mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
prayer
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-10-25

I rise to speak in opposition to the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to serve as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken This is no ordinary nomination, and it comes at no ordinary time in the life of our Nation. We are in the midst of a global pandemic that has already claimed more than 225,000 American lives. We are a mere 8 days away from a Presidential election. prgtoken announced his nomination of Judge Barrett even before we could fully mourn the death of the great Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Senate s then rushed this nomination to the Supreme Court. In doing so, they violated the rule that their leader, Mitch McConnell, imposed in 2016, which kept Merrick Garland off the Supreme Court after President nominated him in February of that year to fill the vacancy that arose with the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. prgtoken That rule was clear. That rule was concise. That rule was definitive: The Senate would not consider a nomination to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court during a Presidential election year. prgtoken Many of my colleagues echoed Leader McConnell's pledge. In fact, my colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Judiciary Committee, admonished us to use his own words against him if he went back on his promise: ``If there is a President in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of that term, you can say that Lindsey Graham said, let's let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.'' prgtoken But the majority has ignored the McConnell rule and broken their promises to follow it as they engage in the outright theft of yet another seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken You can't spell ``shameful'' without ``sham,'' and that is what Senate s have turned this Supreme Court nomination process into--a sham. prgtoken What else is unprecedented about the circumstances surrounding the Barrett nomination? Well, in , who made the Barrett nomination, we prgtoken have a President who has repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power, should he lose the upcoming election. prgtoken In , we have a President who has openly stated that he needs Judge Barrett on the Supreme Court to cast a crucial vote if cases arising out of a disputed election reach the Court, like v. Gore did after the 2000 Presidential election. prgtoken In , we have a President who has vowed to appoint to the Supreme Court a Justice who would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and take away a woman's reproductive rights and freedom. Even before he was elected in 2016, he pledged: ``I will appoint judges that will be pro- life, yes.'' prgtoken In , we have a President who has expressly promised that he would only nominate a Justice who would vote to get rid of the Affordable Care Act--Care--and coverage for preexisting conditions, and President made
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2020-10-25

I am going to give some remarks in 4 or 5 minutes. I just wanted to encourage the staffers, especially the stenographers, to feel comfortable to keep their distance from U.S. Senators who are delivering remarks. There is no reason, if we have microphones on, to be anywhere near us. So I would just encourage them to keep their distance, especially since most Members are delivering remarks without masks on. prgtoken So if there is something the staff could do to just encourage them to keep their distance, we do want them to be safe. prgtoken I will be giving remarks in a few minutes. prgtoken .
Medical care for the uninsured could cost billions more (Executive Calendar)
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2020-10-25

last Tuesday, in my home State of Wisconsin, in-person early voting started. Over the past week, people have showed up to vote in record numbers, as they have across our entire country, because they want to make sure their voices are heard. Why? Because they know how high the stakes are for them in this election, an election that will determine our next President and control of the U.S. Senate, an election that is just 1 week away. prgtoken My position on President 's Supreme Court nomination has been very clear since the tragic passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Voters across America should be allowed to cast their ballots first and have their votes counted before this Senate votes on a lifetime appointment to our Nation's highest Court. The people should be heard first, but it is clear that the majority leader and a majority of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have no interest in listening to the people. That is why they are rushing and ramming President 's Supreme Court nomination forward just days before the election. prgtoken This rigged and illegitimate process is wrong, and it follows a pattern of the majority leader and Senate s abusing their power to break their own standards on Supreme Court nominations. prgtoken Back in 2016, 8 months before the election, President nominated Merrick Garland to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court after the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia. Judge Garland is a highly experienced and qualified judge, and I have no doubt that had he been given the opportunity, he would have earned more than 60 votes in the U.S. Senate. But he was never given that opportunity because the majority leader decided to deny Judge Garland a hearing and a vote in the Senate. prgtoken With the standards broken on the Garland nomination, the majority leader established a new one: no Supreme Court nominations by the Senate during an election year. Here we are in an election year. However, Majority Leader McConnell has broken his own rule and created yet another new one. Instead of applying the same standard that he imposed on President with the Garland nomination in March of 2016, 8 months before an election, he created a new standard now for President with his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett made 39 days before an election. The majority leader is rushing President 's nominee forward, with a Senate vote as people are voting, as we stand 1 week--1 week--before election day. prgtoken What is the rush? My home State is a national red zone for COVID-19. We are experiencing our worst outbreak of infections since the pandemic began, breaking records for new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Right now, people want action, support, and relief from Washington. prgtoken The House passed the Heroes Act over 5 months ago. Was there a rush for the Senate majority to take action to confront the public health and economic crisis tha
prayer
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-10-25

