mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FORGOTTEN HEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT
Ritchie Torres (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-6-11

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise in support of H.R. 537, the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act, sponsored by Representative Salazar and myself. prgtoken Following the sacrifices honored over the weekend on the anniversary of the historic battle of Normandy, Congress today has the opportunity with this bipartisan bill to honor 60 diplomats from around the world in recognition of their courage, devotion, and sacrifice to rescue countless numbers of Jewish and other persecuted people during the Nazi occupation of Europe. prgtoken The Holocaust was the genocide of over 6 million Jews and millions of others by the Nazis and has come to symbolize the depths of human cruelty, dehumanization, and mass violence. prgtoken We remember the lives of over 10 million victims of Nazi Germany's persecution and mass executions, and today we recognize some of those individuals who demonstrated humanity and courage. The diplomats recognized by H.R. 537 and honored with this medal come from across the world. They faced a choice between being complacent with their then- Nazi occupiers or following their conscience. Risking their lives and careers, they chose humanity and became heroes. prgtoken After the Nazis took control of Germany and waged war on Europe, diplomats and foreign officials were in difficult positions. The diplomats recognized today made the decision to directly confront their own governments, the Nazi occupiers, and sympathizers to protect and rescue Europe's persecuted Jews. prgtoken From issuing visas and protective documents to establishing safe houses with hospitals, nurseries, and soup kitchens for Europe's Jewish population, these individuals often defied explicit orders from their superiors. prgtoken Individually, these diplomats saved thousands of Jews from persecution. With H.R. 537, each of us can honor their heroism and affirm for the whole Nation how one person, one act of kindness, and one act of civil disobedience can make a difference. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and .
Nova Music Festival Exhibition (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-6-11

last Friday, I had the opportunity to visit the Nova exhibit in New York City, downtown on Wall Street. prgtoken The exhibit documents what happened on October 7. Thousands of beautiful young people gathered, as the Sun was setting, at a music festival. When you go into the exhibit, the first thing you see is thousands of young people dancing, embracing each other, and as happy as can be--young people, beautiful, in the prime of their lives, the Sun shining on them as it was setting--only to realize what had happened. prgtoken The rest of the exhibit documents the brutal murder of these young people--innocent, happy, young people with so much of their lives in front of them. We see vicious Hamas terrorists machine-gunning, brutalizing, and we hear interviews that are done by the families and those who were there. prgtoken So it was a wrenching experience, the contrast--this exhibit was so well done--of those beautiful young people, happily enjoying life and then knowing that hundreds of them would be slain brutally and scores of them would be kidnapped by terrorists, running away in fear. prgtoken What was even worse--or at least adding salt into the wound--was that just a day or two after I visited the exhibit, protesters gathered outside the exhibit, chanting repugnant anti-Semitic phrases, donning banners that read: ``Long Live October 7th,'' and ``The Zionists are not Jews and not humans.'' How low can you go? prgtoken Having visited the exhibit and seeing those young people, then knowing and seeing on film what happened to them at the vicious hands of Hamas, and then having people come outside and protest and say ``Long Live October 7th''; ``The Zionists are not Jews and not humans''--how repugnant, how despicable, how terribly unnerving that humanity could sink that low. prgtoken It is the lowest of low for anyone to protest an exhibit dedicated to honoring the memory of precious lives that were brutally murdered by Hamas. It is sick that anyone should show up at an exhibit like this to protest. prgtoken The protest and the vitriolic rhetoric outside the Nova exhibit were nothing short of despicable, inhumane, and anti-Semitic. Anti-Semitism, like what occurred outside the Nova Music Festival Exhibition, has no place in our city, in our State, or in America.
Tribute to Richard Cordray (Executive Session)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2024-6-11

