mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-5-4

the importance of trade agreements is that everyone follows the rules they agreed to. Mexico is not following the USMCA. prgtoken They have forced the closures or partial closures of dozens of fuel facilities and have canceled permits for the import and export of fuels. They are favoring their national industry, PEMEX, and disadvantaging American companies, including companies building renewable projects. These actions chill foreign direct investment with Mexico, hurt American businesses, and undermine climate goals; but Mexico continues to benefit from the rest of the USMCA. prgtoken We wish to be a strong and dependable trade partner with Mexico, but the USMCA should be honored. The role of the USTR is to represent the interests of the United States and hold trade partners to their word. Mexico should respect property rights for U.S. businesses. This should be a priority for the USTR. prgtoken all time. Vote on Motion
U.S. Supreme Court (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-5-4

Monday's leak of a draft opinion in the Dobbs Supreme Court case was an unprecedented and deeply disturbing breach of confidentiality that almost always surrounds Supreme Court deliberations. It is difficult to think this was anything but an escalation in the radical left's campaign to bully the Supreme Court into delivering decisions in line with the priorities of the ic Party. From Court-packing threats to threats from the ic leader himself that were directed to specific Justices, attempting to intimidate the Supreme Court has become par for the course for liberals, but Monday's leak represents a new low. prgtoken Almost as disturbing as the leak has been the reaction from my ic colleagues. Their hysterical comments have been focused almost entirely on the prospect of their getting an outcome they don't want in the Dobbs case. I have seen almost no concern about how the leak will affect the integrity of the Supreme Court as an institution, and their activist base has gone out of its way to praise the leaker. prgtoken More than one has actually called for undermining the integrity of the Supreme Court by packing the Court with additional Justices. Yes, that is the result of what happened yesterday among . More than one ic Senator believes that the proper response to a Supreme Court decision you don't like is to add additional Justices to the Court until you can be confident that you will get the outcomes you want. prgtoken Other ic Senators have proposed undermining the integrity of the U.S. Senate by abolishing the Senate filibuster rule--again, in order to be sure that they can get the legislative outcome they want in response to this possible decision in the Dobbs case. prgtoken , regardless of what side you are on in this debate, you should be willing to stand up for the rule of law and the integrity of our institutions. That shouldn't be a partisan issue. Our system of government depends upon the rule of law, which is based upon an independent judiciary, free of political pressure or partisan influence. prgtoken Do really want a future in which Supreme Court decisions are made based on political pressure or bullying rather than on the Justices' impartial application of the law and the Constitution to the case before them? Maybe they do. But if they continue to push in that direction, they will end up sacrificing our system of government in the process. prgtoken , I have strong beliefs in any number of issues, including abortion, but above all, I believe in our system of government and in the rule of law. While I will fight passionately in support of the causes I believe in, I will not sacrifice the integrity of our institutions for what would ultimately be nothing but temporary political gain. It is starting to seem like most of my ic colleagues disagree with that position. That may possi
Issues Facing the Nation (Executive Session)
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-5-4

I want to continue to talk about some of the challenges the administration is facing and the country is facing. Let me talk for just a little bit about the border, about the economy, and about our ongoing concerns on COVID. prgtoken First of all, the border--we have had a number of people come to the floor and talk about the border, the problems at the border. Many of these problems were really self-inflicted on day 1. The President, on the first day of his Presidency--and I chaired the inauguration on January 20. Hours after that, the President decided to stop building the wall. prgtoken I was never an advocate of needing a wall everywhere along the southern border, but we had a wall in lots of places already. It was doing some good, but it wasn't doing as much good as it needed to do. And just the idea that we--with the material on the ground and the old wall torn down--would decide to stop building the wall, I think, started these problems. prgtoken And if that wasn't enough, then-President had made arrangements, the State Department had made arrangements--everybody involved--with Mexico to have people who were applying for asylum wait for their court date in Mexico. It was my view at the time that we should do anything we could to help the Mexican Government make that work because the alternative was people would come into the United States and not show up for an asylum date later. prgtoken In Mexico, they have learned that they weren't going to qualify for asylum because fewer than--9 out of 10 people, roughly, will not qualify. You found that out before you got into the United States and successfully had entered our country, even though you weren't eligible to. If you were waiting in Mexico and you found a lawyer to talk to and maybe even a way to hear your case in some way there, you would find out that you weren't going to qualify for asylum 8\1/2\ times or 9 times out of 10, and that is where you should have found that out. prgtoken To come in the country and wait for months to have a court date that you may or may not show up for just simply has not worked, and everybody that understands this system understands it doesn't work. And everybody that understands the obligation of a government understands that a government has some obligation to control its own borders, and you don't control your own borders by having people come into the country that aren't legally eligible to come into the country and then just stay here. So that policy produced real chaos. prgtoken And then title 42, under the public health law, was another thing that we put in place, as we put all kinds of other COVID-related protections in place. And now we want to eliminate title 42. The only place, apparently--if you follow the CDC closely right now--that we don't need to up our game on COVID protection is the border of the United States. prgtoken None of these things makes sense. We have too many people who
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tim Scott (Republican, SC) \u2014 2022-5-4

