mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Israel (Executive Session)
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2023-12-6

on October 7, Hamas launched the deadliest terror attack in Israel's history. Hamas's vicious and unprovoked slaughter targeted innocent Israeli civilians and killed 1,200 men, women, children--from babies to Holocaust survivors. prgtoken Not since the Holocaust has there been a deadlier day for the Jewish people. Yet some extreme individuals and organizations are trying to minimize, distort, and outright deny what happened that day. prgtoken We cannot let that happen. That is why Senator Rubio and I hosted a screening last week for our colleagues to show them exactly what Hamas did on October 7. prgtoken The videos, many taken by the terrorists themselves, are disturbing. They are graphic. The images and sounds in those videos, I will never forget. I encourage all Members to see for themselves what Israel is fighting against--pure terror; pure, pure evil. prgtoken On October 7, Hamas violated a longstanding cease-fire when they chose--they chose--to start this war. Hamas took deliberate and preemptive actions against innocent civilians, including dismemberment, torture, and mass rape, in what only can be described as barbaric terrorism. As any other nation would, Israel has responded to this unprovoked attack by acting to defend its own population, as they have the absolute right to do. prgtoken At the same time, Hamas has stated over and over and over again that they will not stop until there are a thousand more October 7s, until they destroy Israel and all of the people living there, and it is time that the world listens. This is why it is not surprising that at the end of last week, Hamas broke the agreement that was put in place to temporarily pause the fighting, to bring more humanitarian aid into Gaza, and to rescue the hostages brutally taken by Hamas. prgtoken Let me be clear. There is no equivalency, no equivalency--zero, none--between the terrorist actions of Hamas and the efforts of Israel to stop them from doing this again or, God forbid, committing a worse attack, as they have repeatedly promised to do. We must all remember this, especially now, as we work to deliver aid to Israel. prgtoken It has been nearly 2 months since October 7, and rockets continue to rain down on Israeli cities. More than 130 hostages remain in Gaza. We continue to learn more and more about the violent acts of rape, of torture, of murder committed by Hamas. It is all ongoing. Yet Congress hasn't passed the supplemental security assistance that Israel desperately needs to defend itself. prgtoken The security assistance includes support for Israel's lifesaving Iron Dome missile defense system--it protects them from Hamas and Hezbollah, from the rockets that rain down on them night after night after night-- as well as other key defense resources and tools. It also replenishes our own defense stocks that have been drawn down to support Israel in this time of need. prgtoken To my knowledge, Congress has never used con
Supplemental Funding (Executive Session)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-12-6

as our allies and democracies around the world face compounding life-and-death geopolitical challenges, the world is watching what we do or fail to do here in the U.S. Senate, and the stakes could not be any higher. prgtoken Ukraine is rapidly running out of arms to defend itself against Russia's illegal invasion and the many war crimes it has been perpetrating against the Ukrainian people. Israel is in the midst of an existential war against Hamas--a barbaric terrorist organization funded and propped up by Iran's brutal regime with one singular mission: to wipe out Israel and every Jew on the face of the Earth. prgtoken Moreover, our allies in the Indo-Pacific, like Taiwan, remain on high alert as China aggressively flexes its military and economic might there and around the globe while, at the same time, taking careful notes on how democracies around the world respond when one nation violates the sovereignty of another by attempting to take its territory by force. prgtoken Now is the time for the U.S. Senate to come together in defense of America's allies in their hour of need. We have a strategic security, economic, and moral imperative to meet the moment, and that is exactly what in the Senate are ready to do. prgtoken Right now, are prepared to take up and pass the National Security and Border Act of 2024, a comprehensive package that provides aid to Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and Taiwan as well as addresses ongoing challenges at our southern border, including the flow of migration and fentanyl into the United States. prgtoken are willing to put politics aside and defend our allies and our values with real dollars, real military aid, and real solutions. We are ready to secure our southern border against the most dire threats we face, especially the relentless flow of deadly fentanyl fueling our Nation's opioid epidemic. prgtoken Now, to be crystal clear, some aspects of this supplemental package, which closely mirrors the supplemental request President sent to Congress, raise serious concerns for me and for others. prgtoken For example, I am worried about funding to add another 1,300 Border Patrol agents to work at the border. The U.S. Border Patrol is already the largest Federal law enforcement Agency, and its alarming track record of the abuse and mistreatment of migrants gives me pause about expanding its force further. prgtoken I also have serious hesitations about funding to expand our detention capacity by over 45,000 beds. Detaining migrants en masse, including entire families, is never the most humane or effective solution to managing our border. prgtoken Supporting a supplemental package that includes these items would not be an easy vote for me and several of my colleagues. It would be quite difficult because these funds come with concerning policy consequences. However, in the name of getting a reasonable, thoughtful package across the fi
DEFENDING EDUCATION TRANSPARENCY AND ENDING ROGUE REGIMES ENGAGING IN NEFARIOUS TRANSACTIONS ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-12-6

