mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Government Funding (Executive Session)
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2022-12-8

I am worried that we are heading toward another unnecessary, manufactured crisis because our current government funding is set to expire in 8 days. So I want to take a moment and talk about how we got here, and the path forward. prgtoken In fiscal year 2022, Leader McConnell required parity between defense and nondefense funding. This was a requirement that we met-- and s--and it provided the commonsense framework that allowed us to finish our work. prgtoken Now, the s have abandoned this framework, demanding steep cuts to programs that the American people rely on. The cuts will be more painful as inflation continues to squeeze pocketbooks. Heating, cooling, food, and housing--these costs are becoming more expensive. prgtoken They have justified this change of tactics by claiming that spent $700 billion in reconciliation bills and that this should negate the need to provide parity to nondefense programs. Well, of course, there is an obvious flaw in that kind of reasoning. The spending that they are talking about was to meet an unprecedented crisis that killed more than 1 million Americans and threatened to collapse the global economy. prgtoken Did people expect us not to defend Americans at that time? prgtoken The bills were meant to get us out of the pandemic, get the Nation healthy, and get our economy back on track, and I believe they are accomplishing that goal. prgtoken Would anybody say they wish we had not spent that money? prgtoken They weren't meant to fund the basic functions of the American Government in fiscal year 2023; they were meant to take care of the dangers of the pandemic that killed 1 million Americans and threatened the collapse of the global economy. prgtoken Now, we do agree with our colleagues that inflation threatens the national security. We all agree on that. But nondefense programs face an equal threat and demand an equal response because of inflation, and if we have inaction on the side, that threatens bipartisan priorities and programs--priorities and programs that both s and support. prgtoken Without an omnibus, the bipartisan CHIPS law--remember the CHIPS law? That passed this summer. It will help our country compete with China. Well, it won't be funded, and that competition languishes. And our promise to our veterans will be broken as the bipartisan PACT Act would go underfunded. VA medical care would fall at least $7.5 billion short. prgtoken Without an omnibus, those who are opposing the omnibus or those who, by inaction, won't support getting an omnibus before us will defund the police by slashing assistance to local law enforcement and keep 1,500 police officers off the streets and out of our communities. In the face of a surge in domestic violence, it will be the inaction of those who are not helping us get an prgtoken omnibus bill through that will leave the bipartisan reaut
RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2022-12-8

. Madam , I rise today in support of The Respect for Marriage Act because everyone should be able to marry who they love. This important law will protect same-sex and interracial marriages. prgtoken When I was serving in the Oregon State Legislature in 2007, I helped pass the Oregon Family Fairness Act to give same-sex couples many of the rights afforded to married couples. In 2014, a federal district court judge found that Oregon's ban on same-sex marriages violated the Oregon Constitution, and in 2015 the United States Supreme Court held in Obergefell that all people have the right to marry who they love. prgtoken It is imperative that we pass the Respect for Marriage Act because Justice Thomas cast doubt on rights grounded in privacy, including same-sex and interracial marriages, in his concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The Respect for Marriage Act will enshrine this fundamental right into law and so it continues to be protected. prgtoken Although it is essential that we pass the Respect for Marriage Act, this legislation is a compromise. The bill as passed includes an overly expansive exemption for faith-based nonprofit organizations. This exemption is disappointing because it will allow legalized discrimination and undermine the fundamental principles of fairness this legislation is intended to uphold. prgtoken As Vice Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, I am proud to continue standing with members of the LGBTQI+ community and their allies as we pass the Respect for Marriage Act. I remain committed to continue fighting against discrimination, including by enacting the overdue Equality Act to close gaps in civil rights protections. prgtoken No one should face prejudice and violence because of who they are or who they love. I urge my colleagues to support the Respect for Marriage Act and swiftly send this bill to President 's desk.
VOTE EXPLANATION
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2022-12-8

