mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
The JUSTICE Act (Executive Calendar)
Tim Scott (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-6-23

I come to the floor to continue a conversation, a dialogue, about the importance of moving forward on the motion to proceed on the JUSTICE Act. prgtoken It was just an hour and a half ago, in front of the entire press corps, when I, Leader McConnell, and the leadership team on the side had a very open conversation with the press about fact that voting for this motion to proceed is voting for an open process. He said--and I agree--that this process must be open. I have asked that we have amendments, and the leader has said yes. prgtoken So, to my friends on the other side who believe that somehow--in some way--this does not include an actual open process, wherein you have a chance over several days, in the sight of the public, to talk about and offer your amendments, that is wrong. If you want a process whereby you will have an opportunity to persuade those in this body and the American people about the value of your amendments, this motion to proceed is a motion you should vote for. More importantly, rather than persuading the American people that this is a motion to proceed that you should vote for, if you really want to get into police reform, we will need a vehicle with which to get there. The JUSTICE Act is that vehicle. prgtoken Pelosi herself said--and I do not often quote Pelosi or even paraphrase Pelosi about something that she and I might agree on, but I agree here--that it would be important for us to have a conference, which would require this body to pass legislation. Then it would go to conference with the House. The only way we will pass legislation in this body is for there to be a bipartisan coalition of s and , working together, because a majority of the Senate is not 51 out of 100. From a legislative purpose, the majority of the Senate is 60 votes. That means we require 60 votes to even start the process of saying to little boys and girls in communities of color around this country: We see you. We hear you. prgtoken I grew up in some impoverished communities and in a single-parent household--mired in poverty. I understand how it feels to leave your home, get in a car, and be afraid of being stopped. I get that. I have spoken about that too many times already. What I will say is that this body has a chance to say to those kids: We see you. We hear your concerns. prgtoken A motion to proceed is simply a procedural motion that says: Let's debate the underlying bill. Let's have a conversation in front of all of the American people about the importance of doing police reform the right way. If you don't trust the s or if you don't trust the , you get to watch the process play out right here, within the world's greatest deliberative body--you can watch it play out right here, live on C-SPAN--and come to your own conclusions about the seriousness of this issue. Yet if we miss that golden opportunity--if we miss the opportunity
CONGRATULATING DARIN LANDRY AS ARKANSAS PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2020-6-24

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate Darin Landry of Lakeside High School in Hot Springs for his recent recognition as the 2020 Arkansas Principal of the Year. Landry was given this award by the Arkansas Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP) in recognition of his years of service and his innovative techniques for educating Arkansas students. prgtoken Among Landry's successes as an educator is the Second Chance Policy program in which students found to be in possession or under the influence of drugs at school are given the opportunity for community service hours and access to drug and alcohol abuse programs. In addition, he has implemented a ``restorative justice program'' in which educators implement alternative methods of discipline to see students succeed and decrease student suspensions and expulsions. prgtoken Landry has worked extensively with the rest of the school district and with the community to start projects such as the Lakeside Legacy Program, the Project Search program which provides onsite job training, and the Future of Lakeside Committee dedicated to determining a new method of ranking students. prgtoken It is clear from Landry's years of work that his goal is to seek a better learning environment for these students. I take this time to thank him for his commitment to our community's youngest minds and to congratulate him on this high honor.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--Motion to Proceed
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2020-6-24

. The Senator from Maryland was first. I have 40 seconds to comment, but thank you. prgtoken I respect the Senator from Virginia, but I would like to note for the Record, as somebody who spent a lot of time in the working group under Senator Scott's leadership, that Senator Kaine repeatedly said it was a ``my way or the highway'' approach. I just think it is really important for the Record for us to admit that this is an open amendment process that has been proposed, and that some of the who came to some of the meetings to negotiate were frankly stunned when Mr. Scott went from 5 amendments to 20 amendments, to whatever number you want. That is the opposite of a ``my way or the highway'' approach. That language isn't true. An open amendment process where dozens have been offered is not a ``my way or the highway'' approach.
RECOGNIZING MS. BAILEY DOWLING
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2020-6-24

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate Ms. Bailey Dowling of St. Joseph-Ogden High School, who was named the 2019-20 Gatorade Illinois Softball Player of the Year. prgtoken The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Bailey as Illinois's best high school softball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Bailey joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports. prgtoken Ms. Dowling, who won the prestigious award in 2018-19, was one of only two high-school athletes on the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team that won the U19 World Championships last August. In addition prgtoken to her superior achievements on the field, Bailey is an incredibly hard worker off the field, volunteering locally as a youth mentor and softball coach while simultaneously maintaining a 3.33 GPA in her high school classroom. Bailey has signed a national letter of intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of Alabama this fall. prgtoken Madam , I congratulate Bailey on her achievement and wish her continued success in both her athletic and academic careers.
IN RECOGNITION OF DORRIS LEUTNER'S 100TH BIRTHDAY
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2020-6-24

