mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Edward Sunyol Kiel (Executive Session)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2024-3-20

I rise today to support the confirmation of Mr. Edward Sunyol Kiel to the U.S. district court of New Jersey. prgtoken Mr. Kiel, whom Senator Booker and I proudly recommended to President , is eminently qualified for this position. Mr. Kiel has spent the entirety of his career demonstrating an even temperament and an unshakable commitment to equal justice under the law. prgtoken With 27 years as a practicing attorney in New Jersey, he has amassed an abundance of trial experience and an objectively impressive record of pro bono work for numerous organizations and church groups. prgtoken Atop his outstanding credentials, Mr. Kiel is already quite familiar with the District of New Jersey and the Newark courthouse. In fact, he currently serves as a magistrate judge on that very same court. During his time on the bench, he has again and again proven himself a capable and even-keeled jurist, a sharp legal mind with a deep reverence for precedent and the rule of law. prgtoken Beyond his regular duties to the court, Judge Kiel has also devoted generous amounts of time to Newark vicinage's Pretrial Opportunity Program, an important initiative that offers treatment alternatives and noncustodial sentences for eligible individuals--once again proving his commitment not just to the law but to human beings impacted by our justice system. prgtoken I would be remiss to discuss Judge Kiel's qualifications without also touching on his incredible personal story. Judge Kiel was born in Daegu, South Korea, to parents who fled North Korea as refugees during the war, on foot. prgtoken While his parents did not have much in terms of material wealth, they were rich in faith and in love. With just $40 in their pockets--a gift pooled together by their relatives before the journey--his family made a decision to come to the United States and bet it all on the American dream. On their very first Sunday in the United States, Judge Kiel's mother placed that $40 in the church's offering plate--a symbol of her undying optimism for her family's new life in America. prgtoken Today, Judge Kiel works every day in the same exact courthouse where his parents became U.S. citizens in the 1970s. If that is not a shining example of the American dream, I don't know what is. prgtoken Judge Kiel's story is one that is familiar to so many in the Garden State and across America. His confirmation will be another important step towards achieving the ideal of an independent judiciary that reflects the best of America and mirrors our Nation's rich cultural tapestry. To this end, I commend President for nominating the most racially and ethnically diverse group of qualified Federal judges of any President so far in our Nation's history. prgtoken In all branches and at all levels of our government, our democracy and institutions are made stronger by public servants whose lived experiences are as unique and colorful as America itself. prgtoken Thi
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-3-20

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
RECOGNIZING ALYSSA QUINN FOR TWO YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2024-3-20

I rise today to thank Alyssa Quinn for her two years of invaluable service to my office and the constituents in Washington's 1st Congressional District. Alyssa joined my office as an intern in January 2022 and then became our Legislative Correspondent in July 2022. She has worked tirelessly to ensure our constituents have received timely and thoughtful responses to their correspondence with my office. Alyssa is a very strong and reliable writer who excels at communicating complex and sensitive issues. She has also run our internship program in the D.C. office and has been a dedicated mentor to all those she has managed, helping countless interns find full-time employment. Alyssa has brought to our office the spirit of the Pacific Northwest and a deep love for all things Washington. Her enthusiasm for farm animals, dairy, and staying hydrated has been infectious to all in our office. Alyssa has been an incredible staffer and a wonderful friend to all in the office, and we will sorely miss her positive spirit. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Alyssa Quinn and wishing her the best in all of her future endeavors.
WE ARE SLEEPING WHILE UKRAINE IS BURNING
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-3-20

