mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Kentucky (Executive Calendar)
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-12-15

I think it is very important that the American people know and those who support Israel know that we can get this done today. We can get a billion dollars additional, in addition to the $100 million, in addition to the $7 billion we have already given to Israel, in addition to the $80 to $100 billion we have given to them over the decades--we can do an extra billion today. All I am asking is that it is paid for. prgtoken The objections coming from is that they are unwilling to pay for the Iron Dome spending so, in reality, the funding won't happen today because of opposition to Iron Dome being paid for. It can happen right now. All you got to do is agree to take money from a defunct fund to a defunct entity. Three billion dollars is in a fund to an entity that no longer exists. The Afghan national government no longer exists. This is such an easy pay-for. This one is dangling low fruit that we can pay for. You can get exactly what we want to do, that is a billion dollars extra, in addition to the money we already have given Israel for Iron Dome, but pay for it. That is a responsible way. So I object.
RECOGNIZING THE 117TH ARW OF THE ALABAMA NATIONAL GUARD
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2021-12-15

today I rise to highlight the 100th anniversary of the 117th Air Refueling Wing based in Birmingham, AL, and to honor the patriotic men and women, past and present, of this storied National Guard unit. For a century, the 117th has defended our freedoms by providing worldwide air refueling, airlift, logistics, intelligence, and medical services. It is a profound honor to represent these great Americans in their nation's capital. prgtoken The United States hosts the world's most powerful Air Force, which gives our country the ability to project strength and defend freedom around the globe. This capability is made possible by a heavy reliance on our air refueling tankers that create bridges across the sky for our fighters and bombers. Since October 1994, the 117th Air Refueling Wing has proudly and effectively performed this critical air refueling mission with the KC-135 Stratotanker, a mainstay of our tanker fleet. prgtoken The 117th Air Refueling Wing is heavily utilized and often deployed. Their reliability and dedication has led them to take part in some of the most consequential military actions of our time. prgtoken During the Kosovo conflict of 1999, the wing flew operational missions over the Balkans following its deployment of six KC-135 aircraft to Brize-Norton Royal Air Force Base, England, in support of Operation Allied Force. prgtoken After the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the 117th deployed to MacDill Air Force Base, FL, as part of Operation Noble Eagle to refuel F-15 and F-16 aircraft that were flying around-the- clock protective combat air patrol missions over major cities in the United States. prgtoken The wing deployed KC-135 aircraft to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, to fly operational missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and later played a key role in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Each of these deployments supported and directly contributed to the success of our air operations, keeping Americans in the air and on the ground safer while imposing our will on the enemy. prgtoken But, even decades before taking on the air refueling mission, the wing had a storied beginning and a long history of service to our country. prgtoken In 1918, Major James A. Meissner, a World War I flying ace, returned home to Birmingham to lead the formation of a flying unit based at Roberts Field. As a result of his efforts, on January 21, 1922, the U.S. Department of War identified the Birmingham Aero Club as the first Air National Guard Unit in Alabama. prgtoken The unit was originally designated as the 135th Observation Squadron, Alabama National Guard, and received Federal recognition as a Corps Aviation unit. The flying squadron was nicknamed the ``Birmingham Escadrille's,'' and Major Meissner served as the first commander. prgtoken On January 30, 1944, the unit, by then redesignated to the 106th Reconnaissance Squadron, flew its first combat sorties in B-25 Mitchell aircraft agai
Introductory Statement on S. 3398
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2021-12-15

