mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Iran (Executive Session)
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2021-6-22

let's be clear. We are facing the most dangerous and overt threat to our democratic system in generations. prgtoken Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United and McCutcheon wrongly equated money with speech, and in the decades since, unaccountable dark money has flooded into our political system. This broken campaign finance system allows billionaires to drown out the voices of ordinary Americans with no accountability. This lack of transparency also opens the door for dangerous disinformation campaigns. prgtoken After the Supreme Court gutted article V of the Voting Rights Act in another terrible decision, we have also seen State legislatures across the country take up and pass voting laws designed explicitly to prevent Black, Brown, and young voters from exercising their right to vote. prgtoken These new laws in States like Georgia, Arizona, and Texas are right out of the pre-Voting Rights Act playbook of the Jim Crow South. Some have called them Jim Crow 2.0, and, frankly, it is hard to disagree. They make it harder to register to vote. They reduce early voting times in polling locations. They restrict access to vote by mail. In the Presiding Officer's State in Georgia, it is now illegal to hand out water to someone who has been standing in line for hours to vote, waiting to vote. Could anything be more wrongheaded? prgtoken My home State of New Mexico is a good example of what it looks like to enhance rather than attack participation in our democracy. I am proud of the ways that election officials in my State have stepped up in recent years to make voting safer, to make it more secure and at the same time more accessible for every New Mexican, and our State has seen greater participation in our elections as a result. Now, unfortunately, we are seeing the polar opposite of this approach in our neighboring States. prgtoken Just last week, ic lawmakers from Texas came to Washington, DC, to warn us just how dire the situation has become in their State. Texas's Governor, Greg Abbott, and lawmakers in Austin are hell-bent on passing sweeping voting restrictions as part of a nakedly prgtoken discriminatory power grab. These proposed changes would reduce voting hours, push back the start of Sunday early voting when many Black voters cast their ballots, and eliminate polling locations in larger urban counties. The goal of this type of legislation is pretty plain to see. prgtoken This shameful and transparent attempt to take away Texans' right to vote and similar attempts to disenfranchise voters in many other States should be a wake-up call to every single American. We should all be able to see that these attacks on voting are taking advantage of and in many cases being driven by our former President's lies and conspiracy theories about the last election. prgtoken Make no mistake, former President 's Big Lie about his loss in the 2020 election has sown widespread and damaging d
FOUNDATION OF THE FEDERAL BAR ASSOCIATION CHARTER AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2021
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-6-22

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 2679, the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2021, makes important changes to the Federal charter for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association. prgtoken This legislation is intended to give the Federal Bar Association the flexibility it needs to operate well into the future without the need for further congressional amendment. prgtoken Among other things, the legislation makes the following changes to the association's charter: prgtoken It requires the board of directors to decide, and specify in the bylaws, the location of the principal office. prgtoken It specifies that the bylaws, not the charter, must provide for the terms of membership, the responsibilities of the board of directors, and the election of officers. prgtoken It prohibits a director or officer in his or her corporate capacity from contributing to, supporting, or participating in political activities. prgtoken It expands a prohibition on loans for directors and officers to include members and employees. prgtoken It specifies that on dissolution or final liquidation of the corporation, any remaining assets must be distributed as provided by the board of directors instead of deposited in the Treasury. prgtoken I thank Mr. Chabot for introducing this important bipartisan legislation, along with Mr. Raskin. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2679 and, as well, support this insight and new look at justice, and .
NEWBORN SCREENING SAVES LIVES REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2021
Lucille Roybal-Allard (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-6-22

