mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
INTRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NON-DISCRIMINATION HOME RULE ACT OF 2021
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2021-6-21

. Madam , today, I introduce the District of Columbia Non-Discrimination Home Rule Act of 2021, which would end the unique applicability of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to the District of Columbia. My bill would protect the District's right to self-govemment, ensuring the District is treated the same as states, and defend LGBTQ and reproductive rights in D.C. prgtoken RFRA, which provides more protection for religious exercise than the First Amendment requires, applies to the federal government, the D.C. government and the territorial governments, but not to state governments. As RFRA does not apply to the states, under the principles of home rule, it should likewise not apply to the District. prgtoken While RFRA was designed to be a shield to protect religious freedom, it is being used, as evidenced by the Supreme Court's 2014 Hobby Lobby decision, as a sword to discriminate against the LGBTQ community and women. Members of Congress have used RFRA as a justification for trying--but failing--to overturn D.C. anti-discrimination laws. House s have repeatedly tried since 2015 to nullify or block the District's Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Act (RHNDA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees and their families based on reproductive health decisions, claiming, in part, that it violates RFRA. However, it appears that no one has challenged RHNDA's legality under RFRA in court. prgtoken My bill ensures that District residents are treated the same as residents of the states under RFRA. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.
HONORING AL ARAMBURU
Jared Huffman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-6-21

. Madam , I rise today in celebration of the life of Al Aramburu, who passed away on May 11, 2021 at the age of 87. Al was a remarkable community leader who spent decades building bipartisan consensus and protecting the North Bay's natural resources. prgtoken Al was born on February 16, 1934 in East Los Angeles. After finishing high school, he answered the call to serve our country in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1956. Al graduated from California State University Northridge in 1960. He later moved to the Bay Area as a manager for Pacific Telephone and began his career in local government as a volunteer on Tiburon's Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission. prgtoken Al was a strong advocate for Marin's vibrant Latino community and a champion for sound environmental policy while serving as Mayor of Tiburon and during his three terms on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. He led a successful campaign for a ballot measure opposing offshore oil drilling in Marin and helped create the Richardson's Bay Regional Agency to advance cleanup and rehabilitation priorities. To preserve an area of landmass for seals haulingout in Richardson's Bay, Al had a 17-acre section separated from Strawberry Spit, now known as Aramburu Island. Al's leadership also helped to designate Tiburon's Ring Mountain preserve, establish McKegney Green and protect Horse Hill in Mill Valley. Al was also a leader in the nonprofit sector and volunteered his time and talents to the Mill Valley Film Festival, Teatro Campesino, La Familia Center of Marin, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce among others. prgtoken With his favorite adage ``good government is boring government,'' Al was known as a classic workhorse public servant who measured successes by bringing people together. His thoughtfulness, compassion and hard work ethic demonstrated all the right qualities of a good leader. Friends, family, and colleagues loved Al for his wit, deadpan sense of humor, and propensity to pick up a guitar and sing. prgtoken Al leaves a legacy to be revered. His many years of hard work made a lasting positive impact on the North Bay's people, places, and wildlife. Al Aramburu is survived by his wife, Margit Hind; siblings Ray, Henry and Angela; children Bert and Katie; stepson Jackie; and four grandchildren. Madam , I respectfully ask that you join me in extending condolence to Al's family and friends and in expressing our deep appreciation for Al's extraordinary career and life.
Authorization for Use of Military Force (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-6-21

