mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Border Security (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-3-15

last Thursday night, I was able to return home to Texas, and on Friday, I went to the southern border. Texas has 100 miles of common border with Mexico, and, obviously, we are at ground zero whenever there is a border crisis. prgtoken I was glad to be joined by my friend Congressman Henry Cuellar, who has been a partner of mine on bipartisan, bicameral border security and immigration reform legislation in the past, and we were also joined by Congressman Michael Burgess, our friend from North Texas. prgtoken We visited a holding facility in Carrizo Springs, which houses young boys, ages 13 through 17, who were apprehended along the border. We were able to see the facility, which includes medical care, classroom space, dining facilities, and legal services for these young men. And we heard from the Health and Human Services workers who are doing everything they can to care for these children, despite being completely overwhelmed. prgtoken When we visited, there were 679 children between the ages of 13 and 17, but the facility is expected to reach capacity by today. This is no accident that we are seeing waves of unaccompanied minors coming across the border because the human smugglers and the drug traffickers understand our laws perhaps better than we do. And they know that if you are able to flood the zone with unaccompanied children, the Border Patrol are going to be distracted and diverted from their border security mission to take care of these children and to make sure that they are safe. prgtoken In the meantime, the drug smugglers exploit those gaps left when the Border Patrol leaves the frontlines to handle and process these unaccompanied children. Last year, more than 80,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in this country, and, unfortunately, a significant percentage of that involves the methamphetamine, the fentanyl, the heroin, and the cocaine that comes up through the southern border in the hands of the same criminal organizations that move people, traffic in human beings, and, again, smuggle drugs. prgtoken In the 2 months since President took office, the situation along the border has come to rival the largest surges that we have seen in previous years. We remember the border crisis of 2014, when an alarming number of unaccompanied children and families came across the southern border and completely overwhelmed the system. That summer, the situation was so dire that President called it a humanitarian crisis. prgtoken Then came the surge in 2019. That May, Customs and Border Protection reported a recordbreaking 144,000 encounters with migrants along the southwest border, more than double the amount we experienced during the 2014 humanitarian crisis. prgtoken So if 2014 was a humanitarian crisis, 2019 was a humanitarian crisis on steroids. And I am afraid the current situation is going to get nothing but worse and perhaps outpace even the humanitarian crisis on steroid
Filibuster (Executive Session)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2021-3-15

I rise today to discuss a piece of legislation we may soon consider in this body called H.R. 1. prgtoken H.R. 1 does not solve the problems currently facing our election system; it makes the problems worse. have labeled the bill the ``For the People Act,'' but it really should be called ``For the Act.'' prgtoken This partisan bill represents the largest Federal power grab in decades, and that is saying a lot after rammed through a partisan $1.9 trillion stimulus bill just 2 weeks ago. The American people elected 50 Senators, but the are happy to cut out half the Chamber and the millions of Americans we represent to get what they want. prgtoken H.R. 1 would completely rewrite our election laws, hijacking power from the States and giving it to the Federal Government to dictate how our elections are run. This type of top-down approach is the opposite of our founding principles of self-government. prgtoken Article I, section 4 of the Constitution grants States the authority to manage their Federal election processes; H.R. 1 would take that away. The changes to our free and Federal elections that H.R. 1 proposes should concern every single American. This bill forces a one- size-fits-all election system on our country by federally mandating how States run their elections. This phrase ``for the people'' means allowing citizens to choose their own leaders and voting processes, not Washington dictating new rules of the game. prgtoken Let's look at a few examples. H.R. 1 would prohibit States from requiring voters to show identification, photo ID, or otherwise. Currently, 36 States have requirements where voters need to show ID to vote. Nearly 75 percent of States agree that that is a good idea to confirm you are who you say you are when you go to exercise one of the most important civic duties. prgtoken But the point is, States get to decide. They get to decide the laws on their books when it comes to managing their Federal election processes. H.R. 1 would nix the law in those 36 States. prgtoken H.R. 1 would also make same-day voter registration mandatory in all 50 States. There are obvious concerns with same-day registration and its potential to be abused. This concept isn't new. prgtoken Many States have already had the opportunity to consider it and adopt it or not if they choose. But if H.R. 1 is enacted, it would overrule the laws and choices of 29 States that have already decided they don't want such a risky provision in their voting process. prgtoken Additionally, the are using this bill to make all the worst practices of pandemic-era elections mandatory in all 50 States: universal mail-in ballots, ballot harvesting, and the drop boxes, just to name a few. prgtoken There may not be much we agree upon up here on Capitol Hill sometimes, but I think we all agree that the 2020 Federal elections voting process was a complete disaster in some Stat
Nomination of Xavier Becerra (Executive Calendar)
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-3-16