. Madam , I rise today to honor Dorris M. Leutner celebrating her 100th birthday. prgtoken Dorris, a resident of Calumet County, Wisconsin was born on July 1st, 1920. Growing up through the Great Depression, Dorris learned the value of hard work and service. She went on to join the Armed Services as a member of the United States Army during World War II. Enlisting on March 26, 1942, she rose to the rank of Technical Sergeant. prgtoken During her service in the Army, Dorris was stationed at Fort Meade, Maryland. Fort Meade was an integral training center during World War II, and throughout the war, its facilities were used by an estimated three and a half million men and women. Fort Meade's operations varied greatly, from providing bread to those serving, training young men and women in Special Services as entertainers for enlisted troops, and holding German and Italian Prisoners of War. prgtoken As a Technical Sergeant, Dorris was dedicated to serving others. She worked as a dental assistant for an Army oral surgeon, operating under difficult conditions to perform a vital service for her fellow soldiers. Dorris left the Army on February 2, 1945 having served her country for nearly three years through the height of the Second World War. prgtoken Throughout her life, Dorris continued to display the courage and selflessness demonstrated by the great men and women serving in our Armed Forces. Dorris truly embodies the character and strength of this country's Greatest Generation, serving our country with dignity and pride during one of its greatest times of need. Her dedication and sacrifice continue to be an inspiration to many in Northeast Wisconsin. prgtoken Madam , I urge all members of this body to join me in thanking Dorris Leutner for her service to this country and wishing her a happy and healthy 100th birthday.
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2020-6-24

I have a request for one committee to meet during today's session of the Senate. It has the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committee is authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Armed Services prgtoken The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at a time to be determined, to conduct a hearing on nominations.
The JUSTICE Act (Executive Session)
Tim Scott (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-6-24

we come here today with an opportunity to say to America and specifically to communities of color: We see you. We hear you. I have experienced your pain. prgtoken I have been stopped 18 times in the last two decades, and 1 year, I was stopped seven times, as an elected official in this body, trying to get into the Chamber and into the office buildings on the congressional side. prgtoken I understand some part of what too many have experienced. This police reform legislation addresses that. It provides clear opportunities for us to say: Not only do we hear you, not only do we see you, but we are responding to your pain, because we in America believe that justice should be applied equally to all of our citizens, with no exceptions, and when we see exceptions, it is our responsibility to do something about those exceptions, and this legislation helps us get there. prgtoken I say to my colleagues on the other side, we received a letter from Senator Schumer saying that there were five things about the JUSTICE Act that did not meet their principles. My response was a simple one: Let's have five amendments on those things. If we can get the votes on these two sides of the Chamber, we should include that in the legislation. prgtoken I met with other Senators on the other side who said that there are more than five things that we need to have a conversation about. I said: Let's include an amendment for every single prgtoken issue you have. They did not stick around for that meeting. prgtoken My concern is that 80 percent just won't do. My concern is that our friends on the other side will not take advantage of this opportunity to say to the communities that are suffering: We see you. We hear you. We are willing to respond as one body. prgtoken I implore all of us to vote for the motion to proceed so that if there are recommendations that come in the form of amendments, we have a vote up or down on those amendments. I have offered as many amendments as necessary for this bill to be seen by the public, and, in consultation with the other side, let it be their bill--not Tim Scott's bill, not the bill, not the bill, but a bill that starts to address the issues that have plagued this Nation for decades. prgtoken This is not my first start at this legislation. I started on this bill 5 years ago, but I could not find voices that would push forward reforms brought to our attention by the Walter Scott shooting in 2013. prgtoken I will close with this: I respect people with whom I disagree. They have the right to disagree. My pastor tells me I have the right to be wrong, which means I am not right all the time. But on this bill, if you don't think we are right, make it better. Don't walk away. Vote for the motion to proceed so that we have an opportunity to deal with this very real threat to the America that is civil, that is balanced. This is an opportunity to say yes--to say yes not to us but to th
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-6-24

I have 7 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry prgtoken The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation prgtoken The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources prgtoken The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 9:30 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Indian Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Indian Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 2:30 p.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on the Judiciary prgtoken The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing on nominations. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, at 10 a.m to conduct a closed hearing.
TRIBUTE TO KIM CAWLEY
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-6-24