it was October of 2002. I remember the day when in the Senate we decided to vote on the question as to whether or not we would authorize President to use military force in Afghanistan. We considered the issue of Iraq before. Twenty-three of us had voted against giving that authority to President . prgtoken When it came to Afghanistan, the argument was different. The argument was that those responsible for 9/11, for killing 3,000 innocent Americans, were hiding out in Afghanistan, and if we didn't ferret them out of their hiding place and hold them accountable, what kind of nation would we be? I bought that argument. Virtually every Member of Congress agreed, with one exception--Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California. But we voted to use military force in Afghanistan under extraordinary circumstances in 2002. prgtoken Now, I listened to the leader come to the floor and accuse President of abandoning Afghanistan, retreating from Afghanistan. And he leaves out some salient facts. The negotiation with the Taliban, which was initiated by President , was a negotiation to determine who would be in power, what areas they would hold, and when the United States would leave. It was President who initiated that negotiation, not President . President , when he took office, followed through with it. I applauded him for doing so. prgtoken I realize--and I think everyone does--that the situation in Afghanistan is perilous, but I think that we ought to acknowledge the obvious. After the longest war in the history of the United States, after losing over a thousand American lives and tens of thousands wounded, after spending trillions of dollars, we were not winning in Afghanistan. We didn't have a winning hand or a winning strategy. The Taliban was still a viable political force, and the Afghan security forces many times were overwhelmed by that Taliban force. prgtoken I wonder why the leader from Kentucky doesn't do the obvious. He has the authority, under the rules of the Senate, to introduce a measure authorizing the use of military force in Afghanistan. If he believes we should stay or send more troops there, that is his right. He can offer that on the floor of the Senate, instead of lamenting what has happened there. He has the authority. If he thinks we have abandoned the Afghan people and should go back into that country, why doesn't he offer an authorization for use of military force? prgtoken I think we know the answer. There is little or no support on his side of the aisle, nor on this side of the aisle, to make the longest war in American history even longer. Yes, we should be a viable force to try to make certain the Afghan people have a fighting chance. But after almost 20 years at it, I think we have shown that our strategy was not the winning strategy.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2021-6-21

today I am reintroducing the Corporate Management Accountability Act, which asks each publicly traded company to disclose its policies on whether senior executives or shareholders bear the costs of paying the company's fines and penalties. prgtoken In 2014, William Dudley, then the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, gave a speech titled ``Enhancing Financial Stability by Improving Culture in the Financial Services Industry.'' In this speech, President Dudley said, ``in recent years, there have been ongoing occurrences of serious professional misbehavior, ethical lapses and compliance failures at financial institutions. This has resulted in a long list of large fines and penalties and to a lesser degree than I would have desired employee dismissals and punishment . . . The pattern of bad behavior did not end with the financial crisis, but continued despite the considerable public sector intervention that was necessary to stabilize the financial system. As a consequence, the financial industry has largely lost the public trust.'' prgtoken Since 2009, banks around the world have paid $394 billion in penalties, according to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). This is an increase of $22 billion from the last time I introduced this legislation. It has been evident that simply fining and penalizing financial institutions at the corporate level is not enough to deter bad actors. Senior executives, many of whom are all too eager to take credit for a company's good news, must also take more responsibility for the bad news, especially if it is true that the buck stops with them. prgtoken According to Professor Peter J. Henning, who also writes the White Collar Watch column for the New York Times, ``a problem in holding individuals accountable for misconduct in an organization is the disconnect between the actual decisions and those charged with overseeing the company, so that executives and corporate boards usually plead ignorance about an issue until it is too late.'' prgtoken The Corporate Management Accountability Act I am reintroducing today is one attempt at helping to solve this problem. The bill simply asks publicly traded companies to disclose whether they expect senior executives or shareholders to pay the cost of corporate fines or penalties. This proposal has been supported by University of Minnesota Law School Professors Claire Hill and Richard Painter, who also served as President 's chief ethics lawyer, as well as Americans for Financial Reform. prgtoken I urge all my colleagues to join this legislative effort to hold senior executives accountable for their actions.
REDEFINING EASTERN AND MIDDLE JUDICIAL DISTRICTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Dan Bishop (Republican, NC) \u2014 2021-6-22

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , S. 1340 will improve judicial economy by redefining the judicial districts of my home State of North Carolina. prgtoken Fort Bragg, which is located in North Carolina, is one of the U.S. Army's largest military installations. It spans six counties and is approximately 250 square miles large. Fort Bragg is located in two judicial districts, the middle district and the eastern district of North Carolina. This has led to inconvenience for both defendants and the courts system. prgtoken S. 1340 redefines the judicial districts so that Fort Bragg and a sub-installation, Camp Mackall, are located in a single judicial district, the eastern district. This change will streamline and improve judicial administration and efficiency. prgtoken I want to thank Senator Tillis and Senator Burr for their work on this bill. I also want to thank the former member from North Carolina, Mr. Holding. And I also want to thank my law school classmate, Representative Ross, for sponsoring and the rest of the North Carolina delegation for joining me in cosponsoring the House companion, H.R. 2746. prgtoken , .
Iran (Executive Session)
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-6-22

