mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
For the People Act (Executive Calendar)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-3-10

I am here this afternoon to speak in opposition to H.R. 1, the so-called For the People Act. Every American--no American should be fooled by the wholesome title of H.R. 1. H.R. 1 is an affront to the U.S. Constitution, and the drastic impact this legislation would have on federalizing elections, restricting free speech, and accelerating the divide in this country-- that divide between left and right, rural and urban, red States and blue States--would be terribly damaging to our Nation. prgtoken We often hear that elections have consequences. In November, Americans voted for a Congress that is nearly a 50-50 split between the parties in the House and precisely a 50-50 split in the Senate. If elections have consequences, then the consequence American voters may have had in mind was to encourage Congress to put aside partisan differences and to work together to do its job on their behalf. prgtoken Americans did not vote to give one party free rein to implement an unprecedented power grab, to nationalize elections, and to strip power from States and localities from now into perpetuity, forever. prgtoken I am a conservative, and I believe in the primacy of individual liberties and in a Federal Government that exercises restraint. I believe that State and local units of government are inherently more responsive to the wishes of our citizens. Article I, section 4 of the Constitution states that ``Time, Places and Manner'' of congressional elections ``shall be prescribed [by the States].'' My adherence to the Constitution thus instructs deference to State governments to oversee their own elections, as they always have and always should. prgtoken There are so many problematic and, frankly, unconstitutional aspects of prgtoken this legislation, particularly as it pertains to the micromanagement of local elections by the Federal Government. prgtoken With regard to the bill's intent to Federalize State elections, I draw your attention to page 44, section 1004 in sponsoring and pursuing passage of this legislation, seek to eliminate voter identification laws. Voter identification laws have a lot of merit. It is required that you be a U.S. citizen to cast a vote in the United States. American people generally have common sense, and the Gallup poll indicates that 80 percent of Americans support voter ID laws. When you explain to Americans what voter ID really is, they do support it. Yet, under this legislation, voters showing up to the polls without an ID could simply sign a statement claiming they are who they say they are. If you want to dispel the notion that voter fraud occurs in our elections, this is not the place, this is not the way to accomplish that. I don't want our laws to discourage people from voting, but I want people to be legal who do vote. prgtoken On page 166, this bill requires that ballots be counted outside a voter's precinct, removing a local government's ability to verify vo
Nominations of Vanita Gupta and Lisa Monaco (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-3-10

yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard from the nominees for the No. 2 and No. 3 jobs at the Department of Justice. prgtoken As you know, earlier today, we confirmed the next Attorney General of the United States, Judge Merrick Garland. I supported Judge Garland's nomination because I think he is a qualified, mainstream nominee with the right experience and the right temperament to lead the Department of Justice. I believe being Attorney General is probably the hardest job in the Cabinet because you have two masters. One is the rule of law, as the chief law enforcement officer for the country; the other is, you are a member of the President's Cabinet and serve at his or her pleasure, obviously, a political appointment. prgtoken Judge Garland told me, and I take him at his word, that he would work hard to keep politics out of the work of the Justice Department--a goal that folks on both sides of the aisle should support, especially after the struggles of previous administrations. prgtoken As I said, I was proud to support Judge Garland's nomination, and now we begin the process of considering other senior positions at the Department of Justice. prgtoken One of the nominees who came before the Judiciary Committee yesterday was Lisa Monaco, who has been nominated to serve as the Deputy Attorney General. prgtoken Ms. Monaco is a lifelong public servant who previously spent 15 years at the Department of Justice. She is a highly respected Federal prosecutor and national security expert. She advised President and a number of other top government officials on matters like homeland security, cyber security, and counterterrorism, and her expertise extends beyond the ins and outs of matters of policy. Her knowledge of the Department of Justice as an organization will be invaluable to the Department, whose more than 100,000 employees are responsible for carrying out a diverse set of missions. It is a huge organization with a lot of moving parts. prgtoken Like Judge Garland, Ms. Monaco affirmed to me that she does not intend to inject politics or to even give it a hearing within the Department of Justice and her duties as the Deputy Attorney General. prgtoken I asked her, for example, if she would allow Mr. Durham, who has been appointed as special counsel, to investigate the Crossfire Hurricane issue from the last administration and the tail end of the administration. She said she saw no reason not to give Mr. Durham a chance to complete his work. That is the same position we took on Robert Mueller, who was appointed as special counsel to investigate President . Again, I take her at her word that she will not do anything to fire Mr. Durham or deprive him of the ability to complete his important work. prgtoken Ms. Monaco discussed her experience at the Department over the course of the Clinton, , and administrations. She really does have a lot of important, relevant experi
Nomination of Merrick Brian Garland (Executive Session)
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-3-10

