mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-3-24

Member after Member has come down tonight to speak, and the conversation, as we all have come down here, was to come do something that I think is extraordinarily poignant. prgtoken This is the floor where policy is debated and where ideas of governance are discussed. It is a deliberative body, but we are in a democracy, and we represent people. So, tonight, the idea was that we would come down here and talk about people, but the pain is that they are not alive; that we would discuss the deceased, the dead, the murdered, the killed. prgtoken I believe that if America has not broken your heart, then you don't love her enough. Name after name tonight has been spoken by colleague after colleague, and, dear God, every single name is a son or daughter. It is a brother or sister. It is a family member. They are a person, part of a community, and they are dead. prgtoken But this is not just any limited list. It seems to grow like a cancer on the soul of our country. You take my age, 51 years old. Well, in just the time of my life, the death in our country has been something like has never before been seen in even a country at war because the people who have died, the human beings who have been lost, the family members who have been slain, their total number, in just my lifetime, add up to more than all of the Americans who have died in every single war from the Revolution to our current wars in the Middle East. prgtoken So my friends and my colleagues have read name after name after name, but the painful, heartbreaking reality is we could have taken hour after hour over days after days to name the total who have died in my lifetime. And the heartbreaking stories have to stagger you when you hear the testimony. On March 1, Kaiden Alex Peak, who was 4 years old, and his brother, Mayson Paul Peak, who was 3 years old, were gunned down, killed in Warsaw, MO. Jennifer Garcia, 21 years of age, and Charlie Borbon Lopez, 20 years, both killed in Portland, OR. Say their names. Say their names. Say their names. prgtoken Cobe Hilliard, 19, killed in Temple, TX. April Williams, 21, and her mom Tammy Briggs, 46, killed in Augusta, GA. Say their names. Say their names. prgtoken Christine Ruffin, age 61, was killed with a gun in Palm City, FL. Delquan Daniels, 23 years old, was killed with a gun in Rochester, NY. Say their names. Say their names. prgtoken Gerson Aleman Velasquez, 19, was killed with a gun in Myrtle Beach, SC. Lionel Darling, age 39, and Rayneesha Dotson, age 30, were both killed with guns--killed with guns. Say their name. Say their name. prgtoken Maritza Remijio Paniagua, age 20, was killed with a gun in Los Angeles. Merlyn McCallister, age 51, was killed with a gun in Chicago. Mishealia Marie Meredith, age 19, was killed with a gun in Eldorado, IL. Victor Brooks, age 20, was killed with a gun in Phoenix, AZ. Ronald Jeffery Laroy Jones, Jr age 25, was killed with a gun in Columbus, OH. Say their names
Opioid Epidemic (Executive Session)
Ben Ray Luján (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2021-3-24

there is not a single ic Senator in this body who believes that someone who commits a violent crime should not feel the full weight of the U.S. judicial system for their crimes. I hope my friend from Texas would agree with that. I don't think there is a Member in this body--ic, , Independent, the staff--not a one. I think the same holds true for our colleagues who work just down the corridor from us in the U.S. House of Representatives. prgtoken Now, we must do everything in our power to make certain that those engaged in violent crimes face prosecution and feel the full weight of the law. That is not just bipartisan; that is the right thing to do. prgtoken Where I disagree with my colleague is the assertion that immigrants are inherently criminal. They are not. They are people whom our kids go to school with, whom we work with, who grow our food in America, who work to prepare that food or even stock the shelves, teach in classrooms, serve in the U.S. military defending our freedoms in the United States of America. prgtoken So to my friend from Texas, this seems to be a continuance of the harmful proposals from the administration. I certainly think that many of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle in the U.S. Senate also disagree with the hateful pronouncements from Steve Miller. This feels like a continuance of that, to strike fear in Americans and to breed distrust in immigrants. prgtoken Now, I agree with my colleague that we have to work together to stop that false narrative. This false narrative must stop because it is not contributing to fixing the broken immigration system we have in the United States. prgtoken I agree with my colleague that we should come together and work in a bipartisan way to learn from one another. I am new to this Chamber, but I am not new to these challenges. prgtoken I certainly hope that my colleagues who are traveling to the border-- and I commend them for doing so because this is an important conversation we should be having. I hope they travel to Matamoros. I don't know if my colleague from Texas has done that. I did. prgtoken I traveled down there with a group of colleagues. We had a chance to visit with the Border Patrol in El Paso. We had a chance to visit with Border Patrol in Antelope Wells in New Mexico and Lordsburg in New Mexico. We have had the honor of traveling down into the Rio Grande Valley, down to Brownsville. We had a chance to visit with folks on the frontlines, not just wearing the green uniform of our Border Patrol and those working with the Department of Homeland Security but those who are also providing humanitarian relief. prgtoken Those camps in Matamoros that I went to, they still exist. And one of the questions that needs to be asked is, What are these kids going through? What are they thinking about to travel thousands of miles because of the concerns that they have for their own health and wel
GUN VIOLENCE
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-3-24

