mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
POSTAL SERVICE REFORM ACT OF 2022--Motion to Proceed--Continued
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2022-3-1

Russia continues to engage in ruthless and unprovoked attacks against the democratic and independent nation of Ukraine. I strongly condemn Russia's dangerous aggression against the people of Ukraine. Putin is responsible for the death and destruction in his wake, and he must be held accountable. prgtoken The one sledgehammer that we can use against Putin is American energy resources. Reducing the amount of Russian energy going to Europe would hurt Russia's economy. The oil and gas revenues made up about 36 percent of Russia's national budget last year. In 2021, Russia sold $100 billion worth of oil and natural gas to Europe. prgtoken Russia is Europe's main supplier of energy. The European Union received over 40 percent of its gas imports from Russia. Russia also has significant ownership in Europe's energy infrastructure, including pipelines, distribution centers, and storage facilities. prgtoken With natural gas prices increasing and oil surpassing $100 a barrel, more of our allies' money will be lining the pockets of Vladimir Putin. Due to high energy costs, Russian oil and gas revenues exceed initial plans by 5 percent this past year, totaling $119 billion. In 2021, revenues from Russian oil and gas were almost $500 million each and every day. It is a windfall for Vladimir Putin. As a result, the amount of Russian energy going to Europe is a major problem. prgtoken We must help our allies escape Russia's energy trap. American energy resources can allow Europeans to meet their energy needs and deprive Russia of the revenue it uses to fund its military aggression. Due to technological advances and an abundance of natural gas, the United States can be a strategic energy supplier to Europe. Our Nation has more than enough gas to meet America's needs and to export to other countries. We must speed up the process of getting American liquefied natural gas to our allies. prgtoken That is why I introduced S. 819, the Energy Security Cooperation with Allied Partners in Europe Act, commonly known as the ESCAPE Act. It currently has 23 sponsors. The bill, as amended, does three things: It deems it in the public interest to export U.S. liquefied natural gas to NATO countries and defense allies. It creates a transatlantic energy security strategy focused on increasing American energy exports directly to Europe. And it directs our NATO representative to help our allies and partners improve that energy security. prgtoken So, , I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 819 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I further ask that the Barrasso amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3967, HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-3-1

I thank my friend from Pennsylvania for yielding. First of all, opposing the previous question, the bill that is going to be coming up later is a very partisan bill. We could actually bring up the Senate bill for our veterans that passed the Senate unanimously. Imagine in these times when a bill passed the Senate unanimously, and in the majority won't even bring that bill up, which clearly is the way to help our veterans. prgtoken But there is something more important that we can do today, dealing with the crisis in Ukraine. There are many crises in America, but in Ukraine Putin is running roughshod over the people of Ukraine, carpet bombing cities. One of the ways he is fueling his war is with oil that America and other countries are buying because President took American energy off the table. prgtoken There are very specific things President does that if we reject this previous question, we can turn around and bring up this legislation by my colleagues, the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), that actually open up American energy and take leverage away from Putin and also take billions of dollars away from Putin that he is using to finance the war. prgtoken Let's talk about a few of those very specific things we can do with rejecting the previous question to bring up this important energy legislation. When President came in office, he did a number of very specific things to undermine American energy. Not energy all over the world. He is begging OPEC and Russia to produce more oil. Think how tone deaf that is, begging Russia to produce more oil. Let's open up our American energy reserves that President shut off. Let's approve LNG exports so we can help Europe get energy from America, not from Russia. President hasn't approved a single LNG facility in over a year or pipeline. Let's get rid of the red tape that they are using. Do you know that Russia right now is making $700 million a day by selling oil to America, EU, and U.K.? $700 million a day to fund his war against Ukraine. Let's end it by opening up American energy reserves. Reverse all these radical policies by President that are emboldening Putin. Let's reject this.
SUPPORTING REOPENING THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL BUILDING AND SENATE OFFICE BUILDINGS TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Bill Hagerty (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-3-1

I am glad that the Senate has agreed to my resolution to reopen the Capitol, and I urge the House of Representatives to pass a very similar resolution that was introduced in that body so that all parts of the Capitol Complex are open to the American people. prgtoken I also stand ready to work with my colleagues and with the Capitol Police to implement this resolution so that we can welcome the American people back into their Capitol as soon as possible. prgtoken .
VOTE EXPLANATION
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-3-1

had there been a recorded vote, I would have voted no on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 693, John F. Plumb, of New York, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense. prgtoken , had there been a recorded vote, I would have voted no on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 694, Melissa Griffin Dalton, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.
RECOGNIZING MR. FERNANDO ALANIZ
David G. Valadao (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-3-1

