mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Rodriguez v. Pan American Health Organization (Executive Calendar)
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2021-6-16

from Missouri, Senator Blunt, for his leadership on this issue. prgtoken We had the hearing and the markup in the Rules Committee. I think that we could tell from the debate that the amount of holes and misinformation that is contained within S. 1 is the reason that I call it the so-called For the People Act. prgtoken Ronald Reagan famously said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are ``I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'' This can be applied to many examples of what we do here. prgtoken What seems more pertinent, I think, now is this latest partisan attempt to federalize one of America's most sacred functions, and that is our elections. Advocates claim that this sweeping effort, which comes in the form of legislation ironically called For the People Act, is to get more people to vote. Let's be clear. Everyone--s, , Independents--we all want to see more people voting. The good news is that we have already been doing that across the country and in my home State of West Virginia. prgtoken Remember, last year we were voting under a pandemic, under incredibly difficult situations for everybody. Our State of West Virginia ran a very successful election suited to our State. We had thousands more people vote in 2020 than they did in 2016. In fact, the total number of ballots cast in 2020 was more than any other election in West Virginia's history, with the exception of the 1960 election. The 1960 election, remember, was the Presidential election that President Kennedy won after he had a very successful and a pivotal victory in the primary in West Virginia as the first Roman Catholic running for President. More than 158 million ballots were cast in 2020. That is a 7-percent increase since 2016. This is under a pandemic. prgtoken Every State decided the best way to get maximum participation. Last November, every single State saw higher turnout rates compared to the previous Presidential election. If more people are, in fact, voting, what is this ic-proposed legislation really about? And that is where it is about the federalization of elections and election power grab. I believe it lacks credibility. It is really about a way to implement absurd and downright un-American provisions in the bill that prioritize power over the will of the people. prgtoken I am glad to say that some of my ic colleagues are finally acknowledging the concerns with this bill. During the Rules Committee markup, s and offered a number of amendments, some of which were adopted on a bipartisan basis. That is what we are supposed to do--work it through committee. These amendments have been heralded by some of my ic colleagues as an example of how we can work together on this issue. prgtoken Despite the bipartisan amendments in the Rules Committee--despite this--the version that the majority leader may bring up for a
Rodriguez v. Pan American Health Organization (Executive Calendar)
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2021-6-16

today we are discussing S. 1, the so- called For the People Act. prgtoken Now, this legislation takes a system that is actually working quite well and applies drastic, draconian, and desperate election reforms meant to keep in power. prgtoken Now, why do I say the current system is working well? Well, let me tell you just how easy it is back home in my home county of Johnson County, IN, to cast one's vote. prgtoken You see, beginning 4 weeks before the election, you can vote early in person, with no excuses, Monday through Friday, for at least 8 hours per day. The two Saturdays before the election, early voting was open for 7 hours each day. Monday, the day before the election, early voting was open for 3\1/2\ additional hours. And then on election day, polls were open for 12 hours. In total, that is 201\1/2\ hours of voting across 23 days, over a period of 4 weeks. prgtoken In total, you see, we afford Hoosiers plenty of opportunity to vote. prgtoken And lest you think that my suburban county is somehow unique in the State of Indiana, let me disabuse you of that notion. In neighboring Indianapolis, they had 221 hours of early voting over that same period. prgtoken Additionally, Hoosiers have the ability to vote absentee. Now, you can vote absentee in the State of Indiana by mail for 11 separate reasons, including being sick or caring for someone who is sick or working on election day. prgtoken Now, colleagues, in the history of our country, voting has never been easier than it is right now. That is right. You may not see this in the media, but this is indeed true. prgtoken You see, the truth bears it out right in the numbers. Last year, a larger percentage of the population voted than they had in any election since 18-year-olds were given the right to vote 50 years ago. A larger proportion of the population voted than it had since over the last 50 years. prgtoken Why aren't we hearing this? prgtoken According to the Census Bureau, voter turnout for African Americans and Hispanic Americans were up 3 and 6 percent, respectively, not down. Asian Americans saw a huge 10-percent increase. This is fantastic. prgtoken Yet my colleagues on the left would have the American people believe that we are living in an era of extreme suppression or, as President demagogically, dishonestly, and divisively called it, ``Jim Crow on steroids.'' prgtoken So what exactly is the national ic response to this record turnout? prgtoken Well, they would like to strip election powers away from the States, States like Indiana, and give those powers to ic overlords here in Washington, DC. That is how we ended up with S. 1, the For the People Act. prgtoken So for the folks back home, what is this For the People Act really all about? Why are we having this debate? Why are we going to have this vote? It is really about four things--four things. prgtoken One, national want to fund their campaigns wit
Nomination of Tommy P. Beaudreau (Executive Calendar)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2021-6-16