I rise today out of grave concern with the direction of the Senate as an institution and with the choices being made on behalf of the American people. prgtoken By almost every account, our economy remains severely wounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cases are still rising. In fact, a record was set just in the last couple of days. Small businesses are, unfortunately, closing at an accelerating rate. Foreclosures and evictions are on the rise. Jobless benefits for many have run out. And our State and local governments are running dangerously low on resources to assist teachers, first responders, firefighters, and so many others. prgtoken But rather than focusing on the immediate needs of the American people and acting to remove the uncertainty being felt by families across this country and in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Senate is preparing to pursue a partisan exercise to fundamentally alter the composition of our Supreme Court. prgtoken This comes as we are just a week away from November 3, when Americans will go to the polls to cast their ballots in a Presidential election. In my State, the Commonwealth of Virginia, literally almost 2 million Virginians have already voted. prgtoken President and the majority leader are jamming through, at this moment, a divisive nominee to fill Justice Ginsburg's seat on the Supreme Court--Judge Amy Coney Barrett. prgtoken The Senate has never confirmed a Supreme Court nominee this close to election day. The election is in a week. Nearly 60 million people have already voted. And while they eviscerate Senate precedent and rush toward a Supreme Court nomination, they delay passing the kind of critical legislation in terms of additional COVID relief that would help millions of Americans make it through the economic crisis. prgtoken Think about that. Every day we wait to pass a comprehensive COVID stimulus bill, more people than necessary will get sick, some will die, businesses will be lost. Families will lose their homes, and millions of unemployed workers will continue to wonder how they are going to make ends meet. prgtoken So why has the President rushed Judge Barrett's nomination through the Senate? The President is jamming through this nomination because there is so much on the line with this Supreme Court vacancy. prgtoken On November 10, just 1 week after the election, the Supreme Court will hear a case that could invalidate the Affordable Care Act and rip healthcare coverage away from more than 20 million Americans--20 million Americans--in the middle of a pandemic. prgtoken The President and my colleagues here in Congress have already tried--and tried again and tried again--and failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act through Congress. Now they have turned to our Nation's Supreme Court in a purely political effort that could devastate our Nation's healthcare system. prgtoken They have offered no replacement plan that would a
TRIBUTE TO NANCY EVERHART
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2020-10-25

I would like to recognize Nancy Everhart on the occasion of her retirement from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. Nancy Everhart has been a true Vermont leader in agriculture and conservation, dedicating her decades-long career to the protection of farmland and the viability of the farmers who rely on it. She retires with an extensive list of accomplishments. The passion she applies to her work has had a tremendous impact on the Vermont landscape, as well as our Nation's agricultural future. prgtoken Nancy was a farmer first. As a strong pioneer of Vermont's organic movement during the 1980s, she was among the first Vermonters to sell organic milk to her community. Her work and that of other like-minded farmers in Vermont were catalysts in the early organic movement that ultimately led me to introduce the Organic Food Production Act as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Enacted as part of the 1990 farm bill, that bill created the first-ever standards and label for what is now a $50 billion industry. Even as she became a national leader in conservation, Nancy has still maintained a small, diversified, organic farm at her home in Marshfield, VT. Her personal experiences as a farmer have afforded her a unique perspective and credibility to bring to each phase of her career. prgtoken As the conservation director for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Nancy has led or contributed directly to the conservation of more than 77,000 acres across nearly 500 parcels of Vermont farmland. These projects have helped to keep Vermont farms viable by allowing farm owners to access substantial capital and benefit from their most valuable asset, their land. Those benefits, however, do not stop at the fence line. Nancy knows that investments in preserving working landscapes benefit the rural communities that surround them and contribute greatly to the tourist and outdoor economies of rural States like Vermont. They can be a bridge to the next generation, often providing young and beginning farmers the opportunity to overcome their biggest hurdle: accessing affordable farmland to start and grow their enterprise. When that succession of stewardship is broken and working lands fall out of production, it can exact an immeasurable price from the community. prgtoken Nancy's decades of work have exemplified and brought home to Vermont exactly the outcomes that I envisioned when I worked to establish the Federal role for farmland protection in the 1990 and 1996 farm bills. Since that time, Nancy has drawn on her vast experience to provide counsel on how to expand that role and continually improve farmland conservation provisions, including most recently in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program --ACEP--provisions of the 2018 farm prgtoken bill. Those provisions greatly enhance the delivery and flexibility of farmland conservation programs, not just for Vermont but across the entir
prayer
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-10-25

