mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Remembering Mike Garbo (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-12-7

I come to the floor today to discuss what anybody ought to discuss with a heavy heart because when it comes to fighting drug abuse, the United States seems to be losing. prgtoken Over 100,000 Americans have died from drug overdoses in the last year alone. These casualties could have been prevented by better drug prevention, treatment, and intervention, but the brunt of this epidemic is due to drug trafficking organizations. Cartels fuel the flames of drug abuse, often using violence and causing devastating loss of life. prgtoken Drug traffickers lace street drugs with fentanyl, making deadly drugs even more lethal. And, of course, we all know that most or all of that fentanyl comes from China. China is winning a war, killing Americans through drug overuse, without even firing a shot. prgtoken Of course, drug traffickers are not slowing down. In June of this year alone, Customs and Border Protection agents seized over 1,000 pounds of fentanyl. This could kill two-thirds of the population of the United States. prgtoken The boots-on-the-ground agents seize these drugs before they reach us, but what they find, what they seize, is a fraction of what comes into the United States. In my home State of Iowa, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration seized more lethal doses prgtoken of fentanyl in 2020 than there were people within the State. This means the Drug Enforcement Administration seized enough fentanyl to kill everyone in Iowa. prgtoken Our law enforcement officers are critical to the fight against illicit drugs. prgtoken Now, listen. In the last year or two, law enforcement has been subject to terrible abuse, but these brave men and women don't do just great things; they also do good--good for our country and good in protecting our people. The brave members of State and local law enforcement--you know, like the police, like the sheriffs, like the correctional officers, as well as our Federal officers--deserve honor and respect. They put their lives on the line to ensure that we are all safe. prgtoken When tragedy strikes, we feel the loss of our fiercest defenders. In fact, according to the FBI, the rate of officers killed in the line of duty is up. As of last month, 59 members of law enforcement were killed in 2021. At this point in 2020, the number was 39, and that was still an uptick from years prior. This trend is a grim reminder of the bravery, the courage, and the valor each law enforcement officer has when they go to work. prgtoken DEA Agent Mike Garbo was one of our most recent casualties in the fight against the illicit drug trade. He was conducting a routine check on an Amtrak train in Arizona when two drug traffickers ambushed him and his fellow DEA agents with gunfire, and of course Agent Garbo was killed. prgtoken Agent Garbo was a committed law enforcement person, committed to a career of public service generally and law enforcement specifically. He served as a police officer i
NATIONAL PULSE MEMORIAL
Mike Rogers (Republican, AL) \u2014 2021-12-7

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise in strong support of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. And I want to start off by saying Chairman Smith has been a real leader on this effort. He has had obstacle after obstacle thrown in his way for months and has continued to be a real advocate for the legislation, but also trying to make sure we get in a good place. And I couldn't ask for a better partner to lead this committee with. prgtoken The bill before us has strong bipartisan, bicameral support. prgtoken Over the last year, we have seen the best of our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and guardians. They have performed in the toughest environments with the greatest level of skill and professionalism. Many gave their lives so others would have a chance at a better life. prgtoken Without a doubt, our military is the greatest force for good the world has ever seen. Providing the authorities and resources our servicemembers need to defend our Nation and defeat adversaries is the greatest responsibility we have here in Congress. prgtoken We accomplish that responsibility with the bill before us today. It provides an additional $25 billion over the President's request, reversing irresponsible cuts to procurement and readiness. prgtoken This bill ensures our warfighters are the best equipped and trained in the world. It puts our servicemembers first, providing a 2.7 percent pay raise and expanding benefits to their families. prgtoken It puts American workers first with historic investments in our industrial base. prgtoken It also begins divesting in legacy systems that will not help us deter future prgtoken threats. Instead, it invests in new technologies like artificial intelligence, hypersonics, and quantum computing that will help us stay ahead of our adversaries. That is important because Russia and China are rapidly modernizing their militaries. prgtoken China is outpacing us with advancements in emerging technologies and weapons systems. In recent years, we have seen China use its military to push out its borders, threaten our allies, and gain footholds on new continents. prgtoken This bill is laser focused on preparing our military to prevail in a conflict with China. It makes critical investments in new systems capable of surviving in contested environments. It includes provisions that will remove China from our defense supply chain. And it reaffirms our support to allies in the region, especially Taiwan. prgtoken In Eastern Europe, Russia is on the march again. Putin is threatening NATO allies and amassing an invasion force on the Ukrainian border. prgtoken This bill makes historic investments in the European Defense Initiative and provides $300 million for Ukraine, $75 million of which is lethal aid. prgtoken Threats from near-peer rivals like China and Russia are not the only ones we face. Terrorists continue to plot to destroy our way of life, so we must continue t
MOTION TO DISCHARGE
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-12-7

