mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Floor Votes (Executive Calendar)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-2-9

I want to start by thanking my friend from the great State of New Hampshire for signing on to a letter I just want to briefly describe and send the letter to the desk. prgtoken I send a letter to the desk which has been signed by seven Members of this body, and we expect several more to be added over the next day, if not this evening. prgtoken Ladies and gentlemen, it is pretty simple. I was thinking that my mom is one of the few people who probably watches C-SPAN a lot when her son is on the floor. We have so many instances where we have 90 or so Members standing on the floor, looking at a door to the left or the right or the rear, wondering where that last Senator is who is holding the vote open. prgtoken So, Mom, when I am on the floor and looking that way, it is because we have a Member who may be coming to vote or maybe not. prgtoken What we have here is a situation where any one Member is able to hold the vote open. Out of respect for that Member--technically, the vote could be called after the time is called, but it is not out of respect for our Members. prgtoken So what I have simply done is circulate with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and say: How about this as a proposition: If you are the last Member to vote and your vote will not change the outcome, then instruct the desk and the Presiding Officer to simply call the vote. prgtoken We had nearly 80 Members already agree that is a reasonable proposition, and every one of those Members has an opportunity on an exception basis to say: No, this vote is important to me; you have to hold it open. prgtoken They could be caught in traffic. They could be coming from the airport--any number of valid reasons. prgtoken There was a vote on this this afternoon, and the reason I missed that vote was I am a ranking member of a subcommittee, and the witnesses were just about to testify. I could have held the vote open or I could have been rude to the witnesses and left when they prepared the testimony. I felt like it was more important to hear their testimony. That vote, by the way, passed by a huge margin. That is an example where I am perfectly happy to show respect to my colleagues, not hold the vote open, and move on. prgtoken Tonight, we are going to have several votes stacked up, and invariably, we may have someone come in--I don't think it is malicious, but they are unintentionally holding up the proceedings of this body. I think if we simply have them, their scheduler, their chief of staff, or anyone in their office simply say ``The boss has to vote on this bill,'' then they could call the cloakroom, and the vote could be held open, which is a tradition here. prgtoken I want to thank Senator Shaheen, the Presiding Officer. I want to thank the 77 people who have signed on to this letter just to show that we want to do the work of the people, we want to do it in a timely manner, and we want prgtoken to show the utmost respect to the Member
Biden Administration (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-2-9

folks in Texas and across the country are looking to their elected officials for sound leadership. Family budgets are being clobbered by the worst inflation in 40 years. From gas stations to grocery stores and everywhere in between, people are spending significantly more money on their basic expenses. Inflation has outpaced wage growth, giving the average worker a pay cut. That is what inflation does. It erodes and undermines your standard of living by charging more for basic goods and services. prgtoken Families aren't just stressing about their finances; they are also worried about their safety. The shocking surge in violent crime that began in 2020 hasn't just continued. In many places, it has accelerated, and last year several major cities had their deadliest year on record. prgtoken With the safety and well-being of their families at the forefront, our constituents want to know what is being done to address these problems. They are pretty basic. prgtoken What types of solutions do their representatives have in the Senate and the House? What actions are the White House contemplating and how long will it be before they can experience some relief? Unfortunately, when the voters gave the leadership of the White House and both Houses of Congress, the responsibility has largely been up to them to provide that leadership when it comes to the agenda. prgtoken Unfortunately, the real problems that my constituents in Texas are experiencing, like inflation and crime, those were the last things for our leaders here in Washington to consider. Forget real problems and real families; ' governing strategy was dictated by partisan ambitions. prgtoken Our colleagues tried to give the Internal Revenue Service the unprecedented authority and manpower to snoop on the finances of virtually every single American. Now, we are accustomed to the fact that the IRS knows how much you make; that is how you calculate your taxes. But our ic colleagues went so far as to inquire for every family: How much money do you spend and what do you spend it on? That sort of invasion of privacy is unprecedented. prgtoken Then our colleagues on the other side of the aisle tried to get involved in the childcare business and dictate what sort of childcare and where you would be able to get that childcare and how much it would cost. Basically, saying to those who are motivated to help support families when it comes to childcare, that if you are a faith-based organization, you are not going to qualify. And because of the huge influx of money that the were planning to put into childcare, excluding a huge segment of the childcare providers was going to result in scarce supply and run up the price, further exacerbating inflation. prgtoken Then we saw when it comes to the wealthy--our ic colleagues like to be the party of the average working person and complain about Big Business and millionaires
RECOGNIZING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION MONTH
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-2-9