everything that has happened since the untimely passing of the legendary Justice Ginsburg is a clear reminder that much of what goes on in Washington, DC, is simply not on the level. prgtoken Right now, our country is hurting--mass death, mass unemployment, mass hunger, and suffering among children. The two sides in Congress ought to be addressing those challenges together. prgtoken Now more than ever, while so many are so fearful about tomorrow, the rules the Senate goes by and the agreements the Senate makes need to stand for something. That is how I felt when I negotiated for the $600- per-week unemployment insurance boost in March. prgtoken The Treasury Secretary for the s agreed to it, but then, at the last minute, Senators pretended otherwise and tried to vote it out of the bill. Think about that. There was an agreement between both sides, and the one thing that Senate s wanted to do was to break the agreement and keep workers from getting that extra money to pay the rent and the food bill at a time when they had been laid off through no fault of their own. prgtoken Another example is unfolding right before our eyes. Until a few weeks ago, Leader McConnell and Chairman Graham would have told you it was essentially the 11th commandment, carved in stone: No election-year Supreme Court appointments. Again, s went back on their word. prgtoken If the cure to COVID-19 was partisanship and rule-breaking, then Senate s might be onto something with their low stunt on the high Court, but it is not. prgtoken The American people have a much more sensitive radar for unfairness than Senate s. When I was home during the 2-week period here recently, I went to counties that won decisively and counties that Hillary Clinton won in 2016. Folks I talked to in both communities, in both areas, said the person who wins the 2020 election should be the one who chooses the Court nominee. In this case, the American people know what is at stake for them because they see the consequences of rule-breaking. prgtoken If Judge Barrett is confirmed and does what has repeatedly said he requires of a nominee--help him throw out the Affordable Care Act--here is what will happen: Tens of millions of Americans will suddenly lose their healthcare during a pandemic. COVID- 19 will become a preexisting condition used by insurance companies to once again discriminate against consumers. It will take America back to the days when healthcare was for the healthy and wealthy. prgtoken Even the nominee herself shows this process on judicial nominees is so dysfunctional and so broken, it doesn't come close to being on the level. Amy Coney Barrett may have established herself as the Babe Ruth of saying pretty much nothing. prgtoken Now, everybody understands that nominees typically clam up during these hearings. I don't expect Judge Barrett to disavow hea
Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett (Executive Calendar)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-10-25

I rise to speak in opposition to the confirmation of Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court. We should not be holding this vote. prgtoken We are in the eleventh hour of a Presidential election, and 56 million Americans have already voted. The American people are sending a message, and we ought to hear what they have to say. prgtoken Instead, what is happening in the Senate is an obscene power grab by my colleagues to bypass democracy and force the least popular and most extreme views of their party onto the American people with no regard for the life-and-death consequences of their actions. prgtoken So, my friends in the majority, you had a decade to create an alternative to the Affordable Care Act. You still have no viable plan. And after failing to repeal it in 2017 and suffering an unprecedented electoral rebuke in 2018, you are relying on the Supreme Court to do your dirty work. prgtoken Oral arguments in California v. Texas, the legal challenge brought by -led States with the administration's support are on the Court's docket November 10. We know full well that a 6-to-3 conservative majority of the Supreme Court is likely to overturn it or maybe just gut the ACA so deeply it will effectively be dead, as if that is somehow any better. prgtoken At least 20 million people are at risk of losing their healthcare coverage, and 135 million may lose protections for preexisting conditions. The fact that you are even willing to roll the dice with their healthcare in the middle of a global pandemic that has already affected more than 8 million Americans and killed over 224,000 of your countrymen is reckless and cruel. Don't you see you are playing with fire? And you don't seem to care that hundreds of millions of Americans, Americans you represent, are going to get burned. It is not as if you aren't hearing from people in your States who fear a future without access to healthcare; it is that you are not listening. prgtoken Yesterday, I spent some time with New Jerseyans for whom the Affordable Care Act--in their words, not mine--is a matter of life or death. For several of them, going without quality healthcare coverage is, in their words, a death sentence. prgtoken I wonder how many of you would have the courage to listen to their stories, look them in the eye, and tell them you have no plan to protect their care. I suspect not many. So I am going to share just a few of their stories. prgtoken Stephanie Vigario is a 31-year-old essential worker, a pharmacy technician from Newark, NJ, who caught COVID-19. She spent 2 months--2 months--fighting for her life in a hospital, including 35 days on a ventilator. By the grace of God, she survived, but her life may never be the same. Even after all the intensive rehabilitation she went through, she is still working on her recovery. prgtoken There are hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 survivors like her grappling with the long-term health con
Medical care for the uninsured could cost billions more (Executive Calendar)
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-10-25

