mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Tracy Stone-Manning (Executive Calendar)
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-7-27

I rise today to join my colleagues in opposing the motion to discharge President 's nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management, Tracy Stone-Manning. prgtoken Since Ms. Stone-Manning's first hearing in the beginning of June, members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee have gathered copious amounts of information regarding a number of controversies that disqualify her for this important role within our Federal Government. prgtoken As has been highlighted today, Ms. Stone-Manning was involved in a tree-spiking plot as a member of the ecoterrorist group Earth First!--a tree-spiking plot. prgtoken I have to tell you, I didn't know what tree spiking was until a couple of weeks ago. prgtoken Could you imagine taking this nail and driving it into a tree with the hopes it would deter that tree from ever being cut down prgtoken And the concern is, someone that would take a chain saw, cutting through that tree, when they would hit this spike, what would happen? prgtoken I, unfortunately, had to take care of more than one chain saw situation in the emergency room. Let me tell you about a chain saw accident. The chain doesn't cut the flesh; it tears the flesh apart. It tears the skin apart, the muscles apart. It grabs the tendon and literally wraps them around the chain saw, usually permanently maiming people. prgtoken So could you imagine, if a chain saw hit this spike, what would happen? prgtoken Again, I have ran a chain saw before, and I know, as you are running the chain saw and you hit something solid, something hard--a knot-- sometimes that chain saw bounces. It bounces back into your body. And that is where most of the accidents occur. prgtoken So could you imagine, if that chain saw hit this spike, the chain saw is going to bounce back, going to recoil into the person's body, and turns this spike into a piece of shrapnel? prgtoken This Earth First! Ms. Stone was a member of is a radical organization that spanned the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the peak years of what is often referred to as ``the wilderness wars.'' As described by the Wall Street Journal, Earth First! had, at the time, ``defined itself''--and I should quote here, ``defined itself as the tip of the fanatical spear,'' and Ms. Stone-Manning was referred to as ``an Earth First! spokesperson.'' prgtoken Debuting in 1985, the group engaged in a number of protests over the expansion of certain campgrounds and street theater asking people to take oaths to protect the Earth. However, they graduated into violence and ecoterrorist activities, including arson, equipment destruction, and the dangerous practice of tree spiking, which mangles saws and can easily result in the death of loggers. prgtoken In 1989, Ms. Stone-Manning was involved in an incident of tree spiking herself. Despite her denial, she was aware of the act being carried out, aided those who were involved, and helped cover it up. She obstructed the investigation a
Nomination of Tracy Stone-Manning (Executive Calendar)
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-7-27

in 1989, Tracy Stone-Manning rented a typewriter to draft and then send a letter threatening those who might choose to harvest trees. The letter stated that the trees in question had been sabotaged with hundreds of pounds of spikes. She closed the letter with: ``You bastards go in there anyway,'' meaning notwithstanding her threat, ``and a lot of people could get hurt.'' prgtoken She and her cohorts thus used the threat of physical violence to achieve a political goal. This is the definition of terrorism. prgtoken In 1993, multiple associates of Ms. Stone-Manning were convicted of tree spiking by a Federal jury. Though she signed and swore that the information provided to the committee was ``to the best of [her] knowledge and belief, current, accurate, and complete,'' Ms. Stone- Manning told the Energy and Natural Resources Committee that she had never been investigated. prgtoken This was, in fact, not true. It was widely reported that in 1990, Ms. Stone-Manning was required to give hair samples, a full set of fingerprints, and writing samples. This was already a year after she had conspired with her circle of friends, members of the radical environmentalist group Earth First!. She was still not cooperating with the authorities. prgtoken Now, how do we know that she was, in fact, a target of the investigation and not simply a bystander? Well, we know that based on a letter from Michael Merkley, a retired special agent criminal investigator for the Forest Service. He writes the following: [The witness] described how Ms. Stone-Manning typed and mailed the letter to the Forest Service. She also recounted a conversation she had overheard wherein Ms. Stone-Manning along with other co-conspirators planned the tree spiking and discussed whether to use ceramic or metal spikes in the trees. As a result of [the witness's] testimony, the grand jury sent Ms. Stone-Manning a ``target letter'' which meant she was going to be indicted on criminal charges for her active participation in planning these crimes. She hired an attorney who negotiated a deal with an Assistant United States Attorney to gain immunity in exchange for her testimony against the other defendants. prgtoken Ms. Stone-Manning did not gain immunity simply for being a good person or a model citizen. No, she traded her knowledge after withholding it for years. This is verified by her own admission in the May 21, 1993, edition of the Missoulian, reading: Stone-Manning said she could have been charged with conspiracy . . . were it not for the agreement she reached with the U.S. attorney. prgtoken Furthermore, she received a target letter, meaning she knew very well that she had been under investigation. prgtoken This is a direct contradiction of a sworn statement that she made to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on which I serve, so she del
Nomination of Tracy Stone-Manning (Executive Calendar)
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2021-7-27