I had not planned to speak about the ic power grab known as S. 1 and H.R. 1, the For the People Act. I have said my piece on this bill before on the Senate floor and in many other forums. But I have listened to my ic friends all day long talk about this bill. prgtoken We will later today vote on what is known as a motion to proceed to the debate on this bill. That motion will fail. It won't come close to passing. And our ic friends are saying: They won't even debate. They won't even debate election reforms. prgtoken Well, first off, let me say, if you ask me what the plan to federalize our elections is, my answer is, we don't have a plan to federalize our elections. We don't think we should federalize our elections. We think the States and their counties have done a pretty good job, traditionally, of running our elections. prgtoken I would also remind my ic friends that what they present as some kind of unprecedented affront to having a democratic debate in the Senate happened repeatedly, hundreds of times, in the last administration. prgtoken My ic friends simply voted not even to have a debate--not even to have a debate on, say, a coronavirus relief package last summer, which could have gotten aid to families and businesses when they needed it. When the pandemic was still raging, when vaccines were still months away, they filibustered even a debate until after the election, when we passed, in December, almost exactly the same bill that was under consideration. prgtoken They blocked even a debate--even a debate--on policing reforms last summer that might have helped provide police departments across the country with additional financial support or training resources. prgtoken I could go on and on about the bills on which they blocked even a debate, like protecting unborn children who can survive outside their mother's womb. Yet, today, the act as if it is some terrible affront that we are not even going to have a debate on a bill that would be one of the biggest power grabs by Washington in the history of our democracy. prgtoken Then you have a lot of who are complaining that the civic rules and customs--the filibuster has to go. They say it is a racist relic of the Jim Crow era. prgtoken I will acknowledge that some over the years used the filibuster to block civil rights progress, but I will also remind my ic colleagues that, yes, they used the filibuster hundreds of times in the last administration. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record this letter written on April 7, 2017, persuasively authored by Susan Collins and Chris Coons and signed by more than 60 of our fellow Senators urging Senator McConnell and Senator Schumer to ``preserve the existing rules, practices and traditions as they pertain to the right of Members to engage in extended debate on legislation.'
HONORING THE LIFE OF HAROLD KELLER
Lloyd Smucker (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-6-22

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of Harold Keller of Mount Joy, who recently passed away. prgtoken Harold will be remembered for his life of service and building a stronger community in Mount Joy. He was a proud Rotarian, serving as President of the Mount Joy Rotary Club. He additionally served as a member of the Mount Joy Borough Council and Mount Joy Chamber of Commerce. Harold and his wife Helen were known as Mr. & Mrs. Santa in Mount Joy, bringing happiness to children and residents for over 35 years. Harold generously supported charitable organizations across the community and supported those in need, for instance, donating food to those impacted by Hurricane Agnes while his own home was flooded. prgtoken Harold pursued his professional dream of becoming an auctioneer, opening Keller Auctions in 1960, which is now in its third generation. Harold served during many benefit auctions to support community organizations across the region and in 2012, was inducted into the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Hall of Fame. prgtoken Harold enjoyed every moment with his family, and we offer prayers of comfort for those who grieve his passing. Harold is survived by his loving family, including Helen, his wife of 68 years, their eight children, nineteen grandchildren, and 28 great-grandchildren.
THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS ESSENTIAL ACT OF 2021
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2021-6-22

. Madam , The Second Amendment Is Essential Act will classify, by law, the firearms industry as a ``critical infrastructure sector'' and those it employs as ``essential workers'' by amending the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the USA Patriot Act of 2001. The changes define any business or employees who manufacture or deal firearms and ammunition as critical infrastructure for the purposes of federal guidance to States during an emergency. prgtoken The Homeland Security Act of 2002 directed the Administrator of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish guidelines for States regarding who should constitute ``critical infrastructure workers'' in the event of a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, these individuals have often been referred to as ``essential workers.'' prgtoken Similarly, the USA Patriot Act defined ``critical infrastructure'' as ``systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.'' prgtoken Americans' rights, including the right to keep and bear arms, are no less essential during a state of emergency. In fact, the right to defend one's self and one's home is most essential during a state of emergency. Furthermore, states of emergency merit heightened vigilance to protect against unnecessary and unconstitutional government outreach. prgtoken In 2020, gun sales increased by 64 percent as Americans sought to exercise their Second Amendment rights so they could have peace of mind during a turbulent time. Firearms manufacturers and dealers should not be forced by government to close in a time when demand for their products is through the roof. This legislation will ensure that the Second Amendment can be freely enjoyed by Americans when they need it most: in times of crisis.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2021-6-22