the most common cause of famine and starvation is war. Saudi Arabia's air and naval blockade of Yemen has led to thousands and thousands of deaths in Yemen from lack of food and medicine. The United States should end all arms sales to the Saudis until they end their blockade of Yemen. prgtoken President said he would change the policy of supporting Saudi's war in Yemen, but it is not all that apparent that policy has changed. prgtoken Today, we challenge the administration's sale of $650 million worth of arms, including air-to-air missiles in Yemen. prgtoken Just 2 months ago, the administration approved $500 million worth of arms, including maintenance for attack helicopters that are used in Yemen. prgtoken Some want to differentiate offensive weapons from defensive weapons, but, really, even defensive weapons can be used to allow a country to absorb attacks in order to continue their offensive operations. prgtoken The real question is not an artificial designation of weapons as offensive or defensive but whether Congress is serious about using the leverage of arms sales or withholding arms sales to end the blockade in Yemen. prgtoken That the administration continues to reward Saudi Arabia with weapons seems to indicate that President is not really serious about withholding arms sale to end the war in Yemen. prgtoken Indeed, if this administration were serious about ending the Saudi blockade, they could do one thing, and this thing would end the war tomorrow, would end the blockade tomorrow. The Saudis, I think, would immediately stop the blockade if this administration would stop sending spare parts and stop fixing the planes. prgtoken Bruce Reidel of Brookings writes that ``the Saudi air force would be grounded in short order'' if we quit sending them spare parts, quit repairing their aircraft. We could stop this war if we really had the will to do it. prgtoken All America should be appalled at the humanitarian disaster caused by the Saudi blockade of Yemen. For years now, ships that would otherwise carry food, fuel, and medicine are turned away by the Saudi-led coalition, depriving the Yemeni people of the necessities to sustain civilization. prgtoken Yemen is one of the poorest countries on the planet. They have to import their food. The blockade is killing their children. prgtoken Saudi Arabia's intervention in the Yemeni civil war is a chilling example of the cruelty of warfare by starvation. According to the United Nations, in Yemen 5 million people are one step away from succumbing to famine and disease, and 10 million more are right behind them. prgtoken We can start the process of ending this crisis by enacting this resolution of disapproval. prgtoken The children of Yemen who survive Saudi's barbaric blockade will inevitably tell their sons and daughters of the horrors of their youth, and those sons and daughters will tell their sons and daughters. Through
Business Before The Senate (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-12-7

we are nearing the halfway point of the 117th Congress, and it is time to look back and see what our ic colleagues now in the majority have accomplished. prgtoken Unfortunately, we have seen a lot of wasted valuable time and ignoring of critical tasks and failing to meet some of the most basic requirements of government. Our colleagues used the first few months of the year to ram through a partisan $2 trillion spending bill, and then they wasted the summer on the majority leader's designed-to-fail agenda. prgtoken It wasn't about actually getting anything done. It was about messaging. And then they threw it in cruise control this fall, refusing to let the Senate vote on anything other than low-level nominees and, again, those messaging bills. prgtoken Well, unsurprisingly, this partisan approach to governing--despite the fact that we have an evenly divided Senate and perhaps an evenly divided government, this partisan approach, unsurprisingly, did not lead to any good results. prgtoken One of the biggest unforced errors in this tardiness so far has been the national defense authorization bill. Now, I happen to believe that providing for the common defense and supporting our men and women in the military, keeping the American people safe, protecting our freedoms is the most important work that we do here. And, indeed, that is reflected by the fact that the National Defense Authorization Act has been passed for 60 years, I believe it is--60 consecutive years. prgtoken Well, this is not a particularly controversial bill. In fact, it came out of the Armed Services Committee with an impressive 23-to-3 vote. You have to look long and hard to find any bill that passes the Senate that enjoys as much bipartisan support. prgtoken For some unknown reason, though, the ic leader refused to bring the Defense authorization bill to the floor. But then when he finally did, after it had been sitting around waiting for action for literally months, then he attached a controversial provision--a bill, the so-called Endless Frontiers Act, which had not been processed by the House, but in an attempt to force the House to take that bill. prgtoken Well, as it turned out, after broad bipartisan support for the Defense authorization bill, he couldn't get the votes here in the Senate to advance that bill, so he had to basically pull it down. Well, when you try to add something as big as the Endless Frontiers bill that did pass the Senate to a bipartisan Defense appropriations bill, that created a lot of problems. prgtoken So you can't sit on a bill for months and then at the last moment try to jam another bill onto it without at least giving people an opportunity for a robust debate and amendment process. And, as we know, during the time that I have been here, and I am sure during the time that the Presiding Officer has been here, we have less and less of that robust debate and less and less of actually offerin
MOTION TO DISCHARGE
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2021-12-7

