mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LAW ENFORCEMENT
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-8-3

with me today is Mr. Wesley Davis, one of my able aides in my office. I would like to talk for a few minutes about crime. prgtoken It is up. It is way up. The largest city in my State is New Orleans, and New Orleans is on track to becoming the murder capital of the world. In my State and in my city of New Orleans, we have seen a 136- percent rise in homicides, a 101-percent rise in shootings, and a 194- percent rise in carjackings. And this is not just a Louisiana and a New Orleans problem. prgtoken Baton Rouge, LA--Baton Rouge, of course, is my capital city--and Shreveport are not much better. And violent crime is also on the rise in major cities from the west coast to the east coast. prgtoken We hear a lot about Chicago, of course, and New York City, but from May of 2021 to May of 2022, crime was up 23 percent in Seattle. It was up 21 percent in Washington, DC. prgtoken And I would respectfully suggest this is no coincidence. For almost 2 years now--2 years, long time--some people in positions of authority in our country have been calling to defund the police, to dismantle the police. And they have been disrespecting the police. prgtoken Many of our public officials--not all of them, but some happen to be mayors in major cities--they believe that cops are a bigger problem than criminals. They do. prgtoken They believe that when a cop shoots a criminal, it is automatically the cop's fault. When a criminal shoots a cop, it is the gun's fault. And we also have prosecutors, district attorneys--not all of them but too many of them who live by the motto: Hear no evil, see no evil, and prosecute no evil. And we can now see the result of that attitude. prgtoken It is an anti-law enforcement attitude. Now, look, I know cops aren't perfect. I get it. Some of our police officers get out of line intentionally. And when they do, they should be punished. But do you know when a radical jihadist who happens to be a Muslim blows up a school full of school children, we are told don't blame all Muslims because of the acts of a few. prgtoken And, gosh, I agree with that, and I know the Presiding Officer does too. How come the same rule doesn't apply to cops? I don't understand. This anti-law enforcement sentiment, understandably, has resulted in lower morale among cops. Duh. It has led to massive resignations. It has led to massive early retirements. prgtoken It has in my State, and it has in most other States. It turns out that when you spend years vilifying police officers and making it harder for them to do their job, some of them no longer want to stay. That is not surprising. prgtoken In the city of New Orleans, we have fewer than 1,000 police officers. We need 2,000. This year alone, more than 100 police officers have already quit. That is around the same number of police officers who resigned, retired, or were fired in 2020. And these statistics are nationwide; it is not just New Orleans. prgtoken The Dallas Polic
Ukraine (Executive Session)
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-8-3

today, the Senate exercises one of our unique and most important constitutional responsibilities: debate and ratification of a treaty. prgtoken The NATO accession treaty for Sweden and Finland is the most consequential kind of treaty because it commits America to the mutual defense of another country. We commit, along with our NATO partners, to come to Sweden's and Finland's defense if they are attacked, just as Finland and Sweden will come to our defense if we are attacked. It is a weighty matter, indeed. prgtoken I want to explain why, if one honestly considers all the circumstances and weighs all the evidence, I don't believe this is a close debate at all. prgtoken If Finland and Sweden join NATO, the alliance will unquestionably be stronger. The risk of war and of America being dragged into war will decrease in Europe, and Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine will backfire in another significant, lasting way. prgtoken I note at the outset how unusual this moment is. Finland and Sweden are historically neutral countries. Sweden has refrained from joining military alliances since the days of Napoleon. Once Finland obtained independence a century ago, it also charted a course of neutrality, even after the Soviet Union invaded Finland during World War II. prgtoken Now these historically neutral countries have petitioned to join NATO. Why? Sweden and, especially, Finland have always lived closer to the bear's den, and thus had a different relationship with Moscow than we do. But now the Russian bear is rampaging, mauling a sovereign country on its borders that is not in the ranks of NATO. Finland and Sweden naturally want to avoid Ukraine's fate. They concluded, reasonably enough, that there is strength in numbers, and they are right about that. prgtoken If I were sitting in Stockholm or Helsinki, I would want to join NATO, too. But we are here in the United States Senate. What matters to us--what should matter to us--is what is in it for us. Much as we may esteem the Finns and the Swedes--and we should; they are great people-- we need allies who enhance our common defense, not ones prgtoken who detract from it, allies who can pull their own weight and then some. prgtoken Military alliances are not charities, but Finland and Sweden aren't charity cases. They bring into NATO their well-trained and well- equipped militaries, technologically advanced economies, and vital geography. prgtoken In particular, Finland is a country of warriors, with a long and proud tradition, to put it bluntly, of fighting and killing Russian invaders. In 1939, Russia launched an unprovoked war of aggression--odd how Russia keeps doing that--against Finland, in what has become known as the Winter War. Few observers gave small Finland a chance, but the outnumbered and outgunned Finns shocked the world--not least Stalin and the Russian communists--by matching the Red Army blow for blow. prgtoken Ever wo
INFLATION REDUCTION ACT
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-8-3

