mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TAXPAYER FIRST ACT OF 2019--Continued
Mitt Romney (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-6-16

I continue reading the letter from the Birmingham jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: I had hoped the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still all too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some--such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle--have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as ``dirty niggerlovers.'' Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful ``action'' antidotes to combat the disease of segregation. Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago. But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen. When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church. I felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behi
TAXPAYER FIRST ACT OF 2019--Continued
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2020-6-16

as I do every week, this past weekend, I went back to Tennessee. I will tell you, it really did my heart a lot of good to see people who are out and about and enjoying beautiful weather and enjoying our beautiful State. Nashville is beginning to open the doors of our music venues. Our church bells are ringing, people are attending services, and our hikers are back exploring our beautiful State parks and the Smokies. prgtoken Here on Capitol Hill, though, things really do look a lot different. When we come back into town, we still return to empty offices and emptier hallways. I will tell you, I have had a lot of people ask me: What in the world is happening in Washington these days? Well, even though the Chamber will look empty to those who are watching on TV, I want everybody who is watching to know that the Senate is here, and the Senate is at work. prgtoken Before the pandemic sent everyone home, we had made great progress repairing our Nation's judiciary and filling empty seats at important Federal agencies. The Senate has placed 198 well-qualified, constitutionalist judges on the Federal bench. This week, we are going to hit that 200 number. We will be considering more of our district court nominations in coming weeks. prgtoken We are also preparing to consider the nomination of a former member of our House Study Committee team. Russ Vought has been serving as OMB's Acting Director since January of 2019, and soon we will decide whether to make that position permanent. I will tell you, I think Russ is more than worthy of that honor, and I encourage my colleagues to support his confirmation when the time comes for that vote. China prgtoken At this point, we know for a fact that the Chinese Government withheld information about the novel coronavirus that could have spared the American people a lot of heartache and even prevented the COVID-19 outbreak from escalating into a global pandemic. Their lies have already had catastrophic effects on the American economy, on loss of life, on people's livelihoods, and on their well-being. But I think it is important to reiterate that this kind of behavior from China is not new. It is not new. It is just newly realized. prgtoken For a long time now, corporations, educational institutions, and even Members of this body have been happy to ignore the problem because of profits. I have spoken at length about the many ways that Big Tech's entanglement with Beijing has jeopardized our privacy, intellectual property, and our Nation's security. prgtoken Everyone here is familiar with the Chinese Communist Party's shameless use of political violence against the Uighurs, the Tibetans, and the Hong Kong freedom fighters, but what many don't know is that the Chinese Communist Party has been using their Confucius Institute program to fly under the radar at American colleges and universities and to suppress information a
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-6-16

just over a week ago, Senator and myself, with the partnership and support of many of the in the Senate and our Senate leadership, Chuck Schumer, along with colleagues in the House, our Congressional Black Caucus, and over 250 partners throughout the two Chambers, introduced the Justice in Policing Act, a bill designed to take concrete steps to bring long overdue, long called for, much needed, real accountability and transparency and oversight to policing in America. prgtoken We introduced the bill in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by law enforcement officers in Minneapolis, along with what happened to Breonna Taylor in her home in Louisville, the killings of other Americans, names who are now known for the wretched, awful way in which they died: Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and so many others. So many others whose names we do not know are all part of a system that does not reflect our common values and does not reflect the highest ideals of this Nation. In fact, it is just the opposite. It reflects the darkness of our past and our present. It reflects racism and bigotry and not equal justice under the law. prgtoken We are at a point in American history that is at a crossroad, where millions of Americans in all 50 States are engaging in some type of action of protest, whether it is on social media platforms or in the middle of a pandemic out in the streets. The question we have right now before us in this body is this: In the face of Americans of all backgrounds, races, religions, and parties who are calling for reform, what will this body do? prgtoken A lot of folks want to reduce the approaches that are coming forward as a or ic approach. I am telling you right now that this is not a choice between one side of the aisle or another. It is a choice between meaningful reforms in this moment or making symbolic gestures that will do nothing to save people's lives. It is a choice between action and inaction. prgtoken The bill we are proposing is not new. These are reforms that have been put in place in some cities and in some States. This is a real effort to hold policing in America accountable for egregious behavior. It will create transparency, as sunlight is the best disinfectant to injustice. It will also bring about an end to policies and practices that should be ended in our country. They have been called for by President in his first address to Congress for an end to racial and religious profiling. prgtoken We see, in fact, as to some of the more, so-called, controversial elements of this bill, like qualified immunity, that conservatives and on both sides of the aisle--folks from the Cato Institute, Clarence Thomas, and you see conservative organization after conservative organization--say the obvious, that no one should be shielded from accountability when they are violating the civil rights of another American. <|p|
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-6-16