a week ago the Nation reeled in horror as a deranged gunman shot and killed eight people at three different locations across the Atlanta area. Six of them were Asian-American women. prgtoken Just 6 days later, another shooting. Ten people were shot and killed by a gunman who entered a grocery store in Boulder, CO. Some were customers, some were employees. One was as young as 20, and one was as old as 65. prgtoken One of the victims was merely walking through the parking lot after fixing the coffee machines at the nearby Starbucks, the son of Serbian refugees and the shining hope of his family. prgtoken One of the fallen was a local police officer, Eric Talley, an 11-year veteran of Boulder Police and a father of seven. You look at each of their faces--young, wise, older. You ache. Gone. You think of their families whom you don't know. They never will see them again, taken so cruelly and so quickly. prgtoken Today, flags around the Capitol will remain at half-staff in honor of the victims, and we all grieve with their families. We also grieve with the community of Boulder and the people of Colorado. And we grieve with the people of Georgia and all people across the United States whose lives have been prgtoken forever marred by the plague of gun violence. prgtoken COVID-19 is not the only epidemic claiming innocent lives in America. Last year alone, 20,000 Americans were killed by gun violence, the highest number in almost two decades. Most of these incidents never reached the headlines, but we cannot allow ourselves to become numb to their devastation. After one of the most difficult years in American history, we all want our lives and our country to return to normal. But not this normal--oh, no, not the normal that accepts everyday gun violence as a matter of course, an incidental risk to living in these United States of America. We cannot, we must not accept that as normal. We must not shrink from our moral obligation to act. prgtoken Two years ago, the leader, then in the majority, promised that this Chamber would have a real debate on gun violence in this country. It never happened. Even the former President made some noises about supporting commonsense gun safety measures before quickly retreating, the result, once again, of bitter, reflexive opposition by the NRA to any progress and fear among so many s of what the NRA might do to them if they spoke truth to power. prgtoken Well, now we don't have a majority. We have a ic one. This time is going to be different. A ic majority in the Senate is going to act. I have committed to put legislation to expand background checks on the floor of the Senate. We will debate it. We will vote on it. prgtoken Just yesterday, my colleague Senator Durbin led the Judiciary Committee in hearing from scores of witnesses about proposals to reduce gun violence that the Senate might take up. prgtoken I have started the pr
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-3-24

. Finally, I would ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m Thursday, March 25; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 11, H.R. 1799, as provided under the previous order; finally, that the votes scheduled for 11 a.m. begin at 10:45 a.m.
Opioid Epidemic (Executive Session)
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-3-24

, I share my colleague's desire to prevent child trafficking. Trust me, as a parent, I know it is a laudable goal. But as drafted--as drafted--this bill would create enormous and instant chaos at airports around the country and every other port of entry. prgtoken As written, it would require every foreign family who seeks admission to the United States, even just for a family vacation, to have a third party witness a test to their affiliation or else submit to a DNA test. I can't imagine any of our airports have the resources to implement this. It would simply lead to the same chaos we saw after the implementation of President 's Muslim ban, or worse, it would overwhelm our law enforcement officials and create bottlenecks at customs for citizens and noncitizens alike, not to mention the many legal and ethical questions as it pertains to genetic privacy and the storage of that information. prgtoken I would be more than happy to sit down with my colleague from Tennessee in the context of a larger discussion about immigration reform to see how we can ensure that we include provisions to prevent child trafficking, but I don't think this bill as drafted will actually accomplish that goal, and so I object.
Opioid Epidemic (Executive Session)
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-3-24