``You don't want to take money out of the economy when the economy is shrinking.'' ``You don't want to take money out of the economy when the economy is shrinking.'' Those aren't my words. Those were the words of the current ic leader in 2008: ``You don't want to take money out of the economy when the economy is shrinking.'' prgtoken Well, apparently, it is a philosophy the ic leader no longer subscribes to because, last week, he introduced legislation to take money out of the economy when the economy is shrinking. prgtoken The ' so-called Inflation Reduction Act--which is a misnomer if ever there was one, since the bill will do nothing to help alleviate our current inflation crisis--will take hundreds of billions of dollars out of the economy in the form of new tax hikes and comes just as our economy posted a second quarter of negative growth. prgtoken Notably, the bill imposes a $313 billion tax hike on American businesses, with roughly half of that increase falling on American manufacturers. I guess the President's commitment to boosting American manufacturing takes a backseat to raising revenue to fund ' Green New Deal priorities. prgtoken I don't think I need to tell anyone what happens when you raise taxes on businesses, particularly when the economy is shrinking. You get less growth, fewer jobs, and lower wages. According to an analysis from the National Association of Manufacturers, in 2023 alone, the ' bill would reduce real gross domestic product by more than $68 billion and result in 218,108 fewer workers in the overall economy--a $68 billion reduction in GDP and more than 218,000 fewer workers. prgtoken And ordinary Americans would bear a substantial part of the burden of this tax increase. According to data from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, the ' bill would increase the tax burden of Americans across every income bracket, with more than half of the increased tax burden falling on Americans making $400,000 or less. Next year alone, the ' bill would increase the tax burden on Americans earning less than $200,000 by $16.7 billion. prgtoken are brazenly attempting to sell this new tax as somehow closing a loophole instead of hiking taxes on American businesses, but that isn't even close to being the truth. When companies pay less than the current corporate tax rate, they are often simply taking advantage of tax credits that s and put in place to encourage investment in things like research and development or the production of new technologies. prgtoken aren't closing a loophole in the tax bill. Let's face it. They are raising taxes on American businesses at a time when our economy has posted two consecutive quarters of negative growth. They are raising taxes on businesses that are already struggling with historically high inflation. prgtoken claim they will make la
Ukraine (Executive Session)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-8-3

I want to thank my friend and colleague Senator Portman for his work and his focus on Ukraine, and I want to thank my friend and colleague Senator Shaheen. It has been a real pleasure once we started up the Senate NATO Observer Group after it had been dormant for some time. Who knew that it could have been more timely several years ago when we began that process? prgtoken I was thinking--I have used this analogy before. I grew up in a family of six kids. We, even to this day, have our differences and disagreements. I have one sister I am pretty sure wouldn't vote for me if she lived in North Carolina. We are not ideologically aligned. But I know she loves me, and I know, when our family gets threatened, there is no difference between us. prgtoken That is what Vladimir Putin saw on February 24. He saw the family of nations in NATO come together like he couldn't possibly have imagined, and he saw two nations, Finland and Sweden, after decades of being nonaligned, saying: Enough is enough. Now it is time to pick between good and evil. And evil is Vladimir Putin, and good is Western democracies--Western democracies like Finland and Sweden which respect the rule of law, which respect the rights of their citizens, which respect the free press, which invest in their military, and which will be a net exporter of security the day they enter NATO. prgtoken As a matter of fact, they are already a very valuable asset to NATO. I have spoken with many of my colleagues in the Department of Defense, many people in uniform. They laud the relationship that they have with the military in Finland and Sweden. They work together on exercises. They know that Finland has a formidable ground force. They know that Sweden has a formidable navy that is going to give us added presence in the Baltics and added presence in the Arctic. prgtoken The worst possible scenario that Putin never anticipated was a completely unified NATO and the addition of 830 miles--1,340 kilometers--of NATO border right up against Russia. That is what he has gotten for his illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the blood of thousands are on Vladimir Putin's hands. prgtoken Now I want to talk a little bit about Finland and Sweden, but I also have to start with that letter. I remember vividly, Senator Shaheen, when we were meeting with Swedish diplomats and the Defense Minister, and we were saying: What can we do to send a signal to the people of Finland and Sweden that the United States is absolutely supportive of their accession to NATO? prgtoken And they said: Well, communications would be good. prgtoken And we said: Well, we will do a letter. prgtoken In 24 hours, we got 80 signatures. Now, the question would be, Why not the other 20? Quite honestly, we didn't take the time. Everybody that we went to signed on to the letter, but we thought it was important to get that communication out quickly. prgtoken Today, we are going to see more than 95 Senators--I
NATO (Executive Session)
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-8-3