time is wasting. Time is running out. We are sleeping while Ukraine is burning, the victim of an international criminal. prgtoken , I rise today, as I have too many times before, just 72 hours before Members return to their districts for weeks despite failing to secure aid for our allies in Ukraine and Israel. The men and women of Ukraine on the front lines will not sleep for those 2 weeks. prgtoken This past weekend, Vladimir Putin reminded the world that he isn't going anywhere. He celebrated ``victory'' in Russia's Presidential election, imposing his power until at least 2030. prgtoken , Putin knew that there was only one possible outcome of that election. He would like the world to think that Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable as well. prgtoken Every day, however, , the brave men and women of Ukraine prove him wrong. Our NATO allies, who continue to supply Ukraine with vital military assistance, prove him wrong. prgtoken Now, this House, this week, in the next 72 hours, needs to stand up and give Ukraine the aid they desperately need. We must reject aggression and terror. prgtoken For 447 days, we have signaled reluctance over resolve, doubt over determination, and division over decisiveness. We have emboldened freedom's enemies while leaving its protectors defenseless. How sad for America to be in that position. How sad for the leadership of this House to leave us in that position. prgtoken We have failed to aid Ukraine in 447 days and Israel in 165. prgtoken , 2 weeks back in our districts may feel short for us, but that will be a very long time for our Ukrainian friends. They already must contend with the consequences of our inaction. prgtoken Thus far, Ukrainian air defenses have tried to shoot down four of every five Russian missiles fired at their cities. Hear that: four out of every five. Now, because of our negligence, because of our reluctance and ammunition shortages, they will soon be able to target only one in every five. prgtoken In Bakhmut, a Ukrainian artillery squad explained they are only shooting an average of 15 shells a week. My colleagues, they are shooting 15 shells a week to confront the Russian bear. Before American aid dried up, they were shooting 400 shells per week. prgtoken One Ukrainian soldier, shivering in his foxhole on the northern front line, recently said that because of these shortages: We are losing so many people. There are so many bodies we can't even bring them back. prgtoken How demoralizing is the inaction of this Congress. How irresponsible is the lack of action of this Congress to watch the Russian invader receive aid from North Korea, Iran, China, and the rest of the axis of evil while we fail to act. Have we lost our courage, our commitment to freedom? prgtoken Putin is a Russian invader who massacres civilians in Bucha, a dictator whose greatest political opponent is found dead in a Russian gulag, and a tyrant who forces occupied Ukrainians to vote at gunpoi
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-3-20

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 21; 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 Executive Calendar No. 117, Jose Rodriguez, to be an Assistant Secretary of Labor; further, that at 11:30 a.m. the motion to proceed to the vote by which cloture was not agreed to on the Rodriguez nomination be agreed to, the motion to reconsider the failed cloture vote be prgtoken agreed to, and the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Rodriguez nomination, upon reconsideration; further, that if cloture is invoked, all time be considered expired at 2 p.m.; that following the confirmation vote, the Senate resume legislative session for the consideration of Calendar No. 340, S.J. Res. 62, that the motion to proceed be agreed to and the Senate immediately vote on passage of the joint resolution; that upon disposition of the joint resolution, the Senate resume executive session and resume consideration of the Schydlower nomination; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-3-20

I rise to introduce legislation to reaffirm the applicability of the Indian Reorganization Act to the Lytton Rancheria of California. prgtoken This legislation would provide clarity that the Lytton Rancheria of California is able to place land into trust via the Department of the Interior's standard land-to-trust process, 25 CFR part 151. prgtoken The Lytton Rancheria would like to place additional land into trust in order to build a proper homeland and provide housing for their members. The bill is needed to clarify that Lytton Rancheria is subject to the Indian Reorganization Act and, just like other Tribal governments, is able to put land into trust through the administrative process.
Government Funding (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-3-20

now, if s and keep working in good faith to fund the government, then I hope we are just days away from completing the appropriations process. The job is not done, but we are very close. prgtoken A few days ago, Congressional leaders announced an agreement on the last six funding bills. These bills will make significant investments for our national defense, for the well-being of our servicemembers, for keeping the United States competitive against the Chinese Communist Party, and so much more. prgtoken Today, appropriators continue working on the legislative text, and, despite the tight deadline, they continue to make very good progress. They are very diligent. They work through the night. And we salute them on both sides of the aisle--my staff, Patty Murray's staff, Susan Collins' staff, and Leader McConnell's staff--for trying to get this done, as well as all of the other members of the appropriations subcommittees. prgtoken We don't yet know precisely when the House will act, but, as soon as they send us the funding package, I will put it on the Senate floor. And from there, as we all know, it will take cooperation to get on the bill and consent from every Senator to keep this process moving quickly. prgtoken Even with bipartisanship, it is going to be a tight squeeze to get this funding package passed before the weekend deadline. I ask my colleagues to be flexible, to be prepared to act quickly, and to prioritize working together in good faith so we can finish the appropriations process. prgtoken If we proceed like we did 2 weeks ago with the first six funding bills, then the odds are good that we can get this done without excessive delay or headaches. prgtoken Again, I want to thank my Senate colleagues, Chair Murray, Vice Chair Collins, Leader McConnell, the , and all the appropriators for working in good faith to finish the job.
RESTORING AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE ACT
Jared Huffman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-3-20

