mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
OBJECTION TO ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2021-1-6

. Madam , I am filled with sadness and anger following the attack on the U.S. Capitol today. It is the result of a fever that has been building for weeks, months and years and which has only been further incited by President . Today is a point of inflection and reflection, and we need to say enough. This only strengthens our resolve to get the Electoral Votes counted and certified and continue with a peaceful transition of power, as has been a hallmark of our nation. prgtoken The vote was decisive. Despite the ongoing pandemic, we saw a historic 158 million Americans vote. and won 306 votes in the Electoral College after earning the support of more than 81 million Americans. After 60 failed lawsuits and dozens of recounts, there is not one shred of evidence of major fraud in this election. Yet ever since and won this election, there has been a concerted effort to overturn the will of the voters. These objections are unfounded, absurd and dangerous. They are contrary to 60 courts which denied claims of fraud or vote improprieties. I am saddened to see many of my colleagues continue to peddle these lies and falsehoods instead of supporting the peaceful transition of power enshrined in our Constitution. prgtoken Our elections are among the safest and most transparent in the world. For that, I want to thank the tens of thousands of Americans who work to secure our elections each and every year, including Colorado's elections officials and workers who continue to exemplify a successful mail-in voting system and workers for Dominion Voting Systems based in Colorado. Unfortunately, due to these baseless attacks on the election results, many of these election workers have been threatened and intimidated. Yet these poll workers did their duty and counted the votes, shepherding and overseeing one of the most fundamental and integral pillars of our democracy--free, fair and open elections. prgtoken Today, Congress resolves to complete our work in Joint Session to formally receive the votes of the Electors, which have not been disputed by any state. Our job is not to overturn the will of the voters or the states, it is simply to certify their decision on who will be the next President and Vice President of the United States. I urge all my colleagues to reject these frivolous and dangerous objections to the vote of the Electoral College and join with the country in supporting the peaceful transition of power. It's time to get back to the business of the people and of the country as we build a better future.
COUNTING ELECTORAL VOTES--JOINT SESSION OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE HELD PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1
Greg Stanton (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2021-1-6

. Madam , over the last few hours, we have seen the consequences of dangerous un-American rhetoric; an armed insurrection against the seat of government of the most powerful country on Earth; a breach of this Capitol building to attack Congress, something that has not taken place since the British occupied this building during the War of 1812; an attempted coup spurred by rhetoric coming from those who are looking out for themselves, not country. prgtoken It is stunning, Madam , that there are some in this House who have voiced support for what happened. It was not a protest. It was treason. It was sedition. And it should be prosecuted as such. prgtoken At its root is a disease that has infected our politics, one that will make some political leaders do anything, including lie and incite violence to hold on to power. That is what we are seeing before our very eyes. prgtoken In contesting the outcome of this election, my colleagues make a contradictory argument that puts party and power before country. They argue the election results were valid when it showed they won their races, but the same ballots were somehow fraudulent when it produced a result President did not like. prgtoken Keep the results we like, they demand, cancel the one we don't. prgtoken That is not how democracy works, and neither is armed insurrection. prgtoken Here is the truth: Arizona has a long bipartisan record of conducting safe, secure, and fair elections. And I say that as someone whose party has more often than not been on the losing end of those elections. This last election was, once again, safe and secure. And I commend our State and county election officials, public servants on both sides of the aisle, for making Arizona proud once again. prgtoken We are here because the case that s have brought before us has failed in court over and over and over again. prgtoken My colleagues say: Let's go back to the State, let them decide. prgtoken My friends, Arizona has spoken. They have sent the correct electors. prgtoken Arizona's attorney general, one of the most partisan in the country, said: ``There is no evidence, there are no facts that would lead anyone to believe the election results will change.'' prgtoken The speaker of our State house has told us he doesn't like the prgtoken results of the election, but they are the right results. has won Arizona. prgtoken The State supreme court, made up entirely of justices appointed by Governors, has spoken, too. The court said the President's challenge ``fails to present any evidence of misconduct, illegal votes, or that the electors did not in fact receive the highest numbers of votes for office.'' prgtoken Look to the words of one of the President's own campaign chairs in my State, our Governor, Doug Ducey. Our Governor loves the President. He has been so loyal. He made sure the President could hold large rallies in our State in
COUNTING ELECTORAL VOTES--JOINT SESSION OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE HELD PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-1-6