I rise to support reauthorization of my Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act. I thank Chairman Pallone for his support and for bringing my bill to the floor. prgtoken My sincere gratitude to my newborn screening partners and colleagues, Mike Simpson, Katherine Clark, and Jaime Herrera Beutler, and my heartfelt appreciation to the public health groups that continue to support my newborn screening efforts, including the March of Dimes, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and prgtoken the National Organization for Rare Disorders. prgtoken Newborn screening involves a baby receiving a simple blood test to identify life-threatening diseases before symptoms begin. Prior to the development of these tests, children would die or suffer lifelong disabilities. prgtoken In 2008, when my original bill passed, newborn screenings and access to follow-up information were not consistent or available to families in all communities. Only 10 States and the District of Columbia required screening for a complete panel of recommended disorders, and there was no Federal repository of information on the diseases. prgtoken Today, all 50 States and D.C. screen for at least 30 of the 35 recommended core conditions, and a national clearinghouse has the most recent newborn screening information available to parents and professionals. prgtoken Newborn screening is a public health success story that makes the difference between health and disability, or even life and death, for the approximately 12,000 babies who each year test positive for one of these conditions, babies like Cruz, a beautiful little girl born on February 4 this year to one of my district office deputies. Thanks to newborn screening, in just 4 days, Cruz was diagnosed with maple syrup urine disease, which prevents the body from breaking down certain amino acids typically obtained from protein. prgtoken If Cruz's disease had gone undetected, the buildup of amino acids in her body would have become toxic, leading to seizures, swelling of the brain, coma, and, ultimately, death. Today, the management of her amino acid levels keeps Cruz out of the hospital, protects her from critical medical complications, and gives her family the gift of watching their daughter grow up healthy. prgtoken This is just one of the thousands of success stories that illustrate the critical need to pass H.R. 482 into law. This will guarantee high- quality technical assistance for State programs and public health labs, access to the most current programs and educational materials, and it will ensure the advisory committee continues its work of researching and recommending new screenings for State programs, which also save our healthcare system millions of dollars for each child identified and treated early. prgtoken Reauthorization will also commission a National Academy of Sciences study to make recommendations for a 21st century newborn screening system. <
LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2021-6-22

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman for being part of this Pride Special Order and for her incredible advocacy on behalf of our community, particularly her heroic work on behalf of the transgender community. It is making a real difference. prgtoken Madam , from Massachusetts (Mr. Auchincloss), a new colleague and someone who has been an extraordinary advocate for the LGBT community, a great ally for our caucus. He is a member of the LGBTQ-plus Equality Caucus, an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, and a really powerful voice in our fight for equality.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-6-22

first, let me thank so many of my colleagues, including our chair of Rules, the Senator from Minnesota; our lead sponsor on this bill, Senator Merkley; and so many others who have done so much on this legislation. prgtoken Now, what makes a democracy a democracy? It is the right of citizens to choose their own leader; to forge their own destiny, rather than have it decided for them; the right to vote; the right that generations of Americans have marched and protested to achieve; women who reached for the ballot; and marchers who were bloodied on a bridge in Selma; the right that generations of American soldiers fought and died to defend, buried now in patriot graves from Normandy to Gettysburg. prgtoken And, right now, it is a fact--a fact--that voting rights are under assault in America in a way that we have not seen in many, many decades. State legislatures are limiting polling hours, locations, and ballot prgtoken drop boxes, raising new ID barriers for students, making it a crime to give food and water to voters in line, and in States like Texas, trying to move Sunday voting hours so it is harder for Black churchgoers to go to the polls after services. prgtoken It is the most sweeping voter suppression effort in at least 80 years, targeting all the ways that historically disenfranchised voters--Black and Brown Americans, students, the working poor--access the ballot. prgtoken We can disagree about solutions to this problem, about which policies might be more effective, but we should all agree this is a problem. We should all agree that protecting voting rights is worthy of debate, and that is what this next vote is about. Should the U.S. Senate even debate--even debate--how to protect the voting rights of our citizens? prgtoken The story of American democracy is full of contradictions and halting progress. At the time of our Constitution's ratification, you had to be, in most States, a White, male, Protestant landowner to vote. How many in this Chamber--how many of us would have been able to participate in those first elections? prgtoken The truth is, many of us, particularly on our side of the aisle, would not have been able to vote. But ever since the early days of the Republic, Americans launched mighty movements, fought a bloody civil war, and, yes, passed Federal election laws to expand the franchise until there were no more boundaries. prgtoken Are we in a backslide here in the 21st century? Are we going to let reactionary State legislatures drag us back into the muck of voter suppression? Are we going to let the most dishonest President in history continue to poison our democracy from the inside or will we stand up to defend what generations of Americans have organized, marched for, and died for--the sacred, sacred right to vote, the thing that makes a democracy a democracy. prgtoken I plead with my colleagues. Stand up, my colleagues. Stand up to a man
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-6-22