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Fernando Alaniz, a father, husband, teacher, coach, and friend who unexpectedly passed away just a few weeks ago. prgtoken An immigrant from Guadalajara, Mexico, Mr. Alaniz came to the Central Valley when he was just 5 years old, settling in Wasco. He graduated from Wasco High School in 1991, where he excelled in both football and basketball, and helped lead his team to a Valley Championship. prgtoken After receiving a scholarship to play football at McPherson College, Fernando and his wife, Christine, moved back to the Central Valley of California to begin a family. After spending time working at Delano Joint Union High School, Mr. Alaniz began a job serving his community at the Kern County Sheriffs Office. prgtoken After earning his master's degree, Fernando began teaching computer science and keyboarding classes at McFarland High School. He quickly earned the respect of both his colleagues and his students, as they saw first-hand his dedication and passion for teaching. prgtoken Not only did Mr. Alaniz demonstrate his dedication to his students in the classroom, but he also showed that same level of commitment to his players. As the McFarland High varsity basketball coach, Fernando instilled discipline, work ethic, and integrity into his players. He was committed to helping his players succeed and showing them how to win in a humble way. Under his strong leadership, the Cougars made numerous trips to the playoffs. prgtoken I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the life of a respected, beloved, and invaluable member of our community, Fernando Alaniz.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-3-1

two things, and the first one is very short but something that is sorrowful that we have to talk about, Senator Feinstein losing her husband. Senator Feinstein is a friend of mine. You get very well acquainted with people when you work with--like when I was chairman of the Judiciary, and she was ranking member. For years before that, she and I chaired or cochaired the drug caucus. prgtoken So we all know that she lost her husband of 42 years over this weekend. We know that he had a long battle with cancer. Dick and Dianne supported each other during everything life threw at them, and they had fun along the way. Together, they were even stronger. Dianne has dedicated herself to working for the people of California, and she had no better confidant and supporter than her husband Dick. prgtoken Many Americans think that Senators of opposing political parties don't get along, and that is not the case. All 100 of us know that here. It is too bad that journalists always make controversy the center of everything, so people--at least in Iowa--have an extraordinary view that we never speak to each other, and that is not the case. prgtoken And I would just point out how Senator Feinstein and I have worked together. Barbara and I express our deepest sympathy to Dianne and her family on Dick's passing, as they grieve the loss of a life well lived. Administration prgtoken , now to another point that I have come to talk to my colleagues about. prgtoken In 's inaugural address a year ago, he called repeatedly for unity. He said: We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature. For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. prgtoken I was glad to hear him say all of those good intentions. I took it, really, as an invitation for bipartisanship. It sounded like the that I knew as a Senator for the 28 years that he and I worked together. So I reached out early on to offer to work with him on lowering the cost of prescription drugs. prgtoken But right out of the gate, he rejected good-faith offers from all of us to work together on another COVID relief package, as s and had on five others throughout the year of 2020. prgtoken Even with the narrowest of margins, and you can't get much more narrow than a 50-50 Senate, President let his party's agenda be dictated by the most radical progressive wing of his party. The extreme radicals refused to compromise on a wish list having nothing to do with COVID. prgtoken President should instead have listened to Professor Larry Summers. He was President Clinton's Treasury Secretary and President 's Chief Economic Adviser. Professor Summers warned that all the spending the progressives were insisting on would fuel the fires of inflation, and no
POSTAL SERVICE REFORM ACT OF 2022--Motion to Proceed--Continued
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-3-1