. Madam , I started this day disheartened that our colleagues were going to drag us through this cynical political charade of objecting to duly certified electoral college votes, but I was ready and eager to defend Pennsylvania's elections and the will of Pennsylvania's voters. prgtoken Never did I expect to be answering calls from family and friends concerned for my safety or to have to barricade myself in an office. But most important of all, never did I expect to see our Capitol overrun by armed insurrectionists intent on disrupting our government at the urging of the President. prgtoken What happened here today has made me heart-sick for our country, but it only strengthens my resolve to uphold the rule of law and to protect the decision of Pennsylvania's voters. prgtoken Earlier this week, we raised our hands and swore an oath to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. But, today, those who are blocking the counting of electors from Pennsylvania are showing that their allegiance lies not to the Constitution or to their constituents, and many would argue not even to the Party, but to their own political fortunes and the outgoing President. prgtoken Pennsylvania's voters, not Members of Congress, are tasked with choosing Pennsylvania's Presidential electors, and particularly not congressmen from other States. The people have spoken, and Pennsylvania certified our electors. We must respect our oath here by rejecting this unfounded objection to Pennsylvania's electoral votes, and not substitute Congress' judgment for that of the people of Pennsylvania. prgtoken Legal challenges to elections are serious matters, and that is why there is a place to consider those challenges: In courtrooms before impartial judges. prgtoken And Pennsylvania's legal process has worked. The pseudo-legal arguments that are being raised by the objectors here today are not new. Over the past 2 months, the President and his allies have filed more than 20 lawsuits to challenge the Pennsylvania election. Those challenges have been rejected in Federal courts, State courts, appellate courts, and the United States Supreme Court. Challenges have been rejected by judges who are registered , s, Independents, and who have been appointed by ic and Presidents. prgtoken And why did they lose all those cases? prgtoken As Third Circuit Judge Bibas, a appointee, wrote, ``Free, fair elections are the lifeblood of our democracy. Charges of unfairness are serious. But calling an election unfair does not make it so. Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.'' prgtoken What the Court said points to an important distinction about when and how claims of election misconduct are made. It is easy to make wild claims of election fraud on cable television or Twitter, but those claims are not facts. And while there may be no immediate consequences
UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2021-1-6

. Colleagues, it has been a terrible day for everybody here and for our country. prgtoken One of the things I was thinking about today is something I often think about when I am on this floor, which is that the Founders of this country, the people who wrote our Constitution, actually knew our history better than we know our history. prgtoken I was thinking about that history today, as we saw the mob riot in Washington, DC--thinking about what the Founders were thinking about when they wrote our Constitution, which was what happened to the Roman Republic when armed gangs, doing the work for politicians, prevented Rome from casting their ballots for consuls, for praetors, for senators. These were the officers in Rome, and these armed gangs ran through the streets of Rome, keeping elections from being started, keeping elections from ever being called. In the end, because of that, the Roman Republic fell, and a dictator took its place, and that was the end of the Roman Republic--or any republic, for that matter--until this beautiful Constitution was written in the United States of America. prgtoken So it is my fervent hope that the way we respond to this today, my dear colleagues, is that we give the biggest bipartisan vote we can in support of our democracy and in support of our Constitution and in rejection of what we saw today and what the Roman Republic saw in its own time. prgtoken There is a tendency around this place, I think, to always believe that we are the first people to confront something when that is seldom the case and to underappreciate what the effect of our actions will be. We need to deeply appreciate, in this moment, our obligation to the Constitution, our obligation to democracy, and our obligation to the Republic. prgtoken There are people in this Chamber who have twisted the words--twisted the words--of a statute written in the 19th century that was meant to actually settle our electoral disputes, to leave them with the States, as the Senator from Utah was saying, to give us a ministerial role, except in very rare circumstances. That is what that law is about that the Senator of Texas was talking about today. And that is the law that is leading us to be asked to overturn the judgments of 60 courts in America, many of the courts in Arizona, some of whom have howled the President's lawyers out of the courtrooms because there is no evidence of fraud. prgtoken By the way, the fact that 37 percent or 39 percent of Americans think there is evidence of fraud does not mean there is fraud. If you have turned a blind eye to a conspiracy theory, you can't now come to the floor of the Senate and say you are ignoring the people who believe that the election was stolen. Go out there and tell them the truth, which is that every single Member of this Senate knows this election prgtoken wasn't stolen and that we, just as in the Roman Republic, have a responsibility to protect the independence of the judiciary
CONGRATULATING SUMMIT COUNTY COMMISSIONER KARN STIEGELMEIER ON HER RETIREMENT
Joe Neguse (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2021-1-6

