mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PREGNANCY CENTERS
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2024-1-23

this week is National Gun Violence Survivors Week. prgtoken I wanted to come down to the floor today to share with my colleagues the meaning and the impact of this week and the meaning and the impact of a national network of gun violence survivors on the debate to change the Nation's gun laws. prgtoken I also wanted to share with my colleagues some good news about what has happened over the course of the last year since the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. That is the first significant change in our Nation's gun laws in 30 years. prgtoken I want to start by talking about survivors. I want to start by talking about two people whom I have referenced on the floor of the Senate in prior speeches, two of my great friends in Hartford, CT--Sam Saylor and Janet Rice. Sam and Janet shared a son, Shane. Shane was a pretty incredible young man, not without challenges, but he had risen up and met those challenges over the course of his life. prgtoken On October 20 of 2012--just a month before the shooting at Sandy Hook--he became the 20th victim of gun violence in Hartford that year in a typically random act of violence. He was fixing up cars and selling them for a small profit. prgtoken He was transferring one of those cars to an acquaintance. His girlfriend was with him. Some coarse words were exchanged between the two parties about his girlfriend. A physical altercation broke out, which caused Luis Rodriguez to go to his car where he had a gun--an illegal gun. He took it out, and he shot Shane Oliver, essentially after an exchange of words about Shane's girlfriend. Shane collapsed to the floor. When he reached the hospital, he was dead--20 years old with his whole life ahead of him. He left behind a network of survivors--his parents--but also a daughter, Se'Cret. prgtoken Both Sam and Janet went into the work of preventing gun violence. They joined advocates in Hartford to try to create a reality in which that kind of random death--that kind of random gun violence--wouldn't be a reality any longer in Hartford, and they devoted themselves to that work. Janet joined an organization that responded to shootings to try to interrupt the cycles of violence that often happened in Hartford. So she has spent much of the last several years responding-- on a nightly basis often--to episodes of violence and to shootings. prgtoken In April of last year, she got a phone call to respond to a shooting that had happened. She got in her car, and she headed for that scene. As she was driving there, she got a second call from her supervisor, who told her to pull over. prgtoken He said: Janet, you can't be driving when you hear this news. The young woman who was shot, who you are going to respond to, is your granddaughter--Shane's daughter. prgtoken Se'Cret died that night. A couple of days later, I went to her funeral. prgtoken That is what is going on out there in the world today, right? For Sam and Janet, they lo
NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS WEEK
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-1-23

I would like to take a moment to honor the sixth annual National Gun Violence Survivors Week. prgtoken This week, we recognize the unbelievable toll of gun violence in America, and we offer our support to the survivors who are left behind. prgtoken No State or city is safe from the epidemic of gun violence. Just yesterday, in Joliet, IL, less than an hour outside of Chicago, seven lives were taken within minutes by a shooter with a gun. prgtoken Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans said: I've been a police officer for 29 years, and this is the worst crime scene I've ever been associated with. prgtoken In Highland Park, IL, a shooter with an assault rifle fired 83 rounds in less than 60 seconds at a Fourth of July parade in 2022, killing seven innocent people and wounding dozens before law enforcement could finally even identify where he was. So much for the theory of a good person with a gun stopping a bad person with a gun. When it comes to assault rifles, that is not even in the realm of possibility. prgtoken Katie Gillman is one of many of my constituents who was there in Highland Park. She was with her husband and two daughters to see the Fourth of July parade when the shooter opened fire on the crowd. She and her children ran for their lives. Katie still lives in fear that what happened that day could happen again and that she may not be able to protect her kids this time. prgtoken She recently wrote to me and said: For close to a year, I have had a deep-seated fear that my children won't make it through the school day due to gun violence. And each week in the news, there is proof of these fears. prgtoken The unfortunate reality is that Americans are forced to worry about whether their kids will be safe from gun violence at school, at the movies, at concerts, and at church--virtually everywhere. prgtoken Since 2020, the United States has suffered more than 600 mass shootings each year--almost 2 a day. There is no place in America that has been spared. And guns are now the No. 1 cause of death for American kids and teenagers. Think of that. In the entire world, it is in America that the No. 1 cause of death of kids and teenagers is guns. It is not auto accidents, not cancer--guns. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that an editorial opinion, published this morning in the Sun-Times, entitled ``Illinois' ban on assault weapons is working,'' be printed in the Record.
GAZA
Peter Welch (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2024-1-23