I want to join my colleagues in my appreciation for the expansion of NATO--as others have said, the greatest alliance, maybe in history, certainly in the last 200 years, an alliance that has served great benefits and now is growing. NATO has been there since 1949. prgtoken The two countries that we are going to be voting to admit today have resisted since 1949 being part of NATO, but with the recent actions, they decided you now have to choose a side. prgtoken Now, they are not countries that have been on the sideline just hoping nothing would happen. They are countries that had significant defense capacities, significant military capabilities. They will be net security contributors to NATO. They bring to the alliance these advanced capabilities. They bring a neighborhood understanding of Russia, greater than maybe almost any other country, particularly Finland, which has been mentioned has an 800-plus mile border that will double the NATO border with Russia. They have been defending that border since World War II, and the Russians understand their capacity to defend it. prgtoken They, frankly, bring good real estate and good location. I wish I had a map here on the floor with me, but I don't. The Baltic really becomes a NATO sea. And that is an important thing--Norway already in NATO, Sweden joining NATO, Finland joining NATO; right across from the three Baltic countries that are much more in need of assistance than these two countries that are joining an alliance that will give them that assistance. It is an incredible day for NATO. prgtoken The Baltic Sea, the Arctic--I have heard more on this floor and in this country about the Arctic in the last 5 years than I think we have talked about in the previous 25 years. The Arctic basically becomes NATO territory with the sole exception of Russia. prgtoken The United States, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland become the countries that are bound not only in the neighborhood of the Arctic but also in a supportive alliance. prgtoken We have been hearing about how China wants to become an Arctic power. I think the change in NATO makes it incredibly harder for China to become an Arctic power or for Russia to become an Arctic abuser. And we are seeing that happen right here. prgtoken Again, great capability. The Swedes have an Air Force, a Navy. They have the best cyber offensive and defensive capability in Europe--that large industrial base. Finland just agreed to buy 64 F-35s to replace their F-18s. prgtoken Both countries have been working with us in military exercises for years. They are virtually immediately interoperable. They bring capacity to the NATO alliance that it doesn't have without them. prgtoken I am grateful that they are joining. Finland is already at the 2 percent goal prgtoken of their commitment to their own national defense. Sweden will be there by 2028. prgtoken Senator Durbin, who is here on the floor with me, and I met with both of these
NATO
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-8-3

now on an entirely different matter today, the Senate will approve ratification protocols to welcome Finland and Sweden as the two newest members of NATO. prgtoken I appreciate Leader Schumer working with me to ensure the Senate takes this vote before the August recess. And for the reasons I have explained for months now, the vote this afternoon will be as decisive-- as decisive--as it is bipartisan. prgtoken There is just no question that admitting these robust democratic countries, with modern economies and capable, interoperable militaries, will only strengthen the most successful military alive in human history. prgtoken Both countries already participate in NATO and American-led missions. Finland already meets NATO's 2 percent spending target, and Sweden is making significant investments in modernizing its military. prgtoken Even with the capabilities these militaries already have, they will bring meaningful, interoperable military capabilities into the alliance on day 1 and improve burden-sharing across the alliance. prgtoken There is also no question that their entry is specifically in our interest. These are longstanding defense partners of the United States. The Finns have been flying F-18s and buying sophisticated American munitions since the 1990s. The Swedish defense industry cooperates closely with ours and incorporates American components into modern systems like their fighter aircraft. prgtoken Even closer cooperation with these partners will help us counter Russia and China. Their accession will make NATO stronger and America more secure. prgtoken If any Senator is looking for a defensible excuse to vote no, I wish them good luck. This is a slam dunk for national security that deserves unanimous bipartisan support.
NATO (Executive Session)
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-8-3

