mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Xavier Becerra (Executive Calendar)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-3-17

the first thing I would like to do is correct what my colleague from Pennsylvania said with regard to preexisting conditions. prgtoken I was here last year. I brought to the floor a bill that would say it didn't matter what the Supreme Court did; we would make sure that we could keep preexisting conditions if the Supreme Court declared that the Affordable Care Act was not constitutional. The blocked it. prgtoken I have been up here 2 years, and I have never seen once my colleagues want to reduce spending for Medicaid. prgtoken What I do think is unfair is, in my State of Florida, what money we receive from the Federal Government is significantly less per person than what a State like New York has. So I would like changes to the Medicaid Program. I would like it to be a fair program in which States like Florida will get treated just as well as States like New York. Unanimous Consent Request--S. 798 prgtoken , I rise today to discuss an insane issue in the ' COVID spending bill that we need to fix. prgtoken Tucked into the ic bill is a provision to give $1,400 stimulus checks to inmates. That is right. As our Nation faces a public health crisis and a crippling debt crisis, are handing out stimulus checks with your tax dollars to Federal inmates who don't pay income taxes, have all their needs--food and medical expenses included--paid for by taxpayers, and they do nothing to stimulate the economy. It simply doesn't make sense. prgtoken My friends and colleagues, Senators Bill Cassidy, Tom Cotton, and Ted Cruz, tried to fix this by introducing an amendment to strip this out of the ic bill, but the wouldn't have it. prgtoken Senate voted unanimously to block the passage of that good amendment and chose instead to waste even more taxpayer dollars by sending $1,400 checks to inmates. prgtoken Let's talk about what that means for American taxpayers. There are nearly 1.5 million State and Federal inmates incarcerated in Federal prisons across the United States. These are people convicted of committing serious crimes and victimizing their fellow Americans. prgtoken Under this bill the passed, American taxpayers are on the hook for $1,400 checks to some of the most heinous people we have ever seen. I am talking about people like the racist Charleston Church shooter, Dylann Roof; serial rapist and predator, Larry Nassar; aspiring terrorist, Muhammad Dakhlalla, who tried to join ISIS and is now in prison in Georgia; convicted serial killer and rapist, Mark Goudeau, who is on death row in Arizona; convicted cop killer, Michael Addison, who is on death row in New Hampshire; and the monster who killed 17 innocent Floridians in Parkland at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018. prgtoken How could anyone--anyone--possibly justify sending checks to these people? prgtoken If we se
RECOGNIZING THE PELLA HIGH SCHOOL DUTCH BASKETBALL TEAM
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-3-18

I was going to ask for 1 minute yesterday, given that it was St. Patrick's Day and Pella High School Dutch's prgtoken color is green, but they are the Pella Dutch, not the Pella Irish. prgtoken Last Friday, the Pella High School Dutch of Marion County, Iowa, successfully completed their playoff run by winning the 3A Iowa boys basketball championship. prgtoken Capping off a terrific 26-2 season with a 15-1 conference record, the Dutch brought home the State championship for the first time in 18 years. prgtoken The achievement of winning a State title itself is something of which the Dutch team and the Pella community should be proud, but these players and their families should be even more proud of their commitment to the game, perseverance, sportsmanship and teamwork that guided them through this incredible season. prgtoken For the seniors, I hope you continue to follow your passions, in basketball and elsewhere beyond high school. For the juniors and underclassmen, I wish you the best of luck in the coming years, both on and off the court. prgtoken , I am thrilled for this team, the coaching staff, fans, and the entire Pella community, and I am honored to represent them in Congress, and speak about them on the House floor.
FARM WORKFORCE MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2021
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-3-18

. Madam , as leader of the House Committee on Agriculture, I have the opportunity to speak with producers nationwide, and, overwhelmingly, they say the number one issue facing the industry is the lack of a reliable, legal workforce. prgtoken When it comes to farm labor, our immigration system is broken and in desperate need of repair. prgtoken The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a step in the right direction. I will vote ``yes'' today, but to be clear, the bill is imperfect and must be improved before becoming law. prgtoken It will not fully address the shortage of legal agricultural workers and may leave our farmers, ranchers, and especially our dairies, with critical unmet needs. prgtoken I filed an amendment that would have addressed these deficiencies that was endorsed by the American Farm Bureau Federation. Though not made in order, I hope that amendment will serve as a starting point in the Senate for necessary improvements. prgtoken Americans are blessed with a safe, abundant, and affordable food supply. But how long will that food supply last if we do not have an adequate agricultural workforce? prgtoken This may be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform our immigration laws. Therefore, we must get it right. prgtoken Madam , if we fail to address the agricultural workforce, we will have food insecurity, and that will lead to national insecurity.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-3-18

