mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Women's Health Protection Act (Executive Calendar)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-5-10

when I introduced the Women's Health Protection Act in 2013--yes, in 2013, almost 10 years ago--the idea that Roe v. Wade would be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court was virtually unthinkable. We accepted 50 years of established precedent, long-accepted law in this country--as something that was virtually unimaginable. prgtoken Women relied on it. Our society took it as a core principle of our constitutional law, much as Brown v. Board of Education, Marbury v. Madison, Roe v. Wade, tenets and pillars of constitutional law in this country. And when we asked nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, the three most recent of them--and I personally asked this question--is Roe v. Wade established law, they said to us that they would rely on stare decisis, which for everyday Americans is, basically, we will follow established precedent as articulated year after year by the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken The now well-reported Alito draft of an opinion overturning Roe v. Wade came like a thunderbolt, an earthquake, a seismic blow that constitutional scholars thought was unthinkable. prgtoken The draft itself is strident and brash. It is disrespectful in a way that Supreme Court opinions never are. It is unprecedented in its tone and approach, saying that Roe v. Wade was egregiously wrong, failing to accurately portray what it held and the reasons for its holding. prgtoken There is no question in my mind that the Court, in its final opinion, will smooth the edges of that draft. It will try to tone down the rhetoric. It will dress it up. But the result will be the same. No matter how the Court may try to dress it up, it will have the same impact on millions of Americans and their families because the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to issue the most radical ruling in recent history--perhaps in the entire history of the United States--the most extreme contraction of fundamental constitutional rights in the history of the United States. prgtoken Let's indulge ourselves for a moment in a belief in the American dream and the exceptionalism of America, which is to expand rights and liberties. The story of America is expanding freedoms and liberties for all of us, not reducing it, restricting it. But this Supreme Court is poised to eradicate a fundamental right that millions of Americans have relied on for half a century. The Court has signaled that it will inflict an enormous leap backwards, with incalculable costs and chaos for countless women and their families. If the Court indeed overturns Roe, 23 States have laws that would immediately go into effect to be used to restrict the legal status of abortion. prgtoken Today, 90 percent of American counties already lack a single abortion provider--not one in 90 percent of American counties--and 27 cities have become so-called abortion deserts because people who live there have to travel 100 miles or more to reach a provider. Without the protections of Roe, this situation
BROOKLYN HECTOR
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2022-5-10

. Madam , I rise today to recognize and applaud Brooklyn Hector for her creative and unique drawing, earning her the top drawing award in the 2022 Congressional Art Competition. prgtoken As a participant in the art show and student at Ralston Valley High School, Brooklyn created a work of art entitled, ``Twilight in Golden Canyon''. It was created using watercolors and depicts the sunset reflected on a pond with glass in the foreground. prgtoken Brooklyn spent countless hours and used numerous tools to learn new techniques and refine her painting skills and education in the arts. I appreciate her participation in the competition and the support provided by her teachers at Ralston Valley High School. prgtoken Congratulations to Brooklyn Hector for her hard work and participation in the 2022 Congressional Art Competition. I am certain she will exhibit the same dedication and character in her future accomplishments, and I wish her the best of luck going forward.
RECOGNIZING CHAD SCHMIDT OF NUTRIEN AG SOLUTIONS
Cheri Bustos (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-5-10

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Chad Schmidt of Nutrien Ag Solutions, an agricultural business that was honored by achieving a national certification from the ResponsibleAg Certification Program. prgtoken ResponsibleAg is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 to promote public welfare. It is a successful voluntary initiative that provides a comprehensive assessment of agricultural facilities that store and handle farm input supplies such as fertilizer, crop protection products, seed, and fuel. Certification requires that a facility meet stringent regulatory-based criteria, implement industry leading safety and security measures, and uphold facility safety as one of its highest priorities. prgtoken Nutrien Ag Solutions provides full-acre solutions through a network of trusted crop consultants at more than 1,700 global locations. They help growers achieve the highest yields with the most sustainable solutions possible, offering a wide selection of crop seed, protection and nutrition that help farmers across the world. prgtoken It is because of industry leaders such as Chad that I am especially proud to serve Illinois' 17th Congressional District. Madam , I would like to again formally congratulate Chad Schmidt and Nutrien Ag Solutions on receiving national certification from the ResponsibleAg Certification Program.
ABORTION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-5-10