on Saturday, I attended a rally for justice sponsored by two young women--one, a high-schooler and one a middle-schooler--in my hometown. The rally was one of numerous marches and rallies that have occurred every day, sometimes multiple times a day, in Richmond in the weeks after the horrific public murder of George Floyd. prgtoken Hundreds of people gathered in the Maggie L. Walker Plaza, a plaza named after a pioneering African-American woman, a business and civil rights leader. prgtoken They gathered in the plaza to hear from our city's young people. Many raised their hands when they were asked if they were graduates of this class of 2020, a class whose senior year was upended in mid-March and who face a future that, frankly, seems very, very frightening to many of them. prgtoken I attended to listen. I used to be the mayor and Governor--now a Senator--but I attended as a neighbor to listen. I wasn't on the program, and I didn't ask to speak. I wanted to hear how our young people view this moment in time and what they are asking of us. prgtoken What I heard in many different ways, from speeches and artistic performances, was no more politics as usual; no more police killings of people of color; no more empty promises of reform after each new policing outrage; no more education system that downplays the reality of injustice in this country since its birth; no more educational content that also downplays the contributions of African Americans, Indians, Latinos, and others to our Nation; no more veneration of the Confederacy in Richmond, in Virginia, or anywhere else in the United States. prgtoken This gathering, this rally, had a lot of police there. The police were there trying to keep the crowd from spilling from the plaza onto the busy Broad Street, where they would have been endangered by passing vehicles. Some of the attendees of the rally advocated to defund the police, but others disagreed. Some asserted ``all cops are bad,'' but others disagreed. The rally was robust, it was raw, it was diverse, and it was respectful. It was the epitome--the absolute epitome--of peacefully assembling to petition government for redress of grievances contemplated by the First Amendment. prgtoken Just as my young activists urged in many different ways to end politics as usual, I desperately want to end apathy as usual. Apathy of the citizenry is a chief guarantor of politics as usual. In the tremendous energy demonstrated by these Richmonders and demonstrated on the streets of communities all over this country, I am starting to be hopeful about the end of apathy as usual. These young people, they want action and results, and they deserve it. That is why I am proud to join Senators Booker, , and many others in supporting the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. prgtoken We need to ban choke holds. We need to ban no-knock warrants. We need to ban racial and religious profiling. We need to hold police off
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-16

