mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING
Kathy E. Manning (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2024-3-6

I rise today to celebrate the inclusion of Community Project Funding in the bipartisan appropriations package that Congress will vote on this week. prgtoken The appropriations process known as Community Project Funding is what I consider to be good government working for the people. It is a process that takes our Federal tax dollars and puts them directly back into our communities. prgtoken Since serving in Congress, it has been my mission to bring Federal dollars home to my constituency. The Community Project Funding process has allowed me to do that successfully. prgtoken Over the past 2 years, I secured a total of $44 million for 25 projects in the Sixth District of North Carolina. prgtoken That funding supported projects like one-on-one tutoring in public schools, first responder system upgrades, the building of greenways, childcare expansion, small business incubators, and much more. prgtoken For this fiscal year, I submitted 15 projects for consideration. I am very excited to announce that I secured funding for all 15 projects--a total of $15 million for the Sixth District. prgtoken I am proud to say that every corner of the Sixth District is included with initiatives in Guilford, Forsyth, Caswell, and Rockingham Counties. prgtoken These investments will boost economic development, improve public safety, create workforce training programs, support local farmers, complete infrastructure programs, and improve affordable housing options. prgtoken I will take a moment to highlight just a few of the initiatives that will be receiving funding once this package is signed into law. prgtoken Guilford County schools will receive $850,000 for a workforce development program to prepare workers for advanced manufacturing jobs related to electric vehicles. prgtoken Advanced manufacturing training is particularly important in my community where we have a Toyota electric vehicle battery plant and other electric vehicle manufacturers bringing good-paying jobs to the area. prgtoken This program will help local students build the necessary skills to take on these jobs after high school graduation. prgtoken Rockingham Community College will receive Federal funding to create an advanced manufacturing training facility on campus. prgtoken In Gibsonville, the fire department will receive funding to purchase a new laddered fire truck. prgtoken The city of Winston-Salem will be able to expand their Behavioral Evaluation and Response Team, a rapid response program for mental health and substance abuse 911 calls. prgtoken These projects are prime examples of how government can work directly for the American people. prgtoken I thank our ic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and ranking member Rosa DeLauro for fighting to make sure these Community Funding Projects are included in the appropriations package. prgtoken I am looking forward to voting for the appropriations package this week, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, in the Ho
Unanimous Consent Requests (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-3-6

I want to thank Senator Graham. This has truly been a bipartisan effort. prgtoken People are saying: Why don't they work together? Why don't the two parties work together? Well, 21 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted for these six bills--unanimously. And we come to the floor today saying we want to bring these to the floor for consideration. prgtoken This Chamber is largely empty day in and day out. We have got plenty of time and opportunity to use these desks and these microphones to consider issues. prgtoken What are the issues we might take up? The issues that keep families up at night. Why in the world is our little girl on that telephone night and day? prgtoken What is she doing on there? She promises us she is safe and not to worry, Mom and Dad. But we don't know any better. And for goodness' sake, what is a parent supposed to do? prgtoken Now consider the worst case scenario: Someone takes advantage of your little girl or granddaughter on the internet and displays an image which is horrifying. You know it, you see it, and you can't believe it. You finally go to the media platform and say: For goodness' sakes, take that image down. This is exactly where you will find it. Bring it down. We don't want that to be broadcast anymore. prgtoken And if the media platform, at that point, knowingly and intentionally ignores the information you have given them to protect your family, then they can be held civilly liable. They can be sued. Do you think they will pay attention then? Why, of course, they will. That is why the objections are being heard. prgtoken I am going to keep working on this. I thank Senator Graham for making it a bipartisan effort. He is a wonderful partner on these issues. prgtoken We are coming back. I am working on a modification of my bill to bring some more support and make sure we consider everybody's point of view. But we do not take any position on encryption. As Senator Graham said, we are agnostic on that subject, but we do believe that something should be done to protect these families once and for all and to let these media platforms--these multimillion-dollar, profitable platforms--know they have a responsibility to the people of this country. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be permitted to speak prior to the scheduled vote: Senator Collins for up to 5 minutes and Senator Murray for up to 10 minutes.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2024-3-6

