mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-2-15

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 available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
Nomination of Ana C. Reyes (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-2-15

today, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Ana Reyes, who has been nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. prgtoken Ms. Reyes first immigrated to this country when she was 5 years old. At the time, she could not speak any English. That quickly changed through her hard work and with the help of her first-grade teacher, Pat Harkleroad, who came to Ms. Reyes' Louisville, KY, elementary school an hour early each morning to provide one-on-one English lessons. prgtoken Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Ms. Reyes built off of this foundational experience to earn her B.A. summa cum laude from Transylvania University in 1996 and her J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2000. prgtoken After clerking for the Honorable Amalya Kearse on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Ms. Reyes joined Williams & Connolly as an associate in 2001. Promoted to partner in 2009, Ms. Reyes has spent her career specializing in complex litigation and international arbitration, trying 10 cases to verdict, judgment, or final decision. prgtoken Although she has been in private practice for her whole career, Ms. Reyes has illustrated her commitment to public service by devoting over 3,300 hours to pro bono work. While her pro bono work spans several fields, including criminal defense, a significant amount of her efforts has been directed towards representing asylum seekers fleeing political persecution, torture, and gender-based violence. prgtoken The American Bar Association has unanimously rated Ms. Reyes as ``well qualified'' to serve on the D.C. District Court and, if confirmed, she will be the first Hispanic woman and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to ever serve on the D.C. District Court. prgtoken I look forward to supporting this highly-qualified nominee and urge my colleagues to join me in doing so.
REMEMBERING DANNY KALEIKINI
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2023-2-15

with the passing of Danny Kaleikini, Hawai'i has lost a legend. An incredibly talented musician and a wonderfully kind individual, Danny was a living embodiment of the aloha spirit, someone who represented the very best of Hawai'i. prgtoken Danny grew up on O'ahu, one of eight kids in a two-bedroom house. He started selling newspapers at 6 years old and found an early passion for music, learning to sing and play the trumpet and drums. After high school, he pursued a career in music--and in 1967, at just 29 years old, landed a twice-a-night show at the Kahala Hilton. prgtoken But Danny wasn't content just having a show. A savvy promoter, he would traverse Waikiki during the day, `ukulele player and hula dancer in tow, promoting that night's performance. And an astute businessman, he oversaw the managing, staging, and producing of it--becoming one of the first musicians to offer VHS tapes of shows. prgtoken For nearly 30 years, Danny took the stage 6-to-7 nights a week, performing more than 10,000 times in Honolulu, as well as at Carnegie Hall in New York, Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and across Japan. He earned a Guinness book of records nomination, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hawai'i Academy of Recording Arts. He even dabbled in acting, appearing in ``Hawai'i Five-O'' and in the 1970 movie ``The Hawaiians,'' where he arrested Charlton Heston. prgtoken But while his talent was undeniable, what set Danny apart was an unparalleled, infectious enthusiasm. Danny learned greetings in dozens of languages and enjoyed connecting with people from across the world. As another Hawai'i legend, comedian Andy Bumatai, once said, ``if aliens landed at the Hilton, Danny would greet them in their own language.'' prgtoken Danny lived a life of joy, generosity, and aloha. His voice, warmth, and spirit will be well remembered and greatly missed. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and all those who loved him. prgtoken May he rest in peace and aloha. And may his spirit live on.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-2-15

. Finally, on the China surveillance balloon and what happened over the weekend, after yesterday's briefing, it is clear our defense and intelligence Agencies remain laser-focused on gathering every piece of information about what happened over U.S. and Canadian airspace. prgtoken John Kirby said these most recent objects did not pose any direct threat to people on the ground. That is very important. People should not worry about that. Of course, we have much more to learn. Today, we are going to have another all-Senators briefing on the State of U.S. defense readiness with respect to China. I am sure that will include a discussion of the military but also of our surveillance abilities. prgtoken s eager to score political points right at this moment are doing nothing more than engaging in premature attacks. It is precipitous. It is no time for premature partisanship. We need to work together in Congress to get to the bottom of what happened, which Senator Tester is taking the lead on here in the Senate. I thank him and all of my colleagues of good faith for working together.
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-2-15

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 16; 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; further, that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Martinez-Lopez nomination postcloture; further, 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.
TRIBUTE TO WHIDBEY ISLAND PILOTS
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-2-15