I rise today to recognize February as Career and Technical Education Month. prgtoken During this month, we celebrate and highlight the value career and technical education, or CTE, which restores the rungs on the ladder of opportunity for many individuals and gives them the tools to succeed. prgtoken As the co-chair of the Bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus and a senior member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, I have always supported, and will continue to support, CTE programs that provide learners of all ages with career-ready skills. prgtoken Our students should be aware of their educational options and understand a bachelor's degree is not the only path to a meaningful, family-sustaining career. prgtoken A highly skilled workforce is important to the success of America's economic growth and competitiveness. prgtoken , I thank my friend, Congressman Jim Langevin from Rhode Island, for joining me and introducing this resolution to recognize the importance of career and technical education. prgtoken We will continue to work hard to close the Nation's skills gap.
CLOTURE MOTION
Ron Johnson (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-2-9

oftentimes when we talk rising crime, we talk about statistics. For example, last year in Milwaukee, there were 194 murders. prgtoken As I prepared to give remarks yesterday, I got the stat that there were 26 murders already this year. That is an 86-percent increase. Unfortunately, last night there were two more murders, and now it is up to 28. prgtoken Seventy-three law enforcement officers were intentionally killed in the line of duty last year. That is the highest it has been since 1995. prgtoken We had three police officers shot in a 2-week period at the end of January. Those are just some of the statistics, and I am sure you have heard a lot more on the floor here today. But one thing I don't think we talk about enough are the victims. prgtoken I heard President 's Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, last week. I guess she was monitoring different TV stations, and she remarked that one commentator was talking about soft-on-crime consequences, and she giggled and said what does that even mean? prgtoken Well, I will talk about what it means. An excellent article in the Just the News a couple days ago had some heartbreaking examples of those consequences. prgtoken Last week, we held an event about the open border, about the catch- and-release policies of this administration, record levels of people coming into this country illegally and what that represents from a standpoint of national security and homeland security and crime. prgtoken In Alabama's Chilton County, two illegal immigrants, ages 27 and 28, have been charged in the murders of three adults found shot and burned in an SUV. prgtoken In another recent case, a Florida father who believed he was taking in a 16-year-old migrant minor from Honduras, a Good Samaritan, was killed by that migrant who turned out to be much older and involved in crime. prgtoken In Florida, a 5-year-old girl riding in her mother's car was crushed to death when an illegal immigrant from Honduras crashed into the car. The driver admitted he got into the car after drinking six cans of 32- ounce beers. prgtoken In County, TX, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador is charged with exiting his vehicle during a routine traffic stop and fatally shooting the sheriff's deputy in the face. prgtoken Those are just a few examples of the consequences of soft-on-crime policies. Those are crimes that were committed by illegal immigrants that take advantage of the catch-and-release policies on the border. prgtoken But we are not only just experiencing catch-and-release on the southern border, we also have catch-and-release in our criminal justice system--these no-bail, low-bail policies promoted by generally district attorneys in cities governed for decades by . prgtoken We had a tragedy in Waukesha, WI. It never should have happened. This was during the Waukesha Christmas parade, when children lined up on the street, on the curb, waiting to see Santa Claus--instead
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN 2021
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-2-9

I thank my friend from Texas for yielding. I want to say, first and foremost, I thank him for his consistent, loud, smart, and well-reasoned comments on our open border and the impact on our citizens. prgtoken , I too want to bring attention to this criminal issue. prgtoken I have this Sweet-N-Low packet that so many of us put in our coffee in the morning, and that illustrates, , that that one amount of sweetener, if it were fentanyl, would kill 500 Americans. prgtoken In Arkansas, fentanyl deaths are up 441 percent since 2015. Over 600 Arkansans have lost their lives. Every 5 minutes we lose a neighbor to an accidental drug overdose. Just last year, as my friend from Texas said, we lost over 100,000 Americans to accidental overdoses, which is now the leading cause of death between the ages of 18 and 45. We were here on this floor 3 years ago lamenting 55,000 Americans dying in 1 year--the same we lost in the entire Vietnam war--and now it is 100,000. prgtoken Fentanyl is directly responsible for 64 percent of those deaths, Mr and a majority of that fentanyl within the United States comes from our porous Southwest border--the border that the administration has continuously failed to secure--as it flows directly into our communities. prgtoken Last year, enough fentanyl was interdicted--that is what we caught-- by our overworked Border Patrol to kill every American seven times over. It isn't enough to confiscate it at the border. We need strong leadership to discourage it from arriving in the first place, and we can do that by permanently scheduling fentanyl as a schedule I substance and increase the criminal penalties. prgtoken We need strong leadership and strong policies to secure our border and respond to the illicit fentanyl that has been found in every street drug. Until then, sadly, as noted by my friend from Texas, Americans will continue to die at the hand of fentanyl. Cheering on Team USA
Crime (Executive Calendar)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-2-9

