mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-10-5

I rise to express my strong opposition to the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken I opposed Judge Kavanaugh's nomination to his current seat on the DC Circuit because I had serious concerns about his partisan history, expansive view of Presidential power, and his lack of candor about his work in the White House during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Judge Kavanaugh's work on the DC Circuit demonstrated that I was right to be concerned about his view that the President is above the law. I intend to discuss his jurisprudence in a moment, but first it is necessary to list just how many ways in which this process has revealed that Judge Kavanaugh lacks the temperament to serve as a Justice of the Supreme Court. prgtoken He began this process by continuing to stonewall, and perhaps even mislead, Senators about his career as a political operative and partisan lawyer in the Administration. He dissembled when asked basic questions about his approach to the law--a tactic we have come to expect from nominees who have been selected and vetted by far-right interest groups. Yet when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and others came forward with serious and credible allegations of sexual assault against him, this body saw the real Judge Kavanaugh. He emerged at his second hearing combative, blatantly partisan, disrespectful, evasive, and in no way reassuring that he has told the truth to this body and the American people. I will discuss these in turn, but the bottom line is this: Judge Kavanaugh is unqualified for a seat on the Supreme Court because he lacks the basic qualities and judgment for a position that could affect Americans' everyday lives for generations to come. prgtoken The American people are watching this debate with serious, real-world concerns about what a Justice Kavanaugh would mean for them. They are worried that they could wake up someday soon to news that a conservative 5-to-4 majority on the Court has stripped them of their health insurance, abolished their right to privacy and control over their reproductive health, or revoked their right to marry whomever they choose. They see inequality of historic proportions--with the top 1 percent now earning more than the bottom 50 percent combined, according to the World Inequality Report--and a Supreme Court that continues to overturn laws that were enacted to prevent corporations and prgtoken wealthy individuals from using their money to rig the political system. prgtoken It is abundantly clear, given Judge Kavanaugh's selection by special interest groups and the mad rush to confirm him at all costs, that powerful interests are counting on him to further these trends, which point to a future in which political power will be directly tied to wealth and status. Worse yet, given that we still don't know the whol
COMBATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCIENCE ACT OF 2018
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-10-5

today I am joined by 31 of my colleagues in introducing the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2018. The nation at large is beginning to reckon with the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and its impact on the lives and careers of women, including in academia. prgtoken The academic workplace, when compared to the military, private sector, and government, has the second-highest rate of sexual harassment, with 58% of women in academia experiencing sexual harassment. This behavior undermines career advancement for women in critical STEM fields, and many women report leaving promising careers in academic research due to sexual harassment. Women of color are even more likely to experience sexual harassment and to feel unsafe at work. We cannot afford--morally, scientifically, or economically--to continue to lose these skilled scientists and engineers, particularly from groups that are already underrepresented in STEM. prgtoken As recommended in a recent report by the National Academies, this bill establishes a National Science Foundation program to support research into the factors contributing to sexual harassment in the scientific workforce, as well as the collection of data on the prevalence of sexual harassment in STEM. Furthermore, this bill directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to issue uniform policy guidelines to Federal science agencies to ensure every agency has clear policies and dedicated resources to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual harassment at academic institutions receiving federal research funding. It also creates an interagency working group to improve coordination and communication among agencies. prgtoken It is our hope that this legislation will build upon progress already made by the National Science Foundation through recent updates to its sexual harassment policy. It is vital that grantees, as stewards of Federal money, take seriously their responsibility to foster a healthy working environment as they train the next generation of scientists. It is encouraging that other agency heads have expressed intent to address sexual harassment in research. National Institutes of Health Director, Dr. Francis Collins, and nominee for Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, have both made strong statements regarding their intent to tackle the problem of sexual harassment in STEM, and I look forward to seeing these intentions translate into meaningful actions. Our bill is just a starting point. Every agency has unique challenges and significant change will require creative solutions. prgtoken Scientific societies also play an important role in combating sexual harassment in the sciences. For example, the American Association for the Advancement of Science recently adopted a policy that allows the AAAS Council to revoke Fellow status for scientific misconduct, which includes sexual harassment. prgtoken I am pleased that my l
Cloture Motion (Executive Session)
Kamala D. Harris (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-10-5