I want to thank the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the work he has done on this for years. prgtoken I just want to make a couple of points here. One is--it is a very hard point to make, but I think we ought to be candid, and that is, there is a very real danger that the Russian military will eventually prevail. Let's be honest. They are much larger. They have far more resources. The Ukrainians are putting up an absolutely historic and heroic fight, but it is not clear that they can hold on indefinitely. prgtoken So what should we be doing in light of that fact and the circumstances we have? I completely agree with Senator Risch. We have an obligation, in my mind, to provide the resources that we can. We are doing that. This legislation would go further. prgtoken There is one other thing we can do that I think is extremely important as well, and that is, establish as a goal that as soon as possible, Vladimir Putin come to regret this decision. It is extremely important, in my mind, that Putin and all of the other authoritarians and bullies and dictators around the world see this invasion of Ukraine as a terrible, strategic mistake for Russia to have made because if they don't conclude that this was a mistake, then it doesn't end with Ukraine. prgtoken So how do we ensure that this is universally recognized, including by Putin and those who would like to emulate him? How do we make sure they see it as the mistake that we believe it is? There is one way to do this: We bring the Russian economy to its knees. And we have the ability to do that, but we have chosen not to do so thus far. prgtoken Now, I am pleased to see the administration moving in the direction of sanctioning. I am pleased that many of our European allies have taken steps to go in this direction. But until we shut down the main source of revenue for Putin and his war machine, we will not have accomplished what we need to accomplish. prgtoken This legislation does that. Among other things, it directly imposes the sanctions on the oil and gas industry--the industry that is 60 percent of all Russian exports, 40 percent of government revenue, and more than 20 percent of the entire economy. It goes after this source of cash to fund the war-fighting machine directly with sanctions, but it also does it in an indirect fashion that is very important, and I want to touch on this. prgtoken This legislation imposes what we call secondary sanctions on the Russian banking sector. Why is that important? We have all heard that some Russian banks are going to be excluded from the SWIFT system. That is true, and that is constructive; however, it is not dispositive by any means. prgtoken The SWIFT system is just a communication system. There is no money actually transferred on SWIFT. Payments aren't made. If we deny Russian banks access to SWIFT, we don't deny them the ability to conduct business, the ability to move money
POSTAL SERVICE REFORM ACT OF 2022--Motion to Proceed--Continued
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2022-3-1

I want to come down to the floor and talk about the issue that is certainly the focus of America and the world right now, and that is Ukraine, and that is the President's State of the Union Address, which will be a very important one tonight. prgtoken And I know that Americans all across our great Nation are glued to their televisions, social media streams. And what we are seeing in Europe is quite remarkable, quite unsettling--another major war on the European continent. We are seeing children in bomb shelters singing the Ukrainian national anthem. We are seeing brave young men and women on the front lines taking up arms to defend their country. We are seeing grandmothers take to the streets, foisting upon Russian conscripts the seeds of their country's flower. One of the most effective acts of resistance I have ever witnessed. prgtoken , you and many of us were over in Europe just about a week ago at the Munich Security Conference, where we had the opportunity to meet with many of these brave Ukrainian ministers, the mayor of Kyiv, parliamentarians, young parliamentarians. And our message--my message certainly was a hard one. At the time, the war had not started, but we were seeing increasing intelligence that it would any day. prgtoken And the message was, if war comes, it will be important for the Ukrainian people, the leaders, to fight. And we are seeing that. All across the country, the people in Ukraine are fighting and willing to die for freedom, for their country. prgtoken I want to say I think I speak for the whole Senate: Watching these acts of courage and heroism has been truly inspiring, and we all applaud the courage and heroism that we are seeing in Ukraine, and we stand with the people of Ukraine. prgtoken Given the circumstances in Ukraine and across the globe and in our country, where working families are struggling under increasing energy costs and inflation, I want to talk a little bit about the President's State of the Union tonight and what I certainly hope he is going to tell the American people. prgtoken I and several of my colleagues here, colleagues in the Senate, will be sending a letter to the President very soon, urging him to announce specific actions that relate to an entirely new world with this invasion of Ukraine by Russia and start to announce a course correction on issues under which the administration has been going the wrong way on two key, key areas. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the letter to the President.
POSTAL SERVICE REFORM ACT OF 2022--Motion to Proceed--Continued
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-3-1

