mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
UKRAINE
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-3-15

I thank the distinguished majority leader for working with the distinguished minority leader and with Senator Graham for bringing this important legislation to the floor tonight. prgtoken It says what many of us have been saying for a long time and which I wish the President of the United States, our Commander in Chief, would explicitly say tonight or tomorrow: that Vladimir Putin is a serial war criminal and that he should be investigated by the war crimes authorities internationally, brought to justice, and made to pay not only for his genocide and war crimes of the last 2\1/2\ weeks but also for Aleppo and Grozny and the tens of thousands--tens of thousands--of innocent civilians that he has killed by his desires out of some other century to conquer his neighbors. prgtoken I was mentioning 1938 and 1939. When Hitler went into the Sudetenland, he told naive Western governments: That will be the end of it. If we get that, we will have peace in our time. prgtoken And some leaders of the allies were convinced that that was true. prgtoken Vladimir Putin hasn't even said he is going to stop with Ukraine. So who in the world thinks that if he gets away with this, he will stop there? I don't believe he will, and here is why: Not only Aleppo, not only Grozny, but this is a man who, without question, poisons his political opponents. When they leave the country to get medical treatment, he causes them to be charged for breaking the terms of their parole and puts them in prison. That is his political opponent, Mr. Navalny, who had the temerity to be a candidate for President against Mr. Putin. prgtoken We are talking about the Vladimir Putin who authorizes the assassination of former members of the Russian Government because they have the temerity to oppose him. We are talking about the very same person in Vladimir Putin who jails persons for years and years who dare to oppose him or disagree with him publicly, who invents enormous lies and gets some people even in the West to believe it when he broadcasts the enormous lies through his monopoly of the media. prgtoken This man can be stopped in this Ukrainian war, and we are going to hear tomorrow morning from a courageous leader who has risen beyond the expectations of so many people in the free world, President Zelenskyy, and I intend to be there along with my colleagues wishing him the best. prgtoken I think I can say for our delegation that we might have nuances on how these things can be done, but we are united on ideas, like getting the Polish MiGs somehow into the hands of the Ukrainian fighter pilots who can then use them to win the war, the equipment from other NATO countries and European countries enhancing Ukraine's air defense, and sending more troops to harden the borders and the eastern flank of our NATO Allies. prgtoken I would say to the President of the United States: Mr you have been too risk averse, too late from time to time,
PUTIN'S WAR
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2022-3-15

war criminal Putin is betraying the young soldiers of Russia to death. 18- to 20-year-old conscripts are mercilessly sent to Ukraine on a training mission not knowing they were going to murder Ukrainian families of children, women, and men. Russian mothers and fathers are lied to by Putin that this is a ``special mission.'' prgtoken I especially understand foreign service. My father served in the Flying Tigers with the Chinese military in Kunming, Chengdu, and Xi'an to stop aggression in World War II. As a parent, I am grateful my son Alan served in Iraq, my son Add in Iraq, my son Julian in Egypt, and my son Hunter in Afghanistan. prgtoken I know Russian families are concerned for their sons who are being sacrificed by Putin, murdering for oil, money, and power in Putin's war. prgtoken That is why I have offered bipartisan legislation to Russian military defectors for expedited refugee status to America. Defectors who turn over equipment to Ukraine will receive a payment of up to $100,000. prgtoken God bless Ukraine. God save Ukraine. Long live President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
American Rescue Plan (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-3-15