I rise today to bring attention to the serious humanitarian crisis at our southern border. Right now, as we speak, thousands of children have entered the United States illegally and sit in crowded detention centers wrapped up in emergency blankets, hundreds, even thousands, of miles away from home. They are without their families and without their parents. Many of them have been trafficked and have been physically and sexually abused along the way. prgtoken U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that just last month alone, 29,792 unaccompanied children came across our border, including 2,942 children under the age of 12. All of these children came here without their parents, and they have come here in large numbers because they know that President is promising them amnesty. prgtoken The illegal immigrants coming across our southern border right now are not just children. President 's Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, has said: ``We are on pace to encounter more individuals on the southwest border than we have in the last 20 years.'' prgtoken In February, more than 100,000 illegal immigrants came across our southern prgtoken border, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is 3 times the number of illegal immigrants who came through the southern border in February of 2019, and it is almost 6 times the number of illegal immigrants who came through our southern border in February of 2018. prgtoken The administration refuses to call this a crisis, but that is what it is. We have a humanitarian crisis, and we also have a security crisis. prgtoken Of the over 100,000 illegal immigrants who came here in February, 71 percent of them are single adults, according to the Pew Research Center. prgtoken The administration's policy has been to welcome these illegal immigrants and to halt or slow deportations as much as possible. When became President, he immediately halted construction of the border wall. He ended the ``Remain in Mexico'' policy, an incredible foreign policy victory President negotiated with Mexico, which stipulated that illegal immigrants from Central America crossing illegally through Mexico to seek asylum in the United States would stay in Mexico during the pendency of their proceedings. President ended that, ripping apart that international agreement, and, instead, he reinstated the failed policy of catch-and-release. prgtoken So now when we apprehend illegal immigrants, we let them go, including illegal immigrants who are criminals and who are convicted criminals guilty of violent crimes. President 's political decisions have produced a crisis and a crisis that is growing. prgtoken What the administration has made clear in the last 2 months is that their priority is illegal immigrants and not American citizens. That is why, in just a moment, I am going to propound a unanimous consent request th
Equal Rights Amendment (Executive Session)
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-3-24

it has become all too easy for pundits and politicians to reduce the security of our borders to a bumper sticker or billboard slogan. prgtoken As someone who appreciates the value of human life, as a survivor of sexual assault, and someone who cares deeply about the safety and security of women and children across the globe, I am horrified that we continue to put border security at the bottom of our policy to-do list. prgtoken On January 31, 2016--the same day as her college graduation--Iowan Sarah Root was killed by an illegal immigrant named Edwin Mejia. He was drag racing, with a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit. prgtoken Despite repeated requests by local law enforcement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement failed to detain Mejia because of a catch-and- release policy that ultimately allowed him to escape the country. Unfortunately, this is the same policy that President supported during the administration. prgtoken Still, more than 4 years later, Mejia remains a fugitive, denying Sarah's loved ones any sense of justice or closure. After today, I will have now live UC'd this bill twice, and I expect the same thing to happen today as did last time; that it will be objected to by my ic colleagues. prgtoken As a mother, I cannot fathom the grief that Sarah's family, her mother and father Michelle and Scott, her brother, and her friends continue to feel after such a devastating loss. prgtoken Sarah had her whole future in front of her, but her opportunity to make her mark on the world was tragically cut short. At the same time, while Sarah Root's mother and father grieve, a child, without a parent, continues to make the perilous journey at the hands of a smuggler. Many arrive here dehydrated and malnourished and subject to unspeakable atrocities, from rape to assaults. prgtoken Since Inauguration Day, we have seen record numbers of children at the border, a heartbreaking humanitarian crisis. Before then, the Migrant Protection Protocols, or the ``Remain in Mexico'' policy, was in place and helped keep migrants safely in Mexico until the United States had a chance to process them. prgtoken This policy singlehandedly reduced the need for bed space in the United States, protected migrants from that treacherous journey through Mexico, and kept our facilities from being dangerously overcrowded. Border Patrol agents were able to return to their originally assigned duties of patrolling for drugs and human traffickers. prgtoken But as we have heard time and again, and something that is very true, elections have consequences. President , before he even had the chance to unpack, made serious changes to immigration policies--changes that have resulted in the national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. prgtoken First, he rolled back the ``Remain in Mexico'' policy, and that is a big reason why we have a crisis at the border today. Instead of keeping migrants in M
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-3-24