the October 7 slaughter of at least 1,200 innocent Israeli citizens and the abduction of 240 hostages was a monumental atrocity. The cruelty and depravity of that massacre, especially the torture and killings of women and girls, has shocked our collective conscience. Like others here, I have consistently supported Israel's right and responsibility to respond. We would all like to see Hamas disappear. But people with decades of experience in the Middle East say that is almost certainly not going to happen. To the contrary, they warn that the Netanyahu government's wholesale destruction of Gaza, which has caused the death of more than 24,000 of its citizens and displaced more than 1.5 million who had nothing to do with the crimes of October 7, will increase the terrorist threat by Hamas and other violent extremist groups who share a common hatred of Israel and the United States. prgtoken As horrifying as the October 7 attack was, neither the atrocities committed that day, nor Gaza's dense population and Hamas's insidious use of civilian infrastructure, justify the appalling scale of death and destruction in Gaza directed by Prime Minister Netanyahu that has ignited global condemnation. It has also failed to free the hostages whose survival becomes more precarious every minute of every day. prgtoken The inescapable conclusion is that the Netanyahu government is not listening to either the White House or to key Arab governments that are imploring Israel to change course. Their belief, which I share, is that the way to begin to build a safer and ultimately more stable and secure Middle East is to stop killing and otherwise mistreating innocent Palestinians. Yet Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has rejected out of hand the right of Palestinians to have a state of their own, is stubbornly pursuing the opposite approach with no political endgame. It is difficult not to conclude that his enemy is not only Hamas but also the Palestinian people. To make matters worse, he reportedly denies there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. prgtoken Last week, Netanyahu said he ``needs to be able to say no, even to our best friends.'' Well, American taxpayers provided the planes and bombs and tanks, and the United States needs to be able to say no to him. How much worse does the situation have to get in Gaza, and how much wider of a war in the Middle East, before we use this country's considerable leverage--including withholding additional lethal aid--to get Israel to stop its bombing campaign, negotiate a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages, and allow the dramatic increase in food, water, and other humanitarian aid needed to prevent the widespread starvation, death, and disease the UN and other relief organizations warn is imminent? prgtoken What is happening in Gaza is intolerable and we share responsibility. In a January 17, 2024, op-ed in the New York
REMEMBERING FRANK Q. NEBEKER
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2024-1-24

today, I want to honor the life and mourn the loss of Judge Frank Nebeker, who was not only the first judge of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims but also the court's first chief judge. In Kansas, we know the value of community and helping others, and Judge Nebeker took these traits to heart as a dedicated and long-serving public servant for more than 70 years. prgtoken He began his legal career in 1956 as a trial attorney in the Internal Security Division of the Department of Justice. From there, he took on multiple jobs and roles within the executive and judicial branches of government. In October 1989, he was nominated to the Court of Veterans Appeals by President George H. W. . prgtoken The court was created in 1988 under President Reagan to allow veterans and their families to appeal benefits decisions from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Board of Veterans Appeals. This court was the first of its kind and provided a forum for veterans and their dependents to advocate for themselves when they disagreed with VA. It currently consists of seven permanent judges and two temporary judges. prgtoken Judge Nebeker served on the court from the first day it opened until November 2000, when he then became a ``Recall-Eligible Senior Judge.'' He still continued his public service to veterans and periodically performed recall service until December 2022, when he fully retired from the court. prgtoken Judge Nebeker was a powerful and influential advocate for veterans. He lived a life of purpose and loved bettering the lives of those who have sacrificed for our country. He often held education programs for attorneys and appellate judges throughout the country in his pursuit to improve the lives of veterans and military families through the next generation of public servants. prgtoken He is an example for each of us to follow as we seek to care for our veterans. I know his legacy will live on in the court and in the community and people he loved. My prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues.
National School Choice Week (Executive Session)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2024-1-24

