mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
EMERGENCY SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL TO RESPOND TO JANUARY 6TH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-7-29

the word ``republic'' means public thing in Latin. prgtoken We bring our different perspectives and our different identities together respectfully to make decisions for an entire Nation. The United States is a nation with diverse, varied beliefs, different cultural origins, and different politics from the different regions and different States that we represent. It has been this way from the very beginning. prgtoken As much as some of us imagine otherwise, from the very outset of our Republic, there were immense, regional differences. Depending on which State someone represented, they might have different views. prgtoken Now, our Republic--and, for that matter, any republic ever in the history of republics--has relied on the willingness of the citizenry to be kind, for individuals who play a role in that Republic to be kind and respectful and decent to each other, even when--especially when--we disagree with each other. Our Founders knew that, and they enshrined it into our Constitution. prgtoken As much as anything, they assumed it, and it was on that set of assumptions that the norms enshrined in the Constitution became possible, because without them they would not be. Without them none of this would work. prgtoken You see, the only way a republic can possibly function now or 250 years ago or 250 years from now is that it always has to follow a somewhat similar formula. The only way it can function is when citizens and leaders are gracious to those with whom they disagree and grant the freedom necessary to allow others to make choices, even if those choices might be things that they disagree with. prgtoken We have witnessed the degradation of American political discourse for some time now. It has been a sad, tragic reality unfolding, but it is not an inexorable conclusion. It is not one from which we cannot depart. But we must make a choice to do better and to choose a better path. prgtoken We received a bulletin earlier today--a bulletin from the Capitol Police--indicating that all visitors and all House staffers and, in fact, all House Members are required to wear masks indoors or be denied entry or forced to leave the premises. And at least in the case of staff and visitors, if they fail to comply, they will be arrested-- arrested for unlawful entry. Conviction for a violation of this rule will, according to the bulletin, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both. The Senate, which happens to be housed in the same building as the House, is not subject to these same requirements. prgtoken But is this decision based on science or is it based on the will and whim of the of the House of Representatives? Whatever the reason, the arrest of peaceful House staffers shows the total loss of political grace in the House of Representatives. prgtoken I cannot fathom a legitimate reason to arrest a person in this building for not wearing a mask. I canno
BLOATEDBUS SPENDING BILL
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-7-29

. Madam , I rise in opposition today to the bloatedbus spending bill that is being jammed through the House this week by the majority. prgtoken Instead of working to craft bipartisan legislation, have put forward appropriations bills that are based on unrealistic and irresponsible spending levels and include partisan policy provisions that will only delay its final passage. prgtoken Further, rather than holding a vote on each individual appropriations bill, the has lumped together seven separate spending bills that include nearly $600 billion in discretionary spending, a 21 percent increase over just last year. prgtoken Twenty-one percent. That is almost as high as some of the price increases families in my district are seeing in their daily lives, thanks to the flood of deficit spending President and Pelosi have forced through this Congress already. prgtoken This is not how the legislative process should work. And with inflation rates at a 13-year high, Madam , we simply cannot afford it. prgtoken And while this bill provides unprecedented increases for ' domestic spending priorities, the left has decided to underfund two appropriations bills that are required by the Constitution: Homeland Security and National Defense. Worse yet, it reverses decades of historically bipartisan pro-life policies like the Hyde and Weldon amendments which have been bipartisan since 1976. prgtoken Further, it increases our dependence on China. It fails to keep us safe by hindering the work of Customs and Border Protection, and it abandons an all-of-the-above energy strategy. This is truly unacceptable. prgtoken Madam , this minibus needs to be sent back to the scrap yard, and if not, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' Honoring Chief Joe Simmons
EMERGENCY SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL TO RESPOND TO JANUARY 6TH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-29

