mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of John H. Chun (Executive Calendar)
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2022-3-16

I come to the floor this evening to support the nomination of John Chun, who is to serve as judge for the U.S. District Court of Western Washington, and I know that we will be voting later tonight on that nomination. prgtoken I was proud to recommend to President Judge Chun, who then was nominated by the President. My colleague Senator Murray and I know what a qualified individual he is to serve our country. prgtoken He has spent his entire legal career practicing law in the Western District of Washington, making him deeply knowledgeable of the district that he will serve. He is well-prepared for the Western District and offers a unique perspective to the bench, having served as a superior court judge for 4 years before joining the court of appeals in 2018, as well as his tenure in private practice. prgtoken Through his extensive courtroom experience as a former trial judge and current appellate judge, he has had much time as a trial litigator. He will be ready on day one to serve effectively on the Federal district court bench. prgtoken Judge Chun has received profound support for his nomination to the U.S. district court. Not only did his nomination receive bipartisan support from the Senate Judiciary Committee; it also received support from the American Bar Association, which unanimously rated him ``well qualified'' to serve in this position. prgtoken In addition to the endorsement from the National Asian Pacific American prgtoken Bar Association, Judge Chun's nomination has received praise from many organizations in our State, including the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Washington, the South Asian Bar Association of Washington, the Asian Bar Association of Washington, and the Korean American Coalition of Washington. prgtoken As I am sure my colleagues can see, Judge Chun is immensely qualified to serve on this court. I urge them to join me and my colleague Senator Murray in supporting his nomination to serve as judge for the U.S. District Court of the Western District of the State of Washington. prgtoken .
Ukraine (Executive Calendar)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2022-3-16

I rise, as so many of us have of late, to talk about the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. This invasion, as we know, started on February 24, and it is now, I guess, in its 21st or 22nd day. prgtoken At the time of the invasion--I think it was the day after or 2 days after--I was reading in a newspaper the reference to one resident of Ukraine who said the following about the onset of the hostilities by Vladimir Putin and Russia: It was the worst sunrise in my life. prgtoken I can't even begin to imagine what that individual in Ukraine or tens of thousands of families were feeling on that day, and hundreds of thousands throughout the country--millions, even. prgtoken This attack, which is ongoing, was both unprovoked and unjustified. It is an attack on a sovereign nation by a murderous dictator who has no regard for human life and no regard for the rules-based international order. I think a lot of people knew that before the invasion, but now it is abundantly clear to the world what Vladimir Putin's intentions are and what his practices are when it comes to attacking a sovereign nation. prgtoken The New York Times told us last Friday, March 11, about Putin. I am quoting here from the New York Times, and they made reference in this story to his actions in Syria, as well as Chechnya: [H]e has demonstrated in [the] past . . . a willingness not only to bomb heavily populated areas indiscriminately but also to use civilian casualties as leverage against his enemies. ``[U]se civilian casualties as leverage''--that is the dictator that the people of Ukraine are dealing with right now. And I think it is clear from the reporting, and so many Americans have read the stories and have seen the coverage of the bombings. It is clear that he is bombing indiscriminately. It is clear that he and his army, his military, are targeting civilians. prgtoken All you have to do is look at the list of locations. And the list would be hundreds if we read all of them, but here are just a couple examples. Maybe the most graphic in the last couple of days was the bombing of a maternity ward and that footage of a stretcher coming out of that rubble with a pregnant woman, who has since died, as did her child. That is an example of that kind of indiscriminate bombing. prgtoken But in addition to a maternity ward, he has bombed a shoe factory, a psychiatric hospital, apartment buildings, cafes, homes, parking lots near a shopping center, bombing near a kindergarten, bombing of a mosque, bombing--we are told, the most recent number--34 medical facilities, damaged in Ukraine. And that number, of course, will grow. Most recently, just in the last day or so, a supermarket, and, I think, at least a 12-story residential tower. prgtoken And then, just today, another reference to just one example of the brutality of Putin: 10 people killed waiting in line for bread in Ukraine. The adviser to the mayor of
CREATE A RESPECTFUL AND OPEN WORLD FOR NATURAL HAIR
Stacey E. Plaskett (Democrat, VI) \u2014 2022-3-16