is there an urgent need for us to help America in this time of crisis? I think most people would agree there is. As a result, the House of Representatives more than 6 weeks ago passed legislation to continue to provide assistance to Americans who are in need. Certainly, that would include those who are unemployed. We created an unemployment Federal benefit of $600 a week over and above the State benefit, expanded eligibility and the time the benefit would be awarded, and made it available across this country right at the moment when some 40 million Americans were announcing that they had lost their jobs, were unemployed. It was a helping hand that was long overdue and certainly made a difference in the lives of many families. prgtoken I think it is responsible for the fact that we did see welcome news last week that some 2 million Americans have gone back to work. I hope that trend continues, but in the meantime, of the 20 million who are unemployed, this helping hand of $600 a week from the Federal Government is essential. It is not exactly a windfall when you calculate it. The Federal benefit, plus State benefit really comes up close to the average wage of most Americans. It is not a major benefit that they can live off of for any long period of time--that is for sure--but it gets them through the crisis, we hope, in paying their rent, their mortgage, utility bills, and providing food and clothing for their family. prgtoken Here is the problem: If you want to know if there is some urgency involved in unemployment insurance, consider the fact that on July 31, the program I have just described disappears. Do you think unemployment will disappear on July 31? We should be so lucky, but we know better. It is going to take a while for us to get back on our feet as a nation. We have to stand by those who are unemployed in the meantime, until they can get back to work and provide for their families. prgtoken Unfortunately, the program we created ends July 31. Is there an urgent need to extend it in some form? I believe that is obvious to virtually everyone. I can't understand why Senator McConnell, the leader in the Senate, doesn't feel this sense of urgency in his home State of Kentucky, as I do in my home State of Illinois, right across the river. We have common areas. Downstate Illinois and Kentucky are somewhat similar in their economies, and I know there are people who need a helping hand. prgtoken I hope Senator McConnell will consider giving them that helping hand--but not just in this area. There is also included in the bill that passed the House of Representatives, the Heroes Act, an extension of COBRA benefits. prgtoken What is COBRA? If you are working for a company that provides health insurance, you pay part of the premium, and they pay the other part. If you lose your job but want to continue that health insurance plan, under COBRA you can if you pay both sides, employer and
TAXPAYER FIRST ACT OF 2019--Continued
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-16

earlier this month, Illinois lost a local legend after a courageous 5-year battle against cancer. prgtoken A lifelong Illinoisan and a 50-year public servant, Larry Walsh, Sr was known for his booming voice and big smile. He was a warm, welcoming presence in my life and the lives of his family, friends, and countless others. prgtoken Larry, much like the communities he would come to represent on the local, county, and State levels, embodied the spirit and ethos of Illinois. He was born in Elwood, into a family with deep roots in the farming community. Dedicating his early life to the family trade, he graduated Joliet Junior College, class of 1968, earning his associate's degree in agriculture. prgtoken In 1970, at only the age of 21, he made his foray into politics, winning an election to the local school board. Just 3 years later, he was elected as Jackson Township supervisor--a position he took great pride in and continued to hold until December of 2004. prgtoken He was first elected to the Will County Board in 1974--a county he would ultimately lead as county executive for the last 16 years of his life. prgtoken Will County is a great cross-section of Illinois. It is where the farmlands of Central and Southern Illinois converge with the industry of Chicago and Joliet. It is not only home to over 100,000 acres of farmland, but it is also a booming transportation hub anchored by North America's largest inland port, the CenterPoint Intermodal Center--a project that Larry helped to land. Larry was one of the few Illinois politicians who could credibly represent and be an advocate for both Illinois's farming community and understand the region's need for industrial expansion. prgtoken Throughout his career in public service, he was steadfastly committed to bipartisanship--an absolute must for a leader who would help guide Will County's development into the fastest growing county in our State. prgtoken Before he returned to the county board in 2004, Larry served in the Illinois Senate, representing the 43rd District. In Springfield, he befriended a fellow freshman Senator and seatmate on the floor, . Their friendship would prove critical, as Larry helped introduce him to the farming community in Will, Kankakee, and Iroquois Counties and then became the first State senator to endorse him in what was then considered a long-shot run for the U.S. Senate in 2004. prgtoken Larry's list of accomplishments is quite long and spans a crucial time in Will County's development. During Larry's time in the State senate and his return to lead the Will County Board, the county experienced a 53-percent growth in size and now is the fourth largest county in the State. Throughout his 16-year tenure as Will County executive--the longest Will County executive tenure ever--he redoubled his commitment to bipartisan, responsible community development. In addition to helping land CenterPoint Intermodal, he hel
TAXPAYER FIRST ACT OF 2019--Continued
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-6-16

