mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2018-4-24

. . Maintaining a talented workforce is essential to cultivating a strong economy and positioning our Nation for success in today's increasingly competitive global marketplace. Opportunities for education, professional development, and the acquisition of skills immediately translatable in the workplace will help to ensure that our students and workers are equipped with the skills required to succeed in the 21st century. Career and technical education (CTE) programs play a vital role in increasing student engagement, continuing our nation's economic competitiveness, and building the skills of our country's workforce. prgtoken In recent years, there has been a resurgence of student interest in career and technical education, but shortages in high-quality CTE teachers have made it difficult for school districts to meet this demand. While the Higher Education and Opportunity Act of 2008 provides grants for teacher residency partnership programs to colleges and universities who work with high-needs school districts to train prospective teachers, no CTE-focused partnerships exist. prgtoken That is why I am introducing with my colleagues, Senator Baldwin, Senator Portman and Senator Capito the Creating Quality Technical Educators Act, which would amend the Higher Education and Opportunity Act to create a CTE teacher-training grant partnership to equip aspiring CTE teachers with real-world experience and credible skills to apply in the classroom. This legislation would foster teacher training partnerships between high-needs secondary schools and post-secondary institutions to create a one-year residency initiative for teachers and includes teacher mentorship for a minimum of two years. This period of hands-on training and mentorship will only increase the ability of CTE teachers to benefit their students through classroom instruction and serve as a career model. prgtoken In addition to establishing CTE specific teacher-training grant partnerships, this bill takes a proactive approach to recruiting and training more high-quality CTE teachers. CTE teacher residencies would target teacher candidates from a variety of backgrounds including recent college graduates, veterans, mid-career professionals, and currently licensed teachers with a need for technical skills training who seek to transition into CTE fields. prgtoken As co-chair of the Senate CTE Caucus, I am proud to introduce this commonsense, bipartisan legislation to recruit and train talented teachers to meet the rising need for CTE. The Creating Quality Technical Educators Act is an important step towards ensuring access to high-quality CTE instruction, preparing teachers for success, and maintaining the skill set of our Nation's workforce.
Nomination of Mike Pompeo (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-4-24

I rise in opposition to the nomination of Kyle Duncan to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. prgtoken Mr. Duncan's record shows that he is far outside the judicial mainstream. He has a history of ideological opposition to important civil and constitutional rights. There are many examples of Mr. Duncan's extreme views. I will discuss several of them. prgtoken First, Mr. Duncan has a track record of outright hostility toward the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision and the rights of the LGBTQ community. prgtoken When the Obergefell case was pending before the Supreme Court, Mr. Duncan wrote an article where he described the plaintiffs in the case as, ``profoundly mistaken.'' He went on to write: ``It is often asked by proponents of same sex marriage what harms would flow from judicial recognition of their claims. From the perspective of democratic self- government, those harms would be severe, unavoidable, and irreversible.'' prgtoken After the Obergefell plaintiffs won and the Supreme Court recognized the right to same-sex marriage, Mr. Duncan wrote another article where he described the Obergefell decision as ``an abject failure'' and said the case ``imperils civic peace.'' prgtoken When he was before the Judiciary Committee, I asked Mr. Duncan in writing if he agreed that same-sex marriage is now settled law. He ducked the question. prgtoken This surprised me. Even President conceded in November 2016 that same-sex marriage is ``already settled. It's law. It was settled in the Supreme Court,'' but Mr. Duncan would not acknowledge that point. prgtoken I also asked Mr. Duncan in writing if he would pledge not to take steps to undermine the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision if he were confirmed. He did not respond to that question either. prgtoken Make no mistake, Mr. Duncan's advocacy against LGBTQ rights goes beyond arguments that he advanced on behalf of clients. He has repeatedly advocated against LGBTQ rights when writing in his own personal capacity about his own views. prgtoken Mr. Duncan also has a troubling record of hostility to voting rights. prgtoken He joined with another extreme judicial nominee, Thomas Farr, to represent the North Carolina Legislature in seeking Supreme Court review of the Fourth Circuit's decision to strike down North Carolina's 2013 voter suppression law. prgtoken This is the notorious law that the Fourth Circuit said targeted African-American voters with ``almost surgical precision.'' The Fourth Circuit decried this law as ``the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow.'' prgtoken Mr. Duncan's brief argued that the Fourth Circuit's decision was ``an affront to North Carolina's citizens and their elected representatives.'' Fortunately, the Supreme Court denied Mr. Duncan's cert petition. prgtoken Mr. Duncan also wrote a brief defending a Texas voter ID law that the Fifth Circuit ruled had violated the Voting Rights Ac
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-4-24