our universities across America have opened the doors to working-class Americans and impoverished Americans to be able to access a better life and education. prgtoken I speak to this amendment that indicates that any donation, as much as $1, has to be under this particular act. prgtoken First of all, this is a blanket representation that our universities are taking moneys from terrorists. I am outraged to say that the University of Houston, University of Texas, Texas Southern University, and Prairie View A&M would be in the position of taking money from terrorists. prgtoken If you pass this amendment, you implode the innocent persons who are giving donations and the work of our universities attempting to provide dollars to educate more Americans--more impoverished Americans who simply have families that cannot afford for them to go to school. This is an outrage. prgtoken I want everybody to know that under this particular act, $1 has to be reported. That $1 may come from a grandmother or that $1 may come from a hardworking parent.
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 494 (Executive Session)
Raphael G. Warnock (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2023-12-6

I rise today because we are living in a nation besieged by gun violence. prgtoken So far this year, our Nation has experienced 630 mass shootings. This is day No. 340 in the year 2023, so 340 days, 630 mass shootings. That is nearly twice as many mass shootings as we have seen days. Our precious children are afraid to go to school. They are worried that their classroom may be the next Robb Elementary, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, or Sandy Hook, as we remember that somber anniversary. prgtoken I heard one of my colleagues, the Senator from Wyoming, earlier today say: They are trying to take our freedoms away. We have heard that a lot from folks on the other side: They are trying to take our freedoms away. It is a strange freedom that regularly sends our children into lockdown. What kind of freedom is that? prgtoken According to the Gun Violence Archive, we have lost over 1,500 children to gun violence this year. I think that there is a kind of unspoken assumption, as we have been pushing for commonsense gun safety and have gotten very little movement in Congress--I think the unspoken assumption is that this will not visit me; it will not happen to my family. But when you consider that there have been 630 mass shootings already this year, sadly, the chances are quite good that this could visit any one of us. prgtoken We ought to do our work here in the Congress as if we are protecting our own families because when we look out for other people's families, when we look out for other people's children, we look out for our own, and it could visit any one of us. prgtoken We act as if this is normal, business as usual. What legislative action has the Senate passed to address this epidemic of gun violence? The Senate actually voted to give less information--less information-- to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. prgtoken Keep in mind that according to a 2023 FOX News poll, 87 percent of Americans believe that we ought to have universal background checks. Listen. Let me say that again. According to a FOX News poll, 87 percent of Americans believe that we ought to have universal background checks. So they present this as if it is an argument between and s. Really, it is an argument between Washington and craven politicians and ordinary people every day who are just trying to live their lives in safety. prgtoken There is a broadening gap between what Americans want and what they can get from their government. So, at root, this is a democracy problem. The question is, Who owns our democracy and at what cost to our children and to our families? So we have a moral obligation not to turn away. prgtoken Across the country, outside of Washington, there is widespread agreement that Congress needs to enact commonsense--commonsense--gun safety solutions. Eighty-seven percent of Americans believe that we ought to have universal background checks. prgtoken Every day, I hear from Georg
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-12-6