fellow Senators, I rise to oppose the matter that is before us, and I want to rise in support of the sale of these particular weapons to the Saudis. prgtoken The Saudis are an ally of ours. As with many allies, they have items that we don't agree with, and those obviously have been highlighted here on the floor today. My colleague, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has laid out exactly why we need to see that the sale goes through. prgtoken There have been 240-plus drone missiles to strike Saudi targets this year. The latest one was just yesterday. These are Houthi rebel drones that come out of Yemen. They are provided to them by the Iranians. This thing would be over if the Iranians would back away and get out of this. prgtoken I agree that we need to press for a solution here. What is going on in Yemen prgtoken is one of--not the but close to it--one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet today. In fact, what is going on there, it is going to get worse as this year goes on. As the Senator from New Jersey indicated, the Houthis have been really unhelpful in getting humanitarian supplies to the people of Yemen, who badly need it. prgtoken The Saudis, obviously, need the weaponry that is included in this sale. There are a lot of American citizens in Saudi Arabia, and we should support our allies when they are doing defensive things like this to defend themselves, to defend Americans who are present in their country. We all hope that this will reach a resolution in the near future. prgtoken The Iranians are the ones who are stoking this fire. The Houthis are not helpful to us. But we need to help the Saudis defend themselves. So I would urge a ``no'' vote on this matter before us. prgtoken .
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-12-7

I rise today to recognize and thank Dr. Joyce Turner Keller and her organization Aspirations for 20 years in the fight to end HIV/AIDS. prgtoken Aspirations' mission is to serve the needs of hurting people, regardless of race, creed, gender, age, or social class affected by the HIV/AIDS virus. Established in 2001, they have provided a much needed service to our region by providing free testing, education, support groups, and numerous other options to those who are fighting this virus. Its founder, Dr. Joyce Turner Keller, has made it her life's mission to be a face of the invisible that are living and surviving with HIV/AIDS. prgtoken As a doctor, I treated uninsured HIV/AIDS patients and saw firsthand the pain this disease can cause. Dr. Joyce Turner Keller has used her God-given talents to care for the underserved and the stigmatized. I commend her on her work and the work of Aspirations these last 20 years.
TRIBUTE TO BETTY EMERSON
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2021-12-7

I rise today to recognize Betty Emerson, who is retiring as the congressional liaison for North Carolina's Disability Determination Services. Ms. Emerson has served the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for over 32 years, and her service to North Carolina is greatly appreciated. prgtoken Ms. Emerson began her career at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services as a unit office assistant. She then served as a backup to the medical and congressional liaison, and finally, as the congressional liaison for the North Carolina Disability Determination Services. She has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty to assist North Carolina's citizens. prgtoken During her 12 years as congressional liaison, Ms. Emerson developed incredibly strong relationships across the State. Her career exemplified the highest standard of excellence, and I am incredibly grateful for the exceptional service she consistently provided to the staff in my North Carolina offices on behalf of our citizens. prgtoken I wish Ms. Emerson all the best for happiness and good health in the years ahead.
Remembering Marcella LeBeau (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-12-7