today the Senate will vote on Judge Merrick Garland's nomination to be Attorney General of the United States. I will oppose this nomination. I was open-minded at first about Judge Garland's nomination. He has long had a reputation as a fair- minded judge. But since being nominated, my confidence in Judge Garland has been undermined--first, by his evasive, haughty refusal to answer some of the most basic questions we would expect from an Attorney General, the kind of evasion he would never allow in his own courtroom, so why should we allow it in the U.S. Senate? And, second, when he did answer questions, he sounded more like a liberal ideologue who had embraced the radical agenda of the ic Party's far-left base. prgtoken If confirmed, I am afraid that he will enable extremists in the Department of Justice to undermine our police, our Constitution, and our rule of law. This weak-on-crime nominee will fan the flames of our Nation's drug crisis, border crisis, and violent crime crisis. And he has made clear that on the greatest challenges facing the Department, he will cede the reins to the radical, far-left culture warriors that President has nominated to be some of his top deputies. Our Nation simply cannot afford Judge Garland as our Attorney General. prgtoken In the last 12 months on record, over 83,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, more than any year in history. Drug overdoses killed more Americans in a single year than the Vietnam war and the War on Terror combined. Yet Judge Garland plans to reduce prison sentences for drug dealers, traffickers, and gang members. prgtoken Judge Garland appears to believe that these merchants of misery engage in a victimless trade, but virtually every family and community in our Nation bears the scars that prove otherwise. Whether it is the disabled child, addicted parent, suffering sibling, recovering neighbor, or deceased friend, the victims of drug crime are everywhere we look. Drug traffickers are hardly engaged in a nonviolent offense. Their practice is intimidation; their product is poison; and their customer service is the barrel of a gun. With Judge Garland as Attorney General, these criminals will go free. Their business will boom, and the violence and death in our streets will continue. prgtoken It is not just fentanyl and heroin driving this crisis anymore. In the wake of weakening our drug trafficking laws under ill-advised laws like the First Step Act, drug overdose deaths are linked to other drugs as well, like cocaine, which is sharply increasing. Cocaine is now outpacing heroin as a leading cause of drug overdoses, and meth is outpacing both. Judge Garland will release these criminals back onto the streets in the middle of the worst drug epidemic in our Nation's history. These pain profiteers don't deserve leniency and should be kept far away from the communities they have victimized. Many should, frankly, count themselves
BIPARTISAN BACKGROUND CHECKS ACT OF 2021
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2021-3-10

one more time we see people uncomfortable with our Constitution. Our forefathers gave us the right to bear arms because they wanted law-abiding people to have the right to defend themselves. prgtoken Until Ferguson and the rise of the antipolice movement about 5 years ago, the murder rate in this country fell by over one-half between the early 1990s and around 2014. prgtoken What happened at that time? prgtoken We whipped up some antipolice hysteria, and since that time things have gone wildly up. Now the majority party introduces a cache of bills designed to make it more difficult for law-abiding people to access a weapon while not having any impact on people who wouldn't obey the laws anyway. prgtoken They don't like the idea of private transfers. They don't like the idea of being able to get a gun in less than 10 days. They don't like the idea that if the government doesn't give the proper information over--well, apparently, they like the idea that they want to keep people from getting guns if the government, for whatever reason, is slow in turning things over. prgtoken In any event, let's go back to the things that worked for 25 years before the rise of the antipolice movement if we really want to see improvement.
Nomination of Marcia Louise Fudge (Executive Session)
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-3-10