I thank Senator Shaheen. prgtoken In reserving the right to object, in 1978, before I was elected to Congress, I had the opportunity to take a trip to the Soviet Union and spend 3 weeks there. I saw a lot. In addition to the visits to Russia and Moscow, we visited countries like Lithuania, where my mother was born, and I witnessed firsthand the vision of Vladimir Putin and the Soviet Union. prgtoken Make no mistake, his goal is to restore the Soviet Union, to take vulnerable countries and to subsume them with his own ego and his own view of the world. To visit Lithuania and see what they had done to the freedoms that we just take for granted in America was an eye opener to me: to see the cathedral in Vilnius, with its beautiful frescos whitewashed by the Soviets because they didn't want people to practice religion; to realize that they controlled everything--radio stations, newspapers--and to realize that they dictated who would win an election. There was no freedom in that country. prgtoken That is the communist view. That is the Soviet view. That is the Vladimir Putin view. Are we in favor of that, Senator? I don't think so. I know you aren't personally, and you don't want to see that lifestyle imposed on people around the world any more than I do. prgtoken In Ukraine, they had the courage to stand up and say to Putin: We will fight you to the death to stop this from happening. prgtoken They have surprised a lot of people. I remember the briefing--the Senator from Kansas might have attended it--where we asked the intelligence experts: How long can Ukraine hold out when the Russian military machine comes marching in? prgtoken They said: A matter of days--days--maybe weeks, but not much more. prgtoken They were wrong. And do you know why they were wrong? Because they underestimated the Ukrainian people and what they were willing to do to protect their country. prgtoken I have a special, as they say, selfish interest in this because I know that if Putin is successful in Ukraine, if this war criminal has his way and takes over the Ukrainian country for his Soviet Union--his new Soviet Union--the next country on the list is probably Lithuania and the Baltics: Poland, Latvia, Estonia. They are obvious targets because they are small and vulnerable, but they do have the NATO alliance standing behind them. prgtoken So not only do I support the Ukrainian effort because of the courage of the people and their success and how much I abhor Vladimir Putin and his agenda, I also realize it is in America's best interest that Ukrainians prevail. It is in our best interest to stop Putin in Ukraine so that we don't have to use the NATO alliance to stop him in a country where we would be sending American troops to fight the battle. We should stand foursquare behind Ukraine because it is the right thing to do, and it is the right thing for America. prgtoken Today, the of the Ukrainian Parliament came to my office, Mr.
CHOICE IN AUTOMOBILE RETAIL SALES ACT OF 2023
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2023-12-6

I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 4468, the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act. I love my colleagues on the other side, but it is just disappointing that, yet again, another messaging bill is coming to the floor intentionally to mislead and harm the American people. prgtoken Even the United Auto Workers, who my colleagues say they are helping, say that this bill seeks to inject American union-made vehicles as a wedge issue in the culture war. prgtoken I remind my colleagues, some of whom are young while some of us are seasoned, that it was years ago when gas prices went up and consumers wanted smaller cars. Japanese carmakers were prepared, and our domestic auto industry was flatfooted. We weren't ready to build small cars, and we took a beating. prgtoken We cannot make that mistake again. We need to be ready to innovate, build these electric vehicles now, and do so in a competitive way. prgtoken This bill is a blatant attack on the EPA and on our ability to, and how we will and must, compete in a global marketplace. It prevents the EPA from finalizing recently proposed new standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles, which will save consumers up to $12,000 over the lifetime of their vehicles. It will also reduce fine particle pollution that not only harms our environment but leads to increased asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer, and premature death. prgtoken To be really clear, EPA is not imposing an electric vehicle mandate. EPA's standards actually would expand vehicle choice by accelerating innovation in hybrid and fully electric vehicles and promote American manufacturing to keep us from relying on our adversaries. In total, EPA estimates that the net benefits of these standards would exceed $1 trillion. prgtoken The bill we are debating will have widespread harmful effects on the future of our auto industry. What scares me the most is this is going to enable China even more to potentially lead the global EV transition. prgtoken I ask my colleagues, are we going to help China do anything? I am not. I will not cede American leadership to anyone. We cannot let future mobility be dictated to us by foreign competitors when we are the ones who put the world on wheels. prgtoken , we must continue to invest in our EV transition so we don't lose to China.
RECOGNIZING A GREAT HUMANITARIAN AND OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIC EFFORTS OF MR. RAYMOND M. "RAY" FRITZ
Troy A. Carter (Democrat, LA) \u2014 2023-12-6