I want to thank my colleague from New Mexico for his remarks just now. prgtoken I rise today to join him and my other ic colleagues in opposing Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court. prgtoken I want to begin by acknowledging the nature of the moment that we are in right now. We are mere days from an election day, during an election period in which tens of millions of Americans have already voted. We are grappling with a global pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 220,000 Americans, and millions are out of work. prgtoken Yet, rather than focusing on providing the comprehensive relief that lives and livelihoods are depending upon, s have instead made pushing this nomination through their top priority. prgtoken The American people deserve better. prgtoken One of the most solemn responsibilities of a U.S. Senator is providing advice and consent with regard to a Presidential Supreme Court nomination. This is a lifetime appointment to the highest Court in our land, which will impact the lives of every single person in this country. The consequences of this nomination are far-reaching, and right now there is perhaps no more consequential issue than healthcare. prgtoken The administration and s in Congress have been relentless in their attempts to sabotage our healthcare system, repeal the Affordable Care Act, and eliminate the healthcare protections that millions of people depend on. prgtoken But for years, s have failed legislatively to repeal this law. So now, instead, they have turned to the courts. President said he wants to ``terminate'' the Affordable Care Act, and has said that he would nominate judges who would do just that. prgtoken One week after this election, just 9 days away, the Supreme Court will hear the lawsuit supported by the administration to repeal the entire Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with preexisting benefits. prgtoken It is no secret that this is why Senate s have rushed Judge Barrett's nomination through. prgtoken For some of my colleagues, this nomination is a means to an end, a way to finally repeal the Affordable Care Act, a law that has helped so many. For the American people, however, this isn't a game. prgtoken Over the course of the last several weeks, people in my home State of New Hampshire and across the country have spoken out about what the repeal of this law would mean for them, just as they have spoken out each time that s have tried to take coverage away. prgtoken I recently heard from Michelle and Joe O'Leary of Atkinson, NH. Michelle and Joe's son Matty was diagnosed with a rare brain condition at the age of 4. Right now, Matty is doing well, but he requires a lifesaving brain infusion treatment at the hospital, from 4 to 6 hours every 2 weeks. prgtoken His father said that the minute that they miss an infusion, Matty's health would begin to decline
TRIBUTE TO MAJOR AUBREY GREGORY
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-10-25

I rise today to honor one of Louisville's finest, Louisville Metro Police Major Aubrey Gregory, who was shot on September 23, 2020, during the protest in Louisville. Fortunately, Major Gregory is expected to make a full recovery. I join my fellow Kentuckians in wishing Major Gregory a speedy recovery. prgtoken Police work is an unquestionably difficult and dangerous job, but it is among the noblest callings. Each and every day, officers risk their lives to keep our communities safe. Officers such as Louisville Metro Police Major Aubrey Gregory meet the challenges they encounter every day with professionalism, class, and courage. Major Gregory joined the LMPD in 1999 and leads the Louisville Metro Police Special Operations Unit. prgtoken Serving to keep the peace in Louisville during a time of uncertainty, Major Gregory has led his fellow officers with class and courage during this difficult time. Dedicated service from officers like Major Gregory during times of protest is important to keep protests peaceful instead of a riot. Major Gregory and his fellow officers deserve and have our respect and admiration.