I rise today to recognize the Lieutenants prgtoken Peggy Dente and Lyndsay Evans of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island for making history on February 12, 2023, as part of the first-ever all- women flyover at the Super Bowl pregame, commemorating 50 years of women serving in the U.S. Navy. prgtoken Both of these extraordinary women represent the best of what Washington State--and our Nation--has to offer. Not only do the two share over a decade of friendship, they also bring with them a keen sense of duty and deep commitment to excellence in aviation. prgtoken In 1973, eight women broke new ground by being selected for naval aviation training for the first time in our Nation's history. Five decades later, we are seeing more women and girls express interest in taking to the skies through service and leadership at every level of naval aviation. In performing their first ever flyover, Dente and Evans have quite literally proven that with women at the helm, the sky is the limit. prgtoken I know breaking into a field dominated by men isn't easy, when I first got to the Senate, there wasn't even a women's bathroom off the Senate floor. But every day, women like Lieutenants Dente and Evans are setting an example for young girls that with hard work, they can follow their dreams and achieve their goals. prgtoken I offer my sincere thanks to the lieutenants for their service to our country and my congratulations for proudly representing Washington State on the national stage. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating this tremendous accomplishment.
Maiden Speech (Executive Calendar)
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-2-15

I rise today profoundly humbled by the people of California for placing their trust in me to serve and represent them for a full term in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken It is a tremendous honor to return to this body, and I also recognize that it is also a tremendous responsibility. prgtoken To the people of California, thank you, and please know that I will work hard every single day to uphold that trust. prgtoken And to my colleagues who have helped me hit the ground running since my first day in the Senate 2 years ago, thank you, and that includes California's senior Senator, Dianne Feinstein, who has served the State of California for over three decades as a trailblazing public servant and a model for principled leadership, whom I have been honored to serve alongside. prgtoken And I will always be thankful for my parents, Santos and Lupe Padilla, for all they did for my brother, my sister, and me growing up. prgtoken And, of course, I could not be here without the love and support and often the patience and understanding of my wife Angela and our three boys, Roman, Alex, and Diego. prgtoken Now, as the first Latino elected to represent California in our State's history, it is not lost on me what this moment means for millions of people back home. I understand that my family's story is a reflection of what so many other hardworking families have experienced. prgtoken As I have shared many times before, my parents emigrated from Mexico. They came to the United States in search of a better life. For 40 years, my dad worked as a short order cook and my mom cleaned houses as they raised the three of us in the proud, working-class community of Pacoima, CA, in the San Fernando Valley. prgtoken I am proud of our family's journey, but it wasn't without our share of challenges. I remember what it looked like to see our neighborhood neglected, navigating everything from buckled sidewalks to drug dealers as we walked to and from school. prgtoken I remember what it was like for our family to live paycheck to paycheck--my mom, at times, bartering the mechanic, offering some of her homemade tacos for just a little bit more time to pay the bill. prgtoken And when it came time to figuring out how I was going to pay for college, I remember filling out the financial aid forms and realizing that tuition alone at MIT was a larger amount than my dad's W-2. prgtoken But it is because of their hard work and sacrifices that I stand here today. The very idea that a first-generation son of a short order cook and a housekeeper is now serving in the U.S. Senate is proof of the American dream. prgtoken But that dream has never been about passive participation. It is made possible by those who work for it and by those willing to defend it and expand it. It is about hopeful goals for a better future and the ambition to work towards them. It is about the drive to get up each morning before the sun rises, to put on a white apron, and push
Border Security (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-2-16