. and fellow Senators, I rise today to join the chorus of my colleagues that are urging that Tracy Stone-Manning not be confirmed and, indeed, not even be discharged from the committee that voted to not send her to the floor for confirmation. prgtoken First of all, it is amazing to me that someone with this background has been appointed to this position. Now, I understand she has held some positions in the State of Montana for politicians there, and I don't comment on that. That is up to them, who they want the hire to do that. prgtoken In Idaho, that has a very, very significant number of acres of BLM ground, we have a different view of how our public resources should be protected and be administered, and this appointee in no way reflects the values we have. prgtoken This woman is an ecoterrorist. She participated in a conspiracy to murder people who work in the timber industry for a living. She is a perjurer, very recently. And she is someone who is supposed to put out fires and, as late as 2020, has made very disqualifying statements regarding her desire to do that and, indeed, commitment to do that. prgtoken Let's start with the ecoterrorist charge. I want to go a little bit further than what my colleague who just spoke did about using a chain saw to tear down--or to take down a tree in the forest. prgtoken Let me explain to you how this works. The prop that he held up was a spike that ecoterrorists put in trees. There is one reason to put a spike in a tree--one reason and one reason only--and that is to kill and to maim the people who harvest that tree. prgtoken These are innocent people who are involved in the timber business. They are my friends. They are my neighbors. We have lots of them in Idaho, and they work in a dangerous industry anyway. But for someone to go out and intentionally put these spikes in the trees, as the Senator spoke before me, Senator Marshall mentioned, there can be an injury in the forest when you are actually cutting the tree with a chain saw. prgtoken But that isn't the main difficulty with this. The main difficulty is when it hits the mill. They cut these logs up into mill-sized pieces and then run them through the mill, which is cut either with a circular saw or band saw into boards. And when that happens, the log and saw move very quickly through the log and cut up the wood into timber, which is not a problem unless there is a spike in the way. If there is a spike in the way, somebody in that mill will be badly injured and/or killed. prgtoken When that saw hits the spike, the saw shatters, the spike shatters, and it sends shrapnel to everybody who is standing within the vicinity. It has happened. It is documented. And it is ugly. prgtoken So when ecoterrorists do this, this is not a Sunday school prank. This is an act knowingly, willfully, intentionally with a black and abandoned heart committed in order to murder someone who works in the timber industry. This is w
RECOGNIZING DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO, BEING NAMED THE SECOND HEALTHIEST COMMUNITY IN THE U.S.
Ken Buck (Republican, CO) \u2014 2021-7-27

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate Douglas County, Colorado, being named the second healthiest community in the United States by U.S. News and World Report in 2021. Douglas County was ranked second in the nation in both 2020 and 2018 and topped the annual list in 2019. prgtoken Douglas County enjoys 300 days of sunshine each year and, thanks to the beautiful Rocky Mountains, is home to some of the world's best hiking and outdoor recreation. Surrounded by 63,000 acres of natural land, Douglas County is home to three state parks, the Reuter-Hess Reservoir, and incredible walking trails, like the Devil's Head National Recreation Trail. These natural areas are important to the community as they provide recreational opportunities like fishing, hiking, boating, and biking to be enjoyed by residents. prgtoken This recognition as the second healthiest county is a testament to not only the beautiful natural areas of the Centennial State, but also its local government officials and those who call Douglas County home. As one of the fastest growing communities in the country, Douglas County has been ranked by the American City Business Journal as one of the best counties in the U.S. for quality of life. prgtoken On behalf of the 4th Congressional District of Colorado, I am honored to celebrate this recognition alongside the residents and local government of Douglas County, Colorado.
Biden Administration (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-7-27

there is still a lot of reason to be concerned. The Department's reversal was cloaked in bureaucratic language, leaving room for a future flip-flop by the administration. Too many schools around the country are already considering or adopting outlandish proposals informed by critical race theory, from a math course that suggests that focusing on the right answer in math is grounded in racism to materials implying that the nuclear family is somehow inherently racist. prgtoken This is a grave disservice to students of all races, and we need to make sure that Federal education dollars are going to genuine history and civics education and not radical propaganda. We owe all American students better than historically inaccurate history lessons. prgtoken .
RECOGNIZING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF MR. VERN OLLAR OF KERRVILLE, TEXAS
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-27