. Madam , I rise in support of the CROWN Act, Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, H.R. 2116, which I urge this body to pass this Friday in the House. prgtoken I stand in support for all the girls and women who need the freedom to be who God made them, to be their beautiful selves from the tips of their toes to every twist, wave, and coil of their beautiful hair. prgtoken Fifty-three percent of Black mothers, whose daughters have experienced hair discrimination, say their daughters experienced the discrimination as early as 5 years old. prgtoken Eighty-six percent of Black teens who have experienced hair discrimination state that they experienced it by the age of 12. Trauma means that teenage girls are missing a week of school per year due to their hair dissatisfaction. prgtoken As a small girl, I remember after school telling my mother about a man joking about my perfectly coifed, round Afro. Her lioness reaction gave me the strength to endure microaggressions I received when I wore my hair in locs, then cornrows or braids as an adult. prgtoken These biases continue to perpetuate unfair scrutiny, and I stand and ask you all to stand with me for my daughter and for others like her to be their most glorious selves.
CONFIRMATION OF SHALANDA D. YOUNG
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2022-3-16

today, I am pleased to acknowledge the confirmation of Shalanda Young to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget with a bipartisan vote of 61 to 36. prgtoken Director Young has a depth of experience that cannot be matched to lead the Office of Management and Budget. A staff member on the House Appropriations Committee for 15 years--serving 4 of these years as the committee's staff director--Director Young has years of experience in crafting the budgets of the Federal agencies that the American people rely on. prgtoken In 2019, Director Young was one of the few staff present in the room while then Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, and I negotiated the end to the longest Federal Government shutdown in U.S. history. Her knowledge of Federal programs, understanding of the political process, and years of critical insight into the operations of the federal government were invaluable in our negotiations to reach a deal. prgtoken I was glad to strongly support Director Young's nomination to be Deputy Director of OMB. After she was confirmed to that position, she began to serve as its Acting Director. It was in this role that she guided the administration's budget priorities through the COVID pandemic, devastating natural disasters, a long sought after bipartisan infrastructure law, and now the response to President Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. prgtoken As if she did not have enough on her plate, on October 31, 2021, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Charlie. If juggling all of that did not prove she is more than qualified for the job, I am not sure what would. prgtoken As the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I look forward to working with her and her team at OMB on the fiscal year 2023 appropriations process. Director Young understands how to work across the aisle to get a deal done. I cannot think of someone I would rather work with in putting the appropriations process to work on behalf of the American people.
NOMINATIONS
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-3-17

the Senate Commerce Committee recently voted on the nomination of Gigi Sohn to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission. I voted against her nomination for a number of serious reasons, as did the 13 other committee members. prgtoken I was deeply disappointed that not one of my ic colleagues on the committee stepped forward to affirm what should be glaringly obvious: that Ms. Sohn is not an appropriate candidate for a position on the Federal Communications Commission. prgtoken One substantial concern I have with Ms. Sohn's nomination is her extreme position on net neutrality. prgtoken Back in 2014, the administration decided that the Federal Government wasn't regulating the internet enough. So in 2015, the Federal Communications Commission passed what was known as the Open Internet Order--mislabeled, I would add, but which dramatically expanded the Federal Government's power over the internet. The justification for this massive regulatory expansion was net neutrality. prgtoken Now, net neutrality is a concept that enjoys broad support in both parties. I support net neutrality and rules that prevent blocking, throttling, and the paid prioritization of internet traffic. I don't think a major service provider should be able to block a small news startup. But what the FCC did in 2015 went far beyond net neutrality. The FCC asserted broad, new government powers over the internet using rules that were designed for telephone monopolies back during the Great Depression. This opened the door to a whole host of internet regulations, including price regulations, and unsurprisingly, broadband investment declined as a result. prgtoken That was a problem for Americans generally, who benefit when the United States is at the forefront of internet growth and expansion, and it was particularly bad news for Americans in rural States like South Dakota. Getting broadband to rural communities is already more challenging than installing broadband in cities or suburbs, and the possibility of heavier regulations acted as a further disincentive to expanding access. prgtoken Fast-forward to 2017, and the Federal Communications Commission under Chairman Pai voted to repeal those heavyhanded regulations passed by the FCC, and here is what happened: Broadband investment rebounded, and broadband access expanded. Internet speeds increased. Our Nation positioned itself at the forefront of the 5G revolution. While European internet providers were slowing internet speeds during the pandemic, American providers were increasing them. All this despite the repeal of the heavyhanded internet regulation claimed we needed--or more accurately, because of the repeal of the heavyhanded regulation claimed we needed. prgtoken Why do I go into all this history? Well, because Ms. Sohn not only wants to bring back the heavyhanded internet regulation of the a
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2022-3-17