I rise this morning to recognize and congratulate the Coffeyville Community College Red Ravens men's basketball team on winning the 2021 National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1 men's basketball championship. Kansas has an unparalleled history of college athletes, and I am proud to recognize the Coffeyville Red Ravens' contribution to our State's many accomplishments. prgtoken On April 24, 2021, the Coffeyville Red Ravens brought home their first national championship trophy in nearly six decades. As an underdog in the national tournament with a No. 10 ranking, this accomplishment is a result of hard work, determination, and grit. During the championship game, freshman center Blaise Keita had a career high of 27 points, and Tylor Perry scored 18 points. Additionally, Blaise, Tylor, and Love Bettis were named to the All-Tournament team. prgtoken The honorable achievements of these players have earned rightful recognition for their commitment to excellence in college athletics. Athletics teach young men and women many valuable skills that serve them throughout their lives. prgtoken These lessons and this team's accomplishment were not possible without the leadership of Head Coach Jay Herkelman, who has been an instrumental member of the Red Ravens men's basketball program for nearly three decades. As a coach who has shown dedication to his players and his team, he has earned the title of the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association's ``Coach of the Year'' five times. Furthermore, congratulations to Coach Herkelman, who is only 1 win away from reaching the remarkable milestone of 700 wins with the Red Ravens. prgtoken I am pleased to have introduced a resolution with Congressman LaTurner and Senator Marshall on behalf of these dedicated student athletes, coaches, team, and school, and to have had it unanimously pass the U.S. Senate last week. prgtoken Thank you to the players, the coaches, and the staff of the Coffeyville Community College Red Ravens men's basketball team for bringing this win home. prgtoken Congratulations to all in Southeast Kansas, South Central Kansas, those who are students, those who are faculty, and those who lead this college. We are proud of their success. prgtoken The Coffeyville community has much to take pride in this strong program, and I look forward to their continued success. prgtoken . prgtoken .
H.R. 4445
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-2-10

protecting survivors of sexual assault and prgtoken harassment has been one of my top priorities here in the Senate. In fact, yesterday, I introduced the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, which now has the support of 10 of my colleagues. prgtoken Today, we are here to talk about another issue that is impacting too many in our Nation's workforce. The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2022 provides survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment with a choice between litigation and arbitration so their voices will not be silenced. prgtoken Earlier this Congress, I was glad to see progress in the Senate Judiciary Committee as they moved forward on this bill. The committee took action that I supported. They removed the provision on collective bargaining agreements. Just this week, I was even more encouraged when the House made further changes to the bill that improved the definition of sexual harassment. prgtoken While these changes are important and significant, it is still not a perfect solution. That is why, when I sat down earlier this week with the majority leader and the lead sponsor of this bill, my friend from South Carolina, we agreed to come to the floor and ensure the congressional intent of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2022 was crystal clear. prgtoken During our meeting, my colleagues agreed with me that this bill should not be the catalyst for destroying predispute arbitration agreements in all employment matters. Specifically, we agreed that harassment or assault claims should not be joined to an employment claim without a key nexus. Harassment and assault allegations are very serious and should stand on their own. The language of this bill should be narrowly interpreted. It should not be used as a mechanism to move employment claims that are unrelated to these important issues out of the current system. These clarifications are needed. prgtoken I care very much and support survivors of sexual harassment or assault having access to the appropriate process to ensure swift justice, but it is also very important to me that those claims stand separate from any other kind of claim. I am grateful that Senators Schumer and Graham stand with me today in knowing that those claims are meaningfully different. prgtoken There is one other important piece here that I would like to mention and that, I hope, my colleagues can agree with me on. If an employment agreement contains a predispute arbitration clause and a sexual assault or harassment claim is brought forward in conjunction with another employment claim and the assault or harassment claim is later dismissed, a court should remand the other claim back to the arbitration system under this bill. prgtoken I think we can all agree that we want to ensure survivors of sexual assault have their voices heard.
TRIBUTE TO DON NEAGLE
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-2-10