in 1887, Lord Acton wrote a series of letters to Bishop Creighton, letters that would echo down across the centuries. Lord Acton wrote: I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favourable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption it is the other way against holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost [exclusively] bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. prgtoken , those words were true in 1887, and they are true today. If you want to understand how power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, look no further than the other Chamber in the U.S. Capitol. prgtoken Nancy Pelosi is drunk on power. The orders that Pelosi is issuing are abusive and unprecedented. Pelosi has decreed to Members of the House of Representatives, elected by the people, that: If you dare walk onto the floor of the House of Representatives without a mask, I, Pelosi, shall fine you. prgtoken Who the hell is she to be fining Members of the House? prgtoken But you know what? She is not done with that. She is not done with disrespecting our Constitution, disrespecting our democratic system that elects leaders. She goes further, to the good men and women who work here in the U.S. Capitol. We are surrounded by men and women who have chosen to come and work for the public good, and here is what Pelosi has decreed: If you dare walk in the hallway without a mask, I, Pelosi, will arrest you. I will put you in jail. I will fine you. prgtoken That is an absolute and complete abuse of power. She has no authority to disrespect the men and women who work here, to threaten you with physical harm, to threaten you with imprisonment. prgtoken And why does she do so? prgtoken She does so for one reason: political theater. prgtoken We are coming through a very difficult year and a half. Our Nation and the world has endured a pandemic. We have collectively taken extraordinary steps to defeat this pandemic, and we are coming out on the other side. We saw our Nation, we saw the private sector come together with remarkable inventiveness and produce vaccines in record times, and we have seen hundreds of millions of people getting those vaccines. We are in the process of beating this pandemic. prgtoken Not too long ago, the CDC recognized what was obvious then and is obvious now: vaccines work. And if you are vaccinated, you don't need to wear a mask. prgtoken The CDC issued that ruling, and I remember that day well. I had been vaccinated a couple of months before then, and after allowing the time for the vaccine to become effecti
EMERGENCY SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL TO RESPOND TO JANUARY 6TH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-29

let me state the obvious: There is a big and growing problem in our country, and the American people are becoming more and more alarmed. prgtoken A recent poll found that 60 percent of Americans are worried about crime. The percentage of those who say they are extremely concerned is at the highest point in more than two decades. prgtoken And it is easy to see why. Even our former colleague from California, Senator Barbara Boxer, was recently assaulted and robbed in California. But cities across our country have experienced an alarming spike in violent crime and murder rates. prgtoken New York City has seen nearly double the number of shootings from 2019 to 2020. Nationwide, homicides are up 25 percent during that same period. That is the largest single-year increase since 1960. prgtoken Not only are the American people noticing these increases with growing alarm, they are eager to see solutions that help make things better by improving public safety. prgtoken A recent poll found that 90 percent of Detroit residents said they would feel safer with more cops on the street, not fewer. That seems intuitive. It seems obvious but apparently not to everybody because this is the antithesis of the rhetoric we have heard over the past year, as many on the left have called to defund the police and reduce the role that law enforcement officers play in our lives. prgtoken A number of major cities took the recommendation of these activists and eliminated funding for their police departments. prgtoken New York City, Oakland, Baltimore, are among the many cities to cut police funding. Today, they are among those increasing police budgets to address rising crime rates that I think are directly related to the ``defund the police'' effort. prgtoken It is important to note that not all the leaders of our major cities are on board with this trend. Last summer, when I was in Dallas visiting my friend, Mayor Eric Johnson, it was on its way to recording the highest number of murders in 16 years. The city council cut the police department's overtime budget by $7 million. Mayor Johnson pushed back against these irresponsible cuts at the time when crime and domestic violence were already on the rise, and now he is pushing the city to hire 275 new police officers and increase officers' salaries. prgtoken The truth of the matter is, Texans, like other folks across the country, are concerned about the increasing crime in their communities. Leaders should want to focus on the needs of their constituents, but a small but loud group of liberal activists who want to reimagine law enforcement--whatever that means--apparently have prevailed on those who would like to see our communities safer. prgtoken Well, we are starting to see a response, really a boomerang, from these ``defund the police'' efforts. For example, take a look at the new ic nominee for mayor of New York City. At this point last year, protesters marched in the
EMERGENCY SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL TO RESPOND TO JANUARY 6TH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2021-7-29