I rise today to oppose the nomination of Stuart Kyle Duncan to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. prgtoken Our Founders established our court system as an independent arbiter that would protect the rights of every American and ensure equal justice under the law. For us to move forward, our democracy requires an independent and impartial judiciary. prgtoken Unfortunately, the administration has focused on nominating individuals to our courts who have extreme partisan agendas that would move us backward. This latest nomination is no different. Mr. Duncan has spent his career working to undermine the progress we have made toward building a more inclusive, more equal United States. Rather than working to include more people in our democracy, Mr. Duncan's law practice has seemingly been devoted to restricting people's rights and making life more challenging for some of the most marginalized among us. His dangerous record raises serious doubts about his ability to act impartially on the bench with regard to a number of key issues. prgtoken In recent years, our Nation has made significant progress in advancing the rights of our LGBTQ family and friends, built on the principle that all people deserve the right to fully participate in the social, civic, and economic life of our community. At every turn, Mr. Duncan has been on the wrong side of history, working at the forefront in the fight against LGBTQ equality. He has been vehemently opposed to marriage equality, filing a legal brief to the Supreme Court arguing against the decision that was reached in the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges case, later claiming that the decision ``raises a question about the legitimacy of the Court.'' He has even gone so far as to repeatedly claim that nationwide marriage equality, ``imperils civic peace,'' a statement that is both ridiculous and offensive. prgtoken Mr. Duncan has fought against adoption rights for same-sex parents and has dismissed the real necessity for LGBTQ antidiscrimination laws. prgtoken He has been unyielding in his attempts to undermine the rights of transgender individuals. In two major cases involving transgender rights, including the now infamous so-called ``bathroom bill'' in North Carolina, Mr. Duncan has been the go-to attorney, demeaning transgender people and even describing them as ``delusional.'' Given his history, I am deeply concerned that Mr. Duncan would be unable to act impartially if a case involving LGBTQ Americans were to come before the Fifth Circuit. prgtoken I also have real concerns of Mr. Duncan's record when it comes to women's healthcare and their constitutionally protected rights because his record shows that he has been a consistent opponent of reproductive freedom. prgtoken Mr. Duncan was the lead counsel in the backward Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision, which allows employers to deny contraceptive coverage to women. He has long supported efforts to diminish
Nomination of Mike Pompeo (Executive Calendar)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-4-24

it is no secret that powerful interests are working to undermine our government. Giant companies and rightwing billionaires have been pouring unlimited sums of money into making sure our government works for those at the top and leaves everyone else behind, and a key part of their strategy is to capture our courts. prgtoken During the administration, those powerful interests and their allies in Congress executed an unprecedented campaign to stop fairminded, impartial nominees from filling judicial vacancies. Nominees weren't blocked because they were unqualified. They weren't blocked because they were inexperienced. They weren't blocked because they were out of the mainstream. They were blocked for one reason and one reason alone: because they didn't demonstrate a sufficient willingness to bend the law in favor of the rich and the powerful. prgtoken With as President, these same interests sense a once-in- a-lifetime opportunity to reshape our courts for years to come, and they are working to stack our courts with narrow-minded elitists and rightwing radicals. Stuart Kyle Duncan--President 's nominee to sit on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals--is one of those nominees. prgtoken Mr. Duncan has spent his career working to restrict--not to expand, but to restrict--civil rights in the United States. Over and over again, he has sought to tilt the scales of justice against women, against LGBTQ Americans, against people of color, and others. Mr. Duncan's record of supporting discrimination and injustice is quite lengthy, so I will focus on just a few of the most disturbing examples. Let's start with his record on women's rights. prgtoken Mr. Duncan has worked to make it harder for women to access contraceptive coverage and abortion services. He was the lead attorney for the arts and crafts company Hobby Lobby in the Supreme Court case of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. In that case, he argued that business owners should be allowed to refuse to provide female employees access to contraceptive care based on those employers' religious views. prgtoken Mr. Duncan also filed briefs in many other Supreme Court cases, petitioning the Court to restrict women's access to birth control and abortion services, ignoring the fact that access to contraceptive care can help women lead better, healthier, or more financially secure lives. He is the man who is seeking a Federal judgeship. prgtoken Let's take a look at his record on LGBTQ rights. Mr. Duncan has complained about what he calls the ``general acceptance of homosexuality and homosexual practices'' in America, and he has worked very hard to convince courts to adopt his narrow-minded view of the world. prgtoken In the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Mr. Duncan filed briefs, asking the Court to reach the opposite result. After the Supreme Court handed down those historic decisions, Mr. Duncan, who,
IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS AND HOSTAGE-TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Theodore E. Deutch (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-4-24