before I begin, I want to take just a few minutes to honor two members of the ``greatest generation'' whom we lost recently, Marcella LeBeau and Bob Dole. prgtoken Marcella LeBeau died on Sunday, November 21. She was from my home State of South Dakota and a member of the Two Kettle Band of the Cheyenne River Sioux who served in the Army Nurse Corps during World War II, including time on the frontlines treating the wounded at the Battle of the Bulge. She was decorated by both France and Belgium for her service. prgtoken After the war, she returned to South Dakota, spending 31 years working for the Indian Health Service, including as Director of Nursing, while raising eight children. prgtoken She was a powerful advocate for Native Americans throughout her entire life and was a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council for 4 years and a founding member of the North American Women's Association. prgtoken Even in retirement, Marcella continued to advocate for Native Americans and also found time to open a quilting shop with her granddaughter featuring, among other things, the Lakota star quilt, used for honoring and naming ceremonies, memorials, and various life achievements. prgtoken Earlier in November, she traveled to Oklahoma to attend the ceremony for her induction into the National Native American Hall of Fame.
MOTION TO DISCHARGE
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-12-7

earlier this year, a disastrous retreat from Afghanistan gave our allies and partners reason to doubt that the United States could be counted on. Today, some of our colleagues want to double down on that mistake by blocking defensive support to yet another important partner. prgtoken Saudi Arabia is literally surrounded by violent threats conceived, funded, and orchestrated by Iran. To the north, they have got Iran- backed terrorists sowing violence in Iraq and Syria. To the east, they have a gulf filled with the flags of Iran's own increasingly belligerent navy. To the south, the Saudis have Iran-backed Houthi terrorists strangling Yemen and lobbying rockets, missiles, and armed drones over their border. prgtoken To be sure, this violence and the plight of the Yemeni people have only worsened since the administration removed the Houthis from the terrorist list and imposed new restrictions on our support to the Saudi-led coalition. prgtoken Around the world, from time to time, we all have legitimate concerns about the behavior of our partners, but we are in a better position to influence their conduct if they trust in our partnership. So our colleagues don't get to vent their moral outrage in a vacuum without accounting for what comes next. prgtoken A vote to block the sale of defensive military systems to Saudi Arabia would undermine one of our most important regional partners, but there is even more at stake. Whether we help or not, our Arab partners will still be under siege tomorrow. They still need military capabilities to defend themselves. And we know that Russia and China will happily sell them advanced weapons systems. The importance of so- called great power competition is a matter of general consensus. So we should be wary of turning our backs on longtime partners and of pushing them into the arms of our adversaries. prgtoken So here is what our colleagues' resolution would actually do. It would give the world yet another reason to doubt the resolve of the United States, and it would give our biggest adversaries a new foothold to exert their influence over a rapidly changing and important region.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5314, PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF S. 1605, NATIONAL PULSE MEMORIAL; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF S. 610, DR. LORNA BREEN...
Pete Stauber (Republican, MN) \u2014 2021-12-7

I rise to oppose the previous question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 1995, the Protecting Our Communities from Gang Violence Act. prgtoken Crime is running rampant in our cities. Smash and grab is the new normal for malls and small business owners. Carjackings are happening with such frequency that it is now recommended that you drive in the center lane of roads and highways. What once were beloved destinations in our States and our communities have become overrun with street gangs and violent criminals across this great Nation. prgtoken Now, President is helping bring that crime to every suburban and rural community in America. As we speak, the administration is using taxpayer dollars to fly and transport illegal immigrants across this country. This is without knowledge of who these people are or their criminal background. prgtoken Now, violent gang members have been illegally entering our country and circumventing our laws well before the administration implemented their weak border policies. But it is gravely naive to think these gang members are not taking full advantage of this crisis, crossing the border with ease, hopping on these taxpayer-funded flights, and making their way into every small town across this great Nation. The administration is, without a doubt, providing gang members new playgrounds for their criminal behavior. This is unacceptable in our great Nation. prgtoken As Members of Congress, we cannot sit idly by and allow our communities to be infiltrated by gang members and exposed to violence. prgtoken , H.R. 1995 is simple. It will make gang members inadmissible to and deportable from the United States of America. This legislation should be noncontroversial. Violent and dangerous criminals have no right to live in our communities and benefit from our country. prgtoken We must finally send a signal that we will not allow this cycle of crime and violence to continue. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to defeat the previous question.