mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Remembering Wayne Stenehjem (Executive Calendar)
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2022-2-15

I, of course, associate with every word Senator Hoeven said. I think it is fortuitous we are joined in the Chamber today by the next speaker who came here to talk about something altogether different, but Senator Wicker knew our attorney general, Wayne Stenehjem, maybe longer than I did, actually. prgtoken As Senator Hoeven said, a couple of weeks ago, the good people of North Dakota lost a really good friend. We said goodbye to one of our State's most dedicated and beloved public servants. Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem died unexpectedly and suddenly on January 28, just 1 month after announcing his intention to not seek reelection and retire at the end of this year. prgtoken Wayne was, as John said, North Dakota's longest serving attorney general, having been in office since 2001. Prior to this, he was in the State legislature, winning his first election while at the University of North Dakota--a law student at the age of 22 and continuing his service in the legislature for 24 more years. prgtoken He gave 46 years of continuous service to the people of North Dakota, and we are just now beginning to comprehend the impact of the significance of all that he did for our State and during those important years. prgtoken I first became acquainted with Wayne when he was serving as a State senator, and I was a desk page in the legislature. Our friendship and political collaborations continued during the years as I worked for the North Dakota Party and later held State-appointed and elected offices. In the 9 years I have been in Congress, Wayne has been a valued friend, a trusted advisor, and an invaluable champion of States' rights and the U.S. Constitution. prgtoken His work representing North Dakota in State and Federal courts and as a member of the State Industrial Commission was monumental. It positioned our State to be an energy powerhouse and, at the same time, an unwavering steward of our environment. Among the most notable Federal issues that Wayne championed for our State was objecting to the onerous Waters of the United States regulations proposed by the administration. Wayne skillfully led a coalition of 13 States in opposition, resulting in a nationwide stay of that rule. He was also instrumental in procuring a historic stay of the Clean Power Plan from the U.S. Supreme Court. In both cases, he skillfully underscored the rights and the responsibilities of States, while drawing a blueprint for cooperative federalism in environmental policy. prgtoken Wayne's servant leadership over the past four decades was woven into countless battles, triumphs, and solutions. An ardent supporter of open records and meetings laws and transparency in government, every public group, including Governor Hoeven, Public Service Commissioner Cramer, and anybody in government understood that regardless of the size or the importance of your commission or your committee, we all felt Wayne's scrutin
HONORING THE HEROIC LIFE AND SERVICE OF RICHARD C. WOODCOCK, SR.
Elise M. Stefanik (Republican, NY) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , I rise today to honor the heroic life of Army veteran and Saratoga Springs native, Richard C. Woodcock, Sr. prgtoken Richard Woodcock was born on August 7, 1937 in Saratoga Springs, New York. After graduating from Saratoga Spring High School in 1958, Richard joined the U.S. Army and was subsequently honorably discharged. prgtoken After his time in the military, Richard dedicated his life to serving the town and residents of Saratoga Springs. With the help of his father, Richard built Eastside Garage at 46 East Avenue in Saratoga Springs, which he owned and operated for fifty-five years. At Eastside Garage, Richard owned several tow trucks and was always willing to help his community whenever his services were needed, regardless of the time or day. He was the official tow truck driver of Saratoga Springs and a top provider for the American Automobile Association. prgtoken After selling Eastside Garage, Richard opened a contract hauling business, RCW Transport. They delivered sanders and salt spreaders for Tarrant Manufacturing out of Saratoga Springs. Richard also transported materials to the new Tappan Zee Bridge Project for Fort Miller out of Greenwich, New York. During his retirement, Richard remained an active participant in his community. He was a member of the Hudson Mohawk Chapter of the American Truck Historical, where he organized performances, worked the front gate, and helped with ticket distribution. Richard also volunteered at the front desk of Matt's Service Center, which was owned by his business rival and lifelong friend Matt Ernst. prgtoken On behalf of New York's 21st District, I am honored to recognize the extraordinary life of Richard Woodcock. It is my hope that his active spirit and community service will be carried on by those who knew and loved him. Richard will be buried with military honors in the Saratoga National Cemetery.
Nominations (Executive Calendar)
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-2-15