the Senate will be voting tomorrow on the nomination of Tommy Beaudreau to serve as the Deputy Secretary of the Interior. If confirmed, he will play a critical role in managing our Nation's public lands, our natural resources, our national parks, our wildlife areas, and the Outer Continental Shelf. He will oversee the management of the largest water supply in the West, and he will also oversee our Nation's trust responsibilities to American Indian Tribes and Alaska Natives. He will be responsible for the multiple uses of our public lands. prgtoken One of the most important roles that he will fulfill is overseeing the development of traditional and renewable energy supplies on public lands and waters. prgtoken Energy production on public lands is the engine of Wyoming's economy. It creates good-paying jobs. It provides tremendous revenue for the State, and we use the essential services of the State funded by this, like public education. prgtoken Mr. Beaudreau has extensive experience at the Department of the Interior. He served in a leadership position during the administration. As an attorney in the private sector, he regularly handled matters relating to the Department. He is an expert in his field. His qualifications are clear. It is also clear from his nomination hearing prgtoken that he understands America's needs for an ``all of the above'' energy strategy. That strategy must include coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, and renewables. prgtoken I appreciated his commitment to working with members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The Department needs to listen and collaborate with the people of Wyoming and the West. These are the States that rely heavily on energy production on our public lands. We are the States that power America. We are the ones that will be hit the hardest by President 's punishing Executive orders. This administration has unleashed a barrage of Executive actions that threaten to destroy the livelihoods of oil, natural gas, and coal workers in the West. It is critical that Mr. Beaudreau keep those Americans at the forefront of his mind as he works at the Department. He can serve as a voice of reason in an administration that is waging a war on American energy workers. prgtoken My goal is to hold Mr. Beaudreau and the administration accountable to the commitments that Mr. Beaudreau has made to our committee, and I will support his nomination
Rodriguez v. Pan American Health Organization (Executive Calendar)
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-6-16

if H.R. 1, S. 1 were ever passed into law, it would forever be known as the ``Nancy Pelosi Power Grab Act.'' prgtoken This legislation lets the Federal Government take over our elections, which is clearly unconstitutional. prgtoken Let's talk about ballot harvesting to begin with. Most Americans believe that ballot harvesting is wrought with fraud and wrong. Frankly, it dilutes your vote. prgtoken For decades, for centuries, Americans have woken up early in the morning on voting day to get to church, to vote early before they get to work. prgtoken Can you just imagine how much seeing so many show up with a bag full of ballots, which can't be vouched for--what it does to devalue your vote. prgtoken Let's talk about voter ID for a second. I think most Americans--maybe at least 80 percent of Americans--believe that voter ID brings integrity to the election process. prgtoken Certainly voter ID has worked for Kansas for years and brings about integrity to our election process. Just think about all the things that require an ID at this point in time. To rent a car today, if I wanted to check into a hotel, if I wanted to board an airplane tonight, I would need some type of identification. prgtoken And I think the value of voting is even more than any of those and thus the need for some type of voter identification. This bill takes integrity out of the election process. prgtoken Next, most Americans don't want their tax dollars going to fund any elections, especially elections of the opposite party to which you belong, and I can certainly guarantee that nobody wants to see more political attack ads with their hard-earned tax dollars being spent. prgtoken But let me tell you what I am for. I want to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. I want to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. prgtoken Ballot harvesting makes it easier to cheat. Getting rid of voter ID makes it easier to cheat. That destroys the integrity of the election process. prgtoken This bill, simply stated, is just another attempt at an unconstitutional power grab. prgtoken .
Border Security (Executive Calendar)
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-6-16

