mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IMPEACHMENT
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2021-3-1

I rise today regarding the second impeachment of . prgtoken The House managers made their case. Based on the evidence they presented and the events we all experienced, should be convicted and prohibited for holding office ever again for inciting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. prgtoken Through video, pictures, and quotes, they outlined how the President of the United States engaged in a months-long campaign to discredit the legitimate election results of the 2020 election--a deranged campaign that began before a single vote was cast. prgtoken This unprecedented campaign of misinformation, pushing the ``Big Lie,'' infected a significant contingent of the President's supporters. They came to Washington, DC, at 's invitation and inciteful rhetoric. They followed his direction on January 6 to storm the Capitol and tried to stop us from carrying out our constitutional duty to certify the election for the lawful winner of the Presidential election, . prgtoken The evidence presented by the managers is solid and irrefutable, and the President's lawyers made almost no effort to try. Given the jury they were facing, I don't blame them. Almost every Senator in this Chamber was there that day. Senators Ossoff, Warnock, and Padilla weren't sworn in until January 20. We all experienced the unthinkable that day, and we are all processing it differently. The violent insurrection shook many of us to the core. For some of us, the events of that day were so chaotic that the full magnitude of what was happening wasn't clear at the time. prgtoken Both as part of the trial evidence and through interviews and statements, we have learned more fully the measure of danger we faced as 's murderous mob assaulted the Capitol campus. The managers' case and other media has given us all a better picture of the terror. prgtoken There are stories of bravery, like that of Officer Eugene Goodman and his U.S. Capitol Police colleagues. prgtoken The footage of Officer Goodman misdirecting the mob marauding through these halls is remarkable. Put yourself in his shoes. How many of us would have acted as quickly in the face of a rushing wave of hate? He has rightly been commended for his decisive, nearly superhuman response. All across the complex, his colleagues battled with insurrectionists who assaulted them with bats, bear spray, and other weapons in close quarters--these were scenes from a war zone, not the heart of the U.S. Government. While their bravery is commendable, Capitol Police and the other law enforcement agencies that eventually assisted to restore order should never have been in that position. But for the President of the United States sending a mob of violent insurrectionists to the Capitol, they would not have. prgtoken There are other chilling stories that should make every American's heart race. The audio of the 's staff barricaded in their
IN RECOGNITION OF THE VICTIMS OF THE BAKU AND SUMGAIT POGROMS AND THE 2020 AZERBAIJANI ATTACKS ON ARTSAKH
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-3-1

. Madam , I rise today to commemorate the 33rd Anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom and the 31st Anniversary of the Baku pogrom. prgtoken On February 27, 1988, hundreds of Armenian civilians living in the city of Sumgait in Azerbaijan were indiscriminately killed, raped, maimed, and even burned alive because of their ethnicity. Hostile, anti-Armenian rhetoric from Azerbaijani citizens and officials instigated this tragedy. prgtoken Similarly, on January 12, 1990, a seven-day pogrom broke out against the Armenian population in Baku during which Armenians were beaten, murdered, and expelled from the city. Over 90 Armenian civilians were killed, over 700 were injured, and countless others were permanently displaced by the ethnic violence that ensued. prgtoken For over three decades, Azerbaijan has taken steps to cover up these crimes against humanity and dismiss the atrocities at Sumgait and Baku. Even more disturbing, the Azeri government lauded the perpetrators of this event and similar violent attacks. prgtoken Tragically, the Azerbaijani government's approach toward Armenians has changed little since the Sumgait and Baku pogroms. We saw similar rhetoric right before Azerbaijan's attacks on Artsakh last fall. Azeri forces, Turkish drones, and Turkish-backed mercenaries conducted an indiscriminate bombing campaign against large population centers that killed thousands of Armenians and displaced tens of thousands more civilians. It also included appalling war crimes against Armenians at the hands of Azerbaijani forces and foreign mercenaries that included beheadings, torture, and other abhorrent acts of violence prgtoken I continue to stand with the Armenian people in condemning the horrific pogroms and in mourning the loss of those who were senselessly killed in the recent Artsakh attacks. It is critical for the United States to recognize and denounce violent assaults against any civilians. If we do not condemn or punish crimes against humanity and ethnic violence, we become passive bystanders, failing to live up to the lessons of the 20th Century and the rights of all human to live free from violence and persecution based on race, ethnicity, or religion. These lessons are especially important as we prepare to commemorate the 106th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in April. prgtoken I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus to honor the victims of the Baku and Sumgait pogroms and the recent victims of Azerbaijani aggressions in Artsakh. I will continue to condemn all acts of violence against people who are targeted simply because of who they are. I hope my colleagues will join me in rejecting violent rhetoric and intimidation. In doing so, we renew our commitment to achieving a lasting peace in the Caucasus.
REPLANT ACT IS PRACTICAL LEGISLATION
Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-3-1