the Senate is considering the nomination of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Without question, the Senate should reject this nomination. prgtoken In the midst of this pandemic, America deserves a Health Secretary who is solely--solely focused on getting shots in arms, getting kids back to school, and getting parents back to work. But that is not Mr. Becerra. prgtoken Over his long career in politics, his primary passion has been ramming through a radical, far-left agenda and using the power of his office to persecute his political enemies. prgtoken Mr. Becerra would be in charge of administering the Nation's health programs, but he has virtually no experience or expertise in healthcare. His only experience responding to the pandemic, as far as I can tell, has been his enforcement of California's excessive and traumatizing lockdowns over the last year. prgtoken Mr. Becerra has been California's top cop, overseeing the most draconian and unconstitutional series of lockdowns anywhere in our country. He has shuttered churches while liquor stores and marijuana dispensaries remain open. He has destroyed small, family-owned businesses while enriching massive corporations. prgtoken In the false name of public health, he has rigorously enforced unscientific and unproductive measures that have ruined the lives of Californians. Today, California's unemployment rate stands at 9 percent--45 percent higher than the national average, nearly two times higher than our unemployment rate in Arkansas. That is the result of bad policy. And jobless Californians have Xavier Becerra and Gavin Newsom to thank for their struggles. prgtoken If Mr. Becerra's record as attorney general is any indication, every American should be alarmed by how this nominee would fight the pandemic--not with science, compassion, or common sense but with crushing political force. Few Americans believe that California's lockdown commissar deserves a promotion. Unfortunately, the Senate may just give him one. prgtoken Mr. Becerra is also a vocal advocate for the socialist takeover of healthcare prgtoken known euphemistically as Medicare for All. He supports destroying union healthcare plans, crushing Medicare Advantage, and ultimately taking away your health insurance on the job, which covers, I would add, 158 million Americans. This disastrous boondoggle would cost $34 trillion and would inevitably result in the rationing of care, hurting senior citizens most of all. Medicare for All would, in reality, result in Medicare for None. prgtoken Last year, President acknowledged that Medicare for All would yield massive tax hikes for middle-class families. Yet selected a supporter of this disastrous Medicare for All plan to be his top Cabinet official on healthcare. prgtoken And, of course, Mr. Becerra wouldn't be a administration nominee if he didn't also
PPP EXTENSION ACT OF 2021
Blaine Luetkemeyer (Republican, MO) \u2014 2021-3-16

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam , through no fault of their own, small businesses were forced to change how they operated in the face of COVID-19. Some adapted; some had to change their product lines; and unfortunately, some had to close. prgtoken As a response, Congress created the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program. Its impact and effectiveness have been instrumental to the small business economy. prgtoken With technical difficulties plaguing applications and a fast- approaching deadline, H.R. 1799 provides a targeted, straightforward approach to addressing these issues. prgtoken H.R. 1799 will extend the PPP for 60 days through May 31 and extend a 30-day exclusive window to the SBA in order to address all outstanding PPP applications. prgtoken The program was always meant to be temporary assistance to struggling small businesses. The PPP Extension Act will provide small businesses and lenders the confidence they need while also creating a plan for a smooth conclusion of the program. prgtoken As America continues to open up and recover, small businesses will drive our economic recovery forward. prgtoken Madam , I would be remiss if I didn't point out that this bill stands as one of the most impactful bipartisan pieces of legislation to advance in Congress this year. I thank Chairwoman Velazquez for her sincere efforts and hard work on this. I look forward to working with her, on a bipartisan basis, on other issues for the remainder of our term here. And I hope that this bipartisan product will serve as a prime example of what can get done in Washington when both sides come together and talk through the issues. prgtoken Madam , I recommend and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1799, and .
Border Security (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-3-16

