mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Economy (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-6-10

this morning, the Labor Department announced that it had observed the largest uptick in prices since the depths of the great recession back in 2008, and core inflation has reached a nearly three-decade high. prgtoken The latest data reinforced what too many Americans have already been experiencing firsthand: The administration's partisan spending bill has blunted our Nation's economic recovery with higher prices at the gas pump and the grocery store, a tougher time for small businesses trying to staff up, and unemployment policies that incentivize too many Americans to simply stay on the sidelines. prgtoken s and outside economists warned that the worst of these conditions actually could have been avoided, but chose to go it alone. As recently as a few days ago, it appeared that President was open to a new, more consultative approach to major legislation. He and the leading on a committee of jurisdiction were engaged in what appeared to be good-faith, bipartisan negotiations on infrastructure spending, but then the President decided to walk away. prgtoken Now, at the White House's direction, in Congress are making preparations to muscle through a bloated spending bill on a unilateral, partisan basis, and it is becoming clear that the sort of united, bipartisan action Ranking Member Capito has made possible within the EPW Committee is getting harder and harder to replicate. prgtoken The bipartisanship that has defined infrastructure policy for years is becoming the exception to ' new partisan rule. It might have something to do with the fact that our ic friends have taken to using ``infrastructure'' as a code for a growing wish list of unrelated liberal spending. prgtoken The administration's first infrastructure plan made that much clear from its rollout back in March. Remember, this was a multitrillion-dollar bill that proposed to spend more on electric vehicles than on actual roads and bridges. It contained so many leftwing pet projects that the authors of the Green New Deal boasted about just how much of their manifesto's DNA had actually rubbed off. prgtoken Well, the administration's approach clearly influenced a number of right here in the Senate. Last month, on the same day that Chairman Carper and Ranking Member Capito were guiding a surface transportation bill to a unanimous vote, the Finance Committee was busy marking up a partisan plan to pick winners and losers in the market for reliable domestic energy. prgtoken Just this week, we watched their go-it-alone approach replicated by over in the House. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee had a perfect opportunity to reach consensus on surface transportation. Our prgtoken colleagues on the EPW Committee had left a clear roadmap on exactly how to cut a consensus deal, but instead, the House chairman forced his committee to mark up $547
TRIBUTE TO CHASE POUST
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-6-10

I rise today to recognize the heroic actions of 7-year-old Chase Poust, of Jacksonville, FL, and thank the brave first responders with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission whose actions saved Chase's dad, Steven, and 4-year-old sister, Abigail. prgtoken On May 28, 2021, Steven, Chase, and Abigail were boating and swimming on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, FL, when the current pulled 4- year-old Abigail away, causing her to lose grip from the boat. Her father, Steven, jumped in to try to bring her back to safety. At the direction of his dad, Chase swam to get to the shore to find prgtoken help, swimming through the river for over an hour. prgtoken Within that hour, Steven and Abigail had drifted nearly 2 miles away from the boat, according to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department; and other agencies, including the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, were called in to expand the search. Thanks to Chase and Jacksonville's brave first responders, Steven and Abigail were successfully rescued and a terrible tragedy was prevented. prgtoken Chase's strength and bravery is a reminder that heroes come in all ages and sizes. I applaud the lifesaving actions of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and most of all, Chase, who showed remarkable grit and determination to save his dad and sister.
Filibuster (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-6-10