I rise today to recognize my friend and my former colleague, Rich Cordray. Rich's career demonstrates public service at its very best. prgtoken Nearly 14 years ago, I picked up the phone and made one of the smartest phone calls I have ever made. It was to Rich Cordray. I asked him to take a chance on me to join me in starting a new Federal Agency. That just-getting-started Agency turned out to be the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. prgtoken Rich was finishing up his term as attorney general for the State of Ohio. As AG, he had earned a strong reputation for being the kind of public servant who looks out for the little guy. He was in multiple battles, and he led major lawsuits against both Bank of America and AIG. Protecting consumers seemed to be in his blood, so it was a natural fit for Rich to take charge of the enforcement arm of the CFPB. prgtoken Establishing the CFPB was a huge task. Critics said the new consumer Agency was a pipe dream. s said that it would never get through Congress. Armies of lobbyists poured millions of dollars into opposing it. But none of that fazed Rich at all. He always stayed level, calm, and absolutely determined. He did the work needed to bring that Agency to life because that is just who he is. prgtoken Rich's courage and determination paid off. On July 18, 2011--a day I will never forget--I stood beside President in the Rose Garden as he announced Rich Cordray as his nominee to be the first official Director of the CFPB. President told me two things about Rich: He said he liked Rich, and he said he thought Rich would be a good leader. I agreed. I just knew that Rich would be terrific, and we were both right. prgtoken As CFPB Director, Rich forced the biggest financial institutions in this country to return billions of dollars to the consumers they cheated, and through his work, he proved that government could work not just for the millionaires and billionaires but for ordinary people. prgtoken One of the ways he did it was by having what I call the perfect balance of nerve and skill. prgtoken I will share just one story. Rich has never been shy about taking on the biggest financial institutions in this country. In the early days, he investigated Capital One for misleading customers about their cost of ``free'' add-ons to their credit cards. These ``free'' services actually cost customers a total of about $140 million. So what did Rich do? He put in the work, fought back the armies of lobbyists and lawyers, and forced Capital One to send the hidden fees back to every single customer they had cheated. The best part--the customers didn't have to wade through reams of paperwork or stay on hold for hours. Rich set up the system so that the checks came automatically in the mail. He set the standard for what it means to protect consumers. But that is not all. On top of getting hard-working Americans their money back, Rich and his team got C
CALLING FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF RYAN CORBETT, A UNITED STATES CITIZEN
Morgan McGarvey (Democrat, KY) \u2014 2024-6-11

. Madam , I rise in support of this resolution and call for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett and all unlawfully detained Americans. prgtoken Today marks the 671st day that Ryan Corbett, an American citizen, has been wrongfully detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan--671 days. prgtoken When you have these jobs, you never know who is going to call your office. I learned of Ryan's capture when his father, Drew, called our office to let us know that his son was being unlawfully held by the Taliban. We were shocked. prgtoken It is absolutely horrifying to get that kind of call, especially from another dad in my hometown. I can't imagine as a parent what it is like to have your child taken from you, knowing they are alive, knowing they are struggling, and knowing you can't get to them. To get that call just breaks your heart. prgtoken The reality is Ryan's whole family deserves to have him home. Ryan has been allowed only eight phone calls with his family since being detained in 2022, a total of 85 minutes in 671 days. We stand committed to bringing Ryan back for them. prgtoken I am so grateful to Representative Tenney for leading this resolution and for her persistence in fighting for Ryan and to Chairman McCaul and Representative Keating for their words here today, and I thank the administration for working to get Ryan home as quickly as possible. prgtoken We are with Ryan's dad, Drew; Ryan's wife, Anna; his children, Ketsia, Miriam, and Caleb; and the rest of Ryan's family and friends. We are fighting for Ryan. This is a bipartisan effort, an American effort, and we will keep doing everything we can to bring Ryan home safely. prgtoken Today, Congress sends a clear message: We must bring Ryan home now. prgtoken Madam , I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Azerbaijan (Executive Session)
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2024-6-11