Friday marked the first anniversary of the so-called American Rescue Plan, which is the ' partisan $1.9 trillion spending spree. Fittingly, the anniversary arrived just 1 day after the release of February's inflation numbers which marked the worst inflation since January of 1982. prgtoken Why do I say ``fittingly''? prgtoken Well, because the anniversary of the American Rescue Plan is basically the anniversary of our inflation crisis. While it is true that supply chain issues and the reopening of economies after COVID shutdowns created certain inflationary pressures, a big part of the reason for our current inflation crisis is ' decision to pass the American Rescue Plan last March. prgtoken The definition of inflation is too many dollars chasing too few goods and services, and that is exactly the situation helped create with their so-called American Rescue Plan. came into office mere weeks after Congress had passed a fifth--fifth--bipartisan COVID relief bill totaling almost $1 trillion and meeting, essentially, all current pressing COVID needs. Our economy was well on its way to a healthy recovery, and the majority of States had the money they needed to deal with the pandemic. In short, it was abundantly clear that we were not in immediate need of trillions more in government spending. prgtoken But that didn't stop . Now that they were in charge, they were eager to take advantage of the COVID crisis to begin implementing their Big Government vision. So in the name of COVID relief, they pushed through a massive partisan $1.9 trillion spending piece of legislation filled with unnecessary spending and handouts to ic interest groups. Less than 9 percent of that $1.9 trillion spending bill was earmarked for actually combating COVID. The rest went to priorities like a $350 billion slush fund for States, a bailout for union pensions, rental assistance far in excess of anything that was needed, and the list goes on. prgtoken Despite being billed as essential COVID relief, a substantial portion of the money appropriated will not be spent until 2022 or later; and despite the pressing need for workers to fill the millions of available job openings, created incentives for Americans to stay on unemployment instead of returning to work by extending enhanced unemployment benefits until September of 2021, long after they were likely to be needed. So the end result of all this was entirely predictable. prgtoken flooded the economy with unnecessary government money, and the economy overheated as a result. And you don't have to take my word for it. Here is what Steve Rattner, who served in the administration, had to say in November: prgtoken The original sin was the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, passed in March. The bill--almost completely unfunded--sought to counter the effects of the COVID pandemic by focusing on demand-side s
CELEBRATING SAVANNAH STATE'S MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-3-15

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the tremendous season of the Savannah State University men's basketball team. prgtoken The upset-minded Tigers have won their first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship title since 1981. prgtoken Topping off a four-game win streak with a conference championship victory, the Tigers went into the SIAC championship game as the underdog against Benedict College. prgtoken This historic team struggled throughout the season, entering the post-season 11-13, but came together as a team and found a way to win when it mattered most. prgtoken I am so proud of the team that Head Coach Horace Broadnax has put together at Savannah State University. He is helping these young men unlock their full athletic potential. prgtoken The season is not over, as the Tigers are now preparing for their shot at the NCAA Division II National Tournament. This has not been an easy season by any means, but the Tigers have momentum and drive to keep them moving forward. prgtoken Gentlemen, good luck in the tournament.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-3-15

we finished up some three or four townhalls this weekend, bringing us, I think, over nine. And I will tell you this, Americans know they are being lied to. They know the decisions coming out of the White House and the CDC are politically driven. Let me tell you this for sure: Kansans are mad, and they are upset, and they know this lie is continuing, and their anger continues to grow. And at the end of every townhall, I can tell you, two or three people will grab me and say: Please, please keep fighting for our freedoms. prgtoken This is what else they tell me. They tell me they don't trust the CDC anymore, that the CDC has lost their reputation; and I am telling you, it will be difficult for them to ever get it back. prgtoken Now, they are being told that we have to wear masks on airplanes for another month or so--another horrible decision coming from the White House, more ill advice from the CDC. And all the time we know that these masks--with these masks comes a psychosocial downfall, that it creates problems. But the CDC continues to lust for control--to control our lives and exert their control over us, over me, over our children and our grandchildren. prgtoken My concern is this: The CDC continues to make decisions as if they are in a vacuum without consideration of the big picture. prgtoken Let's just take a moment and talk about where we are today. Ninety- five percent of Americans have some level of immunity--95 percent. New infections are down 94 percent, hospitalizations down over 80 percent. As far as we know, there is no new variant of concern anywhere in the world that is rearing its ugly head right now. prgtoken What do we truly know about the science and the benefits of wearing a mask? What do you know about the risk of wearing a mask? Well, I asked the CDC that same question, I am sure, over a year ago now. I asked them for the studies that support their recommendation to wear masks-- some 80 studies. I looked at every one of them. I would say half of them weren't worth the paper they were printed on--poor scientific quality, cherry-picking data--but most were still very inconclusive. prgtoken A few suggested masks might help if they are worn perfectly, if it is the right type of mask. Some of the studies even said that masks were harmful. prgtoken Now, I will acknowledge that in a perfect world that, for a brief period of time, wearing an N95 mask properly could theoretically give a person benefit. But we now know and have now proven that cloth masks have offered little benefit, and they may actually make viruses and infections more common. prgtoken Does the CDC really believe masking would help in an airplane? And if they did so, why wouldn't they suggest we wear N95 masks, and why do they allow cloth masks? It just seems very inconsistent. prgtoken The big problem is always compliance. Seatbelts don't work unless you wear them. An airbag on the car doesn't work unless you have it tur
Ukraine (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-3-15