I rise in opposition to the nomination of William Burns to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. prgtoken Communist China is the biggest threat our Nation faces. General Secretary Xi will stop at nothing in his quest for world domination and has made clear that he seeks to push the United States out of the Indo- Pacific and weaken and intimidate his neighbors, including our allies. Communist China continues to threaten to take Taiwan by force. prgtoken Communist China is committing a genocide against the Uoghurs and stripping Hong kongers of their basic rights. China sees the United States as its global adversary and is taking the steps necessary to ``win'' the great power conflict of the 21st century. China is taking every opportunity it can around the world to gain influence and exert control. prgtoken I am concerned that some past statements and actions by Ambassador Burns indicate an inaccurate view of Communist China and the danger it poses to our Nation and to Americans. Any U.S. official who thinks that China can play a positive role in the world, particularly among developing states or as a contributor to peace and stability, is mistaken. Ambassador Burns has not shown that he understands the threat that Communist China represents. prgtoken I am also troubled that Ambassador Burns' view of Castro's Communist regime in Cuba is equally flawed. I cannot support anyone who backed the failed - appeasement policies, which did nothing to help the Cuban people and allowed Havana to extend its reach and expand its control, giving power to other ruthless dictatorships in Latin America. prgtoken My opposition to Ambassador Burns' nomination is grounded in our fundamentally different views. Ambassador Burns has not demonstrated that he understands the threats we face around the world and the causes of those threats. We need leaders who will be strong and stand up for American interests in the face of dangerous regimes like Cuba and China, regimes that are committed to harm the United States and our allies. prgtoken For all these reasons, , I oppose Ambassador Burns' nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.
AMERICAN DREAM AND PROMISE ACT OF 2021
Jody B. Hice (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-3-18

. Madam , there is an unprecedented crisis at the southern border. Literally, hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are crossing into the United States, stretching our patrol officers and enforcement down there to a breaking point. prgtoken In February of this year, over 100,000 illegals were apprehended. That is a 28 percent increase from the year before. And I guarantee you, it is only going to get worse. The projections are even more than that this coming month. prgtoken Illegal border crossings are now five times higher than before President was inaugurated. And this is all fueled by the ``open border'' policies of this administration promising amnesty, ending the wall construction, halting deportations, handcuffing our law enforcement, and undermining border security. prgtoken President gave President a secure southern border, and in prgtoken less than 3 months, it has been dismantled. This is absolute insanity.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Richard Burr (Republican, NC) \u2014 2021-3-18

for two Congresses, Angus King and I have introduced bipartisan legislation to streamline and simplify student loan repayment programs. Our proposal would make the current, overly- complicated loan repayment programs easier to navigate and more predictable for both borrowers and the Federal Government. prgtoken Today, students are asked to choose between nine different loan repayment plans, each with different eligibility and income requirements. The uncertainty created by too many competing options has made it nearly impossible for the Federal Government to accurately fund the program, leading to billions of dollars in budget shortfalls. prgtoken Just last year, the Office of Management and the Budget said the Direct Loan Program would cost $64 billion more than previously anticipated in just a single fiscal year prior to the COVID-19 emergency. The COVID-19 emergency caused $39 billion in additional unplanned for costs to the program through congressional and administrative actions. This is unsustainable, and it is unnecessary. prgtoken We need to make it easier for student borrowers to find the best repayment plan that works for them, and we need to make it easier for the Federal Government to accurately account for a program on which so many students depend. The REPAY Act would do just that, and I am here again to introduce this commonsense proposal to help all new borrowers, which represents approximately 20 percent of Federal student loan borrowers each year. This bill has been previously supported by a number of cosponsors, including Senators Warner, Rubio, Collins, Capito, Shaheen, Carper, Wicker, Manchin, and Portman. prgtoken The REPAY Act would simplify this process by establishing just two, easy-to-understand loan repayment plans. prgtoken The first is a fixed 10-year payment option, like most borrowers pay now. prgtoken The second is a simplified income-driven repayment plan, which takes into consideration how much a student borrowed verses how much they earn. prgtoken First, this plan provides forgiveness of all outstanding debt after the borrower fulfills their obligation to pay monthly on a 20-year term if the student borrowed less than the maximum undergraduate borrowing limit of $57,500 and pay monthly on a 25-year term if the student borrowed more than the undergraduate limit. prgtoken Second, this plan provides reasonable expectations for monthly payments. Very low-income borrowers would have a zero dollar payment. No payments are required until a borrower earns above 150 percent of the poverty line, which adjusts by family size and income. Modest- income borrowers would have a very low payment equal to 10 percent of the earnings they make above 150 percent of the poverty line. Higher income borrowers would pay 10 percent on the first $25,000 of discretionary income they earned and 15 percent on any income above that. prgtoken A single income-driven repayment plan assures students
REMEMBERING ROGER SOFER
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-3-18