I rise today to speak out against Azerbaijan's unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners of war and alarming record of rampant human rights violations. prgtoken On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military attack against Nagorno-Karabakh to gain full control over the territory, causing a mass exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians--virtually all of the region's ethnic Armenians--as well as the regional government to capitulate. prgtoken Azerbaijan then falsely denied that it forced people to leave and insincerely promised that it will peacefully reintegrate the region and guarantee the rights of ethnic Armenians. prgtoken Instead, even after their surrender, Azerbaijan punitively arrested and detained leaders of the former Karabakh Government, including former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who is here as he is being arrested by Azerbaijan military officials. prgtoken Also, ex-Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, Foreign Minister David Babayan, Parliament Davit Ishkhanyan, and former generals, Levon Mnatsakanyan and Davit Manukyan. These eight former officials have been held in pretrial detention for more than 8 months. And just last month, Azerbaijani authorities extended the detention with another 5 months--without a trial, without due process--and Azerbaijan has routinely resorted to hostage diplomacy, prolonging unlawful detention and using prisoners of war as bargaining chips to impose its demands on Armenia, in clear violation of international law. prgtoken In fact, Azerbaijan is still holding dozens of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian political prisoners that it took captive during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. And, additionally, widespread reporting-- including from Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Federal Rights, and the U.S. Department of State--calls attention to the terrible treatment of political prisoners by Azerbaijan. prgtoken Former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan alone has faced punitive extended stays in solitary confinement, poor prison conditions, denial of water and clean clothing, and orders that require him to stand for hours on end. He prgtoken was also cut off from his lawyer and family for several weeks. Others are subjected to physical abuse, humiliation, and cruel and inhumane treatment. prgtoken Despite its clear pattern of committing human rights violations, Azerbaijan has incurred few costs from the international community for its egregious abuses against ethnic Armenians and illegal detention of political prisoners. The Aliyev regime thinks it can continue acting in flagrant violation of international and U.S. law, which is why it is incumbent upon Congress to speak out and say no to Azerbaijan; no to hostage diplomacy and Azerbaijan's taking of political prisoners; no to subjecting political prisoners to cruel and inhumane punishment; no to denying the rights of ethnic Armenians in
PROMOTING A RESOLUTION TO THE TIBET-CHINA DISPUTE ACT
William R. Keating (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2024-6-11

the balance of my time. prgtoken , I would like to thank the gentleman for his remarks. There has been no more determined or erstwhile supporter of the Tibetan people than Representative McGovern. I thank him for his longstanding efforts on their behalf which is really our behalf, as well, as a country. prgtoken In closing, , for too long, the Tibetan people have suffered as Beijing systematically works to erase their religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity. The forced assimilation through centralized Chinese boarding schools and tearing children away from their families are beyond the pale, and its refusal to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama since 2010 only highlights Beijing's blatant disregard for resolving the Tibetan question. prgtoken This is an important and timely measure, and I thank Senator Merkley, Representative McGovern, Chairman McCaul, and all those individuals involved in getting this bill to the finish line. I also want to extend my gratitude to Emerita Nancy Pelosi for her unwavering support of this bill and principled conviction to hold the PRC accountable for its human rights violations. prgtoken , I hope my colleagues will join with all of us in supporting this important bill, and .
RECOGNIZING MICHAEL CARBAJAL
Ruben Gallego (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2024-6-11

I rise today to celebrate Michael Carbajal, ``Little Hands of Stone (Manilas de Piedra)'', and all his accomplishments. Since becoming a boxer, he has accumulated six world championships, an Olympic silver medal, and a 49-4 career record, all of which landed him in the Boxing Hall of Fame. He was also selected Fighter of the Year in 1993 for Ring Magazine and was Comeback Fighter of the Year in 1999. Since his retirement in 1999 after winning the WBO light flyweight title belt, he has shared his expertise, mentoring the next generation of boxers in the Phoenix area. Inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, Carbajal has left an indelible mark on Arizona's boxing scene. prgtoken Carbajal's outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication have been a tremendous source of inspiration for young boxers throughout Arizona. His ongoing support and commitment to Arizona will make a lasting impact for generations to come. prgtoken Since he was six years old, Carbajal has been a unified champion, serving as the face of boxing in Arizona for decades. Carbajal's story lives on as he tirelessly contributes to the next generation of boxers at his 9th Street Gym, blocks from where he grew up. I am proud to recognize Carbajal and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2024
Mark Kelly (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2024-6-11

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Rosner nomination postcloture; further, that the cloture time be considered expired at 11:30 a.m. and, following the cloture vote on the See nomination, the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; and further, that if cloture has been invoked on the See nomination, all time be considered expired at 2:15 p.m.
CONGRATULATING THE GORDONSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL TIGERETTES ON CLAIMING THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-6-11