. Madam , today I wish to recognize and honor the work of retiring Summit County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier. Karn has continuously devoted much of her time and energy to maintaining our beautiful public lands and environment in Summit County, Colorado--a community I am so proud to represent. Prior to serving as a County Commissioner, she worked for the National Forest Service and National Park Service, where she served in the crucial roles of wildland firefighter and park ranger, and also taught students in Summit County. prgtoken During her time as a Summit County Commissioner, Karn continued to advocate for the protection of our environment and was fiercely determined to preserve the precious quality of life we enjoy in Colorado. She also continuously advocated for forest health and wildfire prevention, both of which have helped Colorado's Second Congressional District in incalculable ways. prgtoken She has truly shown an incredible determination to better her community, and I thank her for her many years of service as County Commissioner. I am grateful for all the work Karn has done during her time as a Summit County Commissioner and wish her a restful and well- deserved retirement from public service.
CHALLENGE TO THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Kyrsten Sinema (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2021-1-6

. Thank you, . prgtoken I rise today to share the facts about Arizona's recent election and to urge my colleagues to step away from divisive political rhetoric and step towards renewing Americans' faith in our democracy. prgtoken The 2020 Arizona election was a success, not for any one party or individual but as a demonstration of the will of the voters. A record 80 percent of registered voters participated, thanks to local Arizona election officials who ensured our system worked and our laws were upheld. Arizona has offered early voting for more than 100 years, and our vote-by-mail system includes strict safeguards. All ballots include tracking mechanisms and tamper-resistant envelopes. Election staff are trained to authentic signatures. And Arizona imposes severe criminal punishments for ballot tampering. prgtoken The Arizona election produced bipartisan results in which members of both parties won races, and these results have been confirmed by stakeholders across the political spectrum. prgtoken The chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors said: No matter how you voted, this election was administered with integrity, transparency, and . . . in accordance with Arizona State laws. prgtoken The speaker of the Arizona State House rejected calls for the legislature to overturn the election, saying: As a conservative , I don't like the results of the presidential election . . . but I cannot and will not entertain a suggestion that we violate current law to change the outcome. prgtoken Eight challenges contesting the Arizona election were brought to Federal and State courts. All eight were withdrawn or dismissed, including a unanimous ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court. The chief justice wrote: [The] challenge fails to present any evidence of ``misconduct,'' [or] ``illegal votes'' . . . let alone establish any degree of fraud or a sufficient error rate that would undermine the certainty of the election results. prgtoken During a recent committee hearing, I asked a simple question of the former Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security: Did he find any evidence disputing the integrity or fairness of Arizona's election? His answer was simple: ``No.'' prgtoken Arizona and our 15 counties should be congratulated for running a secure election. Perhaps the most heartening demonstration of Arizona's election success is Jocelyn from Phoenix. Jocelyn is 18 years old and was a first-time voter in 2020. So was Rachel from Tucson and thousand more Arizonans who for the first time exercised their constitutional right to decide their own leaders. Today's challenge to Arizona's election fails any factual analysis. More disturbingly, it seeks to rob Jocelyn and Rachel and more than 3 million Arizonans of a free, fair election. prgtoken Those of us who are trusted with elected office are first and fore
OBJECTION TO COUNTING OF PENNSYLVANIA ELECTORAL VOTES
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2021-1-6