. So, , tomorrow, the U.S. Senate will vote to protect one of the most fundamental freedoms that women have in this country: the freedom to choose whether or not to have an abortion. Few decisions are more personal and few decisions are more private than decisions women make regarding their own pregnancies. Few should be more out of bounds to elected politicians and to the whims of government. But, sadly, few rights are in as much peril right now as the fundamental right to choose. prgtoken If this abominable decision becomes law, women will lose their freedom in so many ways--a giant step backward in the United States, where expanding freedom has always been our goal and our aspiration. prgtoken Tomorrow's vote will be one of the most important votes we take in this Chamber in decades because, for the first time in 50 years, a conservative majority--an extreme conservative majority--on the Supreme Court is on the brink of declaring that women do not have a right to an abortion, they do not have the right to control their own bodies, and they do not have the right to healthcare in the ways that they believe they need. prgtoken If that happens, tens of millions of women will see their freedoms contract in the blink of an eye. Our children will grow up in a world where they have fewer rights than their parents and grandparents had. America will take a painful and damaging step backward. prgtoken The American people will be watching the Senate closely tomorrow, and they will not forget how their elected Senators voted. I ask my colleagues to think carefully about their vote, to grapple with the impact of a world without Roe because all of us will have to answer for this vote for the rest of our time in public office. prgtoken Now, it is worth saying over and over again: Last week's draft decision didn't come out of nowhere; it didn't materialize in a vacuum. On the contrary, it is precisely the outcome that extreme s have been working toward for years. Leader McConnell himself has admitted that this was their plan prgtoken all along. They have worked for years to confirm radical judges, plucked right out of the Federalist Society playbook, with the express goal to ``pick away at Roe v. Wade.'' That is their quote. prgtoken The radicals on the hard right have passed wave after wave of draconian restrictions at the State level, making abortion nearly impossible to access. One of those laws is about to be upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States. prgtoken These radicals have taken what were once outlandish ideas, like prison time for women and doctors and abortion bans without exception for rape and incest, and brought them to the forefront. Ideas that were radical and out of hand they are now talking about freely. Should Roe ultimately be overturned, many of us fear it would be just the start. prgtoken Over the weekend, Leader McConnell acknowledged where this is ultimately going. Without Ro
Nomination of Asmeret Asefaw Berhe (Executive Session)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2022-5-10

I come to the floor today in opposition to the nomination of Dr. Asmeret Berhe, who has been nominated to serve as the Director of the Office of Science at the U.S. Department of Energy. prgtoken The Office of Science is the Nation's largest Federal sponsor of basic research in physical sciences. Its mission is to advance the energy, economic, and national security of the United States. This job, this mission to advance the energy, economic, and national security of the United States is one that I view as very critical. prgtoken Dr. Berhe has been a professor of soil biogeochemistry--soil biogeochemistry--at the University of California Merced for over a decade. Now, she has focused her research on soil management and sequestering carbon in the soil. Her background and her experience have very little to do with the Department of Energy's main scientific focus. prgtoken A May 9, 2001, op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by a physicist whose expertise is theoretical physics has noted: Ms. Berhe's research program on soil chemistry, exploring the capture of carbon dioxide, is relevant to climate-change policy. But her research expertise isn't in any of the Office of Science's major programs, and she has no experience as a scientific administrator and minimal experience with the Energy Department itself. prgtoken So not that there is anything wrong with her underlying experience to do other things, but for this specific position, the qualifications just aren't there. Dr. Berhe is clearly not the right choice to lead the Office of Science. prgtoken Certain positions Dr. Berhe has taken or endorsed are also concerning. On February 28, 2001, she retweeted this statement: I'm just going to propose that a nation that can land an SUV sized rover in an ancient lake on another planet can build an electrical grid that is not [f---ing] useless-- prgtoken This is her retweeting-- prgtoken because of slavish devotion to the free market. prgtoken Apparently, we are devoted to the free market, and she doesn't like it. prgtoken On May 7, 2015, she wrote in Science that ``the practice of farming'' is to blame for climate change. ``The practice of farming'' is to blame for climate change. prgtoken Dr. Berhe is not the right person to serve as the Director of the Office of Science. I rise in opposition to her nomination. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against this nominee. prgtoken .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 903, RIGHTS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION WORKFORCE ACT OF 2021; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2499, FEDERAL FIREFIGHTERS FAIRNESS ACT OF...
August Pfluger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-5-10