. . I rise today to recognize the distinguished career and retirement of Kim Cawley after 34 years of service at the Congressional Budget Office. Kim has been Chief of the Natural and Physical Resources Cost Estimates Unit for more than 20 of those years, also spent over a decade as one of CBO's energy analysts. He is one of that agency's experts on the Nuclear Waste Fund, the treatment of Federal loans and loan guarantees, and the budgetary effects of Federal insurance programs. prgtoken It is hard to overstate Kim's role in analyzing the budgetary impacts of an incredibly broad swath of legislation over the past three decades. He has been instrumental in providing objective, carefully researched estimates of thousands of pieces of legislation that the Congress has considered, debated, and enacted since the mid-1980, including bills dealing with flood insurance, compensation for victims of asbestos and oilspills, Federal property sales, and infrastructure financing, to name just a few. prgtoken Kim has worked tirelessly with Members of Congress and our staff on both sides of the aisle throughout those years. During many hours of discussion and patient explanation, he could be counted on to be forthright and fair. He embodied CBO's commitment to nonpartisan analysis and helped the Congress understand the intricacies of such complex laws as the Federal Credit Reform Act, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, and the 9-11 Victims Compensation Act. prgtoken Kim has been a mentor and guide to dozens of CBO analysts. Thanks to his prgtoken guidance and training, a generation of CBO analysts think harder, dig deeper, and ask more probing questions when analyzing the estimated the costs of legislation. Kim set high standards for himself and for the Natural Resources Unit, and we are confident that they will continue to provide timely and thorough analyses for the Congress thanks to what they have learned under Kim's leadership. prgtoken I, along with House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, wish to thank Kim for his years of dedicated service to the Congress and extend to him our best wishes for a well-deserved retirement.
Justice in Policing Act (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-6-24

I want to ask the American people, I want to ask Senators: Who is a better guardian of the civil rights of African Americans when it comes to police reform--the NAACP or Mitch McConnell? prgtoken If this bill were such a good path to reform, why wouldn't civil rights organizations from one end of America to another say: Go forward; maybe we will get something done. Because they know the bill is a ruse, and nothing will get done. That is the way it is designed. Whom do you believe when it comes to civil rights and police accountability--Mitch McConnell or the lawyer for the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor? Whom do you believe--the lawyer of the Floyd and Taylor families or Mitch McConnell, whom we have never heard speak on this issue on the floor until the last few weeks? These groups have been speaking about it for decades. prgtoken The idea--the idea--that this bill is a step forward when it will lead to nowhere? It will not be. Mitch McConnell keeps saying you can cut the bill off when you don't get your 60 votes. What kind of solution is that, when it is a junky bill, when it is a bill that doesn't go far enough at all? Why don't we put a good bill on the floor that can pass? prgtoken Let me read what the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said. They have had a hand in crafting every piece of meaningful legislation passed in Congress in the last few years. The JUSTICE Act-- prgtoken The bill-- is an inadequate response to the decades of pain, hardship, and devastation that Black people have and continue to endure as a result of systemic racism and lax policies that fail to hold police accountable for misconduct. This bill falls woefully short of the comprehensive reform needed to address the current policing crisis and achieve meaningful law enforcement accountability. prgtoken Listen to this sentence, from 136 civil rights organizations about this bill that Leader McConnell has put on the floor: It is deeply problematic to meet this moment with a menial incremental approach that offers more funding to police, and few policies to effectively address the constant loss of Black lives at the hands of police. prgtoken Leader McConnell, here is what the civil rights organizations say about your bill. They rip off any cloaking about what this bill really does and what it is. I want to read it again--specifically to our leader, who thinks this is a good bill and a great attempt to go forward: It is deeply problematic to meet this moment with a menial incremental approach that offers more funding to police, and few policies to effectively address the constant loss of Black lives at the hands of police. prgtoken Whom do you believe, America--the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights or Mitch McConnell? Whom do you believe, America--the NAACP or the Re
Introductory Statement on S. 4053
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-6-24

today I introduce, along with Senator Inhofe, Senator Jones, Senator Moran, and Senator Hyde-Smith, the DOE EPSCoR Modernization Act of 2020. prgtoken As many of our colleagues are aware, the Department of Energy Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR) was established by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-486). This critical initiative seeks to improve the capacity of eligible states to conduct nationally competitive energy research and connect eligible states with the National Laboratory System. prgtoken The purpose of the bill we are introducing is to broaden the scope of the prgtoken research funded by the DOE EPSCoR program beyond basic science, to encompass the full range of research supported by DOE. This includes cutting-edge research in applied energy technologies, energy efficiency, energy storage, and environmental management, to name a few key areas. Yet, because of the program's narrow focus on basic science, EPSCoR States are only able to support a small fraction of DOE's research mission. prgtoken Our bill would continue to support investments in research infrastructure and expand opportunities for EPSCoR institutions to partner with National Laboratories to conduct their research. Our bill would also increase support for graduate students and early career faculty. prgtoken When the National Academy of Sciences evaluated EPSCoR programs, it concluded that EPSCoR programs are critical to the nation's scientific and technology leadership, because EPSCoR helps ensure that talented researchers and scientists from all 50 states are partners in science and technology research. This is even truer in the context of energy issues, where each state and region faces different energy opportunities and infrastructure challenges. prgtoken By modernizing the program and bringing it into alignment with EPSCoR programs operated by other agencies, DOE EPSCoR will be better positioned to meet today's energy challenges and align with the interests and strengths of EPSCoR states. I am pleased to have the support of the Coalition of EPSCoR/IDeA States in this effort, and I urge our colleagues to join us in pressing for passage of this bill.