. Madam , what I am about to show you are the examples of the cycle of destruction from the climate crisis in my home district on the central coast of California. prgtoken Last year, my district was victim to a brutal wildfire season in which almost 650,000 acres were burned. What was left behind in many of those areas is called a burn scar, ground that has crusted and is hard for water to penetrate. As a result, when it rains, it leads to floods, mudslides, and devastation, including this damage to Highway 1 in Big Sur, in which water and debris flowed down the hills, blocked the culverts, then flowed up over Highway 1, and took out the road from that side. prgtoken Now, we know we have a lot of work to do when it comes to reducing our carbon output. In the meantime, we can stop this type of damage with reforestation of burn scar areas. prgtoken That is why I will reintroduce the REPLANT Act, to fund those types of projects, and I plan to work on bipartisan legislation to help manage forests to prevent fires and not just suppress them. It is that type of reasonable and practical legislation that is the foundation for how we in Congress can protect our communities and prevent the effects of the climate crisis.
Raising the Minimum Wage (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-3-1

back in 2017, before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19, our colleagues could hardly vote fast enough for a $1.9 trillion tax bill. Most of the benefits of that bill went to the wealthiest people in America--$1.9 trillion in tax cuts, most of it to the ultrawealthy and large corporations. And of course there was little talk about the deficit and the debt when that was going on. prgtoken Now we are in the midst of a pandemic, and COVID-19 has killed more than half a million Americans. Americans are hurting. Our economy is hurting. Millions are unemployed. And our friends across the aisle are asking how little we can get away with doing at this moment in time. They want to know how much we can cut from President Joseph 's American Rescue Plan. Can we cut money to open schools? Can't we just wait? Let's just wait and see what happens. That is their question. How about cutting funds to help keep families from losing their homes? How about cutting the funds for vaccination sites? How low can we go? prgtoken One point nine trillion dollars in tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires--no problem. A President who denies the truth about a pandemic as it rages across America--no problem. But when Americans elect a new President with a mandate and a plan to finally break the back of this pandemic, get our economy back on its feet, get our kids back in schools, and actually help American families, suddenly a lot of folks on the other side of the aisle have lost interest. prgtoken Do you remember last year? I do. We discovered this COVID-19 and started to worry about it, as we should. In March of last year, we passed a bill that cost almost $2 trillion--the largest spending bill in the history of the United States--under President , and it got 96 votes in the Senate--96 votes. Every and every Senator who voted, voted for it, and I was one of them. Did I stop and say: Wait a minute; President may get credit for this. No. We had an American crisis, a challenge, and we needed to respond to it. prgtoken And then what happened in December of last year, while President was still in office? The second COVID-19 rescue plan came through, some $900 billion. I was one of those who were part of drawing it up, and I voted for it, no questions asked. We were still in the midst of a pandemic. The economy was flat on its back. I didn't care that was still President; there was work to be done for America. Ninety-two Senators voted for that; 96 in March, 92 in December under President . prgtoken Well, how many Senators are now stepping up to help us with the American Rescue Plan that President has proposed? I am still waiting. None so far. Now it has become a partisan exercise to talk about dealing with the real pandemic and economic crisis of this country. prgtoken What is going on in this Chamber? Have we decided now, since we have a
INTRODUCTION OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION REAL ESTATE LEASING AUTHORITY REVOCATION ACT
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2021-3-1