. Madam , I rise to oppose the previous question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 7690 to DEFUND the 's Administration DHS Disinformation Governance Board. prgtoken However, before I get into that, I would remind my colleague that just a couple months ago, that the administration did offer a ride to President Zelenskyy, offered him a ride out of Ukraine to leave the country that he so valiantly has been fighting for. I want to make sure that that is set straight. And we will get back to the business at hand: The Disinformation Governance Board. prgtoken The fact is that the administration thinks that they should be policing disinformation. It is beyond alarming. And I am trying to put myself back into the shoes of the Founders 240 years ago, to think that the government would be in charge of personal views of the First Amendment. prgtoken The antics, as it has been called here, my 750,000-plus constituents don't think what I am saying right now are antics. What they are proud of is we are standing up to say that we do affirm that the government does not get to determine what is true and false. prgtoken Personally, I have heard the Secretary of Homeland Security, Mayorkas, claim that our border is secure, but millions of illegal immigrants are allowed to pour into our country, including known and suspected terrorists. Even more disturbing, is that Secretary Mayorkas has put an outspoken partisan person, who has mocked stories, including those about Hunter 's laptop, has praised the now-debunked Steele dossier, and other stories out into the public, while claiming to now be the purveyor of truth. The lack of credibility and the misinformation is beyond laughable. prgtoken The Department of Homeland Security should be focused on one thing, and this is not a partisan issue. It is our security. It is our Nation's security. That is what DHS was founded on after September 11. That is what the focus should be on right now, not fact-checking social media or censoring Americans. prgtoken Today, every Member of Congress will be put on Record, and the question will be: Do you stand on the side of free speech or not? prgtoken I stand on the side of free speech for my constituents, the 750,000 who I believe would not call what I am saying antics.
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-5-10

crime and the fear of crime impacts the lives of every American. prgtoken We know its rising pace: carjackings at record highs; smash-and-grab robberies surging; and at least 12 major cities breaking homicide records in 2021. prgtoken We know its price in dollar terms: $200 billion annually in a regressive crime tax. prgtoken We know its widespread costs to families who are afraid to walk the streets at night. prgtoken We know the tragic costs it inflicts in death and suffering. prgtoken And we know its root cause: soft-on-crime policies, far-left prosecutors, and radical . From Seattle and Portland to New York City and Washington, D.C have failed the first duty of government. They have failed to keep citizens safe. prgtoken Now, some House want to erase their own soft-on-crime record, but the American people will not be fooled. This Congress, 219 House voted for a bill that would cost local police departments hundreds of millions of dollars. prgtoken The American people can't afford ' radical agenda of fewer police officers on the streets, fewer criminals behind bars, more victims of violent crime. prgtoken Our police officers can't afford it either. Last year, more officers were murdered in the line of duty during President 's first year in office than at any point since 1995. prgtoken , let me say that again. Last year, more officers were murdered in the line of duty during President 's first year in office than at any point since 1995. prgtoken One of those officers was Kern County Sheriff's Office Deputy Phillip Campas. He was a rising star who was killed in the line of duty last year after his SWAT team responded to a domestic violence call. He leaves behind a wife and a young family. prgtoken He grew up in my hometown, and he went to the exact same elementary school and junior high that I did. Campas was a bright example of what it means to serve others. Fittingly, this year, his name was added to the Roll Call of Heroes on the National Peace Officers' Memorial in Washington, D.C. prgtoken To Deputy Campas' children, we cannot begin to imagine your sadness and pain, but I want you to know this: Your father was a hero. We will never forget him. prgtoken , the solution to safer communities is the exact opposite of ' radical agenda. This crime crisis deserves serious leadership, and it starts with stepping up and supporting law enforcement. prgtoken Our brave officers face enormous challenges, yet they choose to wear the uniform every day. It is not enough to fully fund them. They must know we have their backs. prgtoken So, as National Police Week begins, I want to say something our law enforcement officers don't hear enough: Thank you. Thank you for protecting our communities. Thank you for protecting our children. Thank you for protecting our country. prgtoken While radical want to defund, demonize, and abolish the police, Republica
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 903, RIGHTS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION WORKFORCE ACT OF 2021; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2499, FEDERAL FIREFIGHTERS FAIRNESS ACT OF...
Mike Johnson (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-5-10

. Madam , if the administration was itself a beacon of truth, this board would still be unconstitutional. I would tell my colleagues, if this was being proposed by a administration, we would be fighting it just as vociferously. prgtoken I do find it noteworthy, however, that those who seem the most preoccupied with censoring Americans and policing disinformation are so often themselves the worst offenders at spreading it. prgtoken Again, here is the bottom line: The government has no role whatsoever in determining what constitutes truth or acceptable speech. prgtoken President should dissolve this board immediately and entirely; and if he won't, s will. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question so we may amend the rule to provide for immediate consideration of my legislation to defund the DHS Disinformation Governance Board.
NOMINATION OF ERIC M. GARCETTI
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-5-10

