mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
AMERICA CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANUFACTURING, PRE-EMINENCE IN TECHNOLOGY, AND ECONOMIC STRENGTH ACT OF 2022
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-3-23

Tax Day 2022 is fast approaching. Americans around the country are prepping their tax returns. prgtoken If you talked to most Americans, I don't think you would find that the IRS is their favorite government Agency and with good reason. The Agency prgtoken has gained a reputation for poor taxpayer service. The last tax filing season was particularly miserable for taxpayers. ``If you call the IRS, there is only a 1-in-50 chance that you'll reach a human being,'' noted a headline in the Washington Post last April. prgtoken The national Taxpayer Advocate noted in her 2021 report to Congress: Calendar year 2021 was surely the most challenging year taxpayers and tax professionals have ever experienced--long processing and refund delays, difficulty reaching the IRS by phone, correspondence that went unprocessed for many months, collection notices issued while taxpayer correspondence was awaiting processing, little or no information on the Where's My Refund? tool for delayed returns. . . . prgtoken And bad customer service isn't the only thing tarnishing the IRS's reputation. The IRS has also gained a reputation for mishandling the confidential taxpayer information it has access to. In fact, the IRS was recently subject to a massive leak or hack of private taxpayer information--information that somehow ended up in the hands of advocates at ProPublica, an outfit that promotes progressive causes and went on to publish taxpayers' private information last June. Months later, neither the Treasury Department nor the IRS has provided meaningful followup about the data breach, much less any accountability. prgtoken Who could forget the IRS scandal during the administration when the IRS targeted a number of organizations based on their political beliefs? Nor did the IRS inspire confidence a few months ago when it announced it would start requiring taxpayers to submit biometric data in order to access certain IRS services. prgtoken Fortunately, after s on the Senate Finance Committee and others weighed in, the IRS abandoned its plans to allow the harvesting of taxpayers' biometric data, but it was a concerning instance of government overreach from an Agency notable for repeated mishandling of private taxpayer information. prgtoken The IRS was a frequent subject of discussion in regard to the ' so-called Build Back Better plan. It would have been nice if this was because had proposed a real plan to improve taxpayer services and increase Agency accountability. But, no, what they proposed in their Build Back Better plan was a massive increase in funding for the IRS--$80 billion--essentially doubling the size of the Agency without any plan for ensuring improvements to basic taxpayer services. prgtoken I am hard pressed to imagine why anyone would contemplate handing a massive budget increase to the IRS without simultaneously prioritizing a pla
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-3-23

. You can have a community behavioral health center working with a primary care center or you could have an independent provider working with their other healthcare provider or vice versa. It is very interchangeable. prgtoken The one criteria for the certified community behavioral health centers is the level of staffing--24/7, 365 days a year, always available to be that critically important partner that people with a mental health challenge need. And, frankly, their families and people who care about them need it as well.
AMERICA CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANUFACTURING, PRE-EMINENCE IN TECHNOLOGY, AND ECONOMIC STRENGTH ACT OF 2022
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-3-23

I returned to the United States Sunday night after leading a bipartisan Senate delegation visit to Poland and Germany. Ten Senators--s and --traveled together to demonstrate America's unwavering support for the freedom-loving people of Ukraine and affirm the strength of the world's most powerful alliance. prgtoken I will never forget an engagement with Ukrainian civil society leaders. This group of passionate, strong women demonstrated Ukraine's spirit and their will to fight. They delivered a very clear message to the United States. They said that Ukraine can win, but they need more lethal aid delivered now. prgtoken Our bipartisan delegation departed with the conviction that the United States, Ukraine, and the free world have the will and the means to stop Vladimir Putin's tyranny. I am here on the Senate floor today to state my belief that Ukraine will beat back Vladimir Putin's bloody invasion. They will throw the Russian army out of their country, and they will declare victory over this lawless criminal incursion. prgtoken Folks, Ukraine can win this war. When the shooting is over, the Russian military will be broken, and the Russian economy will collapse--consequences brought about by Putin's chosen isolation and rejection of the free world. He and his cronies, their futures are not bright either. Putin's propaganda media machine will break down. He will be marked by the international community as a war criminal and, I predict, will be held accountable by his own people. His best days are behind him. Freedom will win. prgtoken Most of us thought these outcomes were improbable just a few weeks ago. The President's policymakers circulated intelligence assessments in the first days of the invasion which concluded unequivocally that Ukraine didn't stand a chance. They predicted Putin would topple Kyiv within 3 to 5 days. Tomorrow marks 1 month since the start of the war. The Russian military is disorganized and demoralized. prgtoken Four separate divisions are all competing for logistics resupply. prgtoken Putin knows he is losing, and he is panicking. He jailed his deputy chief of intelligence, and his military is burning the bodies of their Russian casualties. Russia's manpower and ammunition are tapping out while, on the other side, Ukraine's forces are hanging tough. prgtoken The weapons the United States and our allies and partners provided are being deployed with lethal proficiency. The frontlines have been frozen for over a week, and Russian casualties are greater than 1,000 a day. prgtoken Ukrainians are intercepting unclassified calls and eliminating Russian field commanders. Most crucially, the Ukrainian people are ready to fight to the last man. The Russian army is a force of teenaged conscripts, subjects of an authoritarian war criminal whose delusions of grandeur about the old Soviet Union drove this invasion. The Ukrainian army is made up of free citizens who chos
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2022-3-23