. Madam , today, I introduce the Securities and Exchange Commission Real Estate Leasing Authority Revocation Act, which would revoke the real estate leasing authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Since the SEC was granted leasing authority in 1990, before I came to Congress, the SEC has consistently stumbled through leasing mistakes at great expense to taxpayers. It is time for Congress to end this fiasco and return the leasing authority to the General Services Administration (GSA), the federal government's real estate arm, like other federal agencies. prgtoken When Congress exempted the SEC from GSA regulations and directives in 1990, it expressed its clear intent that ``the authority granted to the Commission to lease its own office space directly will be exercised vigorously by the Commission to achieve actual cost savings and to increase the Commission's productivity and efficiency.'' (H.R. Conf. Rep. 101-924.) Over the past 30 years, none of that has come to fruition. prgtoken The SEC did not even establish a Leasing Branch until April 2009, and did not put into place any leasing policies or procedures until August 2010. Before that, in May 2005, the SEC disclosed that it had identified unbudgeted costs of approximately $48 million attributable to misestimates and omissions of costs associated with the construction of its headquarters near Union Station. In 2007, after moving into its headquarters, the SEC shuffled its employees to different office spaces at a cost of over $3 million without any cost-benefit analysis or justifiable rationale. prgtoken In the summer of 2010, the SEC's Office of Administrative Services (OAS) conducted a deeply flawed and unsound analysis to justify the need for the SEC to lease 900,000 square feet of space at Constitution Center and to commit over $500 million over 10 years, overestimating the amount of space needed by over 300 percent. In addition to this gross overestimation of space, OAS failed to provide complete and accurate information and prepared a faulty and backdated Justification and Approval after it had already signed the lease. prgtoken As a former chair and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, I was deeply involved in oversight of the SEC's real estate activities in the District of Columbia after the agency engaged in this improper sole- source procurement of nearly one million square feet of leased space. We held two hearings on this subject in 2011. At the first hearing, titled ``The Security and Exchange Commission's $500 Million Fleecing of America,'' SEC Inspector General H. David Kotz testified that employees ignored the SEC chair's explicit instructions and engaged in possible criminal violations in a sole-source procurement. He also supported stripping the SEC of leasing authority if the SEC did not undertake major reforms. I agreed with Inspector General Kotz's
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1, FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2021; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1280, GEORGE FLOYD JUSTICE IN POLICING ACT OF 2021; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Zoe Lofgren (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-3-1

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Our democracy is in urgent need of repair. The American people deserve a transparent, inclusive, and healthy democracy, and H.R. 1 will get us there. prgtoken It is transformational, a once-in-a-generation, pro-democracy, anticorruption reform package. It is composed of comprehensive policies for eliminating structural and legal barriers to voting, ending the dominance of big money in our campaign finance reforms, and implementing real government ethics and accountability reforms. prgtoken With this landmark bill, we take a giant leap toward ensuring our Republic is an authentic and inclusive representative democracy, and ensuring the voices of everyday Americans are no longer drowned out by those of wealthy special interests. prgtoken Article I, Section 4 says this: ``The times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations.'' prgtoken , that is what we are doing here. As the gentleman has said, we had a huge turnout in the 2020 election, despite efforts by some to suppress turnout. Now, we see legislatures all over the country trying to put barriers in place so the American people will not be able to exercise their franchise. That is simply wrong. We should look to our constitutional obligation to make sure that every American has the capacity to vote.
Nomination of Miguel A. Cardona (Executive Session)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-3-1

I couldn't be prouder to stand in the Senate Chamber today and speak on behalf of Miguel Cardona, shortly to be confirmed by this body as the next Secretary of Education. prgtoken Miguel Cardona is a man of deep commitment to his community and, with pride, a product of the Connecticut education system. I couldn't be prouder to support him because President couldn't have made a better choice to be the next Secretary of Education. prgtoken Miguel Cardona's story is inspiring and compelling, a testament to the extraordinary support he has enjoyed from his parents, from the community of Puerto Rico, who lived in Meriden, the support he enjoyed from the public schools and institutions of higher education in Connecticut. His powerful and compelling story should be inspiring to all America because he has lived the American dream. And for anyone whose language may be something other than English as their first language, he has shown that people coming to our public schools, with English as their second language, should see no bounds to what they can accomplish. prgtoken He came to the public schools of Meriden as a second-language learner of English. He was raised in Meriden by Puerto Rican parents. He found an early passion for education. And his skill and dedication went beyond his own life. He did extraordinarily well and attended two Connecticut institutions of higher education--Central Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut--eventually earning his doctorate in education. But he went back to Meriden. He dedicated his life to the education of others, beginning as a fourth grade teacher in Meriden and then becoming principal--the youngest in the State--and eventually assistant superintendent before just about a year ago being appointed as commissioner of education in the State of Connecticut. prgtoken His climbing looks meteoric and miraculous, but it was based on hard work and a dedication and passion to education for others, because he saw it in his own life and how it enabled him to live the American dream. prgtoken For all of his accomplishments and that meteoric rise, he has remained deeply rooted in the Meriden community, deeply committed to his roots in Puerto Rico, and deeply committed to his family. His parents, who should be so proud of him, are an inspiration to all of us who know them and who have seen their work in Meriden continue. Even as he has climbed the professional ladder, they have remained rooted and active and energetic in benefiting others in Meriden. prgtoken So to his parents, I say thank you for sharing with us Miguel. To his family, thank you for supporting him throughout his enormous journey and adventure. prgtoken His extraordinary accomplishments have led him to this place of consummate prominence in the educational professional community, and now he will do great things for the cause of education in our country, not just Connecticut. prgtoken
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-3-1