I overheard some of my colleagues here on the Senate floor complaining about what happened at the Senate Banking Committee today, and I want to address this, set the record straight, and provide a little historical context, which I think is important. prgtoken Last week, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Chairman Brown, indicated that he wanted to have votes on six nominees within the Banking Committee jurisdiction. Five were to be Governors of the Federal Reserve--they had been nominated to Federal Reserve posts--and one was the Director of the FHFA. prgtoken Now, I told the chairman last week that as far as s on the committee were concerned, we were perfectly fine proceeding to votes on five of the six. Five of the six nominees we were ready to have votes on. Those five included the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jay Powell; Vice Chair Lael Brainard; nominee Professor Lisa Cook; nominee Professor Philip Jefferson; and the nominee to be the Director of the FHFA, Sandra Thompson. All of those, we were fine with a vote. prgtoken By the way, some of those nominees have significant support. At least one, I think, has no support on the committee, but that didn't matter. We were prepared to go and vote on these nominees. prgtoken But the sixth nominee whom Chairman Brown wanted to have a vote on was Sarah Bloom Raskin, and I told him then--this was like last Thursday--that she had chosen not to answer quite a number of important questions that we had. That is the normal part of the vetting process that a committee goes through when there is a nominee. In particular, she chose not to answer questions about a highly unusual transaction that occurred at a company on whose board she sat after she left her position as a Governor at the Fed and then a senior Treasury staffer. prgtoken Chairman Brown said he would help us get answers to these questions, but we have been stonewalled. We were stonewalled before. We have been stonewalled since. So, today, I informed the chairman that it is the view of the members of the committee that we can still go ahead and vote on the five. prgtoken I have heard them talk about how important it is that we populate the Fed with Governors. Four out of the five nominees we were prepared to vote on are Fed Governors. We could have had that vote already. We could have that vote tonight. We could do it tomorrow. There is no problem with that. But rather than advance five nominees through the committee, Chairman Brown decided he would rather have zero, so we are at zero. That is his choice. We could have had five advance through the committee. prgtoken You have to ask yourself, why would it be so important to my ic colleagues that we forgo the opportunity to move five along the process if it means that, for now, Sarah Bloom Raskin doesn't get a vote for what, by the way, would be a 10-year term on the Fed? And there
Nomination of Gigi Sohn (Executive Calendar)
Bill Hagerty (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-2-15

for nearly 2 years, the U.S. Capitol Building and Senate offices have been largely closed to the American people whom we serve. Our constituents have been unable to enter the Senate buildings to meet with their representatives, and Americans of all ages, from schoolchildren to seniors, have been deprived of the patriotic sense of wonderment that comes from visiting the hallowed halls of the Capitol Building. The openness of the Halls of Congress and public participation in the legislative process have always been hallmarks of American democracy. prgtoken It is long past time for the Senate to reopen its doors to the American people. Thanks to Operation Warp Speed, vaccines have been available for more than a year for those who want them. Americans have learned how to safely gather and enter public places despite the pandemic. Over 70,000 people attended the Super Bowl in Los Angeles on Sunday, in fact. Yet there are reports that some of the leadership in this building want to significantly limit the number of lawmakers who are allowed to attend President 's State of the Union Address in just a couple of weeks. prgtoken From stores to venues and most workplaces and schools, the rest of the United States has reopened to gatherings and regular business. Shouldn't the Senate, whose buildings belong to the public, do the same? That is why I have introduced a resolution providing that the Senate, first, recognizes the importance of reopening the Capitol and Senate office buildings to the public and, second, supports returning to the pre-COVID visitor policies for areas within Senate jurisdiction. I am pleased that 26 of my colleagues have joined me as cosponsors of this resolution. prgtoken Importantly, if there are operational matters that need to be worked out as part of reopening, this resolution provides no obstacle to doing so. It simply states that the Senate supports reopening and recognizes the importance of doing so. prgtoken I am asking my colleagues to join me today in support of the access to American democracy and a return to normal life and in opposition to endless pandemic lockdown, and I am pleased to be joined here today by my colleague from Indiana.
Biden Administration (Executive Calendar)
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-2-15

