mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NOMINATION OF KETANJI BROWN JACKSON
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-4-5

I rise today in support of the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to be an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. I have had the privilege of serving in this body for nearly three decades now. prgtoken In that time, I have participated in the confirmation hearings of 10 Supreme Court Justices and hundreds of nominees to our Federal circuit and district courts. I have carefully scrutinized Judge Jackson's record and listened very closely to her testimony. In my view, Judge Jackson is both well qualified and extremely prepared to take on the important role of serving on the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken Judge Jackson is a graduate of both Harvard University and Harvard Law School, a former Supreme Court clerk, a former Federal public defender, and a former U.S. Sentencing Commissioner. On top of that, Judge Jackson has served as a federal judge for nearly a decade. prgtoken Judge Jackson would be the first Federal public defender to sit on the Supreme Court and the first Justice since Thurgood Marshall with significant experience representing low-income defendants in criminal cases. As a former public defender, Judge Jackson truly understands the power of our constitutional rights, including the Sixth Amendment right to counsel and the Fifth Amendment right to due process. Judge Jackson would also join Justice Sotomayor as the only former Federal district court judges serving on the Supreme Court. prgtoken What has impressed me most about Judge Jackson does not appear on her resume. That is Judge Jackson's steadfast commitment to the fair and impartial application of the law, her deep knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, and her remarkable judicial temperament. These qualities were demonstrated in her testimony before the Judiciary Committee earlier this month. They were also shown in the letters and testimony of the many people--of all ideological viewpoints--who have supported Judge Jackson's nomination. prgtoken First, Judge Jackson's respect for the law and the Constitution are clear from the nearly 600 legal opinions she has drafted as a Federal judge. Her legal opinions are clear and detailed. As she explained during her confirmation hearings, Judge Jackson carefully and fairly applies the law to the specific facts of each case. And Judge Jackson takes the time to explain why she reached each decision. In my view, it is important that the decisions of the Supreme Court are accessible to the American people. Judge Jackson's approach to judicial decision- making will help to ensure transparency in her judging and help to restore the public's confidence in the decisions of the Supreme Court. prgtoken Second, Judge Jackson clearly has deep legal knowledge. During her more than 20 hours of testimony before the Judiciary Committee, she spoke with skill on a wide range of topics. She addressed legal issues of all kinds, including separation of powers, the First Amendment, administrative law,
Child Tax Credit (Executive Session)
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2022-4-5

I appreciate the opportunity to address the Senate on an issue of real importance to our country and to families in Colorado and all across the United States. prgtoken Today, 120 economists wrote an open letter--in the face of the inflation that we are now facing as a nation, as a result of the economic growth that we are having coming out of this very deep recession, and the supply chain interruptions that have caused inflation, 120 economists sent an open letter saying: The expanded Child Tax Credit is one of the easiest, most effective, and direct tools currently at our disposal to help families deal with the impact of inflation on family budgets. The exert opinions about the causes of and solutions to rising inflation are as varied as the authors of this letter, but we agree on this: the expanded Child Tax Credit is too small to meaningfully increase inflation across the whole economy. prgtoken That means that that $100 billion a year that the child tax credit costs to lift half the kids out of poverty isn't going to drive inflation in a $21 trillion economy. That is one of the points these economists agreed on. ``[B]ut,'' they wrote, ``it will make an important difference for family budgets, especially families in the bottom half of the income spectrum. Monthly Child Tax Credit payments are a proven success at helping families keep up with the everyday costs of keeping a family afloat.'' prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the open letter signed by 120 economists.
RESILIENT ASSISTANCE FOR MITIGATION FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION BY AMERICANS ACT
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2022-4-5