American strength is not a provocation. American strength secures deterrence and peace. It is American hesitancy and weakness which our adversaries see as an invitation. It is a simple fact. We relearned it the hard way many times in our history. It should form the cornerstone of any administration's foreign policy, but every day brings new distressing signs that the administration forgets this lesson. prgtoken President hesitated and waited to reinforce our NATO allies with more American troops out of fear that it might provoke Putin. President hesitated and waited to send Stingers to the Ukrainians out of fears that it might provoke Putin. President declined to send support and training to Ukraine in December because he feared it might provoke Putin. prgtoken Here is a headline from earlier this week: Pentagon push to send more trainers to Ukraine was scrapped in December amid White House fears of provoking Russia. prgtoken Last week, President publicly split from our ally Poland and scrapped a plan to get airplanes to Ukraine because our administration feared it might--you guessed it--provoke Putin. Predictably, Putin has not pulled his punches as a thank-you to President for pulling his punches. prgtoken American strength is not the provocation; American weakness is. We need to help get air defense systems to Ukraine without wasting another second. prgtoken But, meanwhile, the administration is already replaying this mistaken philosophy with another adversary. Iran watched our humiliating, botched retreat in Afghanistan. They have watched the administration squabble with our Middle Eastern partners while removing sanctions from Iran's own terrorist proxies in Yemen. prgtoken The Iranians have taken the measure of this administration. This weekend, even as the administration is reportedly putting the finishing touches on an agreement deal that would massively favor Iran over America, they unleashed an audacious--audacious--missile strike into the Kurdistan region of Iraq that came very close to hitting our U.S. consulate. prgtoken How will our Commander in Chief respond? The record is not encouraging. Deterrence of Iran has steadily eroded under his tenure. The worse the Iranians behave, the more desperate the administration seems to be to give them concessions. prgtoken Judging by public reports, the deal that President is preparing would impose fewer, weaker, and shorter restrictions on Iran than even the deeply flawed 2015 deal, while giving them major and lasting relief from sanctions. prgtoken The deal would reportedly not even touch Iran's ballistic missile program. So Iran lobs missiles toward our facilities, and we give Iran a huge influx of cash and a relaxation of pressure. prgtoken Iran clearly does not fear that they will pay a price for threatening American interests. They must be made to think again. <|p|
RECOGNIZING MARK HANSON
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-3-15

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the service of an amazing educator in my district. prgtoken Earlier this year, Ottumwa High School announced that longtime principal Mark Hanson would be retiring. Mark originally served as Ottumwa's principal from 2010 to 2017 but returned to the high school as principal this past July. prgtoken Throughout his time at OHS, Mark was a true leader and visionary. He worked tirelessly to improve graduation rates, improve the school's culture and curriculum, and increase opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular activities. prgtoken Before coming to OHS, Mark remained active in the community, coaching basketball and tennis. prgtoken Following Mark's retirement, Shelley Bramschreiber will become the new principal. Shelley has been with Ottumwa schools since 1994. On July 1 of this year, Shelley will become the first female principal in school history. prgtoken Thank you to Mark for his decades of service to our community and best of luck to Shelley. Go Bulldogs. Happy Birthday Wishes
RECOGNIZING CHIEF M.E. ``GENE'' WALDROP ON 50 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
Michael Guest (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-3-15

. Madam , it is my privilege to congratulate Chief M.E. ``Gene'' Waldrop on 50 years of service in law enforcement. He has enjoyed a distinguished career, and we are grateful for his dedicated service to defend the safety of our great state for more than half a century. prgtoken As a native of Greenville, Mississippi, Chief Waldrop graduated from Greenville High School and later served as Staff Sergeant in the Mississippi National Guard. After being honorably discharged, Waldrop began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer. Chief Waldrop served 20 years for the Greenville Mississippi Police Department and retired in 1991 as Chief of Police. With Chief Waldrop's oversight and encouragement, the City of Greenville coordinated with local agencies to develop efficient disaster response plans that heightened the region's security. prgtoken After retiring, Chief Waldrop was appointed as Chief of Police in the City of Madison, Mississippi, holding to his commitment to public service. In this role, he continued his steadfast dedication to keeping the great state of Mississippi safe by establishing advanced emergency response plans. Under his courageous leadership, the City of Madison has been rated the Safest City in Mississippi by several crime prevention organizations. prgtoken Chief Waldrop is also a dedicated community servant. He helped to establish the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Firefighters' Memorial Burn Center Association. There, he served as the Vice- President of the Board of Directors, one of his many achievements that earned Chief Waldrop the Jim Ingram Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. prgtoken I commend all that Chief Waldrop has done to valiantly protect the lives of Mississippians, and I thank him for his contributions towards bettering our state's law enforcement. I extend my very best wishes to him and look forward to working with him in the future to make our state an even better place to live, worship, and raise a family.
UNLOCKING RURAL AMERICA'S POTENTIAL
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2022-3-15

