mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IMPEACHMENT
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Yet a verdict of acquittal by the Senate blesses the professor's torturous reasoning. An acquittal verdict would also give President 's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani a pat on the back to continue his global escapades, harassing American Ambassadors whose service he distrusts, and lounging at European cigar bars with an entourage of post-Soviet amigos. prgtoken More than anything, a verdict of acquittal says a majority of the Senate believes this President is above the law and cannot be held accountable for conduct abusing the powers of his office. And make no mistake, this President believes that is true. prgtoken On July 23--2 days before his phone call with President Zelensky-- President spoke to a group of young supporters and he said: ``I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.'' prgtoken This is the dangerous principle that President and his lawyers are asking us, with a verdict of acquittal, to accept. Under the oath I have sworn, I cannot. prgtoken What does it say of this Congress and our Nation that in 3 years, we have become so anesthetized to outrage that, for a majority in this Senate, there is nothing--nothing--this President can do or say that rises to the level of blushworthy, let alone impeachable? prgtoken Nearly 6 years ago, I traveled to Ukraine with a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues led by John McCain. It was one of John's whirlwind visits where we crammed 5 days' worth of meetings into 48 hours. We arrived in Kyiv on March 14, 2014. It was bitterly cold. Ukrainians had just ousted a corrupt, Russian-backed leader who looted the national treasury and hollowed out their nation's military. They had done so by taking to the streets, risking their lives for democracy and a better future. More than 100 ordinary citizens in Kyiv had been killed by security forces of the old government simply because they were protesting for democracy. prgtoken Seeing Ukraine in a fragile democratic transition, Vladimir Putin pounced on them, ordered an invasion and occupied Crimea. Putin and his thinly disguised Russian thugs were on the verge of seizing Donetsk in the east. prgtoken I asked the Prime Minister what Ukraine needed to defend itself. He said: Everything. We don't have anything that floats, flies or runs. prgtoken Many may not appreciate how devastating Russia's war on Ukraine has been to that struggling young democracy. Their costly battle with Russia was for a principle that is really basic to America's national security as well. prgtoken In a country with one-eighth of our population, more Ukrainian troops have died defending Ukraine from Russia than American troops have perished in Afghanistan. prgtoken During the months President illegally withheld military aid, as many as two dozen Ukrainian soldiers were killed in battle. By withholding security aid from Ukraine for President 's personal political benefit, he e
IMPEACHMENT
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-2-5

I swore an oath to defend the Constitution prgtoken both as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and as a U.S. Senator. prgtoken At the beginning of the impeachment trial, I swore an oath to keep an open mind, listen carefully to the facts, and in the end deliver impartial justice. prgtoken After carefully listening to the arguments presented by both House managers and the President's lawyers, I believe the facts are clear. prgtoken President stands accused by the House of Representatives of abusing his power in an attempt to extort a foreign government to announce a trumped up investigation into a political rival and thereby put his personal interest ahead of national security and the public trust. prgtoken The President illegally withheld congressionally approved military aid to an ally at war with Russia and conditioned its release on Ukraine making an announcement the President could use to falsely discredit a likely political opponent. prgtoken When the President's corrupt plan was brought to light, the White House engaged in a systematic and unprecedented effort to cover up the scheme. prgtoken The President's complete refusal to cooperate with a constitutionally authorized investigation is unparalleled in American history. prgtoken Despite the extraordinary efforts by the President to cover up the facts, the House managers made a convincing case. prgtoken It is clear. prgtoken The President's actions were not an effort to further official American foreign policy. prgtoken The President was not working in the public interest. prgtoken What the President did was wrong, unacceptable, and impeachable. prgtoken I expected the President's lawyers to offer new eyewitness testimony from people with firsthand knowledge and offer new documents to defend the President, but that did not happen. prgtoken It became very clear to me that the President's closest advisers could not speak to the President's innocence, and his lawyers did everything in their power to prevent them from testifying under oath. prgtoken Witness testimony is the essence of a fair trial. It is what makes us a country committed to the rule of law. prgtoken If you are accused of wrongdoing in America, you have every right to call witnesses in your defense, but you also don't have the right to stop the prosecution from calling a hostile witness or subpoenaing documents. prgtoken No one in this country is above the law--no one--not even the President. prgtoken If someone is accused of a crime and they have witnesses who could clear them of any wrongdoing, they would want those witnesses to testify. In fact, not only would they welcome it, they would insist on it. prgtoken All we need to do is use our common sense. The fact that the President refuses to have his closest advisers testify tells me that he is afraid of what they will say. prgtoken The President's conduct is unacceptable for any official, let alone the leader of our country. prgtoken Our N