in January, monthly border crossings dropped below 200,000 for the first time since last March. Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection logged more than 156,000 illegal border crossings. This was the busiest January in more than two decades. Yet, somehow, the administration is trying to claim victory for this temporary dip in illegal border crossings. If you ask me, the President is popping the cork a little early. prgtoken For starters, these numbers are artificially reduced thanks to the administration's new parole program. Now, ``parole'' is not a commonly used word, but what the parole does in this context is it allows up to 30,000 people from specific countries per month into the United States. Basically, they are waved on through. If migrants enter the country on a legal basis, which is exactly what this program creates, they will never be tallied as part of the illegal migration statistics. So how better to make something illegal legal than to simply wave your magic wand and create a new category by which migrants are admitted to the United States? prgtoken In short, this new policy has allowed the administration to roll out the welcome mat for tens of thousands of migrants while pretending that the humanitarian and public safety crisis at the border is abating. It is not. It is not abating. prgtoken Second, January is a historically slow month for migration. During the previous administration, Customs and Border Protection logged an average of about 43,000 illegal border crossings each January. As a reminder, last month, we encountered 156,000--43,000 during the previous administration; this administration, 156,000 in January. prgtoken Now, as we head into spring, those numbers are sure to climb again. Warming temperatures and seasonal work always leads to increased migration, and I don't expect this year to be an exception. The numbers may have dropped temporarily last month, but there is no reason for the President to spike the football or to claim victory. prgtoken Every single day, thousands of migrants cross the United States- Mexico border. The overwhelming majority arrive here with only what they can carry on their backs. When they reach the United States, they need food, shelter, clothing, medical care, transportation, and the like. prgtoken Since President took office, the pace of illegal border crossings has made this already-tough job of caring for migrants increasingly more challenging just by the sheer volume of humanity coming across the border. So law enforcement, nonprofits, and folks in my State who live and work on the border have begged the administration to take action. It is not even fair to say that they were met with a shrug. Rather, they were just ignored. prgtoken In order to ease the burden on border communities in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott began transporting migrants to other States and cities last year. If the administration is g
UKRAINE
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-2-16

I would like to expand on my recent comments on the need to stand up to Putin to prevent future aggression and the death and suffering it causes. Specifically, I would like to address the calls from well-meaning people for a diplomatic solution. prgtoken Many people understandably want an end to the killing in Ukraine. I certainly do. So why not sit down and talk? As I have said before, we tried that after 2014, and it didn't work. We ended up with a full- scale invasion a year ago. prgtoken More fundamentally, it is important to consider what there is to negotiate over. To start with, what is the nature of the disagreement? In other words, assuming you could get Putin or his representative to a negotiating table, what are the opposing positions and the potential middle ground? prgtoken Vladimir Putin has continued to repeat his original stated war aims, ``demilitarization and denazification.'' Denazification in the context Putin uses it clearly means regime change. It is pretty clear that Putin thought he could take out the current elected government and install a puppet regime. President publicly released the intelligence we had to that effect before the war began, which I think was a smart move. prgtoken Demilitarization means that Ukraine has to give up its right to defend itself, allowing Russia a free hand to intervene with force if Ukraine ever again tries to assert its right to act independently of Russia. prgtoken Obviously, President Zelenskyy cannot ever agree to meet those two demands. No President of a sovereign country could. Of course, in Putin's mind, Ukraine is not a sovereign country. That is the problem. Putin repeats a false version of history that says Ukraine is an artificially created country and rightfully part of Russia. prgtoken Ukraine has a long history of independence before it was ever conquered by Russia, in fact long before Russia even existed. But, for decades, Putin has pushed a warped, imperialistic view of history that is all too common among Russians. prgtoken When Putin repeatedly invokes Peter the Great, we should be concerned. Remember, Peter the Great was a Russian expansionist emperor who conquered lands like Finland and the Baltics from Sweden. prgtoken It may be comforting to buy into Putin's propaganda that he feels concern for the people in parts of Ukraine where they speak Russian and that perhaps those people want to be Russian. That makes his motives seem like they might have some justification. It also lulls us into the belief that Putin will be appeased once he cleaves off a chunk of eastern Ukraine. There is absolutely no reason to believe that, nor has Putin actually said that. The Russian Federation in its current borders has subsumed many non-Russian ethnicities and languages from past imperial conquests. Not speaking Russian never stopped them before. prgtoken In 1939, the Soviet Union attacked Finland in the Winter War despite its languag
Tribute to R.C. Roberts (Executive Calendar)
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2023-2-16