I was unavoidably absent on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, for rollcall vote No. 378 due to a commitment in Henrico, VA, related to the events surrounding the funeral of former Representative Donald A. McEachin. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on confirmation for Mia Roberts Perez, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, rollcall vote No. 378, PN2367. prgtoken I was unavoidably absent on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, for rollcall vote No. 379 due to a commitment in Henrico, VA, related to the events surrounding the funeral of former Representative Donald A. McEachin. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on the motion to invoke cloture on Kai N. Scott, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, rollcall vote No. 379, PN2366. prgtoken I was unavoidably absent on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, for rollcall vote No. 380 due to a commitment in Henrico, VA, related to the events surrounding the funeral of former Representative Donald A. McEachin. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on confirmation for Kai N. Scott, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, rollcall vote No. 380, PN2366. prgtoken I was unavoidably absent on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, for rollcall vote No. 381 due to a commitment in Henrico, VA, related to the events surrounding the funeral of former Representative Donald A. McEachin. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on confirmation for John Frank Murphy, of Pennsylvania, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, rollcall vote No. 381, PN2368. prgtoken I was unavoidably absent on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, for rollcall vote No. 382. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on the motion to invoke cloture on Jeffery Paul Hopkins, of Ohio, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio, rollcall vote No. 382, PN2438. prgtoken I was unavoidably absent on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, for rollcall vote No. 383. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on the confirmation for Jerry W. Blackwell, of Minnesota, to be United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota, rollcall vote No. 383, PN2266.
JAMES M. INHOFE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2022-12-8

today is a historic day for our water resources and for bipartisan and bicameral work in the Congress. prgtoken , I include in the Record a joint explanatory statement to accompany the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 and a letter to Chairman Smith. House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC, December 8, 2022. Hon. Adam Smith, Chair, House Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Smith: I am writing to further explain the intentions of Section 11252, Strategy for Retention of Cuttermen, of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. In 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County (590 U.S._(2020)) that the term ``sex'' included sexual orientation and gender identity for purposes of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the Court determined that ``homosexuality and transgender status are inextricably bound up with sex. Not because homosexuality or transgender status are related to sex in some vague sense or because discrimination on these bases has some disparate impact on one sex or another, but because to discriminate on these grounds requires an employer to intentionally treat individual employees differently because of their sex.'' This rationale is applicable to a range of laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex or gender. Indeed, federal courts both prior and subsequent to the Court's decision in Bostock have determined that our nation's federal laws that prohibit sex or gender discrimination also prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The Supreme Court in numerous decisions, such as United States v. Virginia (518 U.S. 515 (1996)), has used the terms sex and gender interchangeably. Our nation's nondiscrimination laws must be construed broadly to achieve Congress' aim of eradicating discrimination. In keeping with these cases and the current understanding of gender, I want to explicitly state on the record that the reference to discrimination based on gender in Section 11252(c) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 also includes discrimination on the basis of gender identity. I understand that the Coast Guard shares this view and understanding of Section 11252(c). It is critical that the Coast Guard attract and retain a qualified workforce serving on Coast Guard cutters and that such a workforce includes underrepresented minorities and
DARK DAYS OF SLAVERY IN AMERICA
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-12-8

and still I rise, a proud, liberated , unbought, unbossed, and unafraid to speak truth to power as well as truth about power concerning the topic of slavery and the need for atonement. prgtoken Let's start with slavery and identify it for what it was. A proper identification of slavery would cause one to conclude that it was truly one of the greatest crimes ever committed against humanity. prgtoken Slavery was kidnapping. People were stolen from their homes. They were traversed across the oceans. prgtoken Slavery was murder because in the process of transferring persons, if they became unruly, unmanageable, they could simply be thrown overboard into the shark-infested waters. In fact, it is said that sharks would follow the ships knowing that, at some point, a body might be thrown over that they could feed upon. prgtoken Slavery was robbery. People had their identities stolen from them. People were put in a position such that they could not know who they were in terms of their connection to the past, and they could not get an education about what the world was all about. prgtoken Slavery was rape. It was not unusual for the masters to rape the women. It was not unusual for them to father the children, and then for those children to become slaves. prgtoken Slavery was about the enslavement of babies. What kind of people would do such a dastardly thing as to enslave babies? prgtoken The people who would do this were the people who didn't see the human beings, the human qualities associated with slavery. They just saw them as chattel, something to be traded, something to be used, and something to be discarded. prgtoken Slavery was also about forced labor. I would like to say more about this topic of forced labor and slavery because I happen to have the good fortune to be the chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the Financial Services Committee. prgtoken I serve under the leadership of the Honorable Maxine Waters, who is one of the most courageous Members of Congress. Under her leadership, we have had hearings on this question of slavery and how this slavery, this evil, has impacted not only the people of that time when they were enslaved but also the people of this time. prgtoken , it is a very sensitive topic, and it deserves our attention. For those who desire not to give it attention, there are places for them to have their conversations off the floor. I beg that they would do so. It is a very sensitive topic. prgtoken We have held hearings on this topic, and at these hearings we have discovered that there are institutions that have a historical connection to slavery. These institutions include our mega banks. I will call them ``big banks.'' They include mega insurance companies. I will call them ``big insurance companies.'' prgtoken These mega banks, these big banks, these big insurance companies have predecessor institutions, predecessor banks and insurance companies, that act
RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-12-8