I rise to recognize the Gordonsville High School Tigerettes for winning the 2024 ISSAA 1A Stale Championship in softball for the second year in a row. prgtoken Gordonsville, Tennessee, is known as a ``Title Town'' for having won 10 state championships in their history. This year, ``Title Town'' has another jewel in its crown thanks to the Gordonsville High School Tigerettes. This is the second consecutive state championship win for the team, who beat Eagleville by a score of 5 to 2 last year and by dominating Jo Byrns 11 to 1 this year. prgtoken Kailey Plumlee started the game with a home run and also struck out 12 batters in 6 innings as the starting pitcher. From there, the team continued to show up and show off, out-hitting their opponent 13-to-1. The Tigerettes wrapped up their run-rule victory with yet another home run from Callie Dillard. prgtoken Throughout the tournament, the girls outscored their opponents 47 to 2 and finished the year with 32 wins against only 5 losses. This great season is a result of hard work, dedication, bountiful talent, and a supportive community spirit. Legions of enthusiastic fans turned out for every game to cheer on their Gordonsville heroes, and on the way home the streets were lined with ``Title Town'' citizens celebrating the victory. prgtoken This is the second consecutive state championship win for the team, which beat Eagleville School by a score of 5-to-2 last year and Jo Byrns High School by a dominating 11-to-1 score this year. The Lady Tigers came to the field in the championship game with a can-do spirit and the goal of getting started early, and they sure did. prgtoken This is the third time the Tigerettes have made it to the state championship in recent years, with the first trip resulting in an agonizing 2 run loss. Afterward, Coach Jonathon made it his mission to raise the expectations for the program and challenge the girls to reach new heights. The results speak for themselves--three state titles. prgtoken I would now like to recognize everyone who carried the team to victory. Players included: Callie Dillard, McKenzie Herron, Camri Johnson, Kelsey Haley, Bailey Stewart, Kailyn Roberts, Emma Crawford, Madison Askew, Lakin Roberts, Christina Ray, Abbi Brinkley, Kailey Plumlee, Addison Pope, Bailey Trusty, Kelcie Watts, Laura Thompson, and Adalyn Stafford. I'd also like to recognize Head Coach Jonathon and Assistant Coaches Alton Fitts and Scott Pope for the win. prgtoken I am proud to represent Gordonsville, Tennessee, and take much pride in the success of the community, the families that live there, and its home team champion. Again, congratulations to the Gordonsville Tigerettes, the 2024 TSSAA State Softball Champions.
FORGOTTEN HEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT
Maria Elvira Salazar (Republican, FL) \u2014 2024-6-11

. Madam , I rise today to urge the passage of my bill, the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act. prgtoken Anti-Semitism has always been a tragic feature of world history, but there was no greater display of anti-Semitism than when the Nazis tried to wipe out the Jews from the face of the Earth. Hitler and his satanic advisers were the architects of one of the cruelest chapters in the history of humanity called the Holocaust. prgtoken We all know too well the horrors of that period, but we often forget the remarkable individuals across the world who, at great personal risk, helped millions and millions of Jews escape the death camps. prgtoken H.R. 537 recognizes 60 diplomats--some of them are pictured right here--who used their positions and influence to help those under persecution escape death. How? By issuing fake visas or hiding them in the embassies. They simply smuggled the Jews destined for concentration camps out of the hands of evil. prgtoken These heroes come from a variety of nations, including the United States, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Spain, Italy, Poland, Japan, and even Nazi Germany. They displayed undeniable courage and embodied the best of humanity during one of the darkest times of human history. prgtoken History, unfortunately, repeats itself, and today denial of the Holocaust is at an all-time high, with one out of five Americans under the age of 30 believing it never happened. Meanwhile, anti-Semitic incidents in this country, in the United States, have gone up more than 300 percent since the terrorist attack on Israel last October. prgtoken Honoring the heroes of the past helps us acknowledge the Holocaust as a real event and serves today in the present as a chilling reminder of one of the devastating consequences of silence in the face of evil. Nonetheless, despite these unspeakable atrocities that defined that period, these people demonstrated that humanity also has the capacity for extraordinary acts of courage. prgtoken By supporting this legislation, we will honor the memory of these heroes, we will preserve the truth of the Holocaust for future generations, and we will continue to fight anti-Semitism in all its forms. prgtoken Finally, I would like to acknowledge Abe Foxman and Art Reidel, as well as my co-lead of this bill, the gentleman from New York, the Honorable Congressman Ritchie Torres.