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 5689, the Resilient AMERICA Act. This bill reflects a bipartisan agreement that will significantly enhance U.S. mitigation and resilience efforts. prgtoken Federal policy that focuses on investment in mitigation and bolstering resilience is basic good governance and will lessen the impacts of future disasters. For years, studies have demonstrated that taxpayers save up to $11 for every single dollar invested in mitigation before a disaster strikes. There is no better investment. prgtoken This legislation builds on existing mitigation efforts and will make our Nation more resilient. prgtoken First, this legislation increases the amount of mitigation funding FEMA may make available to States through the Pre-Disaster Mitigation program, also known as BRIC, and makes nonprofits eligible recipients of these funds. prgtoken Second, it expands the kind of projects eligible for mitigation assistance through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. This includes enhancing the resilience of utilities to risks from wildfire, which will be of great benefit in the Western States. prgtoken Third, this legislation sets aside funds for the implementation and enforcement of the latest building codes and standards. Building codes make our buildings safer and more resilient. Proper building codes that account for climate change can mean the difference between saving a family's home and a total loss during a disaster. I strongly support efforts to prepare buildings for actual hazard risks and climate change with updated codes. prgtoken Lastly, this legislation creates a pilot program to fund resilience projects at private homes. Often, homeowners cannot implement recommended mitigation efforts, such as creating defensible space to protect against wildfires or removing overhanging branches to remove the risk of damage from severe storms, because they are too expensive. prgtoken This pilot program will create the first Federal grant program that allows homeowners to proactively take mitigation into their own hands. I am confident that empowering individuals through this program will make families and their homes more resilient and, again, in the end, save taxpayers money. prgtoken Representing a district that was impacted by catastrophic wildfires, particularly in 2020, has made me painfully aware of the importance of the provisions within this legislation. I wish that this bill and the mitigation investments it authorizes could have been enacted prior to the 2020 fires. It may have saved some of my constituents from the trauma of losing their homes. prgtoken I thank Ranking Member Graves, as well as Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Chair Titus and Ranking Member Webster for their support and for working with us on this legislation. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues on both sides to join us and support the Resilie
DATA MAPPING TO SAVE MOMS' LIVES ACT
G. K. Butterfield (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2022-4-5

. Madam , as many of you know, the United States is one of the only developed nations in the world where the maternal mortality rate continues to rise every year. The rate of mortality is especially higher in minority populations and rural communities--those who most often sit on the wrong side of the digital divide. This women's health crisis has had a particularly disparate impact on the African American community. African American women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than their counterparts. Physicians and scientists continue to study the cause of these high numbers, citing lack of access to resources as one of many reasons the maternal mortality rate continues to rise. These resources include, but are not limited, to broadband access. prgtoken My bill, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act, focuses on overlaying broadband connectivity data held by the FCC with health information held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Armed with this information, policymakers will be able to target connectivity resources where telehealth may be able to assist medical professionals remotely monitor the health of pregnant women. We must act to address this crisis and my bill will give us the needed information to target our interventions. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to help protect our Nation's mothers and vote yes on H.R. 1218, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.
Nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson (Executive Session)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-4-5

I come here with real pleasure, pride, excitement, joy, and real exuberance not often felt on the floor of the U.S. Senate because we are going to be making history this week. As confident as I am of anything ever in the U.S. Senate happening, this week we will confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken Let me, first of all, thank President for nominating her. His wisdom and courage are one of the reasons that she is before us as a nominee in this historic vote. And to all my fellow Members of the Judiciary Committee, we have labored a long time, through many hours, and I particularly thank Senator Durbin for his leadership. prgtoken Now, ``historic'' is a word that is often overused, even in this Chamber, where a lot of history is made, but Judge Jackson's nomination truly merits that word. It is a joyous, exciting moment for all Americans because Justice Jackson will make the U.S. Supreme Court look more like America and, hopefully, think more like America at a time when Black women and people with diverse backgrounds, races, religions have broken many barriers. prgtoken Her confirmation will be a giant leap into the present. She stands on the shoulders of many who have come before her, as she recognized so explicitly in our hearing. One of them is Constance Baker Motley, a daughter of New Haven, CT, the first Black woman to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court and the first Black woman to be appointed as a judge on the U.S. district court. prgtoken Now, she was also instrumental in the well-known and profoundly significant case of Brown v. Board of Education, argued by Thurgood Marshall, and she won every one of the cases that she argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. I have argued four; she argued ten. Her record surpasses almost any of the litigators who have become judges. prgtoken Not only will she be the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Jackson will be the first public defender. What does that mean? She has represented people who couldn't afford a lawyer. There is nobody on this Court who has represented people who couldn't afford a lawyer as a full-time profession or public defender. She has more experience as a trial lawyer and a trial judge combined than anybody on the U.S. Supreme Court now and probably over the last century. prgtoken She has academic credentials that are superlative. She has written and taught and counseled in ways that give her insights into the real- life meaning of the law and its real impact on people. prgtoken It has also given her an emotional intelligence. There is no question that she is qualified by virtue of intellect and intelligence. Book smart--there is no question that she is book smart, but she is also people smart. She understands, as Justice Breyer has, as well, that all of these abstruse legalisms, all of the abstract concepts in law, all the technical distinctions, all of t
Nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson (Executive Calendar)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2022-4-5

