 93 percent of those deaths were over the age of 60. We are 2 percent of America's population. So you can multiply that 2,000 to get an idea as to what has happened with people who are ``fully vaccinated'' but who are older and who still contract the coronavirus. prgtoken So we have to just make sure that everyone gets this message straight. For many Americans, they are going to be told: You don't have to wear masks. But for many others there has to be a strong message: You should continue to wear your mask to protect yourself. prgtoken And although I have called upon the CDC to track and share this data about the deaths over the age of 60, they just haven't done so. So if we extrapolate the Massachusetts number, there may very well have been already over 100,000 Americans--overwhelmingly, seniors--who have died, despite the fact that they have received two shots of the vaccine. So let's just make sure that we deliver that message correctly. Keep your mask on. prgtoken This is a very good mask. There are KF94s. We have a very good N95 mask here that is absolutely certified by NIOSH. But many of these other masks that people are wearing just aren't going to give you the protection, which you need, so we need a strong message that goes out to seniors especially but to anyone who is immunocompromised and to children who have not been vaccinated. When this ``You can take off your mask'' era begins, let's just understand that there are going to be very many vulnerable people out there. prgtoken So from my perspective, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also reported that the unvaccinated seniors were 90 times more likely to die of COVID-19 than those who received the vaccine booster. But I will say it again: If you haven't already, get vaccinated and get a booster. prgtoken An average of 2,300 people died from COVID nationwide in the past week per day--overwhelmingly, people over the age of 60--and each death is a tragedy for their families or their communities. They are our grandmothers, our grandfathers, our parents, ou
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2022-2-17

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.
FURTHER ADDITIONAL EXTENDING GOVERNMENT FUNDING ACT
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2022-2-17

I rise to speak in opposition to Senator Cruz's amendment, No. 4927. prgtoken Everyone in this body who attended school in the United States had to get vaccines to attend school--measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox. Everyone in this body who sent a child to school in the United States had to make sure that they got their children vaccinated. prgtoken Is that because of a big Federal mandate? No. prgtoken All 50 States--Utah, Texas, New York, Maine, Washington, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Virginia--embraced their own vaccine mandates--all 50. There are some variations. Iowa doesn't mandate a mumps vaccine, and Virginia mandates a human papillomavirus vaccine, but we leave it up to local school boards and State superintendents of instruction to decide if a vaccine is warranted. prgtoken This is unprecedented in this body, an effort by the Federal Government to force local school boards and State superintendents of instruction to not have a vaccine mandate at the cost of taking money away from the students and the teachers and the parents. prgtoken In Virginia, parents very strongly support vaccination of children. Why would we not listen to parents? Why would we not listen to the local school boards that are hearing from parents about this? prgtoken I urge my colleagues to reject a massive Federal overreach that would disempower school boards and States and take funding away from their children's education. prgtoken Please vote no on the Cruz amendment.
REMEMBERING KAREN FERGUSON
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-2-17

today is the birthday of Karen Ferguson, a tireless advocate for retirement security, who sadly passed away in December. She started a movement for improved worker's rights and better pensions. Forty-six years ago today, she founded the Pension Rights Center in aid of that effort. As recently as this past March, Karen's impact can be seen in the passage of the Butch Lewis Act, which helps protect the benefits of workers and retirees in multiemployers plans. We are deeply grateful for Karen's work and can honor her legacy by continuing to fight so that everyone can retire with dignity and security.
Senate Accomplishments (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-2-17

it has been a busy and productive work period in the Senate. prgtoken First, the good news is that we have kept the government open. It took some work, especially when the Senate rules lend themselves to delay and obstruction. Still, I thank Senators Leahy and Shelby, as well as Leader McConnell, for helping us get this done. To have allowed the government to close would have caused undue hardship for millions of blameless Americans. prgtoken We have gotten other things done, too, in this work period. prgtoken We passed forced arbitration reform, made progress to fix our post office, and confirmed more of the President's nominees.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-2-17