as the Senate process on the Postal Service Reform Act is underway, I want to rise today to highlight the daily impact the U.S. Postal Service has on folks back home, particularly in rural Kansas. prgtoken Many Americans rely upon the U.S. Postal Service. When a special occasion arises, they will send a card to a loved one. And while receiving a letter or a card, a gift in the mail--instead of a text message or email these days--brings lots of people lots of joy and a connection to people, the U.S. Postal Service holds a very different role for so many Kansans living in rural America. prgtoken Its services are ingrained in the daily routines and lifestyles of our rural communities. Men and women of our communities gather at the post office. They see their friends and neighbors when they go to get their mail at the mailbox at the post office. Everything from celebrating birthdays and weddings to supporting the town's economy, to even providing lifesaving assistance during a natural disaster or global pandemic revolves around the post office. prgtoken Rod Holub, former president of the Kansas State Association of Letter Carriers, reminded me of a supercell tornado that hit Manhattan, KS, in June 2008. There was no electronic communication available, and the only reliable way to communicate was the post office. One of the first people allowed in the affected area was Rod, the postal carrier. prgtoken Kansans living in Manhattan at the time have told me stories of how Rod assured every family that they would still be able to connect to their mail service since electronic communications were down, and it would be a while before they could be restored. Insurance claim information and legal documents were going to be vital in rebuilding their lives, and Rod ensured safe, secure, and timely delivery of those documents. prgtoken Similar situations occurred in the communities of Reading and Greensburg when natural disasters cut off their access to the local post office. When natural disasters wreak havoc in Kansas, a priority in the aftermath is helping to ensure postal operations resume quickly for Kansans who lost almost everything. In both of the cases of Greensburg and Reading, the Postal Service worked quickly with the communities to reestablish mail service and provide a method of communication to rebuild from the destruction. prgtoken It is often a neglected fact that the U.S. Postal Service letter carriers are the protective eyes and ears of the neighborhood, often going the extra mile to aid a customer in need of assistance. One such story occurred when a Kansas letter carrier discovered a customer confined to a wheelchair in the heat of summer and without air- conditioning, a fan, or a ramp to get in and out of their home. The Kansas letter carrier took it upon herself to rally the neighbors who all provided the customer with a window AC unit, a fan, and had a ramp built. prgtoken Much of the b
CALIFORNIA WATER ALLOCATION
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-3-1

last week, Federal officials announced California water allocations for water year 2022--this one--this spring right now where growers are getting ready to plant--or would be. prgtoken Despite their hard work as growers, their productivity and responsibility of feeding the rest of the Nation being on their shoulders, they were put dead last in line for water allocations. That is right. Behind even the mindless dumping of freshwater into our oceans to save nonexistent fish. prgtoken Even though California farmers produce most of the Nation's fruit, nut, and vegetable crops, many received zero percent of their allocation--this at a time of many bare store shelves in the grocery stores, this time of crisis of an international proportion where we should be making our own energy and our own food crops. prgtoken We are going to become more reliant on imported food if we don't grow this 2022 crop year because we are growing next year's crop right now-- including on my rice farm at home. prgtoken These water allocations will indeed have drastic consequences for the farmers, their employees, and the small towns that they populate all up and down California and indeed other States as well. prgtoken So growers are at their wit's end. We need President and others to reallocate and prioritize water for farmers, not for fish.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2022-3-1

I rise today to discuss the need to immediately increase our domestic energy production to counter Russia's invasion of Ukraine. prgtoken For an energy-rich nation such as ours, it is unacceptable that our country has been increasingly reliant on Russia for oil. In recent months, we have imported nearly 600,000 barrels per day of Russian oil. At the same time, the administration has worked systematically to shut down domestic U.S. oil and gas production. prgtoken American oil and gas producers, including those in North Dakota, have proven that they have the capacity to produce more oil here at home. We had gotten to 1.5 million barrels of oil a day production; now, 1.1 million barrels a day. prgtoken We can do more; other States can do more. We need to do it not only for our consumers here at home but to help our allies in Europe. prgtoken Our economy, quality of life, and security depend on access to low- cost, dependable energy from all sources, both traditional and renewable. prgtoken The administration's hostile energy policies treat America's abundant oil, gas, and coal reserves differently, and they treat it as a liability. prgtoken We are seeing the direct consequence of that approach, allowing investment and dollars to flow to energy producers like Russia, Iran, and other countries that leverage their own energy against our interests, with little or no regard for environmental stewardship; whereas, our environmental stewardship is the best in the world. prgtoken It is time we harness our vast strategic energy reserves and maintain our status as a global energy powerhouse. prgtoken President will soon deliver his State of the Union Address, and it is time he works with us to support our domestic energy producers and abandon his failed approach to energy policy. prgtoken Each additional barrel of oil we can produce here at home strengthens our economic and national security and helps our allies. Each additional U.S. barrel offsets production from Russia and other adversaries. Each additional barrel of oil helps reduce prices for American consumers, and because energy is built into virtually everything we consume, lowering energy costs helps bring down inflation. That means empowering and encouraging our domestic producers and reversing the administration's policies that curtail production. prgtoken To start, the Interior Department needs to immediately end the leasing moratorium and hold previously postponed lease sales, both onshore and offshore. prgtoken We need to expand our energy infrastructure to ensure efficient delivery to consumers. That includes approving the Keystone XL Pipeline, which is legislation that I led, and we passed during the administration. Now, it was vetoed by President , but it was my bill. We approved it in this Chamber, approved it in the House, got it to the President, and the President vetoed it. If he hadn't, we would have Keystone