like my good friend and colleague Senator Murkowski, I rise today to recognize a giant, a larger than life man, certainly a legend in our State, and certainly a legend in the House of Representatives, Congressman for all Alaska, Donald Edwin Young. prgtoken As Senator Murkowski mentioned, we lost this great Alaskan, this great American, while flying home with his beloved wife, Anne, by his side just this weekend. He was flying back home to Alaska, the State he loved so much and served so well. It is a State that loved him back and showed him that love by electing him to office every 2 years since 1973. Think about that. Unbelievable. He was the longest serving politician in Alaska's history, the longest serving Member of the House in U.S. history, our North Star, Don Young. As Senator Murkowski mentioned, he was 88 years young. prgtoken I just want to say, like all Alaskans, my wife Julie and I, when we heard the news, we were saddened, shocked, devastated by the sudden passing of Congressman Don Young. And we heard this from so many people over the weekend: his spirit, authentic, tenacious, indomitable, a man of the people--a true man of the people--epitomized our State to such a degree that there was this sense that he would always be there, that he would live forever. There was this sense, and the shock back home is so palpable because of that. Think about, almost three-quarters of our State's history, Don Young was our Congressman. prgtoken So I, too, want to spend a little bit of time talking about this incredible man, this life in full, as Senator Murkowski mentioned. prgtoken A lot of stories about being raised on a small ranch in Central California, where he began the hard work of ranching as a young, young boy. Don Young once said: My dad was a good man, but he believed when you turned 7, you became a hired man. So he was working at the age of 7, Sun up to Sun down. It was hot, riddled with snakes and poison ivy. Evidently, Don Young did not like snakes or hot weather because he mentioned often about his father reading him Jack London's ``The Call of the Wild,'' a book about a dog, a man, the harsh conditions of the Yukon, and loyalty. prgtoken Senator Murkowski already mentioned that one of the things--and I love this man so much--but one of the things about him that you always knew was loyal, loyal, loyal. What a great quality. What a great quality. prgtoken Then, of course, Alaska captured his imagination--no snakes, no poison ivy, snow. Those of us, all of us who saw Don Young over the years carry around that battery-powered portable fan, we knew that, well, Don Young ran hot with that fan. prgtoken So, as Senator Murkowski mentioned, he got his associate's degree from Yuba Junior College in 1952. He served in the Army--I always loved to give him a little grief about his Army service as a marine--Chico State, and then at an Elks Club in Chico, he heard then-Alaska Territ
TRIBUTE TO OFFICER JUNIOR PAULEUS
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-3-23

when a police officer is shot in the line of duty and survives, every fellow officer breathes a sigh of relief and offers a silent prayer of thanks because they know that such a risk exists each time they put on their uniform and begin another day on the job. prgtoken Today, I want to recognize a member of the Lexington Police Department, Officer Junior Pauleus, who was shot in the back at close range on February 5, 2022, as he was conducting a routine investigation with other members of the Lexington police force. prgtoken Officer Pauleus, only 28 years old, has an interesting and compelling life story. He is a proud American, but not by birth. Originally from Haiti, Officer Pauleus met his future wife, Audrey, while she was on a mission trip. He eventually immigrated to the U.S. and became a citizen. Now, settled and thriving with his young family in Kentucky, he very recently joined the Lexington Police Department and was still on field training officer status on that fateful Saturday in February when he said his normal goodbyes to his wife and three children-- including his 5-day-old son--and started another shift. prgtoken Thankfully, this is a story with a happy ending, and we are grateful for many things: for the fact that he and the officers with whom he was working with are all safe following the shooting; for the discipline and training on which they all rely; for the body armor that protected him; and for all the men and women of his department who willingly serve the Lexington community, even with the knowledge that, in an instant, their own lives can be taken. prgtoken I am privileged to meet young men and women like Officer Pauleus each time I travel to events throughout Kentucky. I am personally indebted to them for their service, and I am honored to recognize one example from among their ranks today.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2022-3-23