after more than six decades as a staple of Logan County radio, Don Neagle is retiring this year. As the host of the WRUS morning show and the ``Feedback'' program, Don brings high-quality news to his community, interviewing everyone from politicians, to writers, to theologians. As one local leader put it so aptly, Don is Logan County's ``bulletin board,'' relaying all of his community's most important news in one place. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Don in his retirement. prgtoken For decades, Don arrived at his office every weekday at 4:15 am, preparing the day's news while most listeners were still fast asleep. By the time Logan County residents were on their morning commute, he was already halfway through his workday. Through his incredible work ethic and scrappy style, Don stayed ahead of breaking news and at the pinnacle of Kentucky journalism. prgtoken Don is a legendary interviewer, and his ``Feedback'' show is the highlight of WRUS's entire programming lineup. Any leader in Kentucky government, myself included, knows that it's basically a requirement to be interviewed prgtoken by Don when visiting Logan County. I have had the pleasure of speaking to him many times, and it is always an enlightening conversation full of informed, probing questions. prgtoken Don's calm, constant voice has earned him many fans across the Commonwealth. He joined the Kentucky Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2006, demonstrating that his influence reaches far beyond Logan County's borders. While his skill brought him acclaim from around Kentucky, he never strayed in his commitment to his Logan County home. Don's career was more than just a job; he formed a deep bond with Logan County, and even after six decades, he seems loath to give it up. prgtoken Though Don is taking a step back from his expansive role at WRUS, he will remain at the station for the time being as host of ``Feedback'' and an occasional guest interviewer. In the meantime, he will have more time to spend with his two daughters, six grandchildren, and six great- grandchildren. He will also be able to pursue his favorite lifelong pastime, reading, with new gusto. prgtoken In honor of Don's retirement, I would like to thank him for his service to the Commonwealth and unflagging loyalty to strong local journalism. He has delivered an invaluable service to Logan County residents for more than 60 years, and we will all miss his ever-present voice. prgtoken , Bowling Green Daily News paid tribute to Don's career in a recent article. I ask unanimous consent the article be printed in the Record.
Nominations (Executive Session)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-2-10

I really believe you can tell a lot about an administration's priorities based on the people that they put in place in each location. And that is true for every administration. prgtoken There are more than 300 million Americans. Many of them are passionate about serving our Nation. We have many great Federal employees who spend their entire life serving our Nation. So there are a lot of individuals to be able to choose from to be able to put in different administration roles, but their background tells you a lot about what the priority is and the purpose is. prgtoken For instance, I would say Xavier Becerra, who is leading HHS, who has no healthcare background at all, who is an attorney now leading our Nation's healthcare focus--the major issue for him: He was the most vocal proponent of abortion while he was in Congress. While he was attorney general in California, he was an activist pushing abortion in every single country--even suing other States when they limited abortion as the attorney general of California. prgtoken He was an activist about abortion. He would increase abortions in America. That was a major reason he was put in that spot with HHS. Why else would you put an activist attorney leading our Nation's healthcare area? prgtoken You can say the same thing with some of the major nominations that have come in for DOJ: Kristen Clarke, Vanita Gupta. Both of them are outspoken proponents of the ``defund the police'' movement, and now they are actually in the Department of Justice. prgtoken Kristen Clarke wrote: ``We must invest less in police and more in social workers.'' She also wrote: ``We must invest less in police'' and more in social supports for our schools; less in police, more in mental health aid. It was the main focus of the ``defund the police'' movement that she continued to be able to drive in her op-eds and her writings. That is why she was selected, clearly, to go to the Department of Justice. prgtoken Vanita Gupta did the same thing. She said: It is ``critical for state and local leaders to . . . decrease police budgets and the scope, role, and responsibility of police in our lives.'' prgtoken There is a reason she is selected to be able to be in that spot. It matches with the priorities and values of the administration. prgtoken It is the same thing when you look at Defense. In national Defense, Alexandra Baker, when she was put to be Under Secretary of Defense, she said she is outspoken in beliefs that climate change is the leading national security challenge that we face--the leading national security challenge. I am sure the folks in Russia and Ukraine would be glad to be able to hear that our leading challenge currently is climate change in the Department of Defense. prgtoken Listen, these are all sets of priorities when you look at them and you look at the different individuals, and it is the same when we look at what is happening right now with Ms. Sarah Bloom Raskin