last year, our friends across the aisle painted a picture of doom and gloom of what governing with a Senate minority might look like. They forecasted unprecedented obstruction, endless stonewalling, and the inability to get anything done. prgtoken Now, there is nothing more popular than the myth that Congress is unable to get anything done. It is pretty popular. The press, uncritically, reports it, even when it is demonstrably false. But it is safe to say the vision painted by our ic colleagues of doom and gloom with a Senate minority of unprecedented obstruction, endless stonewalling, and inability to get things done--well, that hadn't come to pass. prgtoken Actually, I feel like I am doing a Washington Post fact check. But over the past few months, s and have actually worked together to make progress on a number of issues. prgtoken One, I am sure the administration would confirm that we have been able to confirm a number of nominees for high-ranking positions in the Federal Government with broad bipartisan support. prgtoken We extended the popular Paycheck Protection Program that was part of the CARES Act, which was the major COVID-19 relief bill that passed overwhelmingly last year on a bipartisan basis. We did that because we all recognized the importance of small businesses continuing to take advantage of this lifeline until they could safely reopen. prgtoken We took action, on a bipartisan basis, to combat the increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans. We provided States with additional resources to upgrade their drinking and wastewater infrastructure. prgtoken And this week we passed historic legislation to improve the way we counter the threat from the Chinese Communist Party, the so-called Endless Frontier Act. It included a $52 billion emergency appropriation to make sure that we weren't dependent on imports of semiconductors, which are so essential to our economy and to our national security. prgtoken That is not all. The Environment and Public Works Committee advanced a bipartisan surface transportation bill. That is actually the second time--first under leadership, now under ic leadership--that the Environment and Public Works Committee has advanced a bipartisan, unanimously supported surface transportation bill. prgtoken The Judiciary Committee that I serve on unanimously has approved three bills to support our men and women in blue. And two committees, the Rules Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, just released a bipartisan report--127 pages long, if I am not mistaken--on the events surrounding January 6. prgtoken You would be hard pressed to count the number of bipartisan bills that have actually been introduced in the prgtoken last few months, just in 6 months of the administration: legislation to bring down prescription drug prices, enhance cyber security, whic
Child Nutrition (Executive Session)
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-6-10

women make invaluable contributions to our families, communities, and workplaces. Thankfully, the opportunities for women in the workplace have grown tremendously over time and in recent decades, and there is no doubt that, without exception or qualification, they should always be treated equally and receive equal pay for the same work as their male counterparts. prgtoken This week, the Senate considered proceeding to a bill called the Paycheck Fairness Act--one that was directed at achieving this goal by addressing the gender pay gap. But if we truly care about supporting and empowering women in the workplace, it is important that we understand exactly what the pay gap is and what exactly it can tell us about women's experiences. prgtoken So what is the pay gap? Well, first, there is a crucial distinction that we have to make between the unadjusted pay gap and the adjusted pay gap. prgtoken When most people refer to the gender pay gap, they mean the unadjusted pay gap, or the comparison between the median man's pay and the median woman's pay, based only on sex. According to this measure, the median earnings of women are 18 percent lower than men. But the unadjusted pay gap leaves out key pieces of the puzzle. In reality, there are many other factors that influence pay for individual men and women, such as industry, occupation, experience, education, performance, and in particular, family decisions. prgtoken The adjusted pay gap does take these factors into account and turns out to be a much smaller number--a very different number--than the unadjusted pay gap. When controlling for these factors, and thus comparing men and women with the same jobs and qualifications, the pay gap falls to just 2 percent, which can arguably be explained by nondiscriminatory factors like performance that other studies have not yet addressed. prgtoken The pay gap before and after parenthood tells us something else that is key too. This measure suggests that women are paid less not simply because they are women but because of the family decisions they make typically after having children. Women are far more likely to take on more of the caretaker responsibilities within their families and thus make work-related tradeoffs that allow them to do so. prgtoken One study in Denmark found that average women's earnings are comparable to men's earnings before parenthood but drop after the birth of their first child, when hours worked and participation rates tend to fall for women. prgtoken Another study by the Harvard Business Review found that women are more likely to make decisions to limit work-related travel, choose a more flexible job, slow down career pace, make a lateral move, or leave a job in order to accommodate family responsibilities. prgtoken Ultimately, the pay gap seems to show in large part the particular choices and preferences of women in their career and family paths. prgtoken So in light of this information, wh
Nomination of Zahid Quraishi (Executive Calendar)
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-6-10