. I have great respect for Senator Carper. I think he is a man of integrity. I will simply say that China can't hear the music he is talking about. Our emissions have been going down while theirs is going up. prgtoken Clean energy in this footprint is produced cleaner in America than it is in China. So if you care about the environment, produce it here at home. If you care about national security, produce it here at home. (Applause.) prgtoken That is all I am suggesting. prgtoken I will reclaim the last 10 seconds of my time. Vote on Motion
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-5-4

there are already significant taxpayer mandates in the bill, as it is limiting award size, prohibiting funds from going to so-called foreign entities, such as China, and clawback provisions. prgtoken Why do we need chips? prgtoken We need chips for Javelin missiles. We need them for--major weapons systems contain thousands of chips. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer includes 250,000 chips. prgtoken It would make it much harder for Americans to produce these chips if the Sanders amendment were to pass. prgtoken I urge a no vote, and I join my friend from Ohio in urging a no vote.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2022-5-4

I didn't stop the reading because it is pretty self-explanatory what this is. prgtoken There was language in S. 1260 when it left here and went over to the House, under division C, that would have strengthened the ability of the United States to counter Chinese influence abroad. Specifically, the influence we are talking about here in one particular case especially is what is going on in colleges and universities around the country. prgtoken What this does is put some very clear windows into what the Chinese Communist Party is doing on college campuses, particularly as it relates to grants and money that they are putting into the colleges and universities. We are asking and directing the negotiators to see that there is such language in the final bill that comes out.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2022-5-4

I rise in support of the motion to instruct conferees to require the Department of Interior to finalize a 5-year offshore oil and gas leasing plan no later than June 30, 2022. It would require at least 10 sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. In consultation with both Senators Rubio and Scott, it does not impact any moratoriums, including Florida's. prgtoken The administration has failed to develop a 5-year plan. Gina McCarthy has told us why. Last week, she said President is absolutely committed, she said, to blocking additional drilling. Jen Psaki confirmed it at the White House. prgtoken Instead of begging for oil from our enemies, like Iran and Venezuela, we should produce more American energy. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2022-5-4

if we have learned anything over the past few months, it is the importance of supporting ``Made in America'' energy. prgtoken Since Europe has divested in traditional energy, Vladimir Putin has weaponized it and has Europe over a barrel. This is the path America is headed down if the administration continues to stonewall traditional American energy development. prgtoken For the sake of our national security, we must unleash American energy production, which includes an ``all of the above'' energy portfolio with renewables, hydropower, oil, gas, nuclear, and coal. Energy security is national security, and a global, energy-dominant America is a safer world. prgtoken We should also not be sending money to China like the House bill does in a package that is meant to help us win the race against China. It just doesn't make sense. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this motion to instruct and reject the provisions from the House that weaken the energy security of the United States.
Law Enforcement (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-5-4