on another matter, nearly 20 years ago, I took my first trip to Israel. I had a good stroke of fortune: I met a brilliant, hilarious, opinionated, larger-than-life man named Roger Sofer. Roger was simply unlike anyone I had ever met before or anyone I have met since. He could captivate a room with anything from a serious discussion of national security and Israel-U.S. policies, to stories from his childhood, to jokes that, well, probably shouldn't be repeated here on the Senate floor. prgtoken Roger cared deeply about his family, his Jewish faith, and the many friends he earned throughout his life. I consider myself fortunate to be among those friends, and I would like just to share a few words about my friend Roger, who passed away last week. prgtoken As the old saying goes in my State, Roger wasn't born in Texas, but he got there as fast as he could. The incredible story of his life began in Queens, NY. It led him to the University of Tampa on a baseball scholarship as a left-handed pitcher and then to Fort Dix with the Army. He then went back to Florida, where he worked as a cabdriver, home to New York as a sales representative, and then finally to Houston, TX, where he lived when he and I met. prgtoken Clearly, young Roger was an enterprising guy. He understood the value of hard work, and even more importantly, he learned about the value of relationships. Roger and his friend Dan Steiner started their own financial planning and insurance firm and quickly found success. prgtoken Roger truly cared about everyone he worked with--his clients, his employees, and their families. prgtoken That personal attention translated into a thriving business and a lot of rewards in recognition to go along with it. But Roger never let work consume his entire life or take away from the people and causes he cared most about. prgtoken Roger grew up in a religious home and inherited a deep appreciation of his Jewish faith. His father Hyman was his hero and instilled in him a love of our country, as well as a love of Israel. Hyman would say, ``Don't worry about business, Roger, because if there's no Israel, there will be no business.'' That thought stuck. Throughout his life, Roger fought to secure a brighter future for our friends and allies in Israel. prgtoken In the 1980s, Melvin Dow and Stanford Alexander, two giants in the AIPAC community--the American Israel Public Affairs Committee--asked Roger to help grow the pro-Israel committee in Houston. Well, I know Roger never did anything halfway; he poured his heart and his soul into outreach efforts. When you have somebody as outgoing, passionate, and likable as Roger, you are bound to get results. prgtoken Roger's work in Houston was so successful that in 2002 he was asked to serve on AIPAC's National Board, a position he would hold for nearly two prgtoken decades. Lucky for me, that is how Roger and I ended up on the same trip to Israel in March of 2002. We visite
FARM WORKFORCE MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2021
Michelle Fischbach (Republican, MN) \u2014 2021-3-18

. Madam , my amendment would retain the ability of H-2A workers to obtain redress, but would provide important protection for growers, too. prgtoken Madam , if we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on the Judiciary to consider my amendment to H.R. 1603 to provide a commonsense right to cure for our Nation's farmers, who will be subject to burdensome litigation under this underlying bill. prgtoken Madam , I ask unanimous consent to include the text of the amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.
AMERICAN DREAM AND PROMISE ACT OF 2021
Dan Bishop (Republican, NC) \u2014 2021-3-18