I thank Ranking Member Engel and Chairman Royce for their support of this legislation, and I give special thanks to my colleague, Chairman McCaul, for his leadership in recognizing the need to take action. prgtoken We must work together to stop the brutal Iranian regime's human rights abuses and demand the release of American hostages that Iran is using as pawns for political leverage. I am proud to partner with Mr. McCaul in this effort prgtoken The Iran Human Rights and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act sends a clear message to the Iranian regime and to the rest of the world: this Congress, this country will not tolerate the flagrant disregard of the most basic of human rights. prgtoken My colleagues have explained the merits of this bill, and I know it is difficult for many Americans to imagine, but we are here today to show our resolve in the face of really unbelievable circumstances. prgtoken For my constituents, the family of Robert Levinson, this is a nightmare that they have lived for 11 years. Bob Levinson is the longest held American hostage in history. He disappeared in Iran on March 9, 2007. prgtoken Imagine 11 years without your husband or your father. prgtoken Imagine having grandchildren who have never had the chance to meet their grandfather. prgtoken Imagine 11 anniversaries, dozens of family birthdays, and holidays that pass by without Bob, just an empty place where Bob should be sitting. prgtoken Bob's wife, Christine, and his seven children--Susan, Stephanie, Sarah, Dan, David, Samantha, and Doug--have been tireless advocates for their father. They have traveled to Iran themselves looking for answers. They have made the trip to Washington, D.C countless times to meet with government officials and Members of Congress. prgtoken They have fought for action all the way to the Oval Office, directly appealing to President , President , and President . They have watched as others have returned home to their families. They have listened with hope as Iran's leaders have promised cooperation. They have been disappointed more times than they can count as promises go unfulfilled year after year after year. prgtoken Iran has become adept at this cruel game, because that is what it is to this rogue Iranian regime. They say that hostages are not hostages, but these people are not detained under a legal order. They have lost their freedom; they have been separated from their families; and they have been held under shamelessly trumped-up and false charges. Any attempt to show due process or trials has been a sham. prgtoken To the Levinsons, to the Namazi family, the Zakka family, the Wang family, and the other families whose loved ones are being held, we stand with you. Today, we speak clearly and loudly with one bipartisan voice to send a message that no country, no rogue regime will use American lives as leverage to further a dangerous agenda. prgtoken This bill isn't about the nuclear deal. Not
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Doug Jones (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2018-4-24

today I wish to honor the life and legacy of Jim Manasco, who passed away at his home on Smith Lake in Alabama on April 12, 2018. prgtoken Jim was a self-taught artist and sign painter who entered the trade as an apprentice when he was just 16 years old. He was a successful commercial artist for 65 years and possessed the rare ability to letter and paint freehand. He was also a gifted creative artist in multiple mediums, from carving to pottery to painting. prgtoken In the early 1970s, Jim, his wife, Ruth, and a small group of naturalists were leaders in the fight to preserve and protect the land along the Sipsey fork of the Black Warrior River in northwest Alabama. Because of his prgtoken dedication, Jim was chosen to testify before Congress in support of the Eastern Wilderness Act, which was signed into law in 1975, and the Sipsey Wilderness, in the Bankhead National Forest, became the first wilderness designated in the act. Thanks to Jim and that determined group, generations to come will continue to enjoy pristine, undeveloped lands east of the Mississippi River. Since passage of the act, more than 140 Wilderness Areas and nearly 1.5 million acres have been protected in the eastern United States. prgtoken Like FDR, who, following in the footsteps of his ``uncle'' Teddy Roosevelt, left a great conservation legacy, Jim saw ``an America whose rivers and valleys and lakes--hills and streams and plains--the mountains over our land and nature's wealth deep under the earth--are protected as the rightful heritage of all the people.'' Thanks to men like Jim Manasco, more than half of the people who live in Alabama enjoy outdoor recreation every year in the most biologically diverse State east of the Mississippi River and one of the most biologically diverse States in the entire country. Alabama boasts forests, woodlands, wetlands, caves, glades, beaches, and prairies, not to mention more than 4,500 documented species. prgtoken The importance of protecting and wisely managing this natural wealth cannot be overstated. In Alabama, outdoor recreation generates 135,000 direct jobs--that is more than twice the number of auto manufacturing jobs--it generates $3.9 billion in wages and salaries and $857 million in State and local taxes. prgtoken I would be remiss if I did not mention Jim Manasco's other important legacy, that of Cherokee wisdomkeeper. The Cherokee played a significant role in the history of Alabama, and many Alabamians proudly claim Cherokee ancestry. Jim was long honored as a Tribal elder for his teachings about carvings on beech trees, native symbols, ceremonial knowledge, and Tribal history and for his intimate knowledge of the plants and animals that inhabit the landscape of the South. Some of this wisdom was captured in his popular book, ``Walking Sipsey,'' published in 1992. prgtoken Jim always downplayed his accomplishments, often saying, ``Raw talent's got nothing over dogged determina
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-4-24