I rise to introduce the STEM Education in Accounting Act with my colleague Senator Rosen. Our bill would recognize accounting as part of a well-rounded STEM education and allow school districts to use their Federal education prgtoken block grant resources to develop and improve instruction in accounting. It also aims to introduce more students to accounting and improve career awareness and workforce diversity in the field. In today's rapidly changing world, improving students' access to a STEM-based curriculum is increasingly vital to ensure they are prepared to succeed in the 21st-century workforce. prgtoken Mathematics--the ``M'' in ``STEM''--is a critical skill that can help students unlock countless doors to high-paying, in-demand fields. One of those doors leads to the accounting profession, whose work has a direct impact on employers, employees, retirees, investors, and the global economy. Certified professional accountants, or CPAs, play a key role in providing capital markets with confidence in financial reporting. Modern accounting increasingly requires cutting-edge math and technology skills, including IT auditing, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cyber security, to keep up with the market's needs. prgtoken Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, which is current law, school districts may use funds from the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program to support a host of curricular and extracurricular activities that deliver a well-rounded education to students in all grade levels. Specifically, the STEM Education in Accounting Act would add ``activities to promote the development, implementation, and strengthening of programs to teach accounting'' to the list of courses and activities supported by this flexible block grant. Our bill would also promote high-quality accounting instruction for members of groups underrepresented in the accounting profession. prgtoken Encouraging a robust pipeline of future accounting professionals is paramount. I encourage my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill to promote accounting education, improve students' finance skills, and strengthen the pipeline of future accountants, who play such a vital role in our financial system.
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-12-15

I thank my friends from Delaware for their eloquent remarks. As both Senators know, I have a deep affinity for the State of Delaware. My mother was born in Wilmington, DE. I have hundreds of cousins in Delaware, who are their constituents. prgtoken I would note that the senior Senator from Delaware, Senator Carper, when I was newly elected, proceeded to welcome me into a caucus I didn't know existed, the TC Caucus. Indeed, he and I both reflected upon this recently when we were both in Oklahoma for the funeral of our former colleague, Senator Tom Coburn, another member of the TC Caucus. prgtoken I would note as well that Senator Carper went so far as to call my mother on her birthday to wish her happy birthday for having been born in Wilmington, and my mother appreciated that. prgtoken The junior Senator from Delaware--we served together on multiple committees. We have worked together. We have sparred together. And we may well be able to work together in finding a resolution to this impasse. prgtoken Every Senator here knows why I have holds on these nominees. Right now, as we speak, hundreds of thousands of Russian troops are massed on the border of the Ukraine, waiting to invade. prgtoken The reason for that is because surrendered to Vladimir Putin on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. That is the direct cause for the threat of military invasion Ukraine faces right now. prgtoken Putin didn't just wake up one day and decide to invade Ukraine. He has wanted to invade Ukraine for years. In fact, he did so in 2014, but he stopped short of a full invasion because he needed to use the Ukrainian energy infrastructure to get Russian natural gas to the European market. Because of that--that is why Putin launched Nord Stream 2, to have a pipeline directly from Russia to Germany going undersea to cut Ukraine out of the transit loop, so then the Russian tanks could invade Ukraine. prgtoken This body right now should be talking about the crisis in Ukraine and about how to counter Putin's aggression and expansionism. The best way to do so would be to immediately put sanctions on Nord Stream 2-- sanctions that we had in place; bipartisan sanctions that I authored, that both of the Senators from Delaware supported, and that, indeed, had overwhelming bipartisan support from both Houses of Congress, passed into law, and worked. prgtoken Now, I have sought to ensure that we have the time, space, and resources to address how we stop Putin from invading Ukraine, and, indeed, I have offered a deal to resolve this impasse. It is a deal that I have offered to Senator Schumer that I would lift the hold on a number of nominees in exchange for a vote on sanctions on Nord Stream 2. prgtoken I would note that this is a deal Senator Schumer accepted 3 weeks ago. Three weeks ago, when we were debating the National Defense Authorization Act, I likewise sought a vote on sanctions on Nord Stream 2. In exchange f
Democratic Legislative Agenda (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-12-15