I rise today to celebrate an outstanding gentleman and blessing to the Greater New Orleans Community, Mr. Raymond M. ``Ray'' Fritz. He was born on November 30, 1945, in New Orleans, Louisiana to the late Rosemary Favre. He grew up in the 7th Ward of New Orleans, attending Corpus Christi Elementary School. prgtoken Mr. Fritz's mother and grandparents, Mr. Joseph Favre and Mrs. Cecilia Milanes Favre, supported him and helped shape him into the honorable man he is today. His mother worked three jobs to provide him with the opportunity to attend St. Augustine High School. Allowing him this opportunity was important to her because she wanted Mr. Fritz to attend a school that was designated for the education of young men from African American families of New Orleans who embrace a willingness to grow in wisdom, knowledge, and grace. In addition to his mother and grandparents, his uncle, Dr. Anthony Favre played an instrumental role in his life. prgtoken Upon completion of his secondary education in 1963, an instructor at the high school, Father Phillip Berrigan, SSJ saw something special in him and urged him to go to St. Benedict's College in Atchison, Kansas. Father Berrigan even helped him acquire financial support. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mr. Fritz completed a degree in Finance, and later completed double master's degrees in finance and taxation. He put his Finance degree to use and has worked for many well-known corporations like Shell Oil, Xerox, Clarify, Inc. and Terayon, Inc to name a few. He was even involved in taking both Clarify, Inc. and Terayon, Inc. public. prgtoken Mr. Fritz has travelled the world and has seen extreme poverty firsthand. In his heart, he wanted to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate, and he chose to focus his efforts on his hometown. He vowed not to allow mothers and their sons to be subjected to the hardships he and his family faced when prgtoken he was young. He created a 4-year scholarship fund at his beloved Alma Mater, St. Augustine High School. To date, he has gifted over $1 million in advancing the education of African American males attending St. Augustine High School since the year 2000. To further benefit his beloved High School, Mr. Fritz has donated $500 thousand to renovate the school library. prgtoken Mr. Fritz's generosity did not stop there. He decided to address the increasing homelessness by working with the Corpus Christi--Epiphany Parish Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in New Orleans. The mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is ``a network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.'' Their service provides aid in the form of intervention, consultation, or through direct financial or in-kind service. His generosity has provided over $200 thousand to date to this organization and continues. prgtoken In the
Military Promotions (Executive Session)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2023-12-6

I sit here as I have listened to Senator Tuberville say that the world is a more dangerous place. He has spoken about how we have weakened our military. Senator Tuberville is right on that, and one of the principal reasons is because of Senator Tuberville's own actions. He has held up hundreds of military nominations, hundreds of our military leaders, who have not made it to the posts they were assigned to. prgtoken It is clear that it was a grave mistake for one Senator to hold our military promotion system hostage over his personal disagreement with a Department of Defense policy. We need our commanders in the Pacific to deter China and our service vice chiefs to lead the military. I am relieved that he has released most of his holds, but he continues to weaken our military readiness and to undermine both recruiting and retention. prgtoken The Senate should not go home for the holidays until we confirm the remaining nominees. This Senator has held up nominations for nearly a year. It undermines our national defense, and it is unfair to our military and to our military families. He insults our military, and then he turns around and tries to blame President for his own actions. The hypocrisy of this Senator is truly breathtaking. We have got to stay, and we have got to get these military leaders confirmed.
HIGHLIGHTING LACK OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN RURAL AMERICA
Andrea Salinas (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2023-12-6

I rise today to highlight the lack of mental health services in rural America. prgtoken As facilities close their doors and providers leave town, many people in our rural communities are forced to travel for miles to get care or forgo care altogether. That is harmful and unfair, which is why I introduced a bipartisan bill to expand access to telemental health services in rural areas. prgtoken This legislation will specifically help folks working in farming, fishing, and forestry. These industries are critical to our economy and way of life in my district. In fact, Oregon has the second-largest number of Triple-F workers per capita in the entire country. These jobs can also be very stressful, and few seek help due to stigma. prgtoken Improving telehealth access will take away that stigma, save folks time and resources, and get more Oregonians the help they need when they need it. prgtoken Congress has left rural America behind for far too long. It is time we change that. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this very important bill.