I have dedicated my career to making the Federal Government a better partner for livable communities. These are places where families are safe, healthy, and more economically secure. prgtoken One of the most important tools in making a community livable is the promotion of historic preservation. prgtoken It is more than just preserving landmarks or putting up plaques. The historic preservation movement has resulted in preserving over 45,000 historic buildings that celebrate and inform our heritage and our past. prgtoken Historic preservation helps us understand who we are, where we went, and what we might be. prgtoken I fought to protect these historic treasures that enrich community by recycling buildings that preserve that heritage. Not only do they give definition and character to our communities, but they are also a powerful boost for the local economy. prgtoken A building that has been renovated creates many more jobs because it is labor intense and it is located in historically relevant space. Preserving these buildings makes communities stronger, more resilient, and more energy efficient than abandoning historic locations for new construction, which is often outside of the core area. prgtoken A green building is one that has been revitalized and rebuilt rather than new construction. prgtoken Historic preservation helps revitalize adjacent properties. The value radiates out from the historic property. Historic preservation is a tremendous attraction for tourism. prgtoken Because it is so labor intense, the historic tax credit has created nearly 3 million jobs since its creation 40 years ago and has attracted $173 billion in private capital. That means each dollar for credit generates $4 in private investment. prgtoken You don't need to be a billionaire developer. prgtoken Projects that employ historic preservation on a smaller scale make it possible for a broader range of owners to participate, sharing the advantages. prgtoken That is why the National Park Service found that in one study $33 billion in tax credits generated over $38 billion in Federal tax revenue. prgtoken This is a program that pays for itself even before consideration of the increased value of surrounding properties and the benefits of tourism and energy savings. prgtoken Because it is labor intense, the historic tax credit has created nearly 3,000,000 jobs since its creation barely 40 years ago and has attracted approximately $173 billion in private capital. prgtoken This means that each dollar of the tax credit generated $4 in private investment. prgtoken , it is hard to think of another Federal program that makes such a strong contribution to the sense of place, revitalizing of local economies, promoting tourism, and encouraging other investment. prgtoken We will continue fighting to preserve this important private incentive for rehabilitation and reuse of historic buildings. It is changing the face of American communities, both rural and urb
OPPENHEIMER'S UNTOLD STORY
Teresa Leger Fernandez (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2024-3-6

this weekend, Oppenheimer is expected to win multiple Oscars. prgtoken In the film, we watched the pain and guilt in J.R. Oppenheimer's face when he heard what the atomic bomb did to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. prgtoken What the film didn't show--and the story that remains untold--is how thousands of New Mexican families were exposed to harmful amounts of radiation. prgtoken We didn't see how radioactive ash rained down on children, families, and farms from that first atomic bomb tested in New Mexico. prgtoken We didn't see the tears and pain as those families saw their loved ones die of cancers and rare diseases tied to radiation exposure. prgtoken So I present this film one more award: the award for the most incomplete story--for the missing, the countless American lives lost as a result of the Trinity test. prgtoken Congress can write a better ending to this story. A bipartisan coalition of Senators and Representatives have amendments to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which would finally compensate New Mexico downwinders and uranium workers, as well as workers in Missouri, Alaska, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and downwinders in other States who were left out of that original Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. prgtoken Earlier this year, these amendments were included in the NDAA as passed by the Senate. Sadly, leadership for some inexplicable reason stripped these amendments from the final NDAA. prgtoken But today, soon, Congress can write a happier ending. We can now include it in our future funding bills. prgtoken Let's write an ending that honors those who sacrificed everything for our national security. Congress can do it. I call on my colleagues to join this bipartisan effort for justice. Women's History Month
Unanimous Consent Requests--H.R. 4366 (Executive Calendar)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2024-3-6

reserving the right to object, last Congress, Senate and House Appropriations Committee leaders reinstated the practice of congressionally directed spending--or CDS--with bipartisan support. prgtoken CDS is one very important way for lawmakers to advocate for the communities they represent; and they know best. prgtoken At the beginning of this Congress, the senior Senator from Maine and I laid out a very robust process alongside our counterparts in the House to accept CDS requests for fiscal year 2024. The process includes important guardrails and requirements to, among other things, ensure transparency, ensure Members do not have financial stakes in the project they seek to fund, ensure projects are eligible to be funded, and that for-profit entities do not receive funding, and more. prgtoken If a project meets those requirements, it is eligible for funding. This is a Member-driven process, and we respect the eligible projects Members choose to request or to withdraw support for. prgtoken All four corners worked in a bipartisan way to make sure these bills could reflect the input and priorities of every Member. And that includes funding for eligible projects they have sponsored. prgtoken But what the Senator from Utah is offering would undo all that hard work and overrule Members about the projects they have secured funding for in this package. That is not how this process can or should work. prgtoken We have a process here that is driven by the rules we have in place and by Members' requests. And that process cannot be upended now at the 11th hour by a single lawmaker. Doing so would overrule other lawmakers and deny funding for projects they have secured for their constituents. That cannot happen now. I will not let it happen. prgtoken I object.
CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-3-6