I would ask the Senator from Connecticut to explain to me why the only choice was $1.5 trillion or zero. The Senate could work its will and have passed the $13.6 billion of aid money 10 minutes later. prgtoken , could the Senator from Connecticut explain to me this apparent--to me, false--choice between $1.5 trillion and zero. Why were there no other options?
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-3-17

as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the small business, Seasonal Shoppe of Salyersville, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken Bekah Frazier Rudd, owner of Seasonal Shoppe, will tell you herself that retail runs in her blood. Bekah inherited her knack for running a business from her mother and father, who owned Frazier's Prater Drug Store, the longest continuously operating business in Salyersville. Bekah's mother, Patricia Frazier, started off with a little corner in her husband's store selling arts and crafts items. Throughout the years in the drug store, the popularity of Patricia's corner eventually led her to start a business of her own, just a few doors down from her husband's pharmacy. Thus, Seasonal Shoppe was born and has been operating since 1997. Eight years later, when Patricia left to take over Frazier's Prater Drug Store, Bekah stepped in to fill her mother's shoes as owner and operator of Seasonal Shoppe. prgtoken Though Seasonal Shoppe has since shifted towards selling more clothes and general home goods than arts and prgtoken crafts, little else about the store or its quality of service has changed. Bekah continues the same friendly atmosphere created by her mother, by bringing her family around to lend a hand in the store. Bekah works alongside her sister-in-law, as well two full-time staff and two local high school students who work part-time for Seasonal Shoppe. And just how Bekah used to work inside her father's drug store, her two children are common faces at Seasonal Shoppe, helping out with merchandise sales and with seasonal events. prgtoken Bekah not only perpetuates the same family-friendly atmosphere created by her mother, she pays mind to the traditions passed down to her by her father. Mr. Frazier always said that it was their duty as Main Street mainstays to support the community. Bekah continues this tradition by sponsoring the local high school sports teams, community churches, and most recently helping out the local fire department with their annual fundraiser. This charitable spirit instilled in her by her parents comes in addition to the good business sense she inherited from them, and it is this special combination of devotion to the community and to the livelihood of the store that has kept Seasonal Shoppe running these past 25 years. prgtoken Small businesses like Seasonal Shoppe are the lifeblood of small towns across Kentucky, and they serve as an inspiring example of how the entrepreneurial spirit transcends multiple generations. Moreover, the story of Seasonal Shoppe illustrates that sometimes it takes an existing business to start a new business, in that Patricia reached her customer base through her husband's drug store. Seasonal Sho
NOMINATIONS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-3-17

next week, the Judiciary Committee will hear firsthand from President 's Supreme Court nominee Judge Jackson. It will be a serious and dignified process. The American people need answers to more important questions than what somebody wrote in the nominee's high school yearbook. prgtoken The Senate needs to examine Judge Jackson's qualifications, and we need to examine her judicial philosophy and see if she will apply laws as written and weigh cases without favoritism. And we need to explore why the farthest left activists in the country desperately wanted Judge Jackson, in particular, for this vacancy. prgtoken Judicial philosophy is a key qualification for the Supreme Court. There are plenty of smart lawyers in the country, but they don't all understand that a judge's proper role is to apply the text of the laws neutrally. Some would rather start with liberal outcomes and reason backward. prgtoken So it is unsettling that senior have lauded Judge Jackson for the ``empathy'' they suggest shapes her judicial approach. So if you are the litigant for whom the judge has special preexisting empathy, well, it is your lucky day; but the other party is being denied their fair day in court. prgtoken The Senate ic leader, the House majority whip, and multiple legal academics all say Judge Jackson will rule with ``empathy.'' Helpfully, one professor clarified which kinds of litigants would benefit from her empathy. He proposed that because of Judge Jackson's ``ample criminal defense experience,'' she would ``bring a measure of empathy to the criminal defense cases, the Fourth and Fifth Amendment cases.'' prgtoken So liberals are saying that Judge Jackson's service as a criminal defense lawyer and then on the U.S. Sentencing Commission give her special empathy for convicted criminals. Her supporters look at her resume and deduce a special empathy for criminals. I guess that means that government prosecutors and innocent crime victims start each trial at a disadvantage. prgtoken That isn't my assertion. That is what the nominee's liberal supporters are all saying. In fact, the nominee has all but said it herself. Here is what the Washington Post reported last year when Judge Jackson was nominated to the DC Circuit: She and her allies credit her work as a public defender as helping her develop empathy. prgtoken And here they quote the nominee herself: There is a direct line from my defender service to what I do on the bench, and I think it's beneficial. prgtoken So, look, nobody is saying that public defenders ought to be disqualified from judicial service. It is an important role. But as the New York Times reported this week, the administration is on an intentional quest to stuff the Federal judiciary full of this one perspective. Even amid a national crime wave, a disproportionate share of the new judges President has nominated share this profess
TRIBUTE TO DAN CNOSSEN
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-3-17