today, the Senate will vote to expand the NATO alliance to include Sweden and Finland. A crucial question that should be answered is whether Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO is in America's best interests and whether their joining will cause more or less war. prgtoken Well, for every action, there is a reaction. What do our adversaries say? Putin's immediate response to it was that Russia ``does not have a problem'' with Sweden or Finland applying for NATO but that ``the expansion of military infrastructure into this territory will of course give rise to reaction and response.'' So from Russia's perspective, they likely will tolerate Sweden and Finland in NATO but likely will not tolerate certain weapons systems in Finland or Sweden. prgtoken Advocates of NATO expansion said we can't be held hostage to Russia's threats. Perhaps. But if a country announces they will do X if you do Y, shouldn't someone at least contemplate the potential scenarios? The Russians have already announced that placing certain weapons systems in Finland is a redline. Whether the redline is justified is not the issue. The issue is, knowing your adversary's position, is it worth the risk of pushing missiles into Finland? prgtoken The world has changed since Putin invaded Ukraine. Arguments that admitting Sweden and Finland to NATO could provoke Russia are less potent now since Putin's war shows he can be provoked by actions short of Ukraine's actual admission to NATO. prgtoken Diplomats, though, should try to envision how the Ukraine war might end. One possible end would be, as Zelenskyy has stated, a neutral Ukraine not militarily aligned with either the West or the East. Neutrality doesn't have to always be a weakness. Neutral nations can serve as intermediaries in conflict resolution. Often, our discussions with Iran use neutral Sweden as a conduit. When all nations are aligned, who will be the mediators? The world will soon lose the important roles played by a neutral Finland and Sweden. prgtoken But Putin's invasion in Ukraine has changed the world. In this new world, I am less adamant about preventing NATO's expansion with Sweden and Finland, but I am still adamant about the reality that NATO's expansion will come at a cost. prgtoken I am here today to propose a reservation to ensure that this expansion will not come at the expense of losing our ability to determine where and when the United States goes to war. My reservation merely reasserts that article 5 of the NATO treaty does not supersede Congress's constitutional responsibility to declare war before the United States commits troops to war. prgtoken The Founders designed the separation of war powers to ensure that the decision to engage in hostilities would be made only after serious deliberation. According to our Constitution, the United States would resort to war only after the collective wisdom of the people's elected representatives determine war is i
Ukraine (Executive Session)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2022-8-3

to the speaker who has just finished speaking, before he leaves the floor, he and I share the same initials, TC, and in this case, we share the same views on an important issue. It is great to have the TCs--the Tango Charlies--speaking from the same hymn book. prgtoken On a lighter note, some of the conversation here today is pretty serious. This is a serious matter, but I want to make it, maybe, a little bit lighter. prgtoken I am reminded today of the words of Harry Truman, our former President, who used to say that the only thing new in the world is the history we forgot or never learned. The only thing new in the world is the history we forgot or never learned. prgtoken I want to take, if you will--as Presiding Officer knows, every Tuesday, we have our caucus lunch, and the s have theirs. Unfortunately, we don't dine together enough. But, at our caucus lunch, we have a history moment or a history minute--maybe a minute or 2. It is always one of the highlights, frankly, of the time we spend together. And I want to just look back a little bit in time as we take up, today, an issue that is right before us. prgtoken As it turns out, the first Swedes and Finns came to America about 384 years ago. They themselves were from a place called Kalmar, Sweden. At the time, as we have heard from others who have spoken, Sweden and Finland were the same country. There was no Finland. All the Finns lived in Sweden, and they continued to live in Sweden for a good long time. I think the Swedish lived--1809. In 1809, the Swedish rule over Finland officially came to an end, and Finland separated from Sweden. prgtoken But when the two ships, the Kalmar Nyckel and the Fogel Grip, set sail from what was then Sweden, across the Atlantic Ocean toward the Western Hemisphere, they got close to land and ended up sailing north into what later would become the Delaware Bay. They sailed further north into what would become the more narrow channel of the Delaware River. They continued to sail. They didn't go as far up as what is now Philadelphia, but they came across an uncharted river that went to the west. It was kind of a left turn off the Delaware River to the west. They sailed for about a mile, maybe a mile and a half. prgtoken They decided that they would put down their anchors, and there was a bunch of rocks--big rocks--along the side of that river. They put down their anchors and declared that spot to be the colony of New Sweden. It is what is now Wilmington, DE--the colony of New Sweden. They raised their flag and said: This is where we are going to make our stand. prgtoken That was, I think, maybe the first European colony, at least in my State, that was created. Later, it was taken over, I think, by the Dutch and then by, maybe, the British. But, initially, it was the Swedes and the Finns who colonized that spot. prgtoken Delaware has one of the newest national parks in America, and it is a different kin
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2022-8-3

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.