most people would be stumped by the question I am about to ask, and that is, when it comes to the commission of crime, what is the largest criminal investigation in the history of the United States? The answer is January 6, 2021. Over 725 individuals have been charged with a Federal crime as a result of that insurrectionist mob that descended on the Capitol. prgtoken The reason I raise that is that we are going through regular-- sometimes daily, sometimes weekly--lectures from s about who is soft on crime, who is really on the side of the American people when it comes to defending their homes and their families. prgtoken I listen to this debate on a regular basis as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Every single nominee who comes from the White House is subject to being challenged as to whether they are going to defund the police or whether they are soft on crime. Yet I have to say that it is hard to explain that these same s asking these pointed questions to nominees are nowhere to be found when it comes to discussing January 6, 2021. In fact, many of them were cheerleaders and apologists for the very prgtoken demonstrators who came into this United States Capitol. prgtoken To think that a national political party like the Party of the United States of America branded this insurrectionist mob and their attack on the Capitol as ``legitimate political discourse''--that was the official statement, the unanimous statement of the Party. prgtoken Now, a few Senators have dissented. Thank you. But why haven't more? Why won't they step up and say a crime is a crime? If over 700 people descended on this Capitol and are being charged with a crime, they should have to pay the price, whatever it happens to be, because this just wasn't some idle political exercise. At the end of the day, we had 6 people dead as a result of that insurrectionist mob, including law enforcement officers, and 140 law enforcement officers attacked during the course of that day. We all saw the videos. There are plenty of them. prgtoken Imagine, if you will, the so-called innocent, legitimate political discourse travelers to Washington just happened to bring bear spray with them so they could spray police in the face with a poisonous compound that could, in fact, harm them and did. Does that sound like a group of political tourists to you? It doesn't to me. These are violent individuals who are being called to task for having assaulted this Capitol, broken down the windows and the doors, came in here aping along these desks in the Chamber, forcing the Vice President of the United States and Senators who were there that day--and I was one of them--to exit by the backdoor for their lives. And here we have this ``We are not soft on crime'' message from s who are making excuses, not to mention the former President, , who said that given the opp
UKRAINE
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2022-2-17

I rise today in support of my resolution to convey strong bipartisan opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked aggression against the United States' partner, Ukraine. I was proud to lead this resolution with Senator Rob Portman, in addition to Senators Durbin, Cornyn, Menendez, and Risch, and was pleased to see 38 Senators join this resolution and push for its passage. prgtoken As the Senate prepared to adjourn for the next week, Senator Portman and I believed it was absolutely critical that we deliver this message of strong bipartisan support for the brave and resilient people of Ukraine. It is important to send a message of bipartisan resolve and to stand up to Putin in response to his continued aggression and especially given recent indications that he is increasingly likely to eschew the diplomatic path available and further invade Ukraine. And as I join a large bipartisan delegation to the Munich Security Forum this weekend, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agreed that it was paramount that the Senate pass this resolution. This resolution demonstrates the fierce bipartisan support for the NATO, for the transatlantic alliance, for our democratic partners in Ukraine and in repudiation of Putin's efforts to violate Ukraine's sovereignty. prgtoken This Senate has a long history of supporting an independent and democratic Ukraine. Since Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, this Congress has provided more than $2.7 billion in security assistance and supported critical reforms to help Ukraine on its journey to greater euro-Atlantic integration. prgtoken I am proud to have been involved in a number of bipartisan efforts to support Ukraine. Last month, I traveled to Ukraine with Senator Portman as part of a bipartisan congressional delegation to meet with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and his national security team to discuss the Russian threat and how the United States can help our Ukrainian friends. In January, I reaffirmed the United States' commitment to our democratic partners, which I also shared during a congressional delegation visit last June, that our Nation believes fervently that Ukraine and Ukraine alone should determine its future. prgtoken In our meetings, the message from the Ukrainians was clear. They see their future in partnership with the West. They share our democratic values, and their people are proud of their hard-won independence. I would like to make one point perfectly clear: The unprecedented Russian threat to Ukraine's sovereignty is on Vladimir Putin and no one else. He has designed this crisis to advance his own revanchist agenda. The global community is not blind to his malign ambitions. He wants to reconstruct the Soviet Union and recreate his own sphere of interest. And he--wrongfully--sees Ukraine as part of this authoritarian future. prgtoken Putin wants to diminish the U.S. presence in Europe and to rewrite the European security
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2022-2-17

the suggestion is many people aren't here to vote. Well, let's bring up the continuing resolution. Let's vote it up or down. Let's say to the rest of the world, including Russia, the most powerful nation on Earth can stay open or a few Senators can say: No, golly, we got to get something on television. We ought to close down the government. prgtoken The Senator from Florida is welcome to bring up his bill sometime in regular order. Let's not slow up things now. So let's vote on the continuing resolution. Let's show the United States of America and the rest of the world that we can stay open and that we are not afraid to stay open. We will stay open, and we all--I think we could probably say unanimously, I would hope--oppose what Russia apparently is planning to do in Ukraine. prgtoken .