I would also like to briefly quote for the record precisely what I asked him to do: I urge you to make very clear to the American public that the Department of Homeland Security does not consider those who disagree with this administration to be domestic terrorists. I further urge you to clarify that the Department will not interfere with the rights of all Americans to speak publicly about their political views, including any views that might conflict with the policies and political talking points of this administration. . . . I urge you to revise the Bulletin to make clear to the American public that it is decidedly not the role of the Department of Homeland Security to enforce particular narratives or to quash the speech of those who disagree with this administration. prgtoken This is a very simple request. My hope is that Secretary Mayorkas recognizes his obligation to put everyone at ease by fulfilling it. prgtoken I can guarantee there are people in my beloved Tennessee who are very upset, as they have read this bulletin, because they treasure their free speech. They treasure the ability to have robust political debate. They like talking with their friends and neighbors and having those discussions and seeing if they can pull them to their side of an issue, whether it is a local, State, or a Federal issue. They want to preserve that freedom. prgtoken This memo says that freedom does go away, that it overrides the Constitution, that it overrides the rule of law. If you do it, somebody can report you, and it will be considered something not tolerated by this administration. prgtoken The administration put out this bulletin to highlight a particular danger, but the real danger lies in the document's subtext. prgtoken Even if Secretary Mayorkas makes good on his oath to defend the Constitution and if he moves forward to revise the bulletin, I fear much damage has already been done. Through this document, the administration has made it abundantly clear that they view dissent as a threat and that punishing dissent is the cost of maintaining public safety. prgtoken I wish I could dismiss this as yet another political spat, but the White House is the world's biggest and most powerful bully pulpit. When the administration talks, people listen, and they take them seriously. prgtoken If what I have laid out today is not the position of the administration, it is their obligation to speak up and to correct the record. If it is their position, it is our obligation as elected representatives to put ourselves between the American people and any official who would dare tolerate such a dystopian power grab. prgtoken Also, we should remind those officials that how they feel about our constitutional right to dissent is absolutely irrelevant. prgtoken . prgtoken .
Nomination of Robert McKinnon Califf (Executive Session)
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2022-2-15

I rise in opposition to Dr. Califf, and I have spoken before on this. I just want to say this for a minute or two here. prgtoken I respect everyone's position on this and their decision, but I have never had anything that has affected my State and constituents in my State and our country more than the opioid addiction. prgtoken This opioid addiction started because of the FDA's decision to bring a product to market in 1995 that has destroyed many families, many communities, many businesses, people's lives forever. In story after story--there is not a Senator in this body who doesn't have someone in their family, immediate family or extended family, or a constituent who hasn't been affected. prgtoken With that, you need to change the dynamics of the leadership over there. Dr. Califf was there 5 years ago. He is coming back. Nothing has changed. Four hundred thousand people have died since he was there, and we are going down the same path. prgtoken Unless we change that dynamic, that leadership position on trying to protect the people of America without putting more and more horrible drugs on the market--there was one drug back in, I think it was 2014, 2013 or 2014, called Zohydro, and the advisory committee recommended 11 to 2: Do not bring this drug to market. They did it anyway. It was 11 to 2, don't do it. These are experts. They said two pills can kill a human being. They brought it continuously. They continue to bring more opiates to the market. prgtoken We don't need this product on the market to kill more Americans. This Administration, under Robert Califf, will take the same old, same old as they did before. Nothing will change. prgtoken I urge all of my colleagues, please consider what you are doing. Consider your family and your constituents and please vote against Robert Califf.
POSTAL SERVICE REFORM ACT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Now, , last night--and this is relevant to what we just did, putting the new bill on the calendar for a second reading. Last night, we had a chance to continue progress on a bipartisan, long-overdue postal reform bill when I moved to expeditiously fix a few technical errors to the legislation sent to us by the House. Sadly, my request was blocked by the junior Senator from Florida without much in the way of clear explanation. prgtoken For instance, he says he wants to stand up for postal workers, but all the organizations representing postal workers strongly support this bill. They are eager for it. He says he wants to protect and strengthen Medicare, but the Postal Service already pays into Medicare; and the CBO says this proposal, this bill, will save the government money. prgtoken So I hope for the sake of our postal workers, our Postal Service, and for the millions, tens of millions, and even hundreds of millions of Americans who depend on the Postal Service, that this is not obstruction for obstruction's sake. prgtoken This is a textbook example of why Americans often get frustrated with the Senate and with Washington. Postal reform is highly bipartisan. It got a majority of votes in the House from both parties. It is desperately needed. We all hear from our constituents about snail mail and the price they pay for it. It is backed by both parties in both Houses, including the chairman and ranking member of the relevant committees--the ic and leading members of both committees. And it has broad support from the postal workers, who tend to be ic, and Postmaster DeJoy, who is a friend of President 's and was appointed by him. prgtoken Nevertheless, it was blocked. I am sure that s don't want to be the party that was responsible for blocking popular and bipartisan postal reform. prgtoken The delay is regrettable, but the good news is that we will get bipartisan postal reform done. It has been negotiated for months and debated for a decade. It has enough bipartisan support--more than enough--ample support to become law, and I am hopeful we will move it through this Chamber as quickly as we can. And that is what the procedural motion I did before was about. prgtoken And I certainly want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working on this bill, particularly, my prgtoken friend Chairman Gary Peters, who spoke passionately last night in defense of the bill and rebutted all of the Senator from Florida's arguments handily. And I look forward to getting postal reform passed through this Chamber very soon.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-2-15