I have a question for all of my colleagues this evening, which is this: What happened here today, and how is it different from what we expected as we assembled in this Chamber early this afternoon? prgtoken Sadly, much like the impeachment trial of just a year ago, I think as many of us slogged our way to the Nation's Capital and dutifully filed into this Chamber, we expected hours and hours of debate and discussion, knowing the outcome, knowing that what was being engaged in by a handful of our colleagues was a political stunt, feeding the ego of our President, who is chasing conspiracy theories about how he actually won the election 2 months ago that he lost and indulging his belief that somehow, somehow, the Congress could still, at the last moment, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. prgtoken Even in the last day, President had been haranguing his own incredibly loyal Vice President, , as if somehow Vice President would simply declare him President today. prgtoken We knew that President had been stirring up the spirits of thousands, urging them to come to Washington. We had an inkling that he might go out and speak to them, but I don't think, as we filed into this Chamber, any of us--any of us--expected that, for the second time in our Republic's history, the perimeter of this Capitol would be breached, Members of the Senate would be rushed to safety; that not just the Capitol Police but U.S. Marshals and FBI officers and fully combat-geared soldiers would be in the U.S. Capitol, taking it back from a riotous mob of thugs. prgtoken Just a few moments ago, I went to the Rotunda to see the litter and the trash, the residue and the remnants of those who took over this building today, and to say thank you to the men and women of law enforcement who helped secure it after it fell to an angry mob. prgtoken But, folks, we have to think about the consequences of what happened here today, why this happened, and what it means and what it teaches, because, frankly, tonight, now, the whole world is watching. The entire world is watching a montage of scenes--of folks cavorting in the Capitol, half-naked men taking that seat, scrawling things on different surfaces, parading up and down the Capitol corridors with a Confederate flag and a flag, and in other ways signaling that they had done something significant. No. In fact, what they have actually done is weakened our democracy, showed some of its fragility, and encouraged our opponents around the world. prgtoken In the last 2 months since the election, we have one man who has abandoned his post, who has mostly spent his time golfing and tweeting and indulging himself in conspiracy theories and been less and less attuned to our national security and to a raging pandemic, and another man, our President-elect, who is preparing to take over the responsibility for leading this country out of this pandemic and out of its
COUNTING ELECTORAL VOTES--JOINT SESSION OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE HELD PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1
Chrissy Houlahan (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-1-6

. Madam , first, I do want to acknowledge the devastating events of the last 12 hours and to express my deep appreciation for those who have worked to secure this building and safeguard our democracy. On behalf of my colleagues, we are all grateful for your service. prgtoken I ran for this office on a platform of civility and decency, and many of my colleagues and constituents know that I am a third-generation veteran, and I grew up in a military household. prgtoken Madam , what you may not know, though, is that I grew up in a divided household. Throughout my childhood, one parent voted and the other . In my purple household, I learned that duty to country was far more important than party allegiance. With each election, my father would say: ``And when the election is done, we salute smartly and we carry on.'' prgtoken Now I live in and I serve in a community that has a lot in common with the home that I grew up in. It, too, is a purple place that honors civility and decency. Pennsylvania's Sixth District is, in many ways, a microcosm of the Commonwealth and of our Nation. Our voter registration in Chester County is 40-40-20, R, D, and I. Voters across my district commonly split their ticket, some voting for President-elect while also voting down the ballot for s for our State legislature. prgtoken What some of my colleagues are arguing today is that those very ballots are illegitimate. My colleagues cannot honestly believe that. In fact, just this week they joined me on the House floor to be sworn in to this hallowed body, and they trusted that the votes cast in their favor were legitimate. And they are right. If those votes counted, then so too must the votes for President-elect . prgtoken We have also heard today concerns about mail-in ballots. I am not a lawyer, but I am an engineer and, therefore, a student of numbers. It wasn't just who voted by mail. It was not a free-for-all, as it was described earlier. Madam , 600,000 s in Pennsylvania across the State voted by mail. By questioning the election results, you are telling those Pennsylvanians that the hours they spent in line to cast their ballot or the trip they took to the post office in the middle of a pandemic just didn't matter. prgtoken Alan Novak is a man who served as the chair of the Party in Pennsylvania for nearly a decade. I will say that again. The Chair of the Party of Pennsylvania for a decade is one of those voters I am talking about in Pennsylvania. He lives in my district, and he split his ticket. He voted for me as his Member of Congress and also for President . And he eloquently said: What makes America great, exceptional, and enduring is our commitment to our government of laws, our orderly constitutional process that settles our election disputes, and our peaceful transfer of power with respect and civility. It is