I am pleased to come and join my colleagues on the floor today and have a discussion about what is taking place here in this Capitol Building. prgtoken Now, my colleague from Utah just mentioned something that I think is so important: being able to disagree agreeably, having a difference of opinion, and showing respect to other people. prgtoken This Nation has remained strong and vibrant and free because we believe in robust, respectful, bipartisan debate. We do not lock up or silence or push or disappear people who disagree with us and our beliefs--and what we see happening in the House, where the Capitol Police would have the ability to haul staffers and visitors to jail for their decision not to wear a mask. prgtoken Now, think about that. It would be not wearing a mask--a choice, making a choice to not wear a mask. So it is important for us to realize this is a difference of opinion. prgtoken We have told the American people: Get vaccinated. I have chosen to be vaccinated. So have most of my family. Get the vaccine. That is kind of like your ticket to freedom from wearing a mask, if you choose. You don't have to put that mask on if you get vaccinated. prgtoken But now what are we hearing? Masks are coming back. The science is very divided on the value of a mask. Is it just to protect you? Is it to protect others? Do masks serve as a disincentive for people to actually get the vaccine? Which is what we have encouraged people to do: Talk to your physician, make certain the vaccine is right for you, and get the vaccine so you don't have to wear the mask. prgtoken Now, one of the things that we know is this: COVID is here to stay. We are going to continue to have COVID-19 in our presence. We know that, but we also know that this that is happening today is not necessarily about masks. This is about continuing to perpetrate these lockdowns; that we have had a series of lockdowns and scares and things where we are pulling back on freedom and giving power to the government and lessening the ability for individual choices. That is what this is about. prgtoken There is no deliberation that appears to have gone into this newest mandate from the of the House, but you don't need deliberation when you have decided that you can just resort to threats such as this: locking up staffers and visitors if they do not wear a mask on the House side. prgtoken Just over the past few days, we have seen high-profile buying right into this new tactic. Here is some of what we have been hearing. And, you know, as a mom and a grandmom, I hear a lot from moms and grandmoms. And my text threads and email and phone calls--, you just wouldn't even believe it. They feel like prgtoken our colleagues across the aisle are just forgetting that science-- science--has weighed in on this issue. prgtoken And now they are hearing these threats, threatening to keep our children out of school, not letting them go back t
DROUGHT IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-7-29

. Madam , , the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee, Representative Westerman, both for yielding and also for all of his diligent efforts in helping us pass the Alexander Lofgren VIP Act. prgtoken Madam , our Nation is in crisis. Right now, over half of Iowa is experiencing a moderate to extreme drought. This dire situation is mirrored around the country, with thousands of counties across the West experiencing historic drought conditions. This situation has a widespread impact on our way of life. prgtoken For my constituents, it means our farmers and ranchers must fight even harder to make ends meet after this pandemic. prgtoken As drought conditions worsen, so does the cost of irrigation. Less water means less yield, less in their pockets at the end of the day, and less in the ground for the next year. prgtoken For our fellow Americans out West, not only does this drought harm farmers and ranchers, but the real threat of wildfires is made dramatically worse by the lack of moisture. prgtoken Madam , this is shameful and avoidable. The government cannot make it rain, but it can and should plan for the future. s have consistently advocated for increased water storage and regulatory streamlining, which would help conserve water for the dry years. These measures have been largely opposed by our colleagues. prgtoken Now, as we move into August experiencing another major drought season, this majority and this administration have no plan, no solution, and have taken no action to prepare for the next drought season. prgtoken Madam , not only is there no plan, but this current administration is actively making it more difficult for Iowans to access the water they need. prgtoken During his confirmation hearing, EPA Administrator Michael Regan prgtoken stated that the administration doesn't ``have any intention of going back to the original WOTUS.'' prgtoken Unfortunately, on June 9, the EPA announced its intention to revise the definition of the waters of the United States once again and reopen the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. This decision is misguided and undoes the good work and progress achieved by the administration. prgtoken I have spoken with Iowans dozens of times about the issues created by the 2015 WOTUS rule. WOTUS hurts American farmers, ranchers, landowners, homebuilders, businesses, and just the average, ordinary property owner. It has caused confusion and hindered economic development. prgtoken By reopening this rule, the administration once again threatens economic development and creates uncertainty for rural America. prgtoken Madam , creating this uncertainty, especially during this drought crisis, is a mistake. We should uphold the Navigable Waters Protection Rule and ensure that all Americans have straightforward access to the water they need to thrive and especially to survive. prgtoken Thank you to the ranking member of the Co
EMERGENCY SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL TO RESPOND TO JANUARY 6TH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2021-7-29