Senator Sullivan and I are here this afternoon on the Senate floor, and we are here with heavy hearts. We are joined in the Galleries by friends of Alaska because, last Friday, our Congressman, Congressman Don Young--the Congressman for all Alaska and the dean of the House, who served our 49th State ably and faithfully for the last 49 years--passed away as he was flying home to be with the people of Alaska. Seated next to his wife, Anne, he passed peacefully and left this world. prgtoken There is no doubt--there is no doubt--that Congressman Young lived a large and full life. He was 88 years young, and we always referred to him as ``young,'' not old. He accomplished an incredible amount across the many decades that he served Alaska and served his country, but that doesn't make the loss any less sudden or any less devastating, and it doesn't change the fact that we are now left with a hole the size of Alaska in our congressional delegation. prgtoken We were a team. We were small but mighty. The Presiding Officer has heard me, on this floor, talk about the Last Great Race, the Iditarod, and that no dog team--no dog team--can make it without the leader. We all know that. You have got the swing dog, and you have got the wheel dog, and we have all kind of taken different points on that team, but it has always been with Don Young. prgtoken I was home over the weekend. I spent the weekend there, reflecting on Don Young's life and on his legacy. I had the chance to speak with his wife, Anne, over the phone. I talked with his daughters--Joni, whom we know well, and Dawn, her sister. I talked to a lot of friends who shared some stories about our Congressman. Many of those stories are probably not fit to print in the Congressional Record, but there was a lot of reliving of the life and times of Don Young. prgtoken For those who didn't have the privilege of knowing Congressman Young, as so many Alaskans did, he was really all of the things that have been written about him and all of the things that have been said about him these past several days. He was all that, and he was more. He was larger than life. We keep saying that: ``larger than life.'' prgtoken He was colorful--as colorful as they come. He could be tough; he could be gruff; he could be very feisty, but he was also warm, engaging. He was charming, but, most of all, he was passionate. He was a passionate man about Alaska and Alaskans--to his very core. And he was loyal. He was loyal and devoted to his family, to his friends, to his staff who served him, and was loyal to the people he loved so dearly. prgtoken So we think about Don as forever being Alaska, but Don's life didn't begin in Alaska. He grew up in California, working on his family farm. His father would read Jack London to him at night, and that inspired him, later on, to head north. He served in the Army with the 41st Tank Battalion. Then, after graduating from Chico State college, he a
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-3-23

we have begun the long-awaited process of moving forward on legislation that will bolster our domestic semiconductor manufacturing and confront the growing threats posed by China. prgtoken This legislation has had many different names over the last year or so. We started with the Endless Frontier Act in the Senate. Then, miraculously, it became the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, affectionately known as USICA. And then it became the Make it in America Act. But now it has a new name, the Bipartisan Innovation Act. prgtoken Well, regardless of what you call it, it is absolutely critical that we get a strong version of this legislation to the President's desk as soon as we can. The Senate passed the original legislation prgtoken last summer with significant bipartisan support. We urged our colleagues in the House to treat this legislation with the sense of urgency that it deserved, but they wasted months with no action. To be charitable, I guess they were preoccupied with other matters. prgtoken But it wasn't until last month, just ahead of the President's State of the Union, that they finally leapt into action. The President, of course, wanted to talk about this legislation in his speech. So House had to cobble together a bill in short order. Unfortunately, it was a highly partisan one. Their bill passed almost entirely along party lines, and now, the two Chambers--the House and the Senate--have a critical task ahead of us to reconcile those two versions. We need to begin the formal conference committee process, dive into negotiations, and get that strong bill to the President's desk. prgtoken The cornerstone of this effort, as far as I am concerned, is bolstering our domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Even more concerning is that 92 percent of the world's most advanced semiconductors come from one place, and that is Asia. Sixty-three percent come from Taiwan alone. If that supply chain were cut off, it would lead to very serious consequences. And, unfortunately, that potential is not just a doomsday scenario that is farfetched by any means. prgtoken A few months ago, I led a congressional delegation to Asia to learn more about the need to confront China in a variety of ways in that region. One of the leaders we met with was the head of the Indo-Pacific Command, the regional command that covers that part of the globe, and he described the current power dynamic rather succinctly. He said it is not a question of if China invades Taiwan but when. prgtoken Well, we have one rough idea of when that could potentially happen. President Xi Jinping himself said he wants to be ready to unify the People's Republic of China with Taiwan by 2027, just 5 years from now. But, truth be told, we don't have any idea when President Xi will call that play. We won't have any more notice for that than we did for Putin's invading Ukraine. prgtoken It is tough to overestimate the impact this would have on t
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-3-23