I rise to speak about an overwhelming and urgent need to reform the way our country approaches policing. The death of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, Andrew Kearse, and countless others are deeply disturbing and, most unfortunately, nothing new. prgtoken The truth is, for every name we know, there are countless more that we don't. This type of oppression and brutality has been part of Black- American lives for far too long. It should not happen, and in the horrific instances when it does, it should not take a viral video prgtoken and a nationwide protest to get some measure of justice. prgtoken We are at a moment of moral reckoning in this country, and we must take action. Our country needs bold reforms to address the systemic and institutional racism that plagues our criminal justice system. The Justice in Policing Act of 2020, introduced by my colleagues Senators Booker and , would make crucial and much needed changes to address our Nation's policing practices and policies. We should pass this bill as soon as possible. prgtoken We were reminded, sadly, of the urgency of this legislation on Friday, when Rayshard Brooks was shot in the back by police in Atlanta. It is clear that we don't have time to waste. Lives are on the line today. We need reform now. We need accountability, and we need it to happen now. prgtoken The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 would ban the no-knock warrant police used to enter Breonna Taylor's apartment before killing her. It would prevent unnecessary deaths like Rayshard Brooks by requiring that officers use deescalation techniques and resort to deadly force only as the last resort. prgtoken It also includes a provision that I worked on with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, the Eric Garner Excessive Force Prevention Act. It would ban the types of choke holds and carotid holds that killed George Floyd and Eric Garner by making the use of these dangerous maneuvers a Federal civil rights violation. prgtoken Black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans, despite accounting for less than 13 percent of our population. This legislation would not only end racial and religious profiling, but it would mandate training on racial bias and on an officer's duty to intervene. prgtoken The bill would also improve accountability by requiring Federal uniform police officers to wear body cameras and require State and local law enforcement to use existing Federal funding to ensure their officers use body cameras as well. prgtoken Too often, after these unthinkable incidents of brutality, we learn that law enforcement officers responsible had a history of misconduct. This bill would collect better and more accurate data on police misconduct and the use of force and create a national registry that would track officers' complaint records throughout their careers. And it would improve the use of pattern and practice
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-6-16

it was 2015, shortly after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in Baltimore, that I was in Sand Town, the community in which Freddie Gray grew up, meeting with community leaders, many of whom I had known for many, many years. prgtoken We had an honest discussion about how policing in Baltimore had unfolded. I was surprised to hear that these community leaders who wanted safety in their community felt that they could not confide with the police because they did not want people from their communities subjected to the discriminatory policing of the Baltimore City police force. prgtoken I had another meeting during that time with a group of African- American families. Everyone told me the story about how they feared particularly when their young African-American sons went into the community because of the fear that they would be discriminated against and hurt by the police. That fear was real. prgtoken As a result of the Freddie Gray tragedy, we requested a pattern-and- practice investigation by the Department of Justice, and what was discovered during that investigation was that the policies of the Baltimore City Police Department's zero tolerance to crack down on crime were used to profile the African-American community. In many cases, the police presence in the community provoked the violence and added to the harm of the people in the community. prgtoken I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Senator Booker and Senator for putting together a bill that we need to take up on the floor of the Senate as quickly as possible: the Justice in Policing Act. It contains many provisions that, quite frankly, should have been enacted well before now. prgtoken The tragic deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks just underscore the importance for us to act now. We need to debate these issues, and we need to pass legislation. prgtoken I am grateful for Senator Booker including two provisions that I had filed as legislation in several Congresses. One is the End Racial and Religious Profiling Act, a bill I filed a while ago. prgtoken I think many of us remember the Trayvon Martin tragic loss, profiled because of the color of his skin. Racial or religious profiling targets a class of Americans for discriminatory treatment. It is not when you have individual information about a specific crime and indicators; it is when you target a community for special treatment. prgtoken It is wrong. It is wrong because it is against the values of America of equality and justice. It is wrong because it wastes resources which are so valuable to keep our communities safe. It is wrong because it turns communities against police. If we are going to have effective law enforcement, the community and police need to work together, not at odds. It is wrong because it becomes deadly. Too many innocent people have lost their lives because of discriminatory profiling. It is time for this practice to end in America. prgtoken I