the week before last, it was my honor to sit down with a number of law enforcement officials in my hometown of Louisville, but I wish we could have met under happier circumstances. prgtoken Our city is contending with a tragic and record-setting jump in crime. Last year, Louisville saw 188 homicides--the most in any year on record. In the last 2 years, carjackings have tripled, and deadly drugs are becoming so prevalent on our streets that Jefferson County saw 500 overdose deaths in 2021. prgtoken Unfortunately, the historic wave of crime that has swept my hometown is challenging communities all across America. The murder rates of at least a dozen other major cities set alltime records last year. Chicago saw its most carjackings in 20 years, and in the first quarter of 2022, New York's crime rate was already up--listen to this--44 percent. prgtoken Needless to say, this is a time for strong law enforcement. Studies show that fewer police and less active policing make crime worse and leave the most vulnerable communities particularly worse off. prgtoken But our Nation's police officers aren't just facing higher volumes of crime; they are facing more direct, personal risks to confront it. Last year, as overall homicide counts continued to climb past 2020's record total, killings of police officers saw a staggering 59-percent spike of their own: 73--73--men and women sworn to protect and serve their communities were killed in 2021 while trying to do exactly that, and, already, 2022 has seen more than 100 more officers shot in the line of duty. prgtoken The surge in anti-police violence that boiled over in the summer of 2020 has taken its toll on the men and women of law enforcement. An exhaustive report prgtoken compiled by the city of Louisville last year found that morale-- morale--among our officers is alarmingly low. A full 75 percent would leave for another police department. Not surprisingly, this has led to a severe staffing shortage on the force. Our police chief even took out billboard ads in Atlanta--in Atlanta--to try to recruit officers from other cities. prgtoken Now more than ever, we need to fund law enforcement, support police officers, and back the blue, but too many are apparently bent on doing just the opposite. The far left's call to defund the police has taken root at every level of government. Elected officials--sworn to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution--have chosen instead to amplify distrust of the men and women who work every day to enforce our laws. prgtoken So let's just consider whom the administration has prioritized for confirmation to top jobs in the Justice Department. prgtoken There is the new U.S. attorney with a reputation for pushing to cancel entire categories of the Criminal Code and the assistant attorneys general who have advocated for efforts to ``decrease police budgets'' and ``invest less in police.'' prgtoken There is the newly min
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-5-4

my motion would simply instruct the Senate conferees to USICA to keep a provision of the Wyden-Crapo trade amendment that passed the Senate 91 to 4. Specifically, it is the provision that requires the administration reestablish an exclusion process for current and future section 301 actions. prgtoken This does not repeal 301 tariffs. It doesn't preclude new 301 tariffs. But, remember, when the administration imposed 301 tariffs, they created an exclusion process for the simple reason that it was important to exclude from tariffs those circumstances in which it would do more harm to an American manufacturer and worker than those targeted by the tariffs. But the exclusion process has expired. It has not been fully restarted. So many U.S. manufacturers are not able to get the relief they need. prgtoken The USICA language that passed the Senate would reestablish this exclusion process. The language grants considerable flexibility to the U.S. Trade Rep, even to the point where the exclusion process could be waived altogether if the Trade Rep concludes that, otherwise, it would diminish American leverage. prgtoken The bipartisan language simply helps ensure that American manufacturers remain competitive. Nearly every one of us submitted letters of request from constituent companies asking for exclusions.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2022-5-4

as recently as the early 1980s, our Nation produced the vast majority of the critical minerals and renewable energy technology we use in America but not anymore. Unfortunately, Russia and particularly China have a stranglehold on most of these critical minerals and clean energy technology that our Nation needs. prgtoken To make matters worse, , some of these critical minerals and materials we are importing, like solar panels and EV batteries, are processed and manufactured in China using forced labor in some of the worst environmental standards in the world. prgtoken , may I have 30 seconds to complete my statement?
Remembering Orrin G. Hatch (Executive Session)
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-5-4