I rise to speak in support of the Transportation Equity Act, which I introduced today. prgtoken As our Nation is making historic investments in our transportation infrastructure through the bipartisan intrastructure law, equity should be at the forefront of the Federal Government's plans to revitalize communities and ensure access, mobility, and opportunity for all. prgtoken One of President 's first actions in office was signing an Executive order on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities through the Federal Government, which states, ``Our Nation deserves an ambitious whole-of-government equity agenda that matches the scale of the opportunities and challenges that we face.'' prgtoken To accomplish this bold agenda, we need the interaction and involvement of diverse groups of stakeholders to ensure communities are heard and create effective policies. prgtoken Fortunately, we have a model for how we can bring such groups together to infuse equity into our transportation and infrastructure investments. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation established the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity to provide advice and recommendations on comprehensive, interdisciplinary issues related to transportation equity from a variety of stakeholders involved in transportation planning, design, research, policy, and advocacy. prgtoken That is why I am proud to introduce this bill with Senator Warnock to permanently reestablish the Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity within the U.S. Department of Transportation. prgtoken This bill would help recognize the role that transportation plays on related issues like public health, housing, accessibility, environmental justice, economic opportunity, and more. prgtoken I want to thank Senator Warnock for coleading this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this bill to help redress inequities in transportation infrastructure and empower communities to build back better.
REMEMBERING GEORGIANA BRUNET
Troy A. Carter (Democrat, LA) \u2014 2022-2-15

. Madam , I rise today to honor the late Mrs. Georgiana Smith Brunet, who found her heavenly wings on February 9, 2022 at the age of 97 years old. She was known to many as the Matriarch of Algiers, Louisiana, and was recently honored as the oldest serving community activist in my hometown. Affectionately called ``Bunny,'' she dedicated her entire life to her family, faith, and community. prgtoken Mrs. Brunet attended Illinois State University and the Booker T. Washington Nursing Program of New Orleans. She was married to her late husband Mr. Bernard Brunet, Jr. for 37 years and together they had five children, her pride and joy. prgtoken A devout Catholic, Mrs. Brunet was an active parishioner of All Saints Church for over 71 years where she served on the Social Outreach Committee as well as the All Saints Sodality. She was a member of the All Saints Rosary Group/Legion of Mary for over 40 years. In 2012 her lifelong commitment earned her the prestigious Order of St. Louis IX Medallion, an award which honors laypersons who have contributed their time and talents to the church. The award was presented by Archbishop Aymond, the Archdiocese of New Orleans at St. Louis Cathedral. prgtoken Mrs. Brunet became an active community advocate for the Algiers area, while working as a Pediatric Nurse within the community over her 30 years. Mrs. Brunet's community activism was also celebrated when she was honored at the Algiers Courthouse in 2012 for her volunteer work. prgtoken Mrs. Brunet left a lasting mark on many of the organizations she actively participated in including the Ladies Auxiliary of Peter Claver St. Rita's Court 36, 3rd and 4th degree, serving as Treasurer; the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Auxiliary; Fan Advisory Committee of her beloved New Orleans Saints; Girl Scouts of America, and Krewe of NOMTOC (``New Orleans Most Talked of Club''). prgtoken Mrs. Brunet was lovingly known as ``Mother Jugs'' for her work establishing the Krewe of NOMTOC and the Jugs Social Club, of which her husband was a co-founder and President. Nothing stood in her way of preparing and enjoying the Krewe of NOMTOC on parade Saturdays. prgtoken Mrs. Brunet kept busy following the activities of the New Orleans Council on Aging, attending events at the Arthur Monday Senior Center, craft-making, cooking, lobbying the State Legislature, and event planning. prgtoken Beyond her work, Georgiana had a vibrant social life. She was truly the life of the party and would carefully plan her costumes weeks in advance. She was a lively character with an undeniable fashion sense, always dressed to the nines on every occasion. Additionally, Georgiana was an avid traveler, visiting most states and several international destinations. She was a lover of politics, people, and fun, and a member of the Golden Girls Social Circle. prgtoken Algiers, Louisiana will never be the same without her. Her poise, talents and enduring love of everyone