I come to the floor today to express my very strong support for school choice. prgtoken Sunday was the start of School Choice Week. Tens of thousands of parents, students, and educators are going to celebrate the accomplishments of the school choice movement. prgtoken I spent 40 years in education. prgtoken I was a government school teacher--better known as public school-- including in higher education. I was a coach. I was a mentor. For 40 years, I watched the school choice movement grow and change many, many lives. I have seen the changes that school choice has brought for students across our great country. prgtoken When I first started in education 40 years ago, there was no opportunity for school choice. Homeschooling was very, very rare. But our government schools were in better shape back then. Homeschooling today is practically like attending a small school. Today, there are about 2 million kids being homeschooled across our country. Homeschooling is the fastest growing form of education in America. It is growing because parents recognize that our schools are failing--I am going to repeat that: failing--our kids. It is time for lawmakers across this country at every level, including us, to recognize that our schools are failing. prgtoken Over the past 40 years, I have watched our education system decline with my own eyes. I have visited schools, parents, and principals in 49 States and American Samoa. What I saw sometimes was absolutely shocking. And, for today, it is the main reason that I ran for this seat here in the U.S. Senate. Education wasn't just a local problem; it was a national problem. prgtoken By now, it is undeniable that our K through 12 education system is in a crisis because of job protections and prgtoken teachers unions. We spend more money on education in the United States of America than any other country, but we are not in first place. We are not even close. And that is a shame. prgtoken Before the pandemic, we were 8th in reading, 11th in science, and 30th in math. You can't blame that on the pandemic. Some like to. This has been going on for a long time, even before the pandemic. It has been getting worse and worse and worse. prgtoken Last year, we had the worst ACT scores in 30 years. Let me repeat that. Last year, we had the worst ACT scores in 30 years. Nearly half of all of our students could not meet a single ACT benchmark--half. The most recent national report card showed a steep drop in reading and math scores in almost every State. These were the lowest scores in the last 20 years. Even 's Secretary of Education called these test scores ``appalling'' and ``unacceptable.'' prgtoken In some cities, there are entire schools--entire schools--where zero students can read or do math at the level that they are in. In Chicago alone, there are 55 schools where zero students can read or do math at grade level. Children in these schools are being robbed of their fu
National Security (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-1-24

Vladimir Putin's reelection campaign is employing a slogan that the Russian people--and the rest of the world-- have actually heard before. Here is what it is: ``Russia's borders do not end anywhere.'' ``Russia's borders do not end anywhere.'' That is Vladimir Putin. prgtoken The map of Europe illustrates what he means in the starkest possible terms. A brazen war of conquest is headed toward its 11th year. Two years of Russia's brutal escalation in Ukraine has subjected a sovereign nation to horrific losses and heinous war crimes. prgtoken Since well before Russian troops made their first run toward Kyiv in February of 2022, I have been pushing for the decisive capabilities Ukraine needed to defend itself. And I have held President to account for not doing more sooner to give our friends a decisive edge against Putin's aggression and for not investing more seriously in rebuilding America's military strength. prgtoken But I have never been under any delusion about why America was backing Ukraine's fight. This has never been about charity. It is not about charity. It is not about virtue signaling or abstract principles of international relations. prgtoken This is about cold, hard American interests. It is in the United States' direct interest for authoritarians not to feel free to redraw maps by force. It is in our interest to help degrade the military of a major adversary without committing American lives to the effort. It is in our interest to help blunt aggressive behavior before it triggers wider conflict and directly threatens our closest allies and trading partners. prgtoken We cannot pretend that America is inoculated against the consequences of a war in Europe. We can't afford to prgtoken harbor the notion that leaving Russian aggression unchecked would somehow enhance America's posture and strategic competition with China. Accelerating Russian defeat in Europe is precisely what will help ensure we don't wind up dealing with simultaneous aggression from adversaries in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. prgtoken Even as a global superpower, this is not a burden America should resign to bear alone, and, fortunately, we don't have to. Over the past 2 years, our European allies have taken a more serious and sober accounting of the requirements of a collective defense. They are now fast overtaking America's share of overall security assistance to Ukraine, and we already trail the contributions of 13 allies measured as a share of GDP. prgtoken This is certainly good news for collective defense and for the urgent demands that press upon American strength. prgtoken The United Kingdom, for example, just pledged to invest more than $3 billion in Ukraine's fight over the next 2 years. This is on top of the tremendous leadership Great Britain has displayed since the earliest days of Putin's escalation. prgtoken Germany created a =100 billion special defense fund, enacted major military reforms, and continu
Biden Administration (Executive Calendar)
Eric Schmitt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2024-1-24