I am here to talk about the escalating crisis on our southern border. prgtoken I am the ranking , the senior , on the Homeland Security Committee, which is a committee that has, among other things, oversight over what happens at the Department of Homeland Security and therefore at the border and with the Customs and Border Patrol and has other responsibilities. We have been looking at this issue carefully over the past few months. We have been trying to figure out how we can address this surge at the border that is really overwhelming the Border Patrol. prgtoken It is obviously about people, but it is also about drugs. Unfortunately, there are more and more drugs coming over the southern border as well, which, in effect, makes States like mine, Ohio--which is not on the southern border; we are actually on the northern border-- part of the border, in effect, because we are affected by what happens down there. prgtoken At one time, most of the most deadly drug, fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid, was coming from China. Frankly, a lot of it was coming from the mail system, from our own Postal Service. We passed legislation here in this body. I have worked with s and alike on it, and we have largely been able to deal with that issue, but those same drugs have now moved to Mexico, and now they are coming across our southern border. So, if you look at the amount of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids--again, the deadliest of all drugs at a time when more people are dying from overdoses in our country than ever in history--more and more of that is coming across the southern border in addition to the cocaine and crystal meth and other dangerous drugs that were already coming. prgtoken This is about the immigration system not working properly and having a huge surge of individuals--family members, unaccompanied kids. It is also about not having control of that border and having this contraband come over--in the case of these dangerous drugs--that is actually resulting in overdoses and deaths all over the United States, including in my State of Ohio. prgtoken So how can we tell that it is getting worse? I would just look at these numbers here. This is the latest from the Customs and Border Protection folks of its encounters at the southwest border. prgtoken Remember, we had a crisis in May of 2019, which was deemed to be the worst crisis of its kind, and it was pretty bad. We had a lot of unaccompanied kids coming at that time and a lot of family members as well as individuals. The high point was here at 144,000 individuals. We are now, as of May of 2021, which was last month, at 180,000. prgtoken Some of my colleagues have said: Well, it is getting better. I don't see that it is getting better, and the numbers don't say it is getting better. It is really at the point now where it is overwhelming those people whose jobs are to try to control the border. They just
REMEMBERING JIM BUNNING
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-6-16

57 years ago on Father's Day, 1964, future U.S. Senator from Kentucky Jim Bunning pitched the perfect game--the seventh in Major League Baseball history--for a 6-0 win by the Philadelphia Phillies over the New York Mets. Jim would have been 90 years old this summer, and in recognition of his legendary career in baseball and politics, the Behringer-Crawford Museum in Covington, Kentucky is celebrating his life with an exhibit running from this Father's Day until August. Today, I recognize Senator Jim Bunning as an outstanding Kentuckian and a lifelong champion on both the pitcher's mound and the Senate floor. prgtoken It is fitting that Jim would be honored at the Behringer-Crawford Museum, which has celebrated everything great about northern Kentucky for over 70 years. The exhibit, entitled ``From the Mound to the Hill,'' encapsulates the essence of Jim's life as an all-around Kentucky hero. It is rare that leaders are able to excel in one, let alone two, fields, but Jim earned acclaim with grit, determination, and tenacity. prgtoken After his prodigious, 17-year baseball career with the Tigers and the Phillies, which included 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts, Jim returned home to Campbell County to serve at all levels of local, State, and national government. He dedicated his life to the people of Kentucky, and our gratitude for his public service is apparent in tributes like the one at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. prgtoken I served with Jim in the Senate for his entire tenure and was proud to work alongside a man of deep conviction and strongly held principles. As he once said, ``I have been booed by 60,000 fans in Yankee Stadium, standing alone on the mound, so I never cared if I stood alone in Congress, as long as I stood by my beliefs and my values.'' Jim was never afraid to defend his ideals and fight for Kentuckians in the Senate, a trait his constituents wholeheartedly admired. He truly deserves his place in the Hall of Fame, not just for baseball, but for life. prgtoken No commemoration of Jim would be complete without also honoring his wife Mary, a truly remarkable woman who led her own admirable life. prgtoken The Northern Kentucky Tribune highlighted the Behringer-Crawford Museum's exhibit in a recent article. I ask unanimous consent that the article be printed in the Record.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, MS) \u2014 2021-6-16

I join my colleagues today in defense of our longtime friend and trusted ally, Israel, and to argue that absolutely no American taxpayer dollars should be spent to benefit terrorist organizations. prgtoken Israel has no greater friend than the United States, and the Israeli people have long relied on assistance from the American people and other allies. It is an unshakeable bond based on mutual respect, shared democratic values, and common interests that existed long before the modern State of Israel was founded. We must continue to support and foster that relationship with everything we have as Israel faces growing threats from Hamas and other terrorist groups in the region. prgtoken As the annual appropriations process moves along, I am concerned, as are many of my colleagues, that foreign aid--U.S. taxpayer dollars-- could end up in the hands of those who have boldly proclaimed that their intent is to do harm to Israel and our interests in the region. prgtoken The most recent wave of violence in the Middle East makes it clear that our resources must be responsibly spent and kept out of the coffers of terrorist organizations and bad actors whose violence can be bankrolled by commandeering U.S. foreign aid. prgtoken The administration admitted recently ``there are no guarantees'' our humanitarian assistance will reach the intended recipients. I believe it is our duty to guarantee this. It is imperative that we are certain that not a single cent of taxpayer money is spent to fund Hamas and its military arsenal. prgtoken In this effort, my colleagues and I have teamed up to ensure that safeguards are in place to make sure anti-American and anti-Israel groups do not continue down this dangerous path of radicalization and indoctrination at the expense of hard-working Americans. prgtoken The Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act, introduced by my friend Senator Scott of Florida, is commonsense legislation. It protects American assets and allies, while ensuring that not a penny of foreign aid is spent indoctrinating students abroad and bankrolling terrorist activities. prgtoken This is a nonpartisan issue. Americans do not support terrorism, so they certainly should not have to subsidize terrorism. We must take a stand against this barbarism and the harm it poses to most innocent civilians. prgtoken I simply cannot imagine why any of my colleagues--, , or Independent--would oppose legislation that is fiscally responsible, morally sound, and in the best interest of our allies, servicemembers, and our future generations. prgtoken Finally, I believe we should recognize that American citizens feel the painful effects from the recent flareup of violence toward Israel. In tandem with the global unrest, we have witnessed the significant rise in anti-Semitic attacks largely fueled by old prejudices and accelerated by harmful political rhetoric. It is my fervent hope that we would dedicate o
Rodriguez v. Pan American Health Organization (Executive Calendar)
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2021-6-16