we welcome about a million immigrants every year. We welcome them because they come here, abiding by our laws, and we need immigrants. We have been a welcoming country for a long time, but I come to the floor to speak about the ongoing crisis at our southern border--a crisis that, I think, this administration doesn't want to admit is a crisis. Because of some changes in policy, we have that crisis, and that crisis is people entering our country in violation of our laws. prgtoken Since taking office, this administration has advanced policies that have undermined immigration enforcement. These policies undermine efforts to secure our southern border, and they encourage illegal immigration into our country. President has signaled that, when it comes to immigration that violates our laws, the United States is open for business. Pelosi and House are doubling down on that position this very week. They are working to pass several mass amnesty bills that contain no provisions related to securing the border. prgtoken It turns out that people are finally paying attention. U.S. Customs and Border Protection recently confirmed that it had encountered over 100,000 migrants attempting to cross the southern border in February-- the first full month of this new administration. That is the highest total for the month of February since 2006. News reports are that are blaming 's policies for this situation that we are in. Yet the number of single adults encountered at the southern border was up 175 percent compared to last February. The number of family units was up 170 percent, and the number of unaccompanied alien children was up 171 percent. prgtoken The Department of Health and Human Services, which is responsible for the care of the unaccompanied children after they arrive in the United States, had 7,300 unaccompanied children referrals in February. That is the highest number of February referrals in the history of the program. prgtoken As of late last week, Health and Human Services had over 8,500 unaccompanied children in its facilities. prgtoken As of this past weekend, more than 4,200 were being held by the Customs and Border Patrol holding facilities, with nearly 3,000 being held past the legal limit of 72 hours. prgtoken These are the ``kids in cages,'' whom many of our ic colleagues were so outraged about a few years ago, blaming , even though the so-called cages were created in the administration, just being reused again. prgtoken Curiously, we are not seeing nearly as much outrage now as we saw during the episode. Where is our fair and balanced press today? prgtoken Reports emerged late last week that one Border Patrol facility in Texas was operating at 729 percent of pandemic capacity. Many minors who had been in custody for over 5 days were reportedly able to shower only once. prgtoken If this were happening during the administration, our
IN RECOGNITION OF ERIKA DYER'S SERVICE TO VIRGINIA'S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-3-16

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Erika Dyer, and her dedicated service to Virginia's First Congressional District. After eight months with my D.C. office, Erika will be leaving this week to pursue a new position. prgtoken Erika has been an invaluable asset to my D.C. Staff, serving as my Communications Director. Erika joined the team during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she was immediately committed to delivering timely and understandable information and resources to constituents in Virginia's First Congressional District. Erika is extremely talented and hard- working and is consistently finding new and innovative ways to effectively communicate with constituents. Erika is also a friend to all and is always willing to be a resource for other staff. prgtoken Therefore, Madam , I rise today to thank Erika for her hard work and dedication not only to the office, but to all constituents in Virginia's First District. Erika has a bright future ahead and I wish her the best in her career.
REAUTHORIZATION OF VAWA
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-3-16

. Madam , I rise today in strong support of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, my legislation, which will be on this House floor tomorrow. prgtoken Madam , for years, VAWA has been instrumental in safeguarding women and children from abuse, anguish, and violence, and has resulted in the saving of millions of lives. prgtoken Madam , in my own district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, A Woman's Place has served as a lifesaving resource for over 40 years; and NOVA, the Network of Victim Assistance, has helped over 3,600 victims--neither of which would be able to do their work without the help of VAWA and the reauthorization. prgtoken Madam , in August of 2018, 7-year-old Kayden Mancuso of Bucks County was murdered by her father after being awarded partial, unsupervised custody, despite a documented history of violence. She was a beautiful young girl whose life was taken from us. prgtoken Kayden's Law is included in this bill and takes steps to improve our response to the failures of State courts to protect children in custody proceedings. prgtoken Madam , VAWA is lifesaving legislation, and I implore my colleagues and all of my friends who we have built relationships with on both sides of the aisle to join me tomorrow in supporting this legislation.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2021-3-16