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mr. Vern Ollar of Kerrville, Texas. Corporal Ollar served with Company B of the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion, United States Army, in World War II. His unit was commended with a Presidential Unit Citation for their heroic landing on D-Day at the Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach. They supported the Army Rangers at Pointe Du Hoc, and then went on to beat the Nazis on the other side of Paris. He was in the first unit to enter Germany under the 4th Armored Division. prgtoken After victory in Europe was declared, Corporal Ollar taught Belgian civilians how to detect enemy mortar locations. When World War II came to an end, Corporal Ollar finally headed back home to the United States of America where he and his wife Jayne raised four children. Mr. Ollar gained experience in the private sector and eventually started his own business, Ollar Hardware Company Incorporated. He retired in 1985 and sold the business to his children. prgtoken Mr. Ollar lost his dear wife Jayne after 55 years of marriage in 1997. He later married again to Diane, and together they are blessed with six children. The French Government awarded Mr. Ollar with their Legion of Honor in 2014 as a token of thanks for his role in liberating their country. prgtoken Like many of his fellow World War II veterans, Mr. Ollar found it difficult to speak about his war-time experiences. However, that changed when he traveled to Normandy for the 70th anniversary of his landing there. Mr. Ollar was touched by the fact that civilian homes sit safe and sound on the very same hill that his unit climbed on June 6, 1944. This anniversary trip helped Mr. Ollar speak about his World War II experiences for the first time. prgtoken He and Diane both fought a very different battle this past year and were victorious against their enemy, the COVID-19 virus. It is a privilege and honor to rise today in honor of a true American hero, Mr. Vern Ollar, in recognition of his 100th birthday.
Remembering Mike Enzi (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-27

I rise to speak about the life and legacy of our friend, Mike Enzi, and his sudden loss. prgtoken I saw Mike via Zoom just last week at the Senate prayer breakfast. Mike got up a little earlier than the rest of us to be able to join us over the internet from Wyoming. But he liked participating in the prayer breakfast. And as we were reminded by some of our colleagues--I think Senator Lankford may have mentioned it--Mike could always be depended on if somebody was a last-minute cancellation, which happened from time to time. prgtoken Of course, it had only been a matter of a few months since Mike had retired, marking the conclusion of a storied career in public service. Mike literally did it all. He served in the military and at every level of government, from the mayor's office in Gillette to the State legislature, to here in the U.S. Senate. And he always put the people of Wyoming first. prgtoken Mike was pretty unique in this place because he never sought the spotlight. In many ways, it seemed like he was allergic to getting any sort of attention from the press or otherwise. Whether he was in the midst of a high-pressure negotiation or celebrating a big legislative victory, Mike did not run to the TV cameras or reporters in the hallways. He preferred to work quietly behind the scenes, effectively resolving differences in a quiet, thoughtful way. And once he succeeded, he didn't claim the credit for himself. He claimed credit for others. prgtoken During Mike's 24 years in the Senate, he certainly had a lot of successes to celebrate, and he let me in on his winning formula not long after I got here. At the time, he and the liberal lion of the Senate, Teddy Kennedy, were chairman and ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. I think they may have swapped out as majorities changed; one became chairman, and the other became ranking member. prgtoken But I asked him how Mike, the staunch Western conservative that he was, could work so productively with somebody who shared very different views. And he told me it is easy. It is the 80-20 rule. You are not going to agree or disagree with 100 percent of what someone has to say, but if you focus on the 20 percent or that that you will never agree on, you overlook the 80 percent that you can agree on. prgtoken Well, as simple as it may sound, it is a winning formula for success here in the Senate, and more of us should practice the 80-20 rule. At a time when more attention is paid to what divides us than what unites us, I hope the legacy of Mike Enzi and the 80-20 rule will remain a constant in the Senate. prgtoken As we honor the life and legacy of our good friend, Mike Enzi, there is another favorite saying of his that has been on my mind. He used to say: You have to have an attitude of gratitude. prgtoken Well, Mike was always grateful--grateful to God, grateful to live in this great country, grateful to the people of Wyoming
Remembering Mike Enzi (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-7-27