we need to support our Capitol Police, and we prgtoken will. We need to repay our National Guard, and we will. We need to protect our allies who kept our troops safe, and we will. prgtoken Emergencies arise, and the biggest threat to dealing with them, in my opinion, is fiscal irresponsibility in DC. We could have easily paid for the major parts of this legislation with offsets within the DOD. prgtoken I think our spending process is broken at every level. We don't do budgets anymore. We vote that the rules don't matter. It seems like Congress can only agree on one thing: Deficits and debt don't matter anymore. But they do. And both parties are to blame. And they threaten our ability in the long run to respond to emergencies when they arise, like the important ones in this bill, not to mention that everything we do here currently is on borrowed money literally from our kids and our grandkids. prgtoken My point of order reference has my friend Mike Enzi's name at the top of it. I am speaking here today for the reasons I just mentioned and in honor of him as well. prgtoken . Amendment No. 2123 (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute.)
SUPPORT OF PRO-LIFE RIDERS
Andy Harris (Republican, MD) \u2014 2021-7-29

. Madam , today the House majority will likely pass the faulty Health Appropriations bill, which eliminates the protection of the Hyde and Weldon amendments. This will happen despite polling that consistently shows nearly 60 percent of Americans oppose the use of hard-earned taxpayer dollars for abortion. And even more compelling, more than 75 percent of Americans oppose the use of their tax dollars to pay for abortions overseas. prgtoken As we all know, the Hyde amendment prevents the use of Federal tax dollars for abortions. This policy rider has withstood the test of time and enjoyed bipartisan support for 45 years, including from Senator . prgtoken But just as important to me, as a physician, is the Weldon amendment, which prevents healthcare providers from being compelled to participate in a medical procedure to which they hold religious or moral objections, namely abortion. Removing this protection would result in gross violations of the Constitutional rights of Americans. prgtoken Madam , the Hyde and Weldon amendments are just two examples of commonsense measures we have enacted over the years to protect life. I urge my colleagues in the majority to reconsider dismantling these important protections of the right to life.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-7-29

I learned on Friday that the Department of Justice has opted not to pursue a civil rights investigation into government-run nursing homes in several States about their response to the COVID-19. Earlier this year, I urged the Department to pursue this investigation, and I, today, call on the Attorney General to reconsider this decision that I learned about last Friday. I do that in light of media reports suggesting that the obstruction of justice may have occurred in at least one of these jurisdictions. prgtoken Close to 1 year ago, the Department sought information from four States. Those four States are New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The information sought was about the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in their public nursing homes. prgtoken The Department's request for this information came on the heels of media reports suggesting that State officials in these jurisdictions had pressured nursing homes to accept patients, regardless of their COVID-19 status. It was reported that officials in New York also may have engaged in a coverup by actively concealing from the public the actual number of COVID-19-related fatalities in that State's nursing homes. prgtoken Serious questions remain to this day about whether the Governors in New York and these three other jurisdictions helped fuel the COVID-19- related prgtoken death tolls in nursing homes through the issuance of their own executive orders that went against the advice of geriatricians. prgtoken Yet the Department is declining to pursue the matter. And in the case of New York, this is particularly troubling. prgtoken New York's Governor not only reportedly pressured nursing homes in his State to accept patients during the initial stage of the pandemic, regardless of their COVID-19 status, but his administration did not provide an accurate picture of the actual death tolls to the public. This lack of transparency was done to avoid accountability. So put very simply, the public deserves better. prgtoken According to a report by the New York Post, a top aide to Governor Cuomo even apologized to a group of ic State lawmakers during a phone call for reportedly withholding data on COVID-19-related nursing home fatalities during this pandemic. prgtoken The Department's Civil Rights Division won't investigate, but at least the FBI and prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's Office are looking into the matter. These Federal prosecutors' review reportedly focuses on whether Governor Cuomo's administration underreported COVID-19 deaths in the nursing homes in an effort to avoid negative publicity. prgtoken At least someone is looking at this. However, I am disappointed that the Justice Department proper and Attorney General Garland have decided to pull their punches. prgtoken As I stated today in a letter to the Attorney General, it would be a grave injustice to those who perished in these facilities during the pandemic to neglect