thank you for that enthusiastic introduction. prgtoken I am here. Once again, it is the end of the week. At least in the Senate, it is the end of the week, not for the rest of America. But when we end up here with our work, on Thursday afternoon, I usually try and do a story about what I refer to as ``The Alaskan of the Week.'' prgtoken Hopefully, everybody can see this photo. We have included our Alaskans of the Week's pictures here. This is a really good one, if you are watching anywhere in Alaska, I hope, and across America. prgtoken Now, the reporters usually like this speech because it signals the end of their week. Normally, we have a crowd of press in the Gallery, maybe not so much today. prgtoken But it is about somebody who has done something good for their community or the State or maybe for their country. This Alaskan of the Week is actually someone who did something for the world--the world. Saved the world. Stay tuned. No exaggeration. prgtoken Now, I always like to give an update on what is happening back home. We are getting covered in snow--tons and tons of snow. The Sun is starting to come back. It is a very cold and snowy winter. The Iditarod is right around the corner--the last great race. Senator Murkowski and I will talk about that soon. It is a beautiful time of year if you love the outdoors--skiing, snow-machining. prgtoken So come visit Alaska. That is what I always do--make the pitch. prgtoken And people don't know this, but Alaska is also an incredibly diverse State. In fact, Anchorage, my hometown, the State's largest city, is home to the country's three most diverse census tracks--racially, in terms of nationalities. By the way, the fourth most diverse is Queens, NY. So more diverse than Queens, NY, in terms of race, ethnicities, and nationalities. We are very proud of our diversity. More than 100 languages are spoken in our schools--Native languages, other languages, foreign languages. We are diverse. prgtoken We are very patriotic. In fact, Alaska is home to more veterans per capita than any State in the country. White, Black, Asian American, Alaska Native, all different races make up that key part of Alaska's heritage, military service. prgtoken By the way, if you are watching the news, you know there is a lot going on over Alaska right now. But I just want to say a word about our military, Active-Duty, National Guard, and Reserve Forces. Think about what our guys and women have done the last 2 weeks: tracked and intercepted this big Russian spy balloon, tracked and intercepted at least two of these smaller unidentified objects and shot two of them down--the one over Alaska. The one in Canada, those were shot down by Alaskan forces in Canada. Then, in the last 4 nights, these same forces have gone and intercepted two different Russian ``Bear'' bombers and fighters--Russian fighters who were trying to get into our airspace. This is in 2 weeks. These are not easy missi
CONGRATULATING THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS ON THEIR VICTORY IN SUPER BOWL LVII
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-2-16

I thank Senator Moran for the opportunity to say a few words and congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs and all of Chiefs Kingdom. I just want to add my words of congratulations to the Hunt family. To Clark and Tavia and all of their kids, thank you for your friendship, thank you for your tremendous leadership. prgtoken I want to say congratulations to the president of the Chiefs, Mark Donovan, to Andy Reid, and I particularly want to add a word of congratulations to my friend on Butker, who delivered the game- winning kick, both in the AFC Championship and also in the Super Bowl. He had a tremendous, tremendous season. Of course, the entire team had a tremendous season. But, just on a personal note to on, well done, man--as you would say, to the heights. prgtoken So congratulations to all of the team, and I look forward to seeing this resolution and the memorialization of this victory entered into the Congressional Record. prgtoken With that, to the Senator from Kansas.
Crime (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-2-16

a growing share of American citizens across the political spectrum say tackling rampant crime must be a top priority. And it is certainly no mystery why they feel that way. Just take my own hometown. One neighborhood in East Louisville just endured more than 30 burglaries in 30 days. prgtoken Last year, Washington, DC, saw 203 homicides. Those victims included 18 children, a huge increase over the prior year. prgtoken And 2023 is already off to an even worse start. Homicides and carjackings are already ahead of last year's pace. Last week, the city's crime wave touched Congress directly. A Congresswoman from Minnesota, Representative Angie Craig, was attacked in the elevator of her own apartment building right here in the District. prgtoken It turns out the Congresswoman's attacker had been arrested and convicted no fewer than 12 times before, most recently for assaulting a Metropolitan police officer. But there he was, this career criminal, just out roaming the streets. prgtoken As the Congresswoman herself put it afterwards: We have to get these repeat offenders off the street. prgtoken You are darn right we do. Unfortunately, the radical local government here is doing precisely the opposite. prgtoken The DC Council has responded to the crime wave--listen to this--with a new bill to make the city even softer on crime. It lowers maximum penalties for violent crimes and creates new ways to shorten the sentences of incarcerated felons. prgtoken Well, the good news is the Constitution actually gives the U.S. Congress final say over issues in our Nation's Capital. And when the soft-on-crime local government has become completely incompetent; when Members of Congress can't go about their daily lives without being attacked; when families cannot come to visit our capital in safety, then it is about time the Federal Government provides some adult supervision. prgtoken Senate s, led by our colleague from Tennessee Bill Hagerty, are leading an effort to use the rightful authority of Congress to address this emergency. prgtoken Last week, the House passed their companion bill as well. And things have gotten so undeniably bad that more than 30 House crossed the aisle to support it. prgtoken So I hope the Senate ic leader will put partisanship aside and turn to Senator Hagerty's measure quickly when we reconvene. The safety and security of our citizens simply cannot wait.