the Senate is stunned and grieving this morning. Our dear friend and former colleague Senator Mike Enzi passed away last night following a serious bike accident this past weekend. prgtoken Mike was 77 years old and only about 7 months into retirement. Our friend was blessed with a great American life, and he lived it well. Mike was hugely accomplished but at the same time humble. He was powerful; he was influential but earnest and deeply kind. He was ambitious, but on behalf of the people of Wyoming, not personal gain or glory. prgtoken Mike's quarter-century career in the U.S. Senate capped a storied career in public service. He was elected mayor of Gillette, WY, at just 30 years old. He was a young husband, running a family business, but he saw an opportunity to put his shoulder to help his neighbors. prgtoken Well, to be more precise, our former colleague and Mike's predecessor, Al Simpson, gave him a not-so-subtle nudge. It was more like conscription. Gillette needed help, and this up-and-comer was exactly what the booming town needed at that time. prgtoken Diana agreed to let Mike throw his hat in the ring, and the rest is history. The mayor's office eventually gave way to the Wyoming House, then the State senate, and then this Senate. prgtoken Here, Mike built a two-part reputation that might have struck people as contradictory. On the one hand, Mike was a principled, hard-nosed conservative. He chaired the HELP Committee and the Budget Committee with a small businessman's painstaking financial eye. In fact, when he first unpacked his office, Mike was the Senate's only trained accountant. He was central to getting generational tax reform off the starting blocks. He was a policy leader in our conference. But at the same time, this principled westerner was also universally known as one of the kindest, most thoughtful, most respectful Senators on either side of the aisle. prgtoken Mike's famous 80-20 rule helped him find bipartisan common ground on a long list of significant issues. I know he was particularly proud of his focus on the global fight against AIDS. prgtoken On the HELP Committee, Mike cut important deals with his counterpart and ideological opposite, Ted Kennedy. Neither Senator walked away from his principles; they just wanted to find where those principles actually fit together. prgtoken Mike's policy wins were many. But at the end of the day, Mike knew what everyone else around here knew: His greatest accomplishment was winning Diana's hand and building their family together. prgtoken Their marriage, their partnership, was a Senate institution unto itself. The Enzis' kindness overflowed into legendary parties and generous gifts for the entire Senate community, especially the behind- the scenes all-stars who do not get thanked nearly enough. prgtoken So Mike Enzi departed the Senate having changed policy and law for the better because of his mind. And now he has departed this life hav
Nomination of Tracy Stone-Manning (Executive Calendar)
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2021-7-27

President 's nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management, Tracy prgtoken Stone-Manning, may not have personally spiked trees--that is what the facts have shown as we have investigated--but she covered up a terrifying tree-spiking crime until she faced possible prosecution. prgtoken For many who are watching, what is tree spiking? I think it is very important to know that these are these large spikes that ecoterrorists put into trees for the purposes of injuring loggers or sawmill operators. When the blade goes through it, when the blade strikes these large spikes, the blade explodes like a grenade, causing serious injury to sawmill operators or loggers. prgtoken For 4 years, she refused to tell Federal investigators who the perpetrators were--the time from 1989 to 1993--even though she knew and had every opportunity to tell it. This happened in my home State. The actual spiking was in Idaho, but when the Feds were doing the investigation, this was in Missoula, MT. She was covering this up until she faced probable prosecution. She has never apologized for this crime, for covering it up. I think the coverup is as serious, in many ways, as anything else. For this reason and some others, I oppose her confirmation and believe that Montana and our Nation deserve better. prgtoken One week ago today, I stood here and laid out the new and very damning information we had learned just over the last 47 days about Ms. Stone-Manning and her obstruction of a Federal investigation into an ecoterrorist tree-spiking crime. In fact, just last week, in a U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee meeting on Ms. Stone- Manning, my colleagues and I urged committee to listen to the new information, to listen to the alarming new facts that we have learned about her knowledge of the crime and the relationship she had with the perpetrators. prgtoken In coming from Montana and having spoken with several Montana State legislators, I want to make sure my colleagues understand that the story that was told for years is much different than what we now know to be true. Up until 47 days ago, Montanans, the Montana State Legislature, the Montana media, and I were led to believe that, in the tree-spiking crime that happened in 1989, Ms. Stone-Manning was a hero, that she helped put bad people in jail. As I shared last week, that is unequivocally false. prgtoken Here is the truth: Ms. Stone-Manning obstructed the Federal investigation for 4 years. Rather than bring criminals to justice--we are talking about very bad people who went on to commit even more violence--Ms. Stone-Manning assisted and helped them evade justice for years--for years. Now, last week, during the committee meeting and the debate we had over Ms. Stone-Manning's nomination, there was discussion, discussion as to whether or not she was part of the investigation at all or whether she was a target of the investigation. prgtoken Wha