I rise this morning to oppose the nomination of Representative Fudge to serve as the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. prgtoken The confirmation of Cabinet Secretaries is one of the most important constitutional functions we have here in the Senate. I think most of my colleagues would agree that one of the important considerations is that Cabinet officials can be relied on to coordinate and work productively with Congress as they implement the policies of the legislation that we pass. prgtoken I am concerned that Representative Fudge's past rhetoric makes clear that she lacks the temperament to collaborate with Congress, particularly across the aisle with Members, and her comments cast doubt on whether she even wants to. prgtoken Congresswoman Fudge has made multiple statements throughout the years attacking and disparaging the integrity and motives of s with whom she has policy disagreements. Policy disagreements are entirely understandable. It is reasonable. They happen every day. They are expected, especially in a legislative body. But consistently attacking the integrity and motives of people with whom you have these disagreements is another thing all together. prgtoken In September 2020, during a speech on the House floor, Congresswoman Fudge attacked efforts to fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat on the Supreme Court. In her speech, she said, among other insults, that Senate s had ``no decency,'' ``no honor,'' ``no integrity.'' She went on to say, referring to Senators, that we ``are a disgrace to the Nation.'' prgtoken In June 2020, during a virtual townhall, Congresswoman Fudge admitted believing that s did not care about minorities. She said that if s ``want to save face and let this country know that they care even a little bit about people of color, which I don't believe they do, but if they want to try, I want to listen.'' prgtoken Back in a January of 2013 PBS forum with Tavis Smiley, Congresswoman Fudge harshly questioned the motives and character of s again, this time s who supported cuts to the food stamps program. prgtoken Congresswoman Fudge said: If we continue to send people to Congress who don't even understand what their job is--who don't understand that government's job is to take care of its people--then we are never going anywhere as a country because we deal with nuts every single day. These people are evil and mean. They care nothing about anybody but themselves. And so if you think you are going to have something bipartisan, you need to think again. It's not happening. prgtoken Overtly partisan attacks on integrity and motive simply have a toxic and detrimental impact on the working relationship that ought to be a constructive relationship between Members of Congress and members of the administration. The Senate sh
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2021-3-10

I rise today to discuss my opposition to the nomination of Michael Regan for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. prgtoken Now, before I begin, let me be very clear. I really liked meeting and getting to know Michael Regan. He is a dedicated public servant and an honest man. He had a beautiful family with him, and he answered the questions as straightforwardly as I think he thought he could. I have enjoyed getting to know him through my role as the ranking member on the Environment and Public Works Committee, and I appreciated the willingness he expressed to visit my home State of West Virginia. But this vote is not based on what Mr. Regan might do if he had his say; this vote is about confirming someone to execute President 's agenda, which Mr. Regan said he would faithfully do, and I cannot support that agenda. I cannot support that agenda that Secretary--if confirmed--Regan would be tasked with implementing. prgtoken Throughout his confirmation process, Secretary Regan did not commit to a different policy agenda than that of the administration--an agenda that absolutely devastated my State and other energy-producing States. prgtoken In his nomination hearing, Secretary Regan, because he is secretary of North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality, would not comment as to whether the so-called Clean Power Plan or something worse would be reinstituted. He did not rule out a return to the WOTUS rule. He could not say whether the EPA would again claim overarching authority to force States to shift their electricity generation sources. He could not commit to real changes, and that is because the agenda is already set. Climate czar Gina McCarthy and others have already set the table. prgtoken InsideEPA recently reported: Administration observers are questioning whether Michael Regan . . . could face a diminished role if he wins Senate confirmation due to the large number of -era officials who have returned to the agency and the White House to work on implementing 's environmental agenda. prgtoken The article went on to say: [T]hese sources also say that because there are so many officials now working on climate change policies across the administration, this could lead to ``turf wars'' between EPA and the White House on this issue. prgtoken Well, I share those concerns. prgtoken For almost 2 months now, unaccountable czar Gina McCarthy has been working both behind the scenes and in front of the press to lay the groundwork for the administration's agenda. She is wielding her power publicly to make it clear who is calling the shots and directing the troops. prgtoken McCarthy herself said recently: I've got a small stronghold office, but I am an orchestra leader for a very large band. prgtoken She is operating this ``stronghold'' office with no transparency outside of the Senate c
PROUDLY STANDING WITH GUN OWNERS
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2021-3-11

. Madam , H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446 are attempts by the Federal Government to exert more force over law-abiding citizens who want to protect themselves and their families. prgtoken Let me remind my colleagues that the Second Amendment explicitly states that the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Maybe they would remember that if they carried a pocket copy of the Constitution with them like I do every single day. Apparently not. prgtoken I am proud to stand with the millions of gun owners in this great country who share an abiding gratitude for the Constitution and the Second Amendment itself. prgtoken Make no mistake, these bills are created in bad faith. They are partisan shams that rob us of our freedoms.
Remembering Rex Lee (Executive Session)
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-3-11