I rise today to recognize a truly incredible and historic individual. prgtoken Dan Cnossen is a textbook definition of honor and bravery. His story began when he was accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy after high school. In 2003, he completed the grueling process. Over the course of the next 6 years, Dan was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan where he rose in rank to becoming the officer in charge of an 18-man SEAL platoon. In 2009, late on a night mission in the mountains, Dan stepped on an improvised explosive device and lost both of his legs. Later, he was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with Valor. Over the next 2 years, Dan fought for his life. He endured 40 different surgeries, while simultaneously reintroducing himself into civilian life--neither an easy task on their own, but coupled together creates one extraordinary obstacle. prgtoken While Dan was in rehab, though, he was introduced to the sport of cross-country skiing and biathlon. Dan pushed himself and was dedicated to earning a spot in the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Team, leading to an incredible--and ongoing--career. In 2018, Dan outstandingly won a gold medal, four silvers, and one bronze. In addition to his 2018 medals, he also earned the honor of Best Male Athlete of the Games. Most recently, at the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games, Dan made his country proud once again by winning gold in Cross Country Skiing Mixed Relay. prgtoken I think his motto ``keep going, keep covering ground'' beautifully sums up his journey so far and should serve as an inspiration for those who get to hear his story. His Paralympic career has been remarkable to see, and it is with great pride that I get to share Kansas as a home to such an outstanding individual and athlete. I ask my colleagues now to join me in recognizing Dan and his unbelievable story.
AMERICA CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANUFACTURING, PRE-EMINENCE IN TECHNOLOGY, AND ECONOMIC STRENGTH ACT OF 2022--Motion to Proceed
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2022-3-17

I come to the floor today to talk about America's inflation crisis. People in my home State are noticing it every day. prgtoken This morning, the majority leader came to the floor and expressed his shock that prices have gone up, but they have been going up for over a year now. Price increases last year on energy alone cost hard-working families over $1,000 more last year--the first year that was President--compared to the previous year. This year, it is going to cost even more for energy--to drive, to heat, all of those things. prgtoken So I am glad that the now are--14 months into 's Presidency--finally concerned about energy prices, but what we are seeing the offer are gimmicks. prgtoken Some want to call it a gas tax holiday. Of course, the gas tax is what is used to pay for our roads and bridges. So they want to defund--stop paying for roads and bridges but then put the gas tax back on right after the election. It is a cynical ploy. prgtoken Other say: No, no, let's not do that. Let's just send everybody more government checks. prgtoken Well, the have been doing that, and it is what has caused much of the inflation that we are facing today. prgtoken Still other say: No, no, no, let's clamp down on American energy even tighter. prgtoken These are nice sound bites. We are seeing them. We are hearing them. Those aren't solutions. prgtoken We know why prices are rising. Prices are rising because supply of American energy is down. We are actually 1.3 million barrels less energy producing now with oil in the United States than we were before the pandemic. So why is supply down? Well, the policies of the in the House and the Senate and the policies coming out of the White House. have been in charge of Washington now for a full year, and high prices are really the rotten fruit of rule. prgtoken As I said, we are at 1.3 million barrels of oil per day less than before the pandemic. People say: Well, what has caused it? was proud to talk about what has caused it. His first act as President was to stop oil and gas leases on Federal lands, kill the Keystone XL Pipeline, and it is one of his campaign promises. You can go back and look at the videos of as a campaigner saying: I promise you there will be no new oil and gas in the United States. That is actually what the video says, and that is what he says. They are his own words, his own promises. Then he went back to try to clarify that and clean it up a little bit, and he said: Well, not on public lands. prgtoken This isn't a surprise that has crushed U.S. production of oil and gas. This administration still has not held a single auction for oil and gas leases on Federal lands since the day he has taken office. How does that compare to other administrations? Well, under President , there were more than 30 oil and gas lease