the balance of my time. prgtoken The Senate amendment to the Respect for Marriage Act represents a carefully negotiated compromise that prgtoken maintains all of the bill's substantive protections for marriage equality, while affirming that the religions liberty and conscience protections available under current law remain unaffected by the bill. prgtoken For these reasons, leading national organizations have endorsed the bill as amended by the Senate, including the ACLU, GLAD, PFLAG, Human Rights Campaign, and Lambda Legal. prgtoken In addition, a broad interfaith coalition that includes the Interfaith Alliance, the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church USA Office of Public Witness, the Union for Reformed Judaism, the Anti- Defamation League, the Hindu American Foundation, Muslims for Progressive Values, and the Sikh Coalition, all endorse the Senate amendment to this bill. prgtoken This is a long-overdue bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it with a big vote. prgtoken Madam , .
HONORING THE LIFE OF MR. THOMAS KAYSER
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2022-12-8

. Madam , I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the life of Mr. Thomas Kayser, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, who passed away on November 15, 2022. prgtoken Tom was a proud veteran of the United States Air Force. After graduating from Lawrence University, he served on active duty for eight years and as a reserve officer for 16 years, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He met his wife, Marlene Kayser, on a blind date, they married in 1959 and had three children, Carol, Tom and David. In 1966 they moved to Saint Paul when Tom joined the law firm, Robins, Davis and Lyons, where he worked for over 50 years and went on to become the managing partner. During his time at the law firm, which eventually became Robins, Kaplan, Miller, and Ciresi, he often served as a volunteer attorney, including for the Minnesota ACLU, and received many honors, including being named Volunteer of the Year by the Volunteer Lawyers Network in 2007. prgtoken Tom and his wife, Marlene, who passed away in 2018, were both dedicated activists and volunteers in the community, supporting organizations like Planned Parenthood and the Advocates for Human Rights. They were also founding donors of Admission Possible, now known as College Possible, which is a national organization working to increase access to higher education for low-income students. At the Kayser family home the door was always open to generously give back to their neighbors. They were known for hosting fundraising events in their home and even in their backyard for nonprofit organizations, candidates and elected officials ranging from United States presidents to school board members. Tom and Marlene served as a host family to many international students and connected countless community leaders, and Tom also served as a board member and advisor for the Saint Paul Parks Conservancy, and as an appointed representative on the Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Commission, where he also served as vice chair and committee chair. prgtoken It was an honor to call Tom a friend and neighbor for many years. My deepest condolences are with his beloved family and many friends. Madam , please join me in tribute to Thomas Kayser for his remarkable life of service to our nation and our community.
TRIBUTE TO DUNCAN WYSE
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2022-12-8