I am here to oppose the nomination of Kyle Duncan to be a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court for the Fifth Circuit. The court of appeals for that circuit and every other in our country is supremely important not only to people who live in its direct jurisdiction but for all people of our country. Courts of appeals make decisions that are binding on district courts in that jurisdiction and also have an impact on other judges and courts throughout the country at every level. prgtoken From day one, the administration has made attacking basic civil liberties a guiding principle of the policies it supports, including its judicial nominees. It is inexcusably seeking to turn back the clock on the progress we have made. We fought back hard against these arcane and irrational policies, but President 's attempt to stack our courts with extremist judges may, in the end, have the most long- lasting and devastating impact on our Nation. That is why I am here today, with many of my colleagues, to sound the alarm on Kyle Duncan. He has been nominated to this court, but he has made a career of seeking to turn back policies that protect the most vulnerable members of our country. prgtoken He is out of mainstream. In fact, he is out of the stream entirely. His views are extreme, fringed, and, collectively, they make him unfit to be a judge on this court that I greatly respect. Out of respect to members of the court, we should confirm someone only if they meet high standards. prgtoken Kyle Duncan has attacked the voting rights of minority groups--in one case, even defending a law that a Federal circuit court said targeted African-American voters with ``almost surgical precision.'' He has attacked the rights of same-sex couples, leading several efforts against marriage equality. He has attacked the rights of the transgender community to be safe in their schools and communities. He has attacked protections for Dreamers, making it harder for them to obtain documentation, such as simple driver's licenses. prgtoken Over and over, he has attacked women's rights and women's health in a way that I think disqualifies him for this court. Like so many other nominees before him, Kyle Duncan is an anti-choice zealot who has shown time and again that he is more worried about pushing his personal ideology than faithfully upholding the Constitution. His views on women's rights and women's healthcare are more than morally repugnant; they are downright dangerous. prgtoken In fact, Kyle Duncan has led the charge in defending unconstitutional and unnecessary laws that target abortion providers, attempting to legislate prgtoken them out of existence with little regard for the women who will be harmed as a result. These laws, which have spread around the country at an alarming rate, serve no medical purpose. They put barriers between women and the care they need and deserve. Twice--twice--Mr. Duncan has falsely argued that the
Dark Money (Executive Session)
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2018-4-24

I will focus, as Senator Markey has and several of my colleagues before me, on this web of deceit we have been talking about here today--the Koch brothers' web of dark money, lobbyists, and infiltration into the administration that truly threatens our democracy. The influence of their hundreds of millions of dollars is pervasive, pernicious, and hidden. prgtoken I applaud Senator Whitehouse's work that focuses the public's attention on this threat. Thank you to my colleagues for shining a spotlight on the murky tentacles of the Koch influence empire here in Washington, especially its influence on the swamp that is the administration. We must keep fighting for comprehensive campaign finance and electoral reform to get dark money like the Koch brothers' out of our politics. prgtoken The Koch family business started in oil, and Koch Industries is still heavily invested in petroleum and petroleum products. Its subsidiary, Flint Hills Resources, owns three oil refineries. The Koch Pipeline Company owns and operates 4,000 miles of pipeline that transports oil, refined petroleum, and natural gas throughout six States. Koch Industries is the largest foreign and American leaseholder in Canada's oil sands, possibly leasing up to 2 million acres. prgtoken As well, each year, Koch Industries markets, trades, and manages logistics for tons of coal and petroleum coke. Koch Industries makes billions from oil, gas, and coal, and it is no secret it is willing to spend millions to keep it that way. Two organizations formed through the Koch brothers' vast wealth are the Institute for Energy Research and its lobbying arm, the American Energy Alliance. Both Koch-funded groups are anti-renewable, pro-fossil fuel, and climate change deniers. prgtoken The Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization that was formed in 1989 from a predecessor directed by Charles Koch and Robert Bradley, Jr. Mr. Bradley led public policy for Enron before its scandal and bankruptcy. He founded the Institute and remains its CEO. He is also affiliated with the Koch-funded Cato Institute and Competitive Enterprise Institute. prgtoken The Alliance is the Institute's political arm, a 501(c)(4) organization, founded in 2008. The 501(c)(4)s are political organizations. They don't have to disclose their donors. They can engage in all sorts of politicking and lobbying, and they can spend unlimited amounts of money. The Alliance shares office space and staff--including a president--with the Institute. Their joint president is Thomas Pyle, who had previously lobbied for Koch Industries. They receive funding directly and not so directly from the Koch brothers. Since 2008, one or the other has received funding from the Charles Koch Institute, an anti-government group formed from the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation; Freedom Partners, called the Koch brothers' ``secret'' bank--a 501(c)(6) organization that gives tens of millions of dollars