every day that I have the honor of coming to work in the hallowed halls of this building--a symbol to the country and to the world of America's commitment to liberty and to justice, freedom, and democracy--I am humbled. I am humbled by the faith and responsibility that the people of Oregon have placed in me to advocate on their behalf. I am humbled by the responsibility of exercising the power of this office to use the opportunity to lift up all Americans, to create a foundation for families to thrive, to tackle significant challenges like human rights and global warming. prgtoken But among all these responsibilities one is the highest, which is to defend our constitutional Republic, and in that Constitution, the single most important power given to every American is the right to a voice and a vote, a voice and a vote in the decisions of this government and the direction of our Nation. prgtoken As we saw all too clearly on January 6, when this very building was attacked by a mob intent on burning the ballots of millions of Americans, democracy based on free and fair elections is far from guaranteed. Each generation, each new set of Senators and House Members has the responsibility to defend it anew. prgtoken The sad truth, however, is that a violent mob storming the Capitol isn't the only way to attack our democracy. It can also be attacked by the quiet plotting of powerful and privileged individuals who hate the concept of government of, by, and for the people, and they work to undermine and corrupt the workings of our Republic to produce, instead, government by and for the powerful. prgtoken In his inaugural address, our second President, John Adams, remarked that, ``we should be unfaithful to ourselves if we should ever lose sight of the danger to our liberties if anything partial or extraneous should infect the purity of our free, fair, virtuous, and independent elections.'' prgtoken Well, my friends, our democracy--our elections are being infected. Our elections are under siege from gerrymandering, which destroys the principle of equal representation. Our system is under siege from dark money, enabling billionaires and powerful corporations to buy our elections. It is under siege by State laws being passed week to week right now that target specific communities to prevent them from voting, thereby manipulating the outcome of elections. prgtoken Indeed, at least 22 laws have been enacted in 14 States since January to infect our free and fair elections to deliberately erect barriers meant to make it harder for targeted groups of Americans to vote, to silence the voices of students and low-income Americans, of Native Americans and seniors, of Black and Brown Americans who have fought too long and too hard to have their voice and their vote stolen from them, ripped from them now. prgtoken We have a responsibility as United States Senators to ensure every American's freedom to vote, just as thi
ELDER ABUSE PROTECTION ACT OF 2021
Sylvia R. Garcia (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-6-22

I rise in strong support of the bipartisan Elder Abuse Protection Act. prgtoken I proudly sponsored this legislation because, quite frankly, back in the day, when I was a geriatric social worker, I saw firsthand the abuse targeted against our seniors as consumers. prgtoken This bill will help ensure that our seniors today, the group that most disproportionately was impacted by COVID-19, are not continuing as targets of fraudulent crimes. I thank Representative Spartz for joining me in this legislation. prgtoken This March, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center released its 2020 internet crime report, noting it received 105,301 complaints--over 100,000 complaints--from victims over the age of 60. prgtoken That was a whopping 54 percent increase from the 2019 numbers of 68,000 complaints. If you look at the cost and value of these complaints, it was $966 million, an approximate 15 percent increase from the 2019 number of $835 million. prgtoken What is worse, , is that these statistics reflect only those complaints in which the victim voluntarily provided their age range as over 60. So there may be even more. prgtoken Victims over the age of 60 are targeted by perpetrators because they are believed to have significant reliable financial resources. prgtoken The evidence is clear, as the United States ages, diversifies, and modernizes, the number of older adults experiencing elder abuse is, unfortunately, also projected to increase. prgtoken Elder abuse assessment measures and interventions are critical. This intervention is even more urgent for Latinos in our country who lack access to resources and information in their preferred language. prgtoken In 2017, the United States Department of Health and Human Services estimated that the Latino population in the United States age 65 and over was over 4 million people. By 2060, the Department projects the population of elderly Latinos in America to grow to 19.9 million, or 21 percent of the overall American elderly population. That is a huge number and growing. prgtoken Given these rapid growth rates and projected increases, public online resources should be made available to Americans with limited English proficiency. Providing Spanish language resources to the public will therefore reach an underserved population and will provide an important resource to millions of residents in the United States of America, especially to my home State of Texas.
RECOGNIZING THE INTERNATIONAL FALLS JOURNAL
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2021-6-22