given the serious and troubling allegations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, I am deeply disturbed that the Senate is moving forward with this nomination. prgtoken When it was announced that the FBI could investigate these serious and credible allegations, I had hoped there would be a legitimate investigation. As the former Attorney General of California, I have tremendous, tremendous respect for the sworn law enforcement officers at the FBI. This should have been a search for the truth. They should have been allowed to do their full job, but instead, the White House did not allow it. This was not a search for the truth. Instead, this was about politics and raw power to push through an unfit nominee. prgtoken I am a former prosecutor. I have led investigations, and I have prosecuted all types of crime--particularly violent crimes, including a specialization in sexual assault cases--as a prosecutor. I have tried these cases in a courtroom. I have spent hours--hours--with assault victims, and I can tell you that when we look at what happened during the course of these days--these few days--in reviewing and giving regard and respect to Dr. Ford, we have fallen short. We have fallen short. prgtoken Sixty-three percent of sexual assaults are not reported to the police in our country. Delayed reporting is normal. I will tell you that when I was personally prosecuting sexual assault cases, we would be in a courtroom. I would be there as the prosecutor, with the accused, the accused's attorney, a judge, and a courtroom full of prospective jurors, and we would engage in a process called voir dire, where we would talk with prospective jurors to determine if they would be able to sit as a juror and, without bias, listen to the case and then make a determination about the facts and the law. prgtoken I cannot tell you the number of times, colleagues, that a prospective juror would raise their hand and ask could they quietly speak with me and the defense attorney and the judge in the judge's chambers outside of the courtroom and outside of the sight and the ability for anyone else in the courtroom to hear. We would go into the judge's chambers, and I cannot tell you the number of people who would sit in a chair, and, with tears in their eyes, tell us that they had been a victim of sexual assault and had never told anyone, not even their spouse, but because of what they had experienced, they knew they could not possibly sit in a courtroom and hear the testimony they knew would come related to the charges they knew the case was about. prgtoken This is an issue that impacts so many Americans, most of whom don't report it and don't tell anyone, and usually when they do, it is because something precipitated the telling of their story that was beyond the time during which they endured the assault itself. prgtoken Dr. Ford's experience in this regard is no different from the majority of sexual assault victims, and she
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-10-5

this is just one piece of evidence that none of us saw prior to this moment that would have provided important back up to Dr. Ford's testimony. I don't know why this person wasn't interviewed who can testify that Dr. Ford told him of this abuse before Judge Kavanaugh was placed on any shortlist. prgtoken I don't know if the FBI made their own decision not to talk to this individual, whether they were time-limited so that they were unable to get to him or whether the White House told them whom they could interview and whom they couldn't, but this would have been really important information for us to have beforehand. prgtoken I will end where I ended the other day. All of these decisions that have been made, I think, have long-term consequences for this body. I am not saying that we can't recover from this. We are all adults. I do believe that everybody here in the Senate believes in this place and wants it to be better. I don't run into many people on either side of the aisle who are having a lot of fun these days, given the fact that we can't get along on almost anything except for the budget, which is not insignificant. prgtoken So I have to trust, as a relatively new entrant to this place, that we can prgtoken do better, that we can try to learn from what has happened here. The damage has been done at this point to survivors of sexual assault who are going to be thinking twice about coming forward because they are not going to be believed. The damage has been done to the precedent surrounding nominations to the judiciary. The damage has been done to the idea of objective truth and the belief that folks who are applying for important jobs should tell the truth. But I have faith that we can learn from what happened here and try to be better the next time. prgtoken Ultimately, what I think about a lot and what I have thought about a lot these last few weeks is this: Why Brett Kavanaugh? prgtoken I come back to where I began. At the outset, I said that our standard should be educated by the fact that there is not one person in the world, in the United States, who is qualified for this job. There are lots of them. So if you have serious doubts or reservations about an individual, you can move on to the next person. That is what George Washington did when John Rutledge was rejected by the Senate. He had somebody else who was great in reserve--a great early American, Oliver Ellsworth. prgtoken There are, no doubt, other conservative jurists who would probably fulfill most of the jurisprudential aims of the majority just as well as Brett Kavanaugh. It can't be because Brett Kavanaugh is the essential man. prgtoken So given all of these doubts, given all of these allegations, given his precedent-breaking performance before the Judiciary Committee, why stick with Brett Kavanaugh? This is what I come back to when I try to answer that question for myself. prgtoken I know that it is hard being a Re
CELEBRATING THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DOWNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND THE DOWNEY SYMPHONIC SOCIETY
Lucille Roybal-Allard (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-10-5