I will not rest until this rider is gone from any future appropriations bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in that effort. prgtoken For now I must oppose this bill. There are a lot of good things in this bill, and I don't ask my colleagues to join me in opposing this bill. I have a great deal of respect for my good friend, the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, Ms. DeLauro, and the significant amount of work that went into this, but I must follow my conscience because of my responsibilities to veterans. prgtoken , .
EXPANDING ACCESS TO CAPITAL ACT OF 2023
Brad Sherman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-3-6

. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the bill. It is not a good bill. We have some amendments that will make it slightly better, but it still won't be a good bill. All the on the Financial Services Committee voted against this bill in committee. prgtoken Let's give a little background here. The gold standard is a public offering of securities. They then become registered securities. They can trade on an exchange. They provide disclosures to investors and audited financial statements. prgtoken We do have exceptions to this rule--exceptions for small offerings and exceptions where you are going to have accredited investors who have the capacity to absorb an enormous amount of risk and the capacity to evaluate the investments. prgtoken The definition of an accredited investor was criticized by the chair of the full committee when he was here, and I agree that definition should change. Right now, it is focused too much just on wealth and income. We need, instead, to also allow people to be accredited investors if they have the expertise to evaluate the investment and are not putting too much of their own resources into one illiquid investment. We also need to take a look at the expertise that an investor may not have himself or herself but can acquire through truly independent advisers. prgtoken The fact is that the definition of accredited investor should be improved, and that is why this House passed and sent to the Senate bills that would improve it, and I hope the Senate will finally take action on those bipartisan pieces of legislation. prgtoken This bill doesn't really improve the definition of accredited investor. It says that you are an accredited investor if you sign a piece of paper saying you want to be an accredited investor, self- certification. That shreds investor protection. prgtoken This bill not only guts investor protection when it comes to the definition of accredited investor, but it also locks in a system in which a company can say they are a private company even though they have thousands of owners--thousands. You can have 2,000 or more owners because you may have an investment vehicle that has hundreds of investors of its own, and it counts as only one investor toward that 2,000. prgtoken That means that a lot of companies will never go public. That means that those investors who want investor protection and want the liquidity of being able to sell their shares on an exchange will never be able to invest. It means that these companies will not provide the audited financial statements and the other disclosures that are required of public companies. prgtoken It guts the concept of being a public company. Why is that so important? Because today, the SEC published climate disclosures required of public companies, and today, we are considering a bill that is designed to truncate the number of public companies that we have. prgtoken If you care about the economy, vote ``no.'' If you want to
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2024-3-6

I am back today for the 29th time on my ``scheme'' series to explain to the American people how the rightwing managed to capture the Supreme Court. Today, I would like to discuss the scheme's deliverables--how the Court rewarded its big donors with favorable outcomes that benefited partisan or corporate interests and, particularly today, how the Roberts Court used false facts to produce decisions like Shelby County and Citizens United. prgtoken This speech is the short form. For the full analysis or the long form, you can read my recently published law review article in the Ohio State Law Journal, 84 Ohio St. L.J. 837 (2023). prgtoken False factfinding is the trick that has enabled the Court to do a lot of damage in recent years. Let's start with some basic principles about how factfinding is supposed to work in the American judicial system. prgtoken Facts are an important part of every case, and it matters to get them right, and it also matters that courts stay within their constitutional boundaries. To achieve those two purposes, the American system has facts ascertained at the trial court level--the trial court level. prgtoken First, the trial judge is closest to the facts on the ground. That is where the evidence comes in. That is where each party can challenge each other's facts, where facts receive robust adversarial scrutiny. That is where the judge can evaluate credibility and dedicate the time to compiling a robust factual record. prgtoken In all of this, one key point is that the judge relies on the parties to bring the facts to the court. With only limited exceptions, a court isn't supposed to venture off looking for its own facts. prgtoken Once the trial court makes its decision and assembles its record of the facts, that record travels with the case when a party appeals to a higher court. prgtoken As to facts, an appellate court is not supposed to find its own; it is supposed to give the lower court a lot of deference. prgtoken A lower court's factfinding can usually be overturned only if there was what is called clear error--a very hard standard to meet, as any lawyer will tell you. Even after a clear error finding, the ordinary rule is that the case is remanded back to the trial court for whatever further factfinding is required to comply with the appellate court's edict. prgtoken These rules make our system honest and efficient. They allow robust challenge to the facts at trial but deference to the judge's findings on appeal. They do not set appellate courts up as factfinders. Appellate courts focus on questions of law using the record established by the trial court. prgtoken These factfinding rules also protect our American separation of powers. Under the Constitution, courts are limited to deciding only what the Constitution calls ``cases or controversies.'' By obvious implication, that means actual cases or controversies with their actual facts. Without that, prgtoken judg
Unanimous Consent Requests (Executive Calendar)
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2024-3-6