I often speak on the Senate floor about what I call the ``Oregon Way.'' It is about Oregonians of all backgrounds setting aside partisan politics and coming together to build on what makes our State such a wonderful place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business. prgtoken I don't know of anybody who exemplifies and believes in the Oregon Way more than my friend Duncan Wyse. Duncan is the head of the Oregon Business Council and the man behind the Oregon Economic Leadership Summit, which is meeting for the 20th year in just a few days. So on this 20th anniversary, it is my great pleasure to share a few thoughts about my friend Duncan and all the good he has done over the years for the State we both love. prgtoken Duncan has always been a humble guy. He has never been the kind to seek out the spotlight. He will put in all the hard work behind the scenes if it pays off for Oregon and creates new opportunities for people to get ahead. He has been incredibly successful in that. prgtoken A little bit about the origin of the Leadership Summit. It was back in the recession of the early 2000s. Oregon's economy, like a lot of the country, was down in the dumps. The tech bubble had popped. Unemployment was up. The September 11, 2001, attacks had shaken the country to its core. Between State and local officials, Members of Congress, business and community leaders, a lot of us were looking at every opportunity to get Oregon's economy growing again. prgtoken Duncan had the idea that what we needed to do was bring all those people together at one big event. Get focused. Zero in on the solutions that would be the most impactful and longest lasting for businesses and workers all across the State. He and I got in touch, and I told him, Count me in. I will be your co-founder, I will bring then-Senator Gordon Smith along, and I will do whatever I need to do to make this a success. prgtoken Nobody had tried this before. I would be blowing smoke if I said we were confident about it the entire time. At a few points early on, we probably doubted whether we would get enough people to field a competitive football game. The idea was, we were hoping for a decent crowd with at least one representative from each of Oregon's 36 counties. But in the end, that first summit brought together upward of 1,000 people from all over the State. prgtoken It was a huge success, and the summit is now in year 20 because of Duncan's commitment to the Oregon Way. It remains the premier venue for bringing Oregonians together to tackle the big economic challenges. prgtoken The summit brings together business leaders, local, State, and Federal elected officials; urban Oregon and rural Oregon; leaders in the nonprofit sector and community groups; leaders from some of the biggest and most established companies in the world, like Nike and Intel, as well as the newest startups and most treasured small businesses; people who vote
National Defense Authorization Act (Executive Calendar)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-12-8

$847 billion is a lot of money to spend on anything in 1 year, even in Washington terms. It is enough money, for instance, to make sure that not a single child goes hungry anywhere in the world ever again. It is enough money to end homelessness in America, provide free preschool and college for every American, build high-speed rail between every American city, and make childcare free for families. prgtoken Frankly, come up with five problems that plague parts of the world or parts of the country, design a solution, and you could probably solve all five for a year for $847 billion. prgtoken Here is another number that is big: $80 billion. Now, that is smaller than $847 billion but still a lot of money. prgtoken For $80 billion, you could build a high-speed railroad from New York to Washington, you could build 4,000 brandnew, state-of-the-art high schools in underserved communities, or you could hire--wait for it--a million public school teachers. prgtoken Here is why I tell you this. Next week, likely, this body is apparently going to be on a glidepath to pass an $847 billion Defense budget authorization for the current fiscal year. That is an $80 billion increase over last year. That is a 10-percent increase in just 1 year. prgtoken There has been very little public debate, and there is going to be very little debate on this floor over whether this is a good idea, about whether we should spend $80 billion on this or whether that $80 billion would be spent better on something else. prgtoken There is no debate, and there is going to be little debate here, in part, because the process of passing this bill is pretty broken. prgtoken Thanks to Senator Reed, the Armed Services Committee is a functioning committee. The and s on that committee write this bill together with an open amendment process. If you are a member of the Armed Services Committee, thanks to Senator Reed and Senator Inhofe's leadership, you have a lot of opportunities to weigh in on the size and scope of the U.S. defense budget. prgtoken But the problem begins once the bill leaves the Armed Services Committee. Then the bill kind of disappears and gets changed. That is not Chairman Reed's fault. That is our collective decision to endorse that process. prgtoken The first thing that happens, particularly this year, is that many, many big, important pieces of policy get added to the Defense bill. Some of them are good policy, but some of them aren't. But there is no democratic process in which Members of this body get to review what is added to the Defense bill. There is no notification of rank-and-file Members so that we can provide input. prgtoken Again, as I understand it, the Armed Services Committee doesn't want to be in this position. They would rather just have a vote on their original bill, as we did for decades until just recently, when all of this extra policy got added to the Defense bill. But because today t