on Monday, I explained that the thinness of Judge Jackson's appellate record makes this week's Judiciary Committee hearings all the more important. Well, we are 2 days in. Judge Jackson is receiving a calm, respectful process, unlike the treatment that Senate typically inflict on Presidents' nominees. prgtoken But, unfortunately, thus far, many of Judge Jackson's responses have been evasive and unclear. She has declined to address critically important questions and ameliorate real concerns. prgtoken First and foremost is the simple question of Court packing. The far- left fringe groups that promoted Judge Jackson to this vacancy want to destroy the Court's legitimacy through partisan Court packing or unconstitutional term limits. She was literally the Court packers' pick for the seat, and she has repeatedly refused to reject their position. prgtoken Both of the liberal legal giants, Justice Ginsburg and Justice Breyer, had no problem--no problem--defending the Court and denouncing Court packing. Both Ginsburg and Breyer denounced Court packing. As sitting Justices, they commented freely on the subject. The Justices knew that expressing a prgtoken clear view and defending their institution was not--I repeat, not-- judicially inappropriate in any way. prgtoken But Judge Jackson has refused to follow in the footsteps of Ginsburg and Breyer. She refuses to rule out what the radical activists want. She told Senator Kennedy that she does have an opinion on Court packing, but it is ``not a strongly held opinion,'' and, in any event, she wouldn't tell Senators what it was. prgtoken But the nominee made sure to quietly signal openness--openness--for the radicals' position. She told Senators she could see both sides of the Court-packing debate. Where Justices Ginsburg and Breyer slammed the door, Judge Jackson leaves it open. She even told the Committee: I would be thrilled to be one of however many Congress thought appropriate to put on the Court. `` . . . thrilled to be one of however many Congress thought appropriate to put on the Court.'' ``[H]owever many''? I am not sure Judge Jackson's secret opinion on Court packing is as secret as she thinks it is. prgtoken Judge Jackson also displayed a remarkable lack of candor during basic questions about judicial philosophy. When asked about judicial philosophy, the nominee tried to punt by simply restating the most basic elements of a judge's job description. She said she looks at the facts and treats litigants fairly. That is not explaining a judicial philosophy. That is just rewording the judicial oath. It is, basically, a nonanswer. prgtoken These are pivotal questions. They require clear responses, and previous nominees had much less trouble providing them. A year and a half ago, now-Justice Barrett gave the Committee an intellectual master class in her textualist and original judicial philosophy. She described h
AMERICA CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANUFACTURING, PRE-EMINENCE IN TECHNOLOGY, AND ECONOMIC STRENGTH ACT OF 2022
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-3-23

let me start by thanking the junior Senator from Iowa for her leadership. prgtoken I thank Senator Ernst for fighting for freedom. Thanks for showing me the way to continue to fight for those who need help. prgtoken This weekend, together, we witnessed the worst of mankind, but we also saw the best of humankind, and that would be the Polish people and the job that they have done welcoming--yes, welcoming--almost a million refugees from Ukraine over a period of about 2 weeks. prgtoken They didn't just welcome them. They gave them food; they gave them clothing and shelter. And then more than that, they helped process them and get them to a location, to a friend, to a relative, buying them plane tickets, putting them on trains. prgtoken I have done missionary healthcare work all across the world, and what we saw the Polish people doing there was absolutely incredible. Half of the Polish people have taken a refugee into their own homes. prgtoken But like I said, we also witnessed the worst of humankind, the worst of mankind, and that would be Vladimir Putin's war on the people of Ukraine. prgtoken One Ukrainian woman--her name was Olena--whom I spoke with said: The Russians are attacking Ukraine from the north, from the east, and the south. With their missiles, they can reach every place of our country--there is no safe place in Ukraine any more. Everything can be targeted: hospitals, kindergartens, maternity wards, hospitals, everything. prgtoken And another Ukrainian we spoke to, Daria, said: In the city of Mariupol, almost every single building was hit by a Russian bomb or a Russian missile. People are residing in bomb shelters. They are cut from electricity. They are cut from aid, food, and from water. They are melting snow to drink water. Russians are deliberately throwing bombs into hospitals. prgtoken And, again, I am quoting Daria. There is only one hospital remaining. One of the hospitals was a maternity hospital. Men were trying to evacuate a woman who was in labor, and she died with her unborn baby. Another pregnant woman--her name was Mariana--was going down the stairs. She survived. She gave birth. They don't have food now to feed the mother. I don't know if the baby girl is still alive. There are thousands of people dead, but it's impossible to bury them. The bodies--it's a horror movie which is happening--people are dead on the streets. prgtoken These stories are heart-wrenching, and there is no doubt the world needs to step up and we need Europe to lead. And I am so proud to report the buzz across Europe and the buzz across Germany as we landed, that the Germans are committed once again to this transatlantic partnership and a willingness to commit dollars and funds to this NATO alliance and to the security of the world. prgtoken That said, there is so much more that we can still