the American people are a generous people, instinctively drawn to the idea of amnesty. It is a fine word, ``amnesty.'' It means a general pardon for offenses, an act of forgiveness for past offenses. prgtoken Of course, in the immigration arena, amnesty means not only pardon or forgiveness for violating our laws, but also a grant of important rights; ultimately, the privilege of citizenship. Sometimes that important distinction can be overlooked. prgtoken But what is particularly despicable in the present legislation is that exploit that fundamental spirit of generosity by misleading the American people about the scope of the proposed amnesty, its recipients, and its implications. prgtoken They would have you believe that this legislation responds to those President dubbed Dreamers. In the gentlewoman from California's description, it is a 17-year-old who worked hard and became a model student and quarterback on the high school football team who doesn't even remember the time before he lived in the United States. prgtoken But this bill is not the Dream Act. Rather, it crushes the dreams of American workers. It is not for only 641,000 active DACA recipients. In this bill, want to provide amnesty for more than 2.9 million illegal immigrants, including even people who entered the United States illegally by January 1, 2021, just over 2 months ago, and all at a time when our unemployment rate is over 6 percent and working Americans are the hardest-pressed by the economic impacts of ' affinity for lockdowns. prgtoken This bill also allows dangerous criminals and gang members to gain amnesty benefits, even if they have been convicted of multiple misdemeanors. If this bill is signed into law, adults from Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Liberia, and Venezuela will receive amnesty. prgtoken This body should be prioritizing relief for American citizens, not illegal immigrants. I urge my colleagues to reject this misleading rhetoric and this dangerous bill.
RECOGNIZING FRANK BECKMANN
Tim Walberg (Republican, MI) \u2014 2021-3-18

I rise today to recognize the upcoming retirement of a legend in Michigan broadcasting, Frank Beckmann. prgtoken For the past 48 years, Frank has been a pillar of the WJR airwaves. Frank has been inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and Michigan Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and he has a list of professional accolades longer than the time we have today. prgtoken The Maize and Blue faithful know him as the voice of Michigan football for over three decades. His weekly listeners, the best informed in all of talk radio, know him as a clear and compelling proponent of commonsense values. Nonprofits and charities across the State know his generosity in using his microphone to support many worthy causes. I am blessed to know him as a friend. prgtoken Congratulations, Frank, on a long and storied career. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Frank Beckmann a wonderful retirement filled with family, lots of golf, and coolers full of fresh Lake Erie walleye.
Foreign Threat Assessment Report (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-3-18

on March 6 of this year, the intelligence community issued its ``Intelligence Community Assessment on Foreign Threats to the 2020 U.S. Federal Elections.'' Based on that report, some in the liberal media have falsely claimed that my and Senator Johnson's Hunter -related oversight activity last Congress was based on Russian disinformation. Even Peter Strzok felt the need to chime in on Twitter to say that we received Russian disinformation. prgtoken I don't know how many times I have to say it, but such claims are false and misleading. To be precise, Senator Johnson and I didn't receive, solicit, or rely upon any information from Andrii Derkach, and we publicly said so many times. prgtoken I don't know how many times last fall I was on this floor of the U.S. Senate trying to explain that to the people who were making those accusations. It seems like Strzok pays just about as careful attention to these facts as he did to the Crossfire FISA applications. prgtoken Of course, Twitter lets disinformation about the Steele dossier run wild on their platform yet shuts down still unrefuted reporting on Hunter before the 2020 election. In other words, we have a double standard. prgtoken Now, regarding Russian disinformation, it wasn't Senator Johnson and this Senator that dealt in it. It happens to be very clear that the other side, the , were dealing with it. Here's one quick example. If you want more, then I would refer you to section 10 of our September 23, 2020, report. prgtoken On July 13, 2020, then-Minority Leader Schumer, Senator Warner, Pelosi, and Representative Schiff sent a letter with a classified attachment to the FBI to express a purported belief that Congress was the subject of a foreign disinformation campaign. prgtoken The classified attachment to that letter included unclassified elements that attempted, but failed, to tie our work to Derkach. Those unclassified elements were leaked to the press to support a false campaign accusing us two Senators of using Russian disinformation. prgtoken Then, during the course of our investigation, we ran a transcribed interview of George Kent. Before that interview, the acquired Derkach's materials. During that interview, they asked the witness about it. He stated: ``What you're asking me to interpret is a master chart of disinformation and malign influence.'' prgtoken At that interview, the introduced known disinformation into the investigative record as an exhibit. More precisely, the relied upon and disseminated known disinformation from a foreign source whom the intelligence community warned was actively seeking to influence U.S. politics. Yet now--can you believe this?--they accuse this Senator and Senator Johnson of doing that very thing. Now let that sink in because there is a case of double standard around here. prgtoken It is clear that the hope that their self-created disinformation ca