as the Senate's schedule for this calendar year begins to wind down, hopefully with the anticipation of spending time with our friends and families during this holiday season, I want to look back over some of the deadlines that the majority leader, the Senator from New York, has set for Senate action and to ask whether these sort of arbitrary deadlines and attempts to do legislation essentially along party lines is the right way to actually get things done in the Senate. prgtoken We have excellent examples of how to get things done. Today, we passed the Defense authorization bill with a strong bipartisan vote. But we know that when either political party decides to do things unilaterally, especially in a 50-50 Senate, it makes the work immeasurably harder, and that is for a good reason. prgtoken The Founders of this country and our Constitution and the creators of this Senate looked to the Senate to be a deliberative body and looked for us to do what sometimes doesn't come naturally, which is to work together to build consensus. But, as I said, when one party or the other attempts to do things unilaterally, it usually means what you see here, which is one blown self-imposed deadline after another. prgtoken First of all, the majority leader set a July 21 target for Senate action on a budget resolution. prgtoken He laid out an August deadline for a partisan election takeover bill, which would have preempted State and local laws, which are responsible, under our division of responsibility in the Constitution, under our Federal system, for conducting elections. prgtoken Then he proudly announced his goal to get two bills to President 's desk by the end of October. He said those would be joined together--a bipartisan infrastructure bill that is the exception to the rule--actually like the Defense authorization bill that actually enjoyed broad bipartisan support--but the hangup was the other part of that proposition, which was the ' multitrillion-dollar partisan spending bill. prgtoken Of course, not one single one of these deadlines was met--again, because it is hard to do things in a 50-50 Senate when you try to do it unilaterally without doing the hard work of building consensus, which is the way the Founders wanted this institution to work. prgtoken So our colleague from New York kept setting deadlines and blowing right past them, and it looks like he is about to add another one to the list. Senator Schumer's latest deadline for the ``Build Back Bankrupt'' bill is December 25. That is Christmas. While he has yet to make an official announcement, news reports are starting to confirm what we have known all along--that the Senate will not vote on this bill by Christmas because it is just not ready for prime time. prgtoken Before our colleagues can bend the rules of the Senate to pass their partisan, multitrillion-dollar spending bill, they have got a lot of roadblocks to overcome. The mo
Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (Executive Calendar)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2021-12-15

and partner in this effort, Senator Portman. And as he pointed out, on November 15, President became the third President to sign energy efficiency provisions from our bill into law. prgtoken Now, we still have a lot of work to do. But I just want to recognize current and former Shaheen-Portman staff who have helped us shepherd this bill through its many obstacles. prgtoken From my staff, I want to thank Trent Bauserman, Robert Diznoff, Ariel Marshall, Drew Story, and Janelle DiLuccia. prgtoken From Senator Portman's staff, I want to thank Pam Thiessen, Steve Kittredge, Pat Orth, Sarah Peery, and Lydia Denis. prgtoken I would like to ask unanimous consent to enter the names of these current and former staff into the Record.
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-12-15

. Thank you. prgtoken from Utah. prgtoken , I do hope this matter is resolved. I believe Amanda needs to be installed and doing her job. She has been up for this nomination literally for months. prgtoken I also feel this is just one more example--I think probably every Member of the Senate, including the Presiding Officer, has a number of individuals he supports. I know many of my colleagues on the side have nominees they support. The kind of blanket holds that are taking place on way too many of our nominees means that this President can't put in place his team. prgtoken The Presiding Officer was a Governor. He is about to be replaced by another Governor. I was a Governor. I can't imagine running an administration a year into my term if I didn't have two-thirds of my appointees serving in office. prgtoken The Presiding Officer, I know--I will end very briefly--is an extraordinarily valuable member of the Intelligence Committee. We see America's national security concerns on a daily basis. Those national security concerns will be better met when every major nation in the world has an American Ambassador. It is great that we have State Department personnel, but without that Ambassador in these offices-- Amanda is not up for ambassadorship, but there are a host of Ambassadors in critical nations that need to be confirmed. prgtoken I hope--as we wind down these last few days of this session before the end of the year, I implore my friends on the side, give these folks who have waited for months and months and months a kind of assurance of their ability to serve, especially when they are noncontroversial. Please remove their objections. Stop objecting. Let's let the government have these people, personnel in place. I hope Amanda Howe will be one of those. I look forward to my friend from Utah resolving this issue. prgtoken I thank the Presiding Officer for listening to my extra 5 minutes. prgtoken .
Tribute to Dr. Francis Collins (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-12-15