I intend to lift my objection to proceeding to the consideration of the nomination of Mayor Eric Garcetti, of California, to be the U.S. Ambassador to India. prgtoken Today, I released the findings of a staff review examining whether Mr. Garcetti was aware of allegations of misconduct by a former senior adviser. I am making these findings public in the interest of transparency and for the benefit of my colleagues as the Senate fulfills its advice and consent duties. I intend to lift my hold on the nomination, but based on what I have learned, I intend to vote no if the nomination is considered by the full Senate. prgtoken Please see the full investigative report here: https:// www.grassley.senate.gov/download/report-on-investigation-into-eric- garcetti-nominated-to-be-ambassador-to-the-republic-of-india.
Women's Health Protection Act (Executive Calendar)
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-5-10

my colleagues and I are here today to highlight the fact that our ic colleagues have shown the American people how truly radical they are when it comes to abortion. prgtoken The Women's Health Protection Act--what I believe should be better known as the ``Abortion on Demand Until the Moment of Birth Act''-- casts a vision of abortion in America, one utterly without limitation. prgtoken Federalism is one of the truly genius ideas behind the U.S. Constitution. Federalism means that we make the majority of our decisions at a more local level rather than at the national level. When we rely on the principle of federalism, more people across the country have more reason to be content with the laws they have. People have a greater say in the legislative process at the local level, which means they get more of the kind of government they want and less of the kind of government they don't want. prgtoken For nearly the last half-century, the decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey have abused the Constitution by reading into the Constitution a right that exists nowhere in the Constitution. prgtoken These wrongly decided cases have wreaked havoc on public trust in government, on the republican nature of our government, on the public's understanding of the Constitution. More gravely, these decisions have permitted the euphemistically described ``termination'' of 63 million American lives. That is more than 45 times the number of American lives lost in war since the founding of our Nation--every war combined. Forty-five times that. Let that sink in for a minute. prgtoken Abortion is a tragedy. It is one that is scarring our Nation's history because of what it says about how we respect human life. Those scores of millions of lives represent--each and every one of them-- unique and unrepeatable genetic makeups and identities and potentials. They represent the loss of Americans of all races, varying physical and mental abilities, all political affiliations and professions, with many targeted because of their race, sex, or disability. Their termination is a loss of ideas, of innovation, and of compassion. Those abortions erase all potential families and communities. Those abortions represent the loss of infinite potential, connection, and love. Abortion is a tragedy that scars our history. prgtoken So when I read Justice Alito's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, I was elated--elated--because it relies on federalism and a sound reading of the Constitution to reassert that there is no constitutional right to an abortion. Just because a combination of lawyers wearing robes 48 years ago decided that would be the case does not make it so. Our Constitution is difficult to amend, and it is deliberately that way. They didn't follow this procedure; they tried to circumvent it, and they were wrong. prgtoken Regulating abortion is a matter reserved for the American people an
LANCE CORPORAL MARC LUCAS TUCKER POST OFFICE BUILDING
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-5-10

I thank Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer for bringing these very important bills to honor our heroes in America. I think it is important that we honor and remember those who served this Nation, especially those who gave their lives. prgtoken , I rise today in support of H.R. 209, renaming the post office in Pontotoc, Mississippi, for Lance Corporal Marc Lucas Tucker. prgtoken At age 23, Marc Lucas Tucker joined the Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq with the 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force. prgtoken His mother, Mrs. Donna Bagwell, recalls her son wanting to be a marine from a very young age, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who also served in the Marine Corps. prgtoken He was a 1999 graduate of South Pontotoc Attendance Center, where he was known for his patriotism and sense of adventure. He was a baseball player, an avid hunter, and a fisherman. prgtoken On June 8, 2005, Lance Corporal Tucker was killed in a vehicle accident while stationed in Okinawa, Japan. prgtoken During his funeral, he was awarded the Navy Cross and the Mississippi Medal of Valor by Marine Major John Harding. He has also been awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and Sea Service Medal. prgtoken The Pontotoc community continues to mourn the loss of this young man who dedicated his life to the service of his country. Today I aim to honor his family and countless others who have lost their loved ones in service for our Nation.