much has already been said on this floor as we express our love and admiration for our friend and former colleague, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. He was not like any other Senator. Orrin was the best of all of us, and our household is very sad to hear of his passing. prgtoken I will never forget the time he took to answer calls from an obscure State senator from Oklahoma. If you haven't figured it out, that was me. He had a way about him with everyone he met, an unwavering kindness and gentle nature that Kay and I will miss deeply. You don't see a lot of that in the U.S. Senate. We were close long before I was even in the House. Orrin was the one whom I would go to for wisdom. We had the same love for Jesus and everything that we hold dear. prgtoken I will always remember his humor, but he also gave his best advice. He was not just a friend but a confidante. Whether he was talking about Scripture or history, he had a way of saying things that brought people together. You don't see that today. You see people fighting each other, and that is what people always say. When I go back home to Oklahoma, people talk about, why don't you guys get along? Well, we do. It just doesn't come across that way. But it did with him. prgtoken I think back fondly on everything that we did while Orrin was in office. Despite strong opposition at the time, myself and Senators Hatch, Chambliss, and Thune were able to pass an amendment permitting the Air Force to enter into a multiyear procurement for a total of 60 F-22s during the 2007 NDAA. The NDAA is something we pass every year. It is the National Defense Authorization Act. And that happened that year. Now, that turned out to be one-third of our total force in one effort, one NDAA effort. prgtoken The argument against the amendment at the time was that we didn't need such an air-dominant fighter, but we knew we were making an investment in the future of our defense. Orrin had that foresight. He was always looking to the future. In advancing years, prgtoken people would joke around about it because he was looking at the next generation. He showed that foresight always when others didn't. prgtoken Not only that, but together we worked very closely to ensure the future of our Air Force depots. I remember the codel. A codel is a group of Members who go someplace to examine things. I led a group codel, along with Senator Hatch and Senator Chambliss, which toured each one of our depots as part of the initiative to restore their funding. This is something that we had to do at that time because our previous administration had not done an adequate job. prgtoken Now, Orrin--you know, you think of him as always a serious person. He wasn't. Most of the time, he was poking fun at himself. I remember laughing often when he was around. Together, we supported funding for these Air Force depots that continue to be vital to our home States of Oklahoma, Utah, and Georgia, but we had fun
TRIBUTE TO WALLACE ``BUTCH'' THUNDER HAWK
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2022-5-4

I want to honor today the distinguished career of a remarkable North Dakota educator and artist who is retiring from teaching this month. prgtoken Wallace ``Butch'' Thunder Hawk is an internationally renowned artist who has been a Tribal art teacher at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck for 49 years. He has helped hundreds of students grow their artistic talent and appreciate traditional Native American art and traditions. prgtoken Beyond his classroom in Bismarck, the impact of Butch's passion for creating and teaching Native American art has been felt around the world. A Hunkpapa Lakota Teton Sioux, he was raised in the community of Cannonball on the Standing Rock Reservation. Butch was influenced by the work of his grandparents and mother, who created traditional art including beadwork, warbonnets, and tools. Ledger art has become one of Butch's great interests, and he has created hand-carved horse effigies, horse memorial sticks, war shields, and traditional weaponry. prgtoken His artwork can be seen in homes and museums around the region and world. He was instrumental in establishing the Indian Hall exhibit at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, helping to recreate art similar to what Lewis and Clark would have collected during their famous expedition in the early 1800s. Working with Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaelogy and Ethnology, he and his students created several pieces for Monticello's Indian Hall, including clubs, lances, arrows, shields, pipes, and a quiver and bowcase. Later, following several years as a visiting scholar at Harvard, he was a curator of an exhibit at the Peabody Museum on Lakota images of the West. One of his horse memorial effigy replicas is in the permanent collection at the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, and two major art pieces are on display at the James Monroe House in Charlottesville, VA. One of his ornaments featuring a bison was displayed on the White House Christmas Tree in 2008. prgtoken He has said creating art and teaching honors his ancestors, his family, his students, and other artist friends. He considers it a privilege to share Lakota traditions with students and help them grow their appreciation of this art. prgtoken When I heard the news that Butch Thunder Hawk was retiring from teaching, I smiled. In previous positions I held that included promoting all that is good about North Dakota, Butch was at the very top of the list of our State's most treasured cultural ambassadors. A humble, personable, prgtoken and honorable man, he was generous in sharing his talents and work. Butch embodies all that is good about North Dakota and the rich traditions of the Tribal nations located in our State. His work and influence will resonate in his students for generations to come. On behalf of the people of North Dakota, I thank him for his years of teaching. And I wish him the best in his retirement, which I am certain will include cr
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-5-4

the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs provide critical innovation support to America's small businesses. While this program is celebrating 40 years in business, SBIR continues to be exploited by foreign adversaries due to lack of controls within the programs to prevent the transfer of new American technology to our adversaries. prgtoken China has become one of the largest beneficiaries of the SBIR Programs because of the lack of adequate oversight. China and other foreign adversaries, like Putin's Russia, know this and have been establishing shell companies, acquiring beneficial ownership in American enterprises, selecting key awardee personnel for talent recruitment, and other state-directed technology acquisition. China has also infiltrated businesses known as SBIR mills that have won numerous grants. prgtoken This is a clear national security threat and is wholly unacceptable. Serious and comprehensive due diligence reforms are needed to combat adversarial foreign influence in these programs and to protect our national security. prgtoken I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this effort.