WELCOMING RABBI SETH FRISCH
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Madam , I rise today to welcome Rabbi Seth Frisch, who delivered today's opening prayer to the people's House. prgtoken Since his ordination in 1986, at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, Rabbi Frisch has been a source of comfort and counsel to Jews around the world. In his current posting as rabbi and teacher of the New Shul of Philadelphia, Rabbi Frisch helps serve as a guide for those who want to learn more about what it means to be Jewish in a safe and supporting setting. prgtoken In a way, today's opening prayer was a homecoming for Rabbi Frisch, who previously served as a legislative assistant to the chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. prgtoken I pray that we will all heed his words today, that out of many, we are one Nation. Let us strive to put our divisions behind us and realize our dream of a country indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
PASS COMPREHENSIVE GUN REFORM
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Madam , today, I rise in recognition of National Gun Violence Survivors Week. prgtoken Last month, with the leadership of my House colleagues and Senator Elizabeth Warren, I was proud to introduce the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act, the most comprehensive piece of gun reform legislation this Chamber has ever seen. prgtoken We will mandate universal background checks, which will help keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. We will crack down on gun trafficking. And we will hold the gun industry accountable for putting profits over the safety of the American people. prgtoken I promise today to fight so that not one more American is burdened with living as a gun violence survivor because of irresponsible, outdated, and morally bankrupt Federal gun policies.
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS WEEK
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Madam , I rise today to honor Gun Violence Survivors Week. prgtoken Every year, roughly 36,000 Americans are killed from gun violence. This is an prgtoken average of 100 Americans every single day. Also, there are close to 100,000 Americans injured every year from gun violence, yet we do very little to prevent these preventable injuries and deaths. prgtoken I am proud to come from a State with effective gun laws. In New Jersey, we have strong background checks, a ban on high-capacity magazines, and an extreme risk protection order for possible victims. That is why New Jersey has one of the lowest firearm death rates in America. If we had national laws such as the ones in New Jersey, we could save lives and spare families the hurt and horrors of gun violence.
IMPEACHMENT
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2020-2-5

the question before us is incredibly serious, but it is also more than a little absurd. We are sitting as a court, exercising the sole power to try impeachments, entrusted to us by the Framers. The President of the United States has been charged with high crimes--a constitutional charge of abuse of power that includes in its text each of the elements of criminal bribery. The President's lawyers have complained all week about the absence of sworn testimony from officials with first-hand knowledge of the President's actions and intent. They claim not to know when the President froze the aid. They falsely claim there is no evidence the President withheld the aid in exchange for his political errand--announcing an investigation into his political rival. And yet whenever the President's counsels have pled ignorance or claimed a lack of evidence, they ask not that we pursue the truth; they ask instead that we look away. prgtoken The Senate simply cannot look away. In the 220 years this body has served as a constitutional court of impeachment, we have never refused to look at critical evidence sitting in front of us. We have never raced to a pre-ordained verdict while deliberately avoiding the truth or evaluating plainly critical evidence. prgtoken And when I say ``sitting in front of us,'' I mean that literally. Just this morning, we learned that Pat Cipollone, lead counsel for the President, along with Rudy Giuliani and Mick Mulvaney, was part of a meeting where President directed John Bolton to ``ensure [President] Zelensky would meet with Mr. Giuliani.'' A meeting with the President's personal lawyer is not subject to executive privilege; and a meeting with Bolton and Mulvaney is not subject to attorney-client privilege. And this afternoon we received a proffer from Lev Parnas's attorney, claiming that Pamas could provide us with testimony implicating several cabinet officials and members of Congress in the President's scheme. I cannot say whether that is credible, but shouldn't he at least be heard and cross-examined? The Senate cannot turn a blind eye to such directly relevant evidence. prgtoken This slipshod process reminds me of another trial. That was the trial of Alice in Wonderland. In that trial, the accusation was read, and the King immediately said to the jury, ``Consider your verdict.'' But even in that case it was acknowledged that ``There's a great deal to come before that,'' and the first witness was called. With apologies to Lewis Carroll, surely the United States Senate can at least match the rigorous criminal procedure of Wonderland? prgtoken The oath that each of us swore just two weeks ago requires that we do ``impartial justice.'' Reasonable people can disagree about what that means, but every single time this body has sat as a court--every single time--it has heard from witnesses and weighed sworn testimony. We have never been denied the opportunity to hear from critic
HONORING PASSAIC CHIEF OF POLICE LUIS GUZMAN