. They are trying to repeal a very modest royalty reform and claw that back, and all that this reform would do is give taxpayers a fair return on the public resources on public land that this industry has been extracting on royalty rates that hadn't been touched for a century. prgtoken , the reason that we increased those royalties was to finally prgtoken confront the problem of fossil fuel companies with their subsidies extracting these public resources and sticking taxpayers with the bill to clean up their messes. prgtoken This is not controversial. It is popular. Ninety-one percent of Western voters want to see oil and gas companies, not taxpayers, paying the bill for this cleanup. prgtoken With these performative bills we are back at it again: a fake narrative that exalts the fossil fuel industry above everything and everyone else. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
Mary Gay Scanlon (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2024-3-20

the balance of my time. prgtoken , it is a little bit difficult to believe these crocodile tears for our allies when the House s are holding up the National Security Supplemental, which passed weeks ago in the Senate by a 70-30 vote, it is broadly bipartisan legislation that our allies deserve an up-or-down vote on, and we should see that on the floor today. prgtoken , when it comes to energy, House s are also presenting us with a false choice. They would have us believe that renewable energy and energy independence are at odds. They want us to think that sustainability and a strong economy are a tradeoff. It is simply not true, and we cannot afford to make this false choice. prgtoken As we have seen with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, we can have it both ways. We can lower emissions while creating jobs and growing the economy. We can make the transition to solar and wind without displacing businesses or workers. prgtoken The Inflation Reduction Act and the infrastructure bill demonstrate that not only does a green transition come hand in hand with economic growth, but also that that growth can be spurred from the middle out and the bottom up. prgtoken All over the country, new manufacturing facilities for batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles are being built. These factories are offering long-term, good-paying jobs that will drive economic development for years to come. It is an American manufacturing renaissance that has been made possible by legislation passed by and President . prgtoken It is a testament to what is possible when legislators roll up their sleeves and solve problems as opposed to playing to their most extreme Members. That is what real leadership looks like. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question and the rule, and .
RESTORING AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE ACT
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-3-20

such time as I may consume. prgtoken There is so much to fact check and so little time. My colleagues have mentioned bonding proposals, but the BLM's bonding proposal would help ensure that oil and gas foot the bill for cleaning up their messes, not the American people. By requiring them to post adequate bond money before they drill, we can help avoid them shirking that duty later on by selling off their exhausted wells to shell companies and similar tactics. prgtoken My colleagues across the aisle have said this proposal is unnecessary; no need to post bond ahead of time. Trust Big Oil. They are good for it. prgtoken Pardon me if I am skeptical. We have been hearing so much about posting bonds over the last week or so. It is often the same story: A company or an individual will brag and brag about supposed wealth, but when it comes time to put that money up, suddenly they come up short. Sometimes they even have to file for bankruptcy. prgtoken Many oil and gas companies operate in the same way. They benefit from resources but are afraid of regulations that would set bond amounts that ensure that they actually clean up after themselves instead of skipping town. The proposed BLM rule would require fossil fuel companies to provide reasonable collateral to ensure they pay to clean up after themselves. prgtoken I have another fact check for you before I yield. We have heard s say that bonding reform isn't needed to make sure the oil and gas companies clean up after their messes, supposedly because BLM has identified only 37 orphaned wells on Federal land. prgtoken Well, let's widen the land to show the truth. An unplugged well can sit idle or even abandoned for many, many years before a Federal agency seeks to enforce reclamation requirements and finally have it declared officially orphaned. That process eats up valuable staff time and resources. In that time, these unplugged wells can leak oil and gas, creating environmental and public health hazards, regardless of whether or not they have been officially deemed orphaned yet. prgtoken We are talking huge numbers here. In 2019, a nonpartisan GAO identified 2,294 unplugged wells that had not been produced in over 10 years. That is 2,294 wells specifically on BLM Federal land. The oil and gas industry should pay to plug and remediate those wells, not the American people. prgtoken , I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Huffman), who is the most illustrious Congressman.
Nomination of Edward Sunyol Kiel (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-3-20