I thank my senior Senator, who himself has an prgtoken improbable story, his lived experience, a son of immigrants coming up in New Jersey, being born in a way that he knows struggle and knows poverty. And the fact that he is on the Senate floor speaking about someone else who has an improbable story shows you the greatness of America. prgtoken I am grateful for my senior Senator and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee for taking time to show us the importance of this moment. This is history here. prgtoken America has never before had an article III judge who also happens to be a Muslim. That has never before happened. Think about this: 200-plus years in American history, a country that was born and our Founders enshrined in our very founding documents, in the Bill of Rights, this ideal of freedom of religion. We celebrate religious plurality and religious diversity. prgtoken So this is an extraordinary moment. Now, I am thrilled that it is a bipartisan moment. In committee, during this time of heightened partisanship, in the Judiciary Committee, Judge Quraishi passed out 19 to 3--19 to 3--which is a further testimony not just to the gravity of this historic moment, not just to a man's religion, but to the man himself, the core of who he is. Senator Menendez said this. prgtoken Many people, after 9/11, felt the deep, agonizing grief in this country. We are not defined as a nation by what happens to us. We are defined by how we choose to respond. From the attacks at Pearl Harbor to the attacks on 9/11, those horrific moments, you saw how this Nation showed who it is--our grit, our guts, our grace, our greatness. prgtoken That is the tradition of Judge Quraishi. A man that had a glide path toward a career of comfort and private sector success made a decision. Those horrific tragedies, he would not let them define our Nation. How we defined ourselves was by people like him. prgtoken He joined the Army. He became a U.S. Army judge advocate. He attained the rank of captain. He was deployed to Iraq--first in 2004 and then again in 2006. And after his service in the military, Judge Quraishi continued his service to the Nation, like so many of our veterans do-- first as the assistant chief counsel in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and then as a Federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. prgtoken Do not define a person by what they say. Simply do not define them by their faith and do not define them by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character and in the actions that they take. In a time that our Nation was crippled with grief, he stood up and he served, and he has been serving every single step since. He is ``well qualified.'' That is what the American Bar Association says. prgtoken But I tell you, he is well qualified on a higher standard than that. He is a patriot to this country. Patriotism is love of Nation, but love is not a be
Nomination of Zahid N. Quraishi (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-6-10

this week the Senate will consider the nomination of Zahid Quraishi to be judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. prgtoken Judge Quraishi has had an amazing public service career, and since 2019 he has served as a U.S. magistrate judge. Once confirmed, Mr. Quraishi of New Jersey will be the first Muslim American in U.S. history to serve as an article III Federal judge. prgtoken The son of Pakistani immigrants, Judge Quraishi was born in New York City and grew up in Fanwood, NJ. He graduated from Rutgers Law School and joined a law firm in his home State of New Jersey. But his time in the private sector was cut short by a strange, tragic twist of fate. His first day of work was September 11, 2001. prgtoken Those events of that day inspired Judge Quraishi to consider a career in public service. He applied to the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, where he was commissioned as an officer and attained the rank of captain. Judge Quraishi was twice deployed to Iraq, in 2004 and 2006. For his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge. prgtoken After leaving the Army, Judge Quraishi continued to work in public service, first as an assistant chief counsel in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and then as a Federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. prgtoken Before becoming a U.S. magistrate judge, Judge Quraishi served as a partner as well as chief diversity officer at a law firm in New Jersey. During his time, he was recognized as a New Leader of the Bar by the New Jersey Law Journal and awarded the Professional Achievement Award by the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association. prgtoken Judge Quraishi received a unanimous rating of ``well qualified'' from the American Bar Association. He also has strong support from his home State Senators, Senators Booker and Menendez, and received broad, bipartisan support in the Judiciary Committee, with eight s joining all in voting to advance his nomination. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this historic nomination. prgtoken .
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2021-6-10