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Madam , I rise on this year's Dominicans on the Hill Day to recognize an invaluable member of the City of Passaic community, Chief of Police Luis Guzman. Chief Guzman is an accomplished, twenty-nine-year veteran of the City of Passaic Police Department, where he rose through the ranks to be appointed as the first ever Dominican-born Chief of Police of the City of Passaic on July 10, 2017. prgtoken Chief Guzman began his law enforcement career as a correction officer with the Passaic County Sheriff's Department in January 1990. Later that year he was hired as a police officer by the City of Passaic, becoming the first Dominican-born officer in the city's history. While in the New Jersey State Police Academy, he received the Distinguished Graduate Award for ranking at the top of his class. He served as a beat officer for the subsequent three years and a patrol officer for the next four before being assigned to the Detective Bureau in the Passaic County Sheriff's Department as a criminal investigator. prgtoken In February 2000, Chief Guzman was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to supervise detectives, concurrently working in the patrol division of his department's Community Policing Unit. In October 2004, he was promoted to Lieutenant, where he held the position of Commander of several patrol shifts, the Detective Bureau, and the Internal Affairs Division. prgtoken In September 2011, Chief Guzman was promoted to Captain and was assigned to commander of all uniformed divisions. In October 2013, he was promoted to Deputy Chief and assigned to oversee the operations division. In July 2017, Chief Guzman was made the first ever Dominican- born Chief of Police in the City of Passaic, promoted by Mayor Hector Carlos Lora, also of Dominican heritage. prgtoken During his tenure at the helm of the Passaic Police Department, Chief Guzman has managed a department that has presided over a substantial reduction in crime. prgtoken For over twenty-five years, Chief Guzman has given back to his community through one of his foremost passions, baseball. Chief Guzman has volunteered to coach youth baseball from T-ball to the American Legion League in the City of Passaic. He has regularly organized police softball and basketball games with members of the City of Passaic community. prgtoken Chief Guzman has further demonstrated his spirit of giving back through his time as an adjunct professor at Passaic County Community College, where he has taught Criminal Justice for the past fifteen years. prgtoken As Co-Chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, I am honored to recognize Chief Luis Guzman, who has been a tremendous leader, mentor, and public servant in the City of Passaic. prgtoken Madam , I ask that you join our colleagues, Chief Guzman's coworkers, family and friends, all those whose lives he has touched, and me, in recognizing the tireless dedication and steadfast service of Chief of Police Luis Guzman.
IMPEACHMENT
Kamala D. Harris (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-2-5

when the Framers wrote the Constitution, they didn't think someone like me would serve as a U.S. Senator, but they did envision someone like being President of the United States, someone who thinks he is above the law and that rules don't apply to him. So they made sure our democracy had the tool of impeachment to stop that kind of abuse of power. prgtoken The House managers have clearly laid out a compelling case and evidence of 's misconduct. They have shown that the President of the United States of America withheld military aid and a coveted White House meeting for his political gain. He wanted a foreign country to announce--not actually conduct, announce--an investigation into his political rivals. Then he refused to comply with congressional investigations into his misconduct. Unfortunately, a majority of U.S. Senators, even those who concede that what did was wrong, are nonetheless going to refuse to hold him accountable. prgtoken The Senate trial of has been a miscarriage of justice. is going to get away with abusing his position of power for personal gain, abusing his position of power to stop Congress from looking into his misconduct and falsely claim he has been exonerated. He is going to escape accountability because a majority of Senators have decided to let him. They voted repeatedly to block key evidence like witnesses and documents that could have shed light on the full truth. prgtoken We must recognize that still in America there are two systems of justice--one for the powerful and another for everyone else. So let's speak the truth about what our two systems of justice actually mean in the real world. It means that in our country too many people walk into courthouses and face systemic bias. Too often they lack adequate legal representation, whether they are overworked, underpaid, or both. It means that a young man named Emmett Till was falsely accused and then murdered, but his murderer didn't have to spend a day in jail. It means that four young Black men have their lives taken and turned upside-down after being falsely accused of a crime in Groveland, FL. It means that, right now, too many people in America are sitting in jail without having yet been convicted of a crime but simply because they cannot afford bail. And it means that future Presidents of the United States will remember that the U.S. Senate failed to hold accountable, and they will be emboldened to abuse their power knowing there will be no consequence. prgtoken knows all this better than anybody. He may not acknowledge that we have two systems of justice, but he knows the institutions in this country, be it the courts or the Senate, are set up to protect powerful people like him. He told us as much when, regarding the sexual assault of women, he said, ``When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.'' He
PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE ACT