I come to the Senate floor today in recognition of an anniversary of sorts. My late father, Rex Lee, died 25 years ago today after an extended and heroic battle with cancer. prgtoken I prefer to remember my dad not as someone who was ill but someone who was full of life and healthy for most of his life--in fact, his entire life, even while battling with a significant illness. prgtoken Rex grew up in the small town of St. Johns, AZ. It is a really, really small town. In fact, we used to joke that he may have been 21 years old before he realized that the true name of the town wasn't ``Resume Speed.'' It was a little dot along the highway in eastern Arizona. It was a place that he loved, and it was a place where he learned to love those dear to him and close to him, a place where he was taught in school and in church, where he learned to serve his fellow beings. prgtoken He attended Brigham Young University as a freshman in the fall of 1953, somewhat under protest. He had wanted to attend the University of Arizona, like his cousins Mo and Stewart Udall before him. prgtoken His parents told him: You can go wherever you want, but your first year needs to be spent at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. prgtoken He went there and was immediately smitten with the place and commenced a relationship that would extend for the rest of his life and would significantly impact his life in many, many ways. prgtoken Halfway through college, he left to serve a 2\1/2\-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico. During that time, to say he became fluent in the Spanish language and the Mexican culture would be an understatement. It was a fluency that never really left him. prgtoken While I was a missionary many decades later, he used to write me letters in Spanish, and even after I had been speaking and studying the language for some time, I knew I had to keep my Spanish dictionary close to me when I read letters from my dad, written in his adopted native tongue, Spanish. prgtoken While serving as a missionary there, he briefly met Janet Griffin, whom he would later marry and who was my mother. Janet was the daughter of an employee of the U.S. Embassy, the U.S. Treasury Attache in the Mexican Embassy. prgtoken While they didn't interact much then, they reconnected when they were both back at Brigham Young University about 6 or 8 months later. It wasn't exactly love at first sight for my mom, but it was for my dad. They went on to have seven children together, and I am grateful that they did. I am the fourth of those seven. prgtoken My dad ended up going to law school at the University of Chicago. As it prgtoken turned out, the law suited him well. He liked it, and it liked him back. He ended up finishing first in his class at the University of Chicago. He clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice White. Shortly after that, he joined the Phoenix law firm of Jennings, Strouss & Salmon
Border Security (Executive Session)
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-3-11

I am here on the floor today to talk about the unfolding, urgent situation on our southern border, and I do so as the ranking on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. prgtoken This unfortunate situation at the border includes a lot of kids coming over the border, UACs, as they call them, unaccompanied alien children. These children are making a long and dangerous journey north, putting themselves at risk and bringing our immigration system and our shelter system along the border to a breaking point. prgtoken You may have heard that the administration insists this is not a crisis. Here are the facts. You decide. prgtoken This chart shows the dire situation that we are in. On Tuesday, the most recent confirmed information we have is there were 3,400 of these children in Border Patrol custody. Ten days ago, that number was 1,700. So in 10 days, this number has doubled. To put this in perspective, at the very height of the border crisis in 2019 that we all remember being talked about a lot on the floor of this Senate and around the country, families and children were coming in, in big numbers. At the very height, it was 2,600 unaccompanied kids. Today, based on some information we just received anecdotally from the Customs and Border Protection folks, it is over 3,500. It is a 35-percent increase even from where it was during the crisis, and it is growing. prgtoken Under law, these children have to be transferred to the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, within 72 hours of their being apprehended, and why we had that law in place was to be able to help these kids. So instead of being in a Border Patrol detention facility, which, by the way, were all designed for single males--they don't have any separation, don't have any trained people to help provide care to children, and it is law enforcement, Border Patrol agents--but within 72 hours, we had said that you have to transfer these children to a Health and Human Services facility that is appropriate for children. How is that working? prgtoken Again, as of Tuesday, there were 3,400 of these kids in Border Patrol custody in the wrong kind of detention facilities for children. There were 2,800 children who were ready to transfer to HHS. In other words, they had been screened, gone through a process. As of Tuesday, there were 500 beds available, meaning 2,300 children are remaining in Border Patrol custody in overcrowded, adult facilities without proper care because there is nowhere to take them. prgtoken Look, it is a bad situation. HHS contractors are supposed to be trained to care for the kids. The Border Patrol prgtoken agents are not trained for that. They are doing their best, but it is not a safe situation for the kids. By the way, nobody in Border Patrol believes it is a good situation for the kids. These facilities, the Border Patrol facilities at the Border Patrol stations and HHS faciliti