today, the Senate will vote to confirm Edward Kiel to the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. prgtoken Born in Daegu, South Korea, Judge Kiel received both his B.S.E.E. and B.A. from Rutgers University, and his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School. prgtoken After clerking for Judge Michael R. Imbriani of the Superior Court of New Jersey in Somerset County, Judge Kiel worked at Jamieson, Moore, Peskin & Spicer as an associate, where he worked on a variety of matters, including insurance regulatory and commercial litigation cases. prgtoken He then went on to work at Beattie Padovano as an associate, where he handled various civil matters for a range of clients, from individuals to large corporations. Following his tenure at Beattie Padovano, Judge Kiel became a partner at Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, where he litigated matters before the Federal and State courts of New Jersey. prgtoken In 2019, Judge Kiel was appointed to be U.S. magistrate judge on the same district to which he is nominated. Since his appointment to the bench, he has issued more than 1,000 orders, reports and recommendations, opinions, and memorandum orders--only two of which have been reversed by a reviewing district court judge. prgtoken The American Bar Association unanimously rated Judge Kiel ``well qualified'' to serve on the district court, and he has the strong support of Senators Menendez and Booker. prgtoken Judge Kiel's two decades of litigation experience combined with his distinguished career on the bench prove he is ready to handle the demands of the District of New Jersey from day one. prgtoken s for supporting his nomination.
AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR FOREIGN STUDY 60TH ANNIVERSARY
James A. Himes (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2024-3-20

I rise today to recognize the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) in Stamford, Connecticut, as they celebrate their 60th anniversary. Since their inception in 1964, AIFS has pioneered cultural exchange and educational enrichment, having impacted the lives of over 1.8 million individuals and deepened relationships across international borders. prgtoken In partnership with the U.S. Department of State, AIFS continues to operate a diverse selection of programs for their nearly 40,000 annual participants, including study and travel abroad, high school exchange, camp counselor, and intern/trainee programs, which epitomize the Administration's dedication to diverse partnerships. It is my unique honor to recognize the American Institute For Foreign Study for their 60th anniversary. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating AIFS and their dedication to cross-cultural exchange.
CONGRATULATING NORTH PITT HIGH SCHOOL LADY PANTHERS
Donald G. Davis (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2024-3-20

today I rise to celebrate the incredible Lady Panthers of North Pitt High School, who won the 2024 North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2A women's basketball championship. prgtoken North Pitt High School squared off against the undefeated Lady Cavaliers of East Burke and came out victorious, 76-66. prgtoken Senior Zamareya ``Zam'' Jones was crowned the most outstanding player, adding to her many achievements: 2,000 career points, 1 of just 17 players from the State to be a McDonald's all American, and finally leading her team to victory with 21 points against East Burke. prgtoken Next year, Jones is going to North Carolina State, but she will be leaving the North Pitt High School basketball team in great hands with freshman Jordan Speller, who scored an impressive 31 points and was the game's MVP. prgtoken , without any doubt, there is incredible talent and exciting basketball north of the river. I congratulate Coach Pittman, Principal , and the entire North Pitt High School family. prgtoken To all of the Lady Panthers, your Congressman is mighty proud of you.
Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2024-3-20

reserving the right to object, we have a clear and straightforward path ahead of us. We have at long last a bicameral, bipartisan agreement on all of our full-year bills. It is time to get them passed and close out fiscal year 2024. After all, we are now 6 months into the fiscal year. We have to get a move on. prgtoken So let's stay focused on the deadline in front of us right now. We are working as fast as possible to release the bill, the text of the minibus, as soon as prgtoken possible, and if there is bipartisan cooperation, we can get this package passed by the deadline. prgtoken This minibus is a carefully negotiated, bipartisan package that reflects the input of nearly every Senator and the priorities of every State in America. We need to turn the page on fiscal year 2024, take the government off of autopilot, and focus on passing these bills before Friday at midnight. prgtoken I object.