it is a curious thing about tipping points in the quest for progress. Very often, the events that cleave history into ``before'' and ``after'' can seem insignificant when they happen. That might have been true 29 years ago, when the National Institutes of Health named a 42-year-old professor from the University of Michigan to direct one of NIH's newest cutting-edge institutes. prgtoken The professor's name was Francis Collins. The New York Times' account of his arrival ran 117 words. prgtoken His mission at NIH was to lead what we called then the Human Genome Project, an international quest to discover the genetic blueprint for human life. It was the scientific equivalent of the search for the Holy Grail. There were just as many skeptics as believers in that undertaking. prgtoken But less than 6 years later, in June 2000, the first mapping of the human genome was complete. Overnight, that obscure professor from Michigan, Francis Collins, became one of the most famous scientists in the world. prgtoken The decoding of the human genome was the achievement of a historic public-private partnership between the NIH's genome lab, headed by Dr. Collins and a private firm--a rival turned partner--founded by the genetic pioneer, Craig Venter. It involved hundreds of scientists from six nations. It remains one of the greatest advances in scientific knowledge in all of recorded history. prgtoken In a White House ceremony announcing the first sequencing of the human genome, Dr. Collins said he was humbled and awed by the discovery. In his words: ``We have caught the first glimpses of our instruction book, previously known only to God.'' prgtoken Cracking the genetic code of human life has revolutionized science and medicine. It continues to yield profound medical discoveries all the time. prgtoken That historic discovery could have been the capstone of any career in science, but for Francis Collins, there was an amazing second act to follow. prgtoken In 2009, President chose Francis Collins to lead the entire National Institutes of Health, the largest prgtoken biomedical research agency in the world. In that capacity, Dr. Collins routinely works 100-hour weeks, oversees 18,000 Federal employees spread across 27 Institutes and Centers in 75 buildings--mainly in Bethesda, MD, but also in Baltimore, North Carolina, Arizona, and Montana. prgtoken Those numbers only quantify the NIH infrastructure. Their actual work is even more impressive. In fiscal year 2020, the NIH awarded more than 50,000 grants to more than 300,000 researchers working in universities and laboratories outside the NIH--in Illinois, in Minnesota, in Colorado, and virtually every State in the Nation. prgtoken At the end of this month, after 12 years, Francis Collins is stepping down as NIH Director. Thankfully, he is not stepping away from science. In a signature Collins move, the doctor is going back to his research roots, back to head a labora
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2021-12-15

at a time when we need senior people to help our country deter adversaries, advance our interests, and secure our values, it is important that all the nominees currently waiting on this floor be confirmed. prgtoken They are well qualified. Eight of them would serve under the jurisdiction of my Subcommittee on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in various multilateral organizations and in economic and energy policy. prgtoken I understand and I respect the right of colleagues on both sides of the aisle to seek amendments on votes like the Nord Stream 2 issue. I, for one, would be happy to vote on additional subjects around foreign policy and national security, and I pushed for additional votes during the National Defense Authorization Act floor process. prgtoken These national security issues are important, and this Chamber owes to the American people robust debate, but we also need to provide advice and consent on any President's nominees in a purposeful and timely manner. prgtoken With that in mind, in a few moments, I will officially ask unanimous consent to confirm the following nominees: Jack A. Markell, of Delaware, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with the rank of Ambassador; R. Nicholas Burns, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Republic of China; Rahm Emanuel, of Illinois, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Japan; Steven C. Bondy, of New Jersey, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Bahrain; Cynthia Ann Telles, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Costa Rica; Bathsheba Nell Crocker, of the District of Columbia, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Office of the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, with the rank of Ambassador; Christopher P. Lu, of Virginia, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador; Christopher P. Lu, of Virginia, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform; Lisa A. Carty, of Maryland, to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador; Lisa A. Carty, of Maryland, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-12-15

I ask unanimous consent, notwithstanding rule XXII, if applicable, at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the leader, that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Executive Calendar No. 547, Maria L. Pagan, of Puerto Rico, to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative (Geneva Office), with the rank of Ambassador; that there be 10 minutes of debate, equally divided in the usual form on the nomination; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate proceed to vote without intervening action or debate on the nomination; that if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with to intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.