. . the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Enforcement Transparency Act, which I reintroduce today with Senator Grassley, will bring needed transparency to the disciplinary proceedings the PCAOB has brought against auditors and audit firms earlier in the process. prgtoken Nearly two decades ago, in response to a series of massive financial reporting frauds, including those involving Enron and WorldCom. the Senate Banking Committee held multiple hearings, which produced consensus on various underlying causes, including weak corporate governance, a lack of accountability, and inadequate oversight of accountants charged with auditing public companies' financial statements. Later, in a 99 to 0 vote, the Senate passed the Sarbanes- Oxley Act of 2002 to address the structural weaknesses revealed by the hearings. Among its many provisions, this law called for the creation of an independent board, the PCAOB, responsible for overseeing auditors of public companies in order to protect investors who rely on independent audit reports on the financial statements of public companies. prgtoken Today, the PCAOB, under the oversight of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), oversees more than 1,700 registered accounting firms, as well as the audit partners and staff who contribute to a firm's work on each audit. The Board's ability to begin proceedings that can determine whether there have been violations of its auditing standards or rules of professional practice is a crucial component of its oversight. However, unlike other oversight bodies, the Board's disciplinary proceedings cannot be made public without consent from the parties involved. Of course, parties subject to disciplinary proceedings have no incentive to consent to publicizing their alleged wrongdoing and these proceedings typically remain cloaked behind a veil of secrecy. In addition, the Board cannot publicize the results of its disciplinary proceedings until after the appeals process has been completely exhausted, which can often take several years. prgtoken This lack of transparency invites abuse and undermines the Congressional intent behind the PCAOB, which was to shine a bright light on auditing firms and practices, deter misconduct and bolster the accountability of auditors of public companies to the investing public. prgtoken Our bill will restore transparency by making hearings by the PCAOB, and all related notices, orders, and motions, transparent and available to the public unless otherwise ordered by the Board. This would more closely align the PCAOB's procedures with those of the SEC for analogous matters. prgtoken Increasing transparency and accountability of audit firms subject to PCAOB disciplinary proceedings bolsters investor confidence in our financial markets and better protects companies from problematic auditors. I hope our colleagues will join Senator Grassley and me in supporting this legislation to
Nomination of Zahid Quraishi (Executive Calendar)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-6-10

I thank my distinguished colleague from New Jersey for allowing me to go first because I have one of our foreign country's Ambassador in my office. prgtoken Today, in the Senate, we have an opportunity to both alleviate a judicial emergency and make history by supporting the confirmation of Zahid Quraishi to the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, where he currently serves as a U.S. magistrate judge. prgtoken As I mentioned many times in the past, the vacancies on this court have been declared judicial emergencies by the Judicial Conference of the United States. The U.S. District of New Jersey is one of the busiest courts in the entire country, with 46,000 cases pending before it. Yet being short-staffed has left our judges with mind-boggling caseloads, more than three times the national average. prgtoken Fortunately, we in the Senate have an extraordinary nominee before us this week. Judge Quraishi has devoted his career to serving our country, and his story embodies both the rich diversity of New Jersey and the promise of America as a place where anything is possible. prgtoken He was born in New York, grew up in Fanwood, NJ, with his parents, both immigrants from Pakistan, who came to this country to build a better life. In 1997, he graduated from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, and in 2000, he earned his J.D. from Rutgers Law School, my alma mater. prgtoken After a clerkship with the New Jersey Superior Court, Mr. Quraishi accepted a position with a New York law firm. His first day on the job was September 11, 2001, and the horrific events of that day prompted him to change the trajectory of his career and focus on serving our country. prgtoken In 2003, he joined the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, where he earned the rank of captain and served two deployments in Iraq--first in 2004 and then 2006. For his service, Mr. Quraishi was awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Action Badge, a recognition by the U.S. Army for noninfantry soldiers who engage in ground combat. prgtoken After leaving the Army, he continued to work in public service, first as trial counsel with the Department of Homeland Security and then as a Federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. prgtoken In 2013, he joined the law firm of Riker Danzig, where he worked until 2019, when he was appointed as a U.S. magistrate judge for the U.S. district court and became the first Asian-American Federal judge in New Jersey's history. prgtoken Now Mr. Quraishi is poised to break barriers once more. If confirmed, he will become the first Muslim American in U.S. history to serve as an article III Federal judge. My colleagues, Zahid Quraishi is a man of integrity, a consummate public servant, and a trailblazer for Asian Americans and Muslim Americans across this country who dream of one day presiding over a court of their own. prgtoken We should all draw our inspiration from his