I, too, rise in opposition to S. 1 and urge a no vote. prgtoken The bill that the Senate will be asked to consider today is a truly radical piece of legislation. It turns out, because of that, it is an unpopular piece of legislation, the kind of bill the Senate was created to help stop from becoming law. S. 1 seeks to transform the way we do elections in this country and to do so on a narrow, partisan basis. prgtoken Here is what Americans need to understand about this legislation. prgtoken First, it would strip away the power of the States to run elections and hand it to the Federal Government, showing a complete lack of trust in local and State leadership. prgtoken It would also spend millions of taxpayer dollars to help politicians run ads for their campaigns. Taxpayers would suddenly have to finance partisan messages they may strongly disagree with, raising serious First Amendment questions. prgtoken S. 1 would nullify sensible voter ID laws across the country, including voter identification laws in predominantly States, like Connecticut and Delaware. prgtoken And the legislation would also give the Federal Government the right to draw congressional district lines, even though States have done this since the beginning of our republic. prgtoken At its root, this bill is based on a myth. And I consider my words here. It is based on a lie, and that lie is that voting rights are somehow under attack in States like Georgia and Texas. This is utterly absurd, and I think the voters in those States understand that. The election reforms recently passed in Georgia, for example, have actually expanded access to the ballot box, making it easier to vote, but also making it harder to cheat. prgtoken The new Georgia law does this, among other things. It expands the window for early voting. The new Georgia law allows no-excuse mail-in voting to continue. It adds 100 new ballot dropboxes. It allows voters to get a government-issued ID for free, and it increases transparency in elections, for example, making sure the ballot counting does not stop in the middle of the night, as we have seen in past elections. prgtoken These reforms are entirely reasonable and widely popular across Americans and were based on broad input from the local stakeholders. prgtoken My colleagues who are pushing S. 1 say they are trying to save democracy, but, in fact, the bill would actually harm democracy. S. 1 would undermine the security of the ballot box, causing more and more Americans to question the outcome of our elections. We should be working to strengthen trust in democracy, not weaken it. prgtoken The only thing bipartisan about this bill is the opposition to it. In my home State of Mississippi, every Member of the House of Representatives-- and --voted against this legislation, including Representative Bennie Thompson, a chairman of a committee in the House of Representatives, the chairman of
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-6-22

I rise today to recognize Baptist Health of Arkansas's centennial--a significant and commendable milestone. prgtoken Today, Arkansans are gathering to celebrate this institution and its staff that have been dedicated to providing exceptional faith-based healthcare to its patients, strengthening communities through compassionate service, and continuously responding to the ever-changing health needs of Arkansans. prgtoken On February 16, 1921, the Arkansas Baptist State Convention incorporated Baptist State Hospital to ensure Arkansans had access to quality, faith- prgtoken based healthcare. Baptist Health started with a mere 70 beds and in just 1 year more than tripled that number, administering care to more than 300 patients. The hospital's humble beginnings show the diligence of the men and women who, through intense devotion, made this organization what it is today. prgtoken The dedication of Baptist Health's providers is a testament to this healing ministry's service and commitment to its patients. For 100 years patients from across the State, Nation and world have relied on the hospital's incredible doctors, nurses and staff to perform lifesaving treatments and surgeries. prgtoken This institution has served the State of Arkansas in numerous ways, from creating thousands of jobs to supporting the State economy and saving the lives of countless patients. Baptist Health has created reliable medical service across the State and helped many medical professionals in their educations and careers. prgtoken Baptist Health has been a leader in medical advancement in Arkansas, and its community of medical professionals have made tremendous sacrifices to serve and care for patients. Their dedication has been apparent during the COVID-19 public health crisis. This devotion to its mission has made Baptist Health Arkansas's largest and most comprehensive not-for profit healthcare organization. From the doctors and nurses to the office workers and maintenance staff, each member of the team demonstrates a passion for helping and healing. prgtoken Congratulations to Baptist Health on 100 years of service and dedication to helping Arkansans live long and healthy lives. I look forward to its continued excellence in healthcare for our State for many more years.