. Madam , the gentleman is right. What is more precious than water? And those of us in the West understand that very well. prgtoken So, Madam , let me just say I am very grateful to have colleagues from across this great country join me tonight to talk about these issues, and to discuss our efforts in the Western Caucus as it relates to permitting month. prgtoken As you have heard, the broken processes surrounding permitting throughout the Federal Government have truly kneecapped our rural communities. This has slowed progress and has cost millions and millions of dollars. prgtoken In order to truly unleash American potential, we have to reform this process, and we will. Between the Western Caucus and those of us in Congress, we will continue to advocate for commonsense policies that are going to do just that. prgtoken Madam , I am grateful for the Special Order opportunity this evening, and .
SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT OF 2021
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2022-3-15

first of all, I would like to say thanks to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for getting out here today and starting down the road to making daylight saving time permanent. prgtoken I cannot overstate how grateful I am that this bill passed this Chamber just a few minutes ago by unanimous consent. It is especially timely given that we all had to change our clocks this past weekend, and we are now experiencing longer, sunnier days, but it would be better news if longer, sunnier days were a new norm and not a cause for a temporary, seasonal celebration, which is why I hope my colleagues in the House of Representatives pass this bill quickly. prgtoken The practice of springing forward impacts folks across the Nation and has far-reaching benefits beyond the obvious but enjoyable hour of daylight that brings happy, happy times to everybody. prgtoken Alabamians have made this clear. Since I joined Senator Rubio in the effort to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, the phones in my office have been absolutely ringing off the hook in support of permanently adopting daylight saving time--from moms and dads who want more daylight time before putting their kids to bed so dinnertime doesn't feel like bedtime and from elderly people who want more Sun in the evenings in order to take a walk or enjoy working in their yards. For farmers, who could use the extra daylight to work in the fields, it is a better business model and adds to the bottom line. prgtoken But it is not just people in the State of Alabama; Americans across the country want to make daylight saving time permanent. In fact, it is worth noting that this bill has bipartisan support, evidenced by the fact that it passed with no objection here in the Senate mere moments ago. It is no secret how rare that is here in this Chamber. prgtoken Locking the clock, or doing away with the twice-a-year time change, is a simple measure that would have far-reaching results. For example, from a health perspective, cases of SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, are much more common in the winter months than in the summer months. From an economic perspective, the time change costs the U.S. economy an estimated $430 million annually when accounting for lost productivity. It is simply common sense to update this outdated practice. prgtoken Daylight saving time began as a temporary measure during World War I to conserve energy, but in the last century, our world has changed dramatically. What might have made sense during 1918 does not make sense today. That is why Alabama, along with 17 other State legislatures, has passed legislation or resolutions to flip the switch on this outdated practice and permanently increase our daylight hours, but these changes at the State level cannot take place until a Federal law is passed. We have taken the first step today in the Senate by passing this bill. Now it is on the House's side. prgtoken Again, my thanks to Senator Rub
JAPANESE AMERICAN CONFINEMENT EDUCATION ACT
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-3-15

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 1931 extends the authorization of the Japanese American Confinement Sites grant program and establishes a new competitive grant program to award grants to Japanese American organizations to create and disseminate educational materials about the history of Japanese American confinement during World War II. prgtoken In 2006, Congress established the Japanese American Confinement Sites, or JACS grant program to preserve and interpret U.S. Confinement Sites during World War II. However, the program will soon run up against the end of its authorization cap. prgtoken The program has supported valuable projects across the country, including at least 12 in my home State of Arkansas, where important projects have been funded at my alma mater, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, as well as Arkansas State University, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Central Arkansas, and the Central Arkansas Library System, and the McGehee Industrial Foundation. prgtoken These projects include archiving, creating educational exhibits, hosting workshops and lectures, preserving cemeteries, and recording oral histories. prgtoken I appreciate Representative Matsui's work on this important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support extending the program. prgtoken , .