I rise today to recognize the Downey Symphony Orchestra and the Downey Symphonic Society on their six decades of broadening the cultural and educational horizons of the people of Downey, California, and beyond. prgtoken On October 20, 2018, the Downey Symphony Orchestra (DSO), directed and conducted by Sharon Lavery, commences its 60th season of concerts. The DSO has moved and inspired generations of Downey residents, and many from surrounding communities, who would otherwise not have access to live symphonic music. The orchestra has fulfilled the hopes of its founders, a group of civic-minded citizens supported by civic and government leaders, who created the DSO in 1957 to help make Downey a more desirable place to live and to do business. prgtoken Since 1958, the non-profit Downey Symphonic Society (DSS) has sponsored the DSO and its educational outreach programs. The society is governed by a volunteer board of directors, who organize and publicize the DSO concerts; seek support from foundations and government entities; solicit donations from individuals, businesses, and service organizations; and promote the symphony. The DSS also enjoys the support of a very enthusiastic and active guild of over 200 members. prgtoken Each year, the DSO presents three subscription concerts in the Downey Theatre in the fall, winter, and spring. The orchestra reaches a larger audience in the summer at its annual free ``Concert in the Park'' in Furman Park. The summer concert emphasizes selections from musical theatre and films. prgtoken DSO programs are designed to appeal to a broad audience in terms of age, musical sophistication and taste, and ethnic and cultural background. In addition to the standard repertoire, programs include works by Latino and Spanish composers and by contemporary composers. The symphony has premiered and commissioned major works, including Oscar Navarro's ``Downey Overture,'' which has been declared the city's ``Official Symphonic Music''; Bryan Curt Kostors' ``To Dust''; and Lars Clutterham's ``Downey Celebration Suite.'' prgtoken The DSO and its members have also worked to promote music appreciation among our youth. In 1995, the previous DSO music director, Thomas Osborn, started the ``Music in the Schools'' program, which introduces students to all instruments and sections of the orchestra. Today, the program reaches almost 20,000 school children a year, including visits during winter and spring by a quintet of DSO musicians to the 13 public and four private elementary schools in Downey. Musicians present a sequential, multi-year curriculum on fundamentals of music, such as rhythm, melody, and style, and they perform specially arranged pieces. In addition, two full orchestral concerts are presented for school children at the Downey Theatre. prgtoken Major funding comes from the City of Downey, the Los Angeles County Performing Arts Commission, the Music Performance Trust Fund of the Musician
HONORING THE LIFE OF ADELAIDE MARGARET CONNAUGHTON
Grace Meng (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-10-5

Adelaide Margaret Connaughton, of Forest Hills, New York passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 12th, 2018. Adelaide was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 24, 1958 to Veronica (Ronnie) and Kenneth Connaughton. Adelaide Connaughton was a long-time community activist who participated in New York City politics and civic activities since she was 15 years old. prgtoken In high school, Adelaide worked as an intern for then Assistant Queens District Attorney, Geraldine Ferraro, and went on to work for several elected officials, including the first Lesbian Latina member of the New York City Council, Margarita Lopez. prgtoken Prior to joining the staff of Council Member Lopez, Adelaide served as a Lieutenant for the New York City Emergency Medical Service of the Fire Department of New York and retired after 20 years of service. She also briefly sold real-estate, and achieved ``million dollar'' agent status at a local real estate firm. prgtoken Her last position before she passed away in May 2018 was as a Senior Entitlement Specialist for the Fortune Society, a non-profit organization with a 50-year track record of providing those in the criminal-justice system with the supportive, wrap-around services needed to thrive as positive, contributing members of society. At Fortune, Adelaide provided assistance to formerly incarcerated men and women, and supported them as they re-entered society. In her spare time, Adelaide loved to be with family and friends and held many volunteer political and civic positions in New York City. prgtoken Adelaide has always demonstrated a passion for helping the most vulnerable among us, particularly homeless LGBT youth. At Safe Space, a non-profit organization dedicated to families and youth, Adelaide worked in the LGBT Division where she helped link homeless LGBT youth to supportive care. prgtoken Using political action to fight for progressive causes important to the LGBT community and all New Yorkers, Adelaide has served on the Board of Governors of the Stonewall ic Club of NYC and the Executive Board of AIDS Center of Queens County (ACQC). Adelaide was also a founding Vice-President of the Jim Owles Liberal ic Club. prgtoken From 2012 to 2018, Adelaide and her West Highland Terrier, Elvis, participated in a therapy dog program sponsored through the Auxiliary of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi. Adelaide and Elvis visited patients once a week at Jacobi to help with their healing process. In addition, they visited patients in the psychiatry department once a month at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx. For all of this effort, Elvis and Adelaide were the first dog/human team to receive an Auxiliary Award from NYC Health + Hospitals. prgtoken Adelaide lived with her life-partner, Lynn Schulman, and their dog Elvis in Forest Hills, Queens, NY.
TRIBUTE TO KIRA ROMERO-CRAFT
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-10-5