we are debating the President's nominee to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer, who has served this country admirably and with great distinction. prgtoken As a law student, I was fortunate to have Justice Breyer as an adviser, and I remain grateful for his guidance, encouragement, and counsel as I began my legal career. I have immense respect and admiration for him as a Justice, but even more so as a person. prgtoken When Justice Breyer announced his retirement, I stated my belief that the next Justice on the Supreme Court should be someone with Justice Breyer's integrity, independence, and keen intellect--someone with real-world experience who reflects the depth and breadth of the American people. You could not find someone who better fits that description than Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and I rise today in wholehearted support of her nomination to the Supreme Court. prgtoken The Supreme Court is a powerful arbiter of justice in our Nation, with few checks on the decisions of the Justices once they are on the Court. Therefore, a vote on a Supreme Court nominee is one of the most consequential that any Senator can cast. The Constitution makes the Senate an active participant, along with the President, in the confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice. prgtoken Article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution states that nominees to the Supreme Court shall only be confirmed ``by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate.'' The Senate's role in the confirmation process places an important democratic check on America's judiciary. As a result, this body's consent is both a constitutional requirement and a democratic obligation. It is in upholding our constitutional duties as Senators to give the President advice and consent on his nominations that I believe we have one of our greatest opportunities and responsibilities to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. prgtoken As I have stated before, my test for a nominee is simple and is drawn from the text, the history, and the principles of the Constitution. A nominee's intellectual gifts, experience, judgment, maturity, and temperament are all important, but these alone are not enough. I need to be convinced that a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court will live up to both the letter and spirit of the Constitution. The nominee needs to be committed not only to enforcing laws but also to doing justice. prgtoken The nominee needs to be able to make the principles of the Constitution come alive--equality before the law, due process, full and equal participation in the civic and social life of America for all Americans, freedom of conscience, individual responsibility, and the expansion of opportunity. The nominee also needs to see the unique role the Court plays in helping balance the often conflicting forces in a democracy between individual autonomy and the obligations of community, between the will of the majority and the rights of t
RECOGNIZING MALVAGIO'S RESTAURANT
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2022-4-6

as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor Malvagio's Restaurant as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for April 2022. prgtoken Malvagio's Restaurant brings a taste of Italy to Coeur d'Alene with their sampling of hand-crafted wood-fired pizzas, pastas, salads, and breads. With a dream of bringing their community together with food and a passion for the tradition of wood-fired cooking, owners Svitlana and Matthew Petersen dedicated a year to perfecting the craft and designing an innovative, mobile wood-fired oven. Using this unique oven as the cornerstone of their restaurant, the couple founded Malvagio's in 2016. prgtoken In the 5 years since Malvagio's first opened its doors, the restaurant has become a mainstay of the Coeur d'Alene community. While they have brought smiles to countless faces in their mom-and-pop restaurant, the Petersen's mobile wood-fired oven has allowed the business to branch into catering. Today, Malvagio's pizzas are a common sight at weddings, parties, and other celebrations across northern Idaho. Thanks to this growth, the restaurant now employs eight Idahoans and is the official dealer of Forno Bravo wood-fired ovens in Idaho. prgtoken Malvagio's success is matched only by the Petersen's dedication to giving back. As the world watched Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Svitlana--a Ukrainian native--and Matthew began serving an authentic Ukrainian dish at Malvagio's. During the week of March 2, 2022, all proceeds from each purchase of a cup of borscht, a Ukrainian beetroot soup, were donated to Ukrainian humanitarian needs. By virtue of these efforts, Malvagio's has raised thousands of dollars in support of Ukraine and has become a champion of Idahoan entrepreneurship and philanthropy. prgtoken Congratulations to Svitlana, Matthew, and all of the employees at Malvagio's Restaurant for being selected as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for April 2022. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.
RECOGNIZING CHRIS DELESANDRI
Randy K. Weber, Sr. (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-4-6