I am joining others who have the same problem with what the majority party here in the U.S. Senate is trying to do. It is something that surprises a lot of people, something that would completely revamp, completely change, a system that has been in place since 1787. prgtoken I understand that they are soon going to be forcing a vote on a bill they are naming the For the People Act, and it is anything but for the people. prgtoken For those unfamiliar, this is a bill to nationalize our elections and to give Washington unprecedented and unconstitutional power over States and local governments. prgtoken Each speaker, including myself, who has spoken so far has been jealously guarding their system because we have put into place a very safe and honest way of handling our elections. prgtoken Now, keep in mind, this bill is not new. House passed this back in 2019, right on party-line votes. In fact, the only bipartisan aspect of the bill is its opposition, as was just stated by another speaker. prgtoken Back in March, along with every single House , one brave House voted against this bill, and the reason is clear--and it has been stated--but let me put all five of these things into one area so that it is a little easier to understand. prgtoken The bill is filled with dangerous, anti-democratic provisions-- provisions that make it easier to steal votes. prgtoken One, legalizing ballot harvesting. Each Member has been talking about ballot harvesting and the threat that is out there. prgtoken Banning voter ID. In my State of Oklahoma, we have ID laws to safeguard our votes. prgtoken They are attempting to restore felons' right to vote. Why would you want to restore a felon's right to vote? And I have not heard anyone yet give a good argument that is persuasive. prgtoken Allowing voters to cast ballots outside of their precincts. That is just one step further and one step easier to falsify ballots. prgtoken Subsidize political candidates with Federal funds. We are going to talk about that. It is unbelievable. I mentioned some of the--how it might affect some individuals. prgtoken It is more accurately named the ``For the Liberal Politicians Act.'' In their mind, it not only ensures that they can control elections forever with ballot harvesting and other questionable practices, but they would also give millions in taxpayers' funds to bulk up their campaigns. prgtoken I just reminded them, and others have mentioned this, too, it sounds like you might be criticizing Ted Cruz when you say this, but it is not because he knows it is wrong. He observed that--when he was running for office, that if he had been able to harvest the opportunities you have from the Federal Government, he would have raised some $24 million in Federal funds in the first quarter of this year for his campaign. prgtoken The Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary, Paul Ziriax, shared with me his strong concerns ab
PAYING TRIBUTE TO MARY DUFFY SHEAFFER BURTON
Lloyd Smucker (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-6-16

. Madam , I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Mary Duffy Sheaffer Burton, who passed away earlier this year. I certainly appreciated Mary's friendship and support over the last several decades. She was an incredible lady. prgtoken Mary made an indelible mark through her works and service to the Lancaster County community. She was a lifelong entrepreneur, a pioneer of the manufacturing industry in Lancaster, starting her first business in her garage, HDJ Company, in 1960, which became a leader in the design and manufacture of precision machining parts and would later become specialized medical devices and implants. prgtoken Her businesses would employ many individuals over the years, building lasting relationships with many, positively impacting their lives. prgtoken Mary received the Golden Micrometer Award from the Precision Machined Products Association of America, which is the highest honor of the industry in 2008 and was a recognition of her outstanding efforts and achievement. prgtoken She was just as devoted to improving her community, generously supporting, with her time and talents, many organizations which built Lancaster's thriving arts community, historical organizations, and organizations supporting women and children. prgtoken Mary is survived by her three children, who we express our sincerest condolences to, Duffy, Mary, and Edward, and by her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. prgtoken We are sad at Mary's passing, but she brought happiness to the lives of so many, and for that we give thanks. Taxing the Middle Class