I want to honor Kira Romero-Craft as a distinguished leader in Central Florida for Hispanic Heritage Month. Kira Romero-Craft is the Managing Attorney of the Southeastern Regional office of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. prgtoken Kira leads a team of attorneys and advocates focused on immigrants' rights, voting rights, economic justice and criminal justice reform. prgtoken Kira began her legal career as an Equal Justice Works fellow for the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association in Orlando, Florida where she focused on representation of undocumented immigrant children in juvenile and immigration court. prgtoken Prior to joining LatinoJustice, she was the program director for the children's legal program at Americans for Immigrant Justice where she led a team of lawyers representing immigrant children in dependency and removal proceedings. prgtoken Kira is also the current co-chair of the advocacy committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Central Florida Chapter. prgtoken She is a graduate of Rollins College and Florida State University, College of Law.
PRAYER
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-10-5

. Thank you, . prgtoken Let me say at the outset that I would like to set the record straight on the question of the FBI interview, which has been raised repeatedly by Members on the other side of the aisle. prgtoken It was our request from the start, when we heard the complaints of Dr. Ford and her allegations, that there be a thorough FBI investigation. On the ic side, we asked for that repeatedly from the majority. It wasn't until Senator Flake and some of his colleagues made a point of saying they wouldn't move to go forward without the FBI investigation that it finally was agreed to. prgtoken Let me also add that statements have been made publicly by the public spokesman at the White House about how the witnesses were chosen for this FBI investigation. According to Mr. Shah, who works in the White House, he told us that a list of witnesses was sent by Senate s to the White House, and they were included in their request. That is not the investigation we were looking for. We were hoping the FBI would revert to its professional status and interview all of the witnesses who are relevant. Certainly, among those relevant witnesses would have been Dr. Ford herself who could have been questioned under penalty of criminal prosecution if she misled or lied to the FBI, who could have provided substantial corroborative information. She was never called on. Neither was Judge Kavanaugh by the FBI. prgtoken Dr. Ford provided eight different witnesses whom she thought should be called to back up her side of the story, not a single one of them was called by the FBI. Ms. Ramirez suggested 20 witnesses be called on by the FBI on her behalf, and not one of them was called. prgtoken This was not the FBI investigation which we sought, nor does it clear the charges against Kavanaugh that were raised by Dr. Ford. In fact, it was a scant interview that involved some 10 witnesses in a matter of just a few days with a limited roster of people who were going to be questioned. prgtoken Let me speak to the matter at hand in a larger context. I have been in public life for a few years, but I have never seen the public reaction to this particular nomination and the hearings leading up to it that I have seen in this case. prgtoken I went back to Illinois last week on Friday. Before I could get off the airplane at Midway Airport, people were talking to me--just passengers at random, about what had happened the day before with Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh testifying before our committee. The same thing happened with cab drivers, the doorman at the hotel holding an umbrella in the rain and talking to me about the testimony that was given to the Judiciary Committee. For the next 3 days, everywhere I turned, every person had a comment to make. America was tuned in and watching carefully because they knew how important this hearing was. It wasn't just the nomination for someone to serve on the