one of the outstanding programs offered in the U.S. Senate recognizes the best of America's high school juniors and seniors. Since 1963, the U.S. Senate Youth Program has selected two students from each State who rank high academically, excel in leadership and volunteerism, and have a passion for public service. They also receive a $10,000 college scholarship. prgtoken These young delegates have come to Washington, DC, every spring for a week of education and tours highlighting all three branches of government. This year's 59th annual Washington Week gathering last week was conducted in a virtual online format, and I know it was a memorable experience for the 104 student delegates from across the Nation who attended. prgtoken As one of the eight Senators serving on the Senate Youth Program's Advisory Committee, I congratulate all who were selected to be delegates this year. I had the recent opportunity to have an online conversation with North Dakota's two delegates, Athalia Haughton and Micah Schlittenhardt. prgtoken Athalia is a junior at Century High School in Bismarck and is the local chair and State programs director of the High School of America. She is an AP Scholar with honor, a student council representative, student congress member, and is the cofounder and president of Student Advocates of North Dakota. She was a semifinalist in State debate, nationally qualified in the Lincoln Douglas debate, is a two-time State qualifier in speech, a One Act Play State champion, and was a member of the first-ever North Dakota team to become a World Schools Debate national qualifier. She crafts blankets for local immigrants, volunteers at Heaven's Helpers soup kitchen, and raises money for the Alzheimer's Association. Athalia has prepared testimony advocating for international cultural diversity classes in North Dakota public schools and is passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, especially for students. After graduation, Athalia intends to attend Howard University to pursue political science and law degrees. She would like to become a politician and a policy writer at either a State or national level. prgtoken Micah, a senior at Legacy High School in Bismarck, is president of the North Dakota Association of Student Councils. She ranks first in her class of 320 students, is an AP Scholar, and a Presidential Citizenship Award recipient. She is president of the Legacy Concert Choir and a member of the National Honor Society and the Bismarck- Mandan Student Chamber. She is involved in varsity cheerleading, All- State Jazz Choir, Central Dakota Children's Choir, and Academic Allstate. She has been an advocate for Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's awareness and support within her community and has partnered with a locally-owned bakery to pioneer an annual fundraiser to raise money for respite care. She has been recognized as the 2021 Distinguished Young Woman of North
JOBS Act (Executive Calendar)
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-3-16

I am here on the floor today to talk about workforce training, a critical issue always but particularly now as we get to the point where we are coming out of the COVID-19 crisis, the economy is picking up, and we need more workers in this country. prgtoken It is a significant issue to be able to help individuals to be able to achieve their God-given potential in life, but also it is really important to our economy because workforce is one of the big challenges we have. So to be able to get good-paying benefits for those workers, it is important but also to help our economy fully recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken It has been over a year now since the pandemic changed all of our lives. In the early weeks and months of that crisis, it looked like things were going to continue to be really tough. I stayed in touch with business owners and workers across my home State of Ohio to hear how they were handling the closures, the layoffs, the other painful side effects of the crisis in those early months. Finally, things are getting better, and we are beginning to see more reopenings. prgtoken In Ohio, we just learned that people are going to be able to get vaccinations if they are 40 years old or older versus 60 years old and older as of the end of the week. And within another 10 days, everybody 16 years and up will be able to get a vaccine. And we have opened up some wonderful mass vaccination centers. I volunteered at one on Saturday. I spent 5 hours directing people and heard a lot of emotional stories about people really excited about getting back to their families--grandparents being able to see their grandkids for the first time in a year and the opposite, children being able to visit their parents or grandparents for the first time since the COVID-19 crisis hit, and people excited about getting back to work and back to school. So we are going to be able to see this because of Operation Warp Speed and the heroic efforts of our medical researchers and begin to help move our economy forward. prgtoken In fact, we just found out that the economy added a healthy 379,000 jobs in February. That was encouraging. And more and more businesses, again, are reopening and replacing the signs that said ``Closed Because of COVID'' with signs that now say ``Help Wanted.'' prgtoken I was at a hearing today, and the representative from the National Association of Manufacturers told us that there are over 500,000 manufacturing jobs that are being offered right now. In other words, there is a shortage of manufacturing skills right now. So that is a good thing in the sense that that means there will be opportunity, but we have to have the skills to be able to fill those jobs. prgtoken Perhaps most promising, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, called CBO--it is a group around here that gives us advice on the economy--said that even without the most recent spending package, the $1.9 tril
IN HONOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY RIFLE TEAM
Andy Barr (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-3-16

. Madam , I rise today to honor Coach Harry Mullins and the members of the University of Kentucky Rifle Team on winning the 2021 NCAA Rifle National Championship. This is the third national title for the outstanding program, located in Lexington, Kentucky. prgtoken The Wildcats were undefeated and ranked number one in the country last season when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the NCAA Championships to be canceled. These impressive student-athletes stayed focused throughout the 2021 season and earned the championship on March 13 in Columbus, Ohio. Mary Tucker, named Most Outstanding Performer at the event, earned gold in both the smallbore and air rifle. Teammate Will Shaner earned silver in air rifle. prgtoken Coach Harry Mullins has led the Rifle Team at the University of Kentucky since 1987. I thank him for his leadership and his dedication to these student-athletes. He has built an excellent program of which all Kentuckians can be proud. prgtoken Congratulations to Coach Mullins, the staff, and the members of the Rifle Team on winning the 2021 NCAA Rifle National Championship.