on another subject, over the years, the consolidation of the beef industry has threatened the livelihood of Iowa farm families and rural communities where they reside, and it isn't limited to just Iowa. This would be farmers all over the country. prgtoken I have been working since 2002 to increase the producers' leverage against processors, improve market price discovery, and better situate independent Iowa cattlemen in the fed cattle markets. prgtoken This past year, these issues became even more apparent and urgent because of the COVID pandemic. While the cattle industry has internally looked for ways to increase the amount of cash trade, it has not been able to find a solution. prgtoken Unfortunately, this means that government intervention is needed as it is past time for a solution. The government needs to step in to guarantee that the free market treats cattlemen fairly. prgtoken From the 2012 USDA ``Agriculture Census'' to the 2017 ``Agriculture Census,'' Iowa lost nearly 1,500 cattle producers. While we don't have USDA statistics from the past 2 years, the release of the 2022 USDA ``Agriculture Census'' will likely see an even more dramatic loss of producers because of the pandemic. I know this because of my many conversations I have with independent cattle producers from nearly every county in Iowa. prgtoken During my meetings in all 99 Iowa counties, cattle market transparency and my bill introduced last Congress with Senator Tester, mandating 50 percent of negotiated cash trade in the cattle markets, is one of the most mentioned topics at those county meetings. The aid that Congress offered via the USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provided over $7 billion in assistance to cattle producers so far. prgtoken However, this assistance is merely a bandaid covering a gaping wound. Congress must step up again and, instead of providing payments to producers, make sure that producers have access to fair and transparent markets. From the Holcomb, KS, fire at a Tyson's facility to the widely reported closures of processing plants due to the coronavirus outbreaks, we continue to see a wide disparity between the cash price of fed cattle and the price of boxed beef, which, in turn, affects consumer costs. prgtoken Normally, the packer spread between the price of live cattle and boxed beef is about $21 per hundredweight, but USDA's report on the coronavirus shutdowns showed that, last May, this spread was $279, as opposed to that usual $21 per hundredweight, the highest since reporting began 20 years ago. prgtoken It is just part of a pattern that has evolved during my time in the Senate. That pattern is that farmers are getting a smaller amount of the overall dollar for their food production. prgtoken I appreciate the leadership from Secretary Perdue in issuing their USDA report last August. That report helps the cause for the Grassley- Tester legislation. Beyond just highlighting problems, Perdue
FILIBUSTER
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2021-3-24

I rise today to speak at some length, if time will permit me, about the same subject my friend from Washington State so eloquently addressed. My colleagues know that although when I speak, I sometimes get very passionate, I have not very often, in past years, risen to the floor for any extended period of time. I do that today because so much is at stake. prgtoken For over 200 years, the Senate has embodied the brilliance of our Founding Fathers in creating an intricate system of checks and balances among the three branches of Government. This system has served two critical purposes, both allowing the Senate to act as an independent, restraining force on the excesses of the executive branch, and protecting minority rights within the Senate itself. The Framers used this dual system of checks and balances to underscore the independent nature of the Senate and its members. prgtoken The Framers sought not to ensure simple majority rule, but to allow minority views--whether they are conservative, liberal, or moderate--to have an enduring role in the Senate in order to check the excesses of the majority. This system is now being tested in the extreme. prgtoken I believe the proposed course of action we are hearing about these days is one that has the potential to do more damage to this system than anything that has occurred since I have become a Senator. prgtoken History will judge us harshly, in my view, if we eliminate over 200 years of precedent and procedure in this body and, I might add, doing it by breaking a second rule of the Senate, and that is changing the rules of the Senate by a mere majority vote. prgtoken When examining the Senate's proper role in our system of Government generally and in the process of judicial nominations specifically, we should begin, in my view, but not end with our Founding Fathers. As any grade school student knows, our Government is one that was infused by the Framers with checks and balances. prgtoken I should have said at the outset that I owe special thanks--and I will list them--to a group of constitutional scholars and law professors in some of our great universities and law schools for editing this speech for me and for helping me write this speech because I think it may be one of the most important speeches for historical purposes that I will have given in the 32 years since I have been in the Senate. prgtoken When examining the Senate's proper role in our system of Government and in the process of judicial nominations, as I said, we have to look at what our Founders thought about when they talked about checks and balances. prgtoken The theoretical underpinning of this system can be found in Federalist 51 where the architect of our Constitution, James Madison, advanced his famous theory that the Constitution set up a system in which ``ambition must be made to counteract ambition.'' ``Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.'' As Madison notes, this is be