I rise to bring attention to the abject failures of the administration 3 years on. prgtoken Let's briefly recap the last 3 years from : executed a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that led to the death of 13 brave members of our Armed Forces; targeted parents at school board meetings and floated the idea of deeming them as domestic terrorists in an official memo; declared outright war on domestic energy production and then pillaged our Strategic Petroleum Reserve causing gas prices to soar; attempted to force tens of millions of Americans to get a vaccine or lose their jobs; recklessly spent billions and billions of dollars, which led to historic inflation and soaring prices. prgtoken He refused to enforce the laws in place that we currently have at the southern border and proactively fought those laws in court, leading to recordbreaking numbers of illegal immigration; created the largest censorship enterprise in American history and worked with Big Tech companies to censor Americans' voices; repeatedly vilified half the country as MAGA extremists in speech after speech; attempted to unilaterally cancel a half a trillion dollars' worth of student loan debt; weaponized agencies like the FBI to go after Catholics and, more broadly, American citizens; projected weakness on the world stage; and has emboldened our enemies. prgtoken I could go on, but I think you get the point. has weaponized Federal Agencies against his fellow Americans; worked with Big Tech companies to censor Americans' speech; poured gasoline on the inflation fire; stifled domestic energy production; refused to secure the border; and has supercharged the growth of the administrative state. prgtoken Americans can barely afford household items and needs, and they are incurring historic levels of credit card debt. Our national debt is skyrocketing. prgtoken The so-called Inflation Reduction Act actually caused inflation to skyrocket. omics is a failure, no matter how this administration tries to spin it. prgtoken Millions and millions of illegal immigrants are flowing across the border and into the interior of the United States. The administration has fought every reasonable tool they could to stem the crisis at our southern border in court and is illegally--currently illegally abusing the parole system. prgtoken Fentanyl and other drugs are flowing into our communities as a result. The whole of the Federal Government has been weaponized against the very people it is supposed to serve. was the architect of the largest censorship enterprise our country has ever seen. prgtoken The FBI has targeted Catholics, and wanted to label parents who wanted to stick up for their kids in school board meetings as domestic terrorists. And our adversaries can clearly see the weakness that is being projected by . prgtoken China is militarizing islands in the South China Sea, and t
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-1-24

in conclusion, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 25; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Lund nomination; further, that the cloture motion on the Sherriff nomination ripen upon the disposition of the Lund nomination, and that if cloture is invoked on the Sherriff nomination, all time be considered expired and the confirmation vote be at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the leader; further, that following the cloture vote on the Sherriff nomination, the Senate resume consideration of the Kolar nomination and that the cloture motion ripen at 1:45 p.m.; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
U.S. Supreme Court (Executive Calendar)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2024-1-24

let me get to the point at hand. I prgtoken am back now for the 27th time to call attention to the rightwing billionaires' scheme to capture and control our Supreme Court and connect it to things that are going on at the Court right now. prgtoken The billionaire elite that captured our Supreme Court wants to use it to attack Americans' ability--our ability as a people--through regulation, to protect our own health and safety, and the goal, mostly, is to benefit the big polluters in their midst. prgtoken A word on regulation: As modern innovations have raised the standard of living in the United States and around the world and corporations have grown to international behemoths and billionaires have claimed for themselves a larger and larger share of the world's wealth, regulation has come to have a very important role. prgtoken Big corporations' well-known motive to maximize profits, I should say, inevitably causes dangers to society. If you think of a big industrial plant that without oversight would leach chemical byproducts into the soil and water, poison wells, and spread cancer, you have got an idea of why regulation is needed. prgtoken Over many decades, Congress created administrative Agencies to perform this task, staffed by scientists and other experts to use their expertise to manage and rein in these industrial dangers. The American system of regulation made our society safer and more prosperous. Period. prgtoken As heavy equipment and dangerous chemicals came to mines and factories and construction sites, regulators implemented workplace safety standards. The meatpacking jungle led to sanitation requirements in production facilities. Automobile highway carnage produced seatbelts and airbags. Stockjobbing ``boiler rooms'' and insurance fraud provoked regulations to protect investors and insureds. prgtoken What has been the result? Workplace illnesses, injuries, and deaths declined. Foodborne illnesses that used to kill thousands of people per year have been practically wiped out. Highways are no longer carnage; boilers rarely explode; and medications and stock offerings and insurance policies are all safer for consumers. prgtoken And, by the way, in this environment of safety, corporate profits soared. The S&P 500 has returned an excess of 7,800 percent. Clean air and clean water and safe food and cars are actually good for business. Regulation is good. Regulation is a public good. prgtoken But a gang of recalcitrant polluters is in the crew that captured the Supreme Court. And they want not only to pollute for free, they want to pollute without expert regulation. prgtoken Well, even Congresses wouldn't go for that so they turned to their captured, unaccountable Court. prgtoken First, they got the Court to create a brandnew, so-called major questions doctrine, basically a too-big-to-regulate escape hatch for big polluters. And now they are using their captured Court to attack anot