reserving the right to object, I want to thank the Presiding Officer, and I also want to thank my friend Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been a partner on so many things involving criminal justice, on so many good things involving safety, has been a partner on, obviously, many things, and foreign policy as well. prgtoken I want to object to the request by the Senator from South Carolina to pass the SHIELD Act by unanimous consent. But I really want to start by saying that I know we are talking about a deeply vital issue today that we must address as the U.S. Senate. prgtoken I believe that the Senator from South Carolina and I have a common goal, and we see eye to eye. Anytime a person's privacy or bodily autonomy is violated, we have a duty to address the harm that they have experienced and seek solution so that we prevent the same thing from happening to others. He and I have talked about this in the committee multiple times. prgtoken Congress must act when there are people who exploit others or harass them or set out to exact some twisted revenge on them by sharing nonconsensual images. They should be held accountable for the serious, emotional, psychological, and professional harm it can cause to victims. I believe this is what the sponsors of the SHIELD Act intend to do. prgtoken But the bill offered today stands to have unintended consequences that I have discussed in committee and that need to be addressed. Many of these issues were addressed in committee in our markup of the bill. Senator Klobuchar, who leads this bill, has been working with me to correct those problems. We are working diligently and in good faith to address these issues so that this Congress can pass a bill to vindicate the victims. When we were in committee, I spoke and asked for the opportunity to do that work, and I am hoping that we continue to have that now. prgtoken It is our obligation to get this right, and I am grateful to the Senator from Minnesota and her staff who are working with me to make sure we do so. Thus, I object. prgtoken As in legislative session and notwithstanding rule----
CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2024-3-6

I support passage of this six- bill package, including the section on Agriculture-Rural Development- FDA. prgtoken The ag bill affects the lives of every single American--rural, urban, and suburban--every single day and ensures that Americans have access to abundant, safe, and affordable food, fiber, medicine, and medical devices. prgtoken The bill takes care of our families, helps prevent hunger, and fully funds SNAP as well as WIC. The bill is free from almost all the extreme policy riders in the previous versions, and it rejects interference with Americans' healthcare and reproductive freedom, as well as attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion training. prgtoken It protects the Secretary of Agriculture's authority to use the CCC, and it blocks cuts to distressed Farm Service Agency borrowers to help the farmers who feed our country. prgtoken It rejects severe cuts to rural electric co-ops and the REAP program, which helps rural businesses save on energy costs and helps make rural energy grids more sustainable and resilient. prgtoken It protects small meat and poultry producers and promotes industry competition to reduce the cost of food. prgtoken It makes crucial investments in rural housing and rental assistance as well as the Food Safety and Inspection Service. prgtoken While the bill is not the best, it brings us closer than the earlier versions to meeting the essential needs of the American people. prgtoken I commend President and the bipartisan leadership and staff of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
HONORING TAMMY HOLLAND
Blake D. Moore (Republican, UT) \u2014 2024-3-7

I was saddened by the recent and sudden passing of Tammy Holland, who was an anchor in the Ogden, Utah and Hill Air Force Base communities. Tammy was a native to Colorado, where she grew up hiking, skiing, and riding horses. She brought her love of the outdoors to Utah and instilled the same admiration for God's creations in her children, Andrew and Avery. Tammy was easy to be around and quick to welcome anyone as a new friend. With her husband of 23 years, Tammy built her home centered on faith in Jesus Christ and encouraged family and friends alike to join her in serving others. prgtoken It's no easy task raising two kids in an Air Force family, and Tammy was a rock for her husband and children as they made homes in Florida, South Carolina, Ohio, Germany, Texas, Massachusetts, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, and ultimately, Utah. Friends and loved ones in each of these communities came to love Tammy for her organizing and compassionate service to the Airmen and their respective families. Our community is better because of her efforts and her influence will be greatly missed. It is upon us to carry forward her legacy of service. prgtoken I extend my deepest sympathy to Tammy's husband, Col. Jeff Holland, and their son, Andrew, and daughter, Avery, for their loss, and I offer my prayers on their behalf.