I rise today in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the electronic numerical integrator and computer. This anniversary, formally known as ENIAC Day, marks the 1946 dedication at the University of Pennsylvania of the first all- electronic, programmable computer. prgtoken Invented by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert of the University's Moore School of Electrical Engineering, construction of the computer began in July 1943. After several years of tireless work, Mauchly and Eckert produced a 27-ton computer that occupied 1,800 square feet of floor space and could complete complex calculations near instantaneously. Also due credit are the original programmers of ENIAC, Kathleen McNulty Mauchly Antonelli, Jean Jennings Bartik, Frances Betty Snyder Holberton, Marlyn Wescoff Meltzer, Frances Bilas Spence, and Ruth Lichterman Teitelbaum, without whom the operation of the machine would not be possible. After ENIAC, Mauchly and Eckert continued to be industry pioneers and went on to invent UNIVAC, the first commercial computer. Today's Unisys Corporation, which I am proud to note is headquartered in Blue Bell, PA, traces a momentous part of its origins back to J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly and their early inventions. prgtoken As we mark this 75th anniversary, we marvel at the impact of ENIAC and how far computers have come. While ENIAC was originally intended as a tool to further our national defense, we have come to rely on later iterations of the computer in all aspects of life. Computers enable us to be more efficient, more connected and have transformed the world we live in. I look forward to what the world looks like when we celebrate the 100th anniversary of ENIAC Day in 2046.
Federal Funding (Executive Calendar)
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-3-1

from the streets of Portland and Seattle to right here in our Nation's Capital, lawlessness has ensued all too often across our Nation over the past year. I have consistently called it what it is--anarchy. And, folks, we need to be absolutely clear on this: Anarchy cannot be tolerated in our Nation. prgtoken The mayhem that we have seen over the last year has put our families, our communities, and our law enforcement in danger, and tragically it has led to death and destruction. prgtoken In what will probably come as no shock to the American people, a nonpartisan watchdog organization found that the Federal Government has spent more than $14 billion of our taxpayer money, our hard-earned dollars, on Federal contracts and grants in five major cities where civil unrest, also known as anarchy, goes unchecked and police are unable to do their jobs--14 prgtoken billion with a ``b'' dollars paid to local leaders and city officials who are failing to do their jobs. prgtoken Let's keep talking about these dollar figures, folks. According to recent reports by local media in Oregon, leftwing protests in Portland have caused roughly $2.3 million in damage to Federal buildings since they broke out last summer. The near-nightly standoffs with police involved graffiti, broken windows, firecrackers, as well as Molotov cocktails. According to one U.S. attorney in Oregon, cleanup at the courthouse and four other government buildings has cost more than $2 million, and that number could keep going up because the repairs are ongoing. prgtoken Last year, I pushed for a review of any Federal funding that was going to the cities and States that were allowing anarchy to run rampant. It was a simple ask: Scrutinize any future Federal funding that might flow into these lawless jurisdictions. prgtoken Specifically, I asked the Office of Management and Budget to look into and report to the American people the amount of taxpayer dollars local officials used to either sustain these autonomous zones or the amount needed to repair the damage done during the chaos. Thankfully, last year, the Federal Government began to do just that, but, folks, just last week, President reversed this effort, and I would like to know why. prgtoken I agree with our new President that peaceful protests are a cornerstone of our democracy, but smashing windows is not protesting and neither is looting. Burning small businesses that are the modest nest eggs of hard-working Americans and actions like those are totally unacceptable. I don't think there is anyone in the Senate who would disagree. So why, then, is President reversing course and preventing this review from going forward to simply examine the funds that are going to the very places where lawlessness continues to be unanswered? prgtoken Too often over the last year, local leaders have prevented law enforcement and emergency responders from being allowed to carry out their jobs and
A BILL FOR POLITICIANS, NOT PEOPLE
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-3-1

. Madam , the top priority bill of the House of Representatives this year for the seems to be H.R. 1, known as the For the People Act. prgtoken What people is this going to benefit? For the politicians act, you might call it. It helps politicians and hacks like The Lincoln Project, not the people. prgtoken For example, if this bill passes, a political candidate raising approximately $800,000 in their campaign under certain guidelines could have the Federal Government match funds up to $6 million that could be used for anything put into campaign--$6 million of your Federal dollars going into a single congressional race under the right conditions. prgtoken These formulas are geared to ratchet up from the previous election cycle. As we know, campaigns get more expensive each time; so does the match. prgtoken Also, under this bill, the Federal Government would hand out $25 vouchers to every voter in three chosen States to donate to candidates. How much will that cost just to administer a program like that? We know the Federal Government doesn't do that cheaply, maybe $25 per check to give each $25 contribution. prgtoken If you hand a bureaucrat a hammer, they will see everything as a nail. The new system fines more people in order to raise funds for this campaign giveaway. The fines will go up, and businesses will be hurt, all in order to provide something not for the people.