today I rise to honor and pay tribute to the International Falls Journal, the local newspaper of the International Falls and Koochiching County communities that has provided timely, trustworthy, and thorough reporting to Minnesotans for the past 110 years. On June 24, 2021, the International Falls Journal will sadly publish its final edition. prgtoken Founded in 1911 by Clarence Burton Montgomery as The Daily Journal, the then-daily paper has been a community staple since its start, informing locals of who was born and who died, local business news, and what happened at city council and school board meetings. Through different disasters and crises, The Journal made sure they delivered the news to their readers. In 1988, a fire ripped through its office on a Friday night, claiming most of the building and everything inside, including the paper's equipment. Still, that Monday and for weeks following the fire while the outlet was without printers, the paper was published as planned. This was 38 years after the great flood of 1950, when--you guessed it--the paper still ended up on their readers' doorsteps despite the unprecedented circumstance. prgtoken The paper went through several owners before landing in the hands of Arlin Albrecht and Phil Duff, The Journal's current publishers, who purchased the paper in 1974. prgtoken Regardless of ownership, locals have always been able to count on The Journal. International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce President Tricia Heibel said it well: ``From births, deaths, marriages, school events and sporting highlights, from lost pets to everything else, it was just a really central communication tool.'' prgtoken As the daughter of a newspaperman, I grew up knowing just how important local newspapers like the International Falls Journal are. In fact, it is thanks to the presence of a local newspaper--the Duluth Herald--in my dad's childhood home that my grandmother spotted his interest in storytelling when he was just 12. Local papers played an irreplaceable role in my father's life, as they continue to today for countless readers. prgtoken But today, newspapers of all sizes are struggling and closing. Ad revenue for U.S. newspapers plummeted from $49.4 billion in 2005 to $14.3 billion in 2018. During that time, two other companies, Facebook and Google--worth over $2.4 trillion combined--became advertising titans. These two companies don't just control the majority of online advertising; they have built power over the news and crushed local news outlets along the way. prgtoken With the closure of The Journal, we are once again seeing the impacts of this firsthand. We can't stand by and watch this happen to our independent press. That is why I have introduced bipartisan legislation to let news publishers join together to negotiate fair terms with these giant digital corporations. We must give independent papers the chance to compete. prgtoken But even as we work t
Iran (Executive Session)
Raphael G. Warnock (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2021-6-22

I rise today at a defining moment in American history and at a time when I sincerely believe that what we do or fail to do will have long-lasting and far-reaching implications for the health, viability, and vitality of the world's greatest democracy. prgtoken We debate many important issues in this Chamber, but this issue, the issue of voting rights, I argue, is decidedly different. It is formative and foundational. It is the framework in which all of our other debates take place, for this issue is about the preservation and the protection of the democracy itself. That is, after all, what we claim to be. That is who we are--a democracy built on that sacred idea of one person, one vote. prgtoken With all the arguments taking place in the country right now, with all of the audits being ordered, and with all of the voting legislation being feverishly passed in States all across our country, clearly, ironically, there is agreement--albeit for different reasons on the right and on the left--that democracy itself is in danger. Folks on the left and folks on the right believe that there is something broken and it needs to be fixed. prgtoken If that is, indeed, the case, what kind of Congress would we be in the whole history of Congresses if, seeing that discussion out there, we refuse to even debate the matter in here? Who are we and how are we to hide in a moment like this? prgtoken So I rise with what I think is a simple request of my colleagues. Let's do our job. Resist the easy route, the temptation to hide behind Senate procedure, and let's have a principled conversation in front of the American people about voting rights. Let's have that conversation right here, right now. How could we do otherwise? prgtoken It is said that we are the most important deliberative body on the planet. Well, colleagues, how derelict in our duty would we be if, in this defining moment we refuse to even have a debate--a debate--about how best to preserve and protect that which is most precious: the democracy itself. prgtoken In my maiden speech this past March, I made an urgent call upon this body to act to protect the right to vote, and I warned then that the cords of our democracy were dangerously frayed. That was not theoretical stuff from me. I hail from Georgia. I argued then that our democracy was being frayed by unfounded conspiracy theories that led to an attack on this very Chamber and undermined by an onslaught of State- level proposals aimed at suppressing the vote. prgtoken Since I gave that maiden speech, things have only gotten worse. When I spoke here in March, 250 voter suppression proposals had been introduced in 43 States--250 proposals. Now it is 389 proposals in 48 States. A violent assault on this Capitol is now metastasizing to voter suppression proposals all across the United States of America. Since I spoke here in March, Georgia and 13 other States have enacted these voter suppression bills int