I rise today to recognize and congratulate Mr. Chris Delesandri on his retirement after a dedicated 41 years of service with United Way of Galveston County Mainland, where he served as the executive director for the past 10 years. prgtoken Not only did Chris serve Galveston County during his time with United Way, but Chris has also served as the president of the Rotary Club of Texas City. He was elected to the Roll of Fame for Rotary District 5910 and earned the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards volunteer. prgtoken Chris always prioritized giving back to his community, and as such, he has earned several awards through the Chamber of Commerce, such as Citizen of the Year in 2008 and the Leslie Hayley Community Service Award in 2014. prgtoken I commend Chris for his numerous accomplishments and his dedicated service to our district and congratulate him on his retirement. I am so glad to represent him and call him a friend. He deserves a great retirement. prgtoken Have a good one, buddy.
HONORING THE MEMORY OF PRIVATE ANDREW LADNER
Steven M. Palazzo (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-4-6

I rise today to honor the homecoming of World War II Private Andrew Ladner, whose remains finally came home 80 years after being killed in action. prgtoken Private Ladner was assigned to the 126th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Division. On November 30, 1942, during a blockade to prevent a Japanese assault on the island of New Guinea, he was killed during the initial wave and was reportedly buried 26 yards west of the road the unit was blockading. prgtoken After the war, his remains could not be found and eventually were declared nonrecoverable. However, between a little luck and the never- quit Army attitude and exhaustive research, they located his remains in 2016. prgtoken Now Private Ladner can be laid to rest in a way he deserves. I know his family takes comfort in his example of a life well lived and the legacy he left behind all those years ago. prgtoken Private Ladner was part of the Greatest Generation of Americans. His family can find solace in knowing his legacy will never die but lives on with every American who puts on the uniform of the United States military. prgtoken On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Mississippi, we honor the memory of Private Andrew Ladner, who gave his life for his family and the country he so dearly loved. prgtoken Private Ladner, may you rest in peace. God bless you, and Semper Fidelis.
Nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson (Executive Calendar)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2022-4-6

in my 8 years as Governor, I had the opportunity to appoint more than 400 Floridians to the bench. I interviewed thousands of applicants for these seats, and my standards in each of those interviews were the same. I asked them if they understood that they intended to be part of the judiciary and not part of the legislature. And I asked them if they intended to interpret the law and enforce the law but not make new laws. If they couldn't convince me that they believed that was their duty as a member of the judicial branch, then I wouldn't appoint them. prgtoken We need qualified jurists committed to fairly and accurately interpreting our Constitution and our laws as they are written, not activist judges who will rewrite the laws according to their own policy preferences. prgtoken Now, I have had the chance to meet with Judge Jackson. We had a nice conversation, and she seems like a nice person. But I have very serious concerns about her record as a Federal judge, which includes numerous instances of the type of judicial activism that we cannot and should not tolerate from the Federal judiciary. prgtoken The fact is that Judge Jackson has written only two appellate opinions in her current position. So we have no evidence of how she will approach serious constitutional issues as an appellate judge. And she has refused to disclose how she would interpret the Constitution as a Supreme Court Justice, despite being repeatedly and directly asked by Senators on the Judiciary Committee. prgtoken And while serving as a district court judge, she had a high rate of being reversed on appeal for applying the wrong legal standards, exceeding her authority, or simply ignoring clear law in her decisions. prgtoken And a peek into her history shows an alarming pattern of being weak on sex offenders, including easier sentences in child pornography cases. Judge Jackson imposed sentences that were 47 percent shorter than the national average in cases of child pornography distribution, and 57 percent shorter than the national average in cases of child pornography possession. She has even apologized from the bench when issuing such sentences--not to the victims of those heinous crimes. Of course, they never got an apology. She apologized to the offenders for the ``anguish'' the sentences for their horrific crimes would cause them. prgtoken What about the anguish of their victims--innocent children? prgtoken These are individuals who harm children. They don't deserve easy sentences or our sympathies. prgtoken And this sympathy for child predators has consequences. We recently learned that a child rapist, someone to whom Judge Jackson gave a very lenient sentence, sexually abused another victim after his light sentence. Had Judge Jackson given him the sentence he deserved and the one that the prosecution recommended, he would have been in prison, not out in the streets. prgtoken These are crimes that Judge Jackson has the pow