Andy Levin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Madam , I rise today to speak about the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a crucial piece of legislation that we will take up tomorrow on the floor of this House. It is so important that prgtoken we take up this bill because the American economy is not working for most American families. prgtoken While corporations and the wealthy continue to capture the rewards of a growing economy, working families and middle class Americans are being left behind. From 1980 to 2017, average incomes for the bottom 90 percent of households increased just 1.1 percent, while average incomes for the wealthiest 1 percent increased by 184 percent. prgtoken This inequality is not a natural product of a functioning economy. It is not all due to globalization or technology change. It is the result of policy choices that have stripped workers of the power to join together and negotiate for decent wages, benefits, and working conditions. prgtoken The Protecting the Right to Organize Act restores fairness to the economy by strengthening the Federal laws that protect workers' rights to form a union. prgtoken You know, our basic labor law, the National Labor Relations Act was passed 85 years ago in 1935. It was a core part of the New Deal. A lot of credit is due to the man for whom it is named, Senator Wagner of New York. Also, in addition to FDR, our President, our amazing Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins deserves of a huge amount of credit. prgtoken And after the Wagner Act was passed, or the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, within just 12 years, one-third of American workers were members of unions. And that figure, about a third of all workers being in unions, persisted for some time. But then employers went on the attack to try to undermine that law. prgtoken In 1947, over President Truman's veto, the Taft Hartley amendments were passed, and they gutted a lot of what workers wanted in 1935. And then in 1959, the Landrum-Griffin amendments were passed in the Eisenhower era, and they further eroded workers' rights. prgtoken So that while a third of workers were union members in the late 1940s and early 1950s, by the time that I started organizing workers in 1983, about 16\1/2\ percent of private sector workers were in unions. And today, in 2020, just 6.2 percent of workers in the private sector in our country have the voice and power of a union. And this has decimated the American middle class. And it has made the American Dream recede from view for so many American workers. prgtoken So we are going to spend some time tonight talking about the PRO Act, and I want to invite my esteemed colleague from the great State of Minnesota, Representative Omar, to join me in saying a few words about the PRO Act. prgtoken Madam , I yield the gentlewoman from Minnesota such time as she may consume.
NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS WEEK
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-2-5

I rise to recognize National Gun Violence Survivors Week and the countless Americans whose lives have been impacted by gun violence across the country. prgtoken This issue is personal to me, as it is for so many others. When I was 16 years old, as a young police cadet, an accidental gunshot left me paralyzed. prgtoken Last week, I had the honor of spending time with former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, our colleague, in my home State of Rhode Island. Gabby's life was forever changed by a gunman in 2011, but she never stopped fighting. She spoke of the courage it takes to stop gun violence, courage that she embodies every single day. prgtoken So, to the parents, children, students, teachers, and countless others who have lost loved ones to gun violence or faced gun violence themselves, I encourage you to keep fighting. prgtoken Together, we can reform our gun laws and keep guns out of the wrong hands and save others from tragedy.
HELPING VETERANS WITH TRAINED SERVICE DOGS
Joe Cunningham (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Madam , for far too long, we have failed to serve veterans struggling with the invisible wounds of war, veterans who nearly gave everything to us. prgtoken From veterans who served in Vietnam and Korea to those who have recently returned home from Afghanistan and Iraq, Congress has done too little to curb the often-devastating effect post-traumatic stress can have in the lives of the brave men and women who served our Nation in combat. prgtoken That is why I am proud today to rise in support of my colleague Representative Steve Stivers' bipartisan bill, which will help veterans in the Lowcountry and across this Nation manage the symptoms of post-traumatic stress by pairing them with trained service dogs. prgtoken With the help of a service dog, many veterans with severe post- traumatic stress are able to return to work, attend college, and spend more meaningful time with their families and their loved ones. The brave men and women who voluntarily raised their right hands and swore an oath to defend our Nation deserve nothing less than the opportunity to succeed when they return home. prgtoken The PAWS Act is a critical step in the right direction. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan legislation.
NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS WEEK
Mike Quigley (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Madam , I rise in recognition of National Gun Violence Survivors Week, a time when we remember the tragic and life- altering impact of the gun violence epidemic that continues to affect thousands of families across the country. prgtoken Every year, 36,000 Americans are killed by gun violence and 100,000 Americans are injured. In my city alone, an average of 765 people die of gun violence every year. prgtoken Too many families have been touched by this violence. Too many young people go to school afraid. Too many Americans live in fear. prgtoken Last night, the President's State of the Union only mentioned firearms once. And instead of presenting a plan, it defended the NRA. prgtoken We owe it to every survivor and to everyone who has been touched by gun violence to do more than hold a moment of science or post a hashtag on Twitter. We owe the American people real action.