mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-10-25

the ic leader seems to think that this had something to do with a 3-minute speech 30 years ago. I don't know where that comes from. prgtoken I can tell you that he has been involved in a systematic reversal of the longstanding precedent when it comes to the consideration of judges to the Federal bench by the U.S. Senate. I am a beneficiary, I suppose you could say, in some strange way of that. That was a major issue in my campaign in 2004. We made it about the blockade that the in the Senate at the time, led by the current ic leader, had started against a whole long list of nominees put forward by then- President . prgtoken I remind you of a few names: Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen, Miguel Estrada, Judge Charles Pickering. There was a long list of judges who were blocked at the time by the current ic leader. In fact, as Leader McConnell has pointed out, it wasn't even sort of a random thing. It was a planned strategy to start playing politics with the Federal Judiciary instigated by the architect, the current ic leader, who, at the time, was holding workshops and seminars about how they could politicize the Federal judiciary and figure out new ways to block consideration of judges put forward to the Federal bench by then-President . That was a major issue in that campaign season, and, I would argue, one of the principle reasons that I am here in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Then, of course, when the chickens came home to roost and the same tactics were used by the other side in the previous administration, as was pointed out again yesterday by Leader McConnell, the decided to break the rules to change the rules in 2013 to go to a simple majority to basically get and confirm judges on the Federal Judiciary. prgtoken We are where we are today, notwithstanding all the bluster that you just heard, because of a long, systematic strategy by the ic leader to block judges put forward by Presidents. prgtoken Despite all of what you just heard, tomorrow we are going to get to vote to confirm one of the most outstanding judicial nominees whom I have had the pleasure of considering during my time in the Senate. Judge Amy Coney Barrett is eminently qualified for the Supreme Court. prgtoken By now, her accomplishments are well known: first in her class at Notre Dame Law School, Supreme Court clerk, beloved Notre Dame law professor, outstanding scholar, circuit court judge. prgtoken Americans, of course, got to see Judge Barrett's qualifications for themselves a couple of weeks ago during her Judiciary Committee hearing. For 2 days, she answered tough and probing questions from and s, displaying a consummate command of the law and a calm and thoughtfulness that shows she has the kind of judicial temperament you want in a Supreme Court Justice. prgtoken Since Judge Barrett's nomination, the tr
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2020-10-25

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 prgtoken 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 Amy Coney Barrett (Executive Calendar)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-10-25

I would like to spend a few minutes talking about the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. It is horribly newsworthy to say that Judge Barrett's confirmation vote will not be unanimous. It should be. It won't be. prgtoken If you judged Judge Barrett solely on her intellect and her academic achievements, certainly her nomination should be unanimous. Any fairminded person would have to be impressed. She is an honors graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans, one of the finest schools in this country. She is an honors graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, an extraordinary liberal arts school. She is an honors graduate of Notre Dame Law School. She finished first in her class. She clerked for two of the most distinguished jurists in this country--the late Justice Scalia and Judge Silberman. She was a chaired professor at Notre Dame Law School. She is now a member of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Any fairminded person who reads her legal writings and her opinions would come away impressed. prgtoken If you judged Judge Barrett solely on her integrity, her confirmation vote should be unanimous. We all watched her almost 30 hours of testimony. We all know now about her beautiful family. She has seven beautiful children, two of whom are adopted and two of whom happen to be children of color. She is a devout Christian. prgtoken If you talk to her former students, to her colleagues, and to her critics, who know her well, they will all tell you that she is a person of integrity. And if you don't want to believe any of those people--I wish you could, and I know the Presiding Officer can--but I wish the American people could see her FBI background check. The Presiding Officer and I know that when the FBI checks your background, it is kind of a combination between an endoscopy and a colonoscopy. They are pretty thorough. There is not a hint of scandal. prgtoken If Judge Barrett were being judged on the basis of her temperament, she would be a unanimous choice as well. We saw that in her 30 hours of testimony. She listens well. She answers truthfully. She suffers fools gladly. I was just so impressed watching her. prgtoken The reason that Judge Barrett will not be a unanimous choice, at least within this body, has to do with a little bit of history. This is one person's point of view, but I think history will prove that I am correct. For the last 60 years in America, we have been moving from a representative government and more to what I will call declarative government. We, as you know, are a democracy. We are not a pure democracy, unlike Athens, for example. When we have to make a decision on social or economic policy, each of us doesn't put on a fresh toga and go down to the forum or the public square and vote. We elect representatives to make those decisions for us at the Federal level. They are called Members of Congress, a
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KENTUCKY LOCK AND DAM
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-10-25

the Commonwealth of Kentucky is home to several marvels of engineering. These feats of concrete and metal have brought prosperity and opportunity to tens of thousands of Kentucky families. Earlier this month, we recognized the 75th anniversary of one of these landmarks, the Kentucky Lock and Dam. For three-quarters of a century, this massive structure has delivered electricity, commerce, and jobs to West Kentucky. I would like to take a moment to congratulate this community for brilliantly taking advantage of its geography to improve the quality of life for generations. prgtoken In October 1945, a crowd of roughly 20,000 gathered for a glimpse of the first U.S. President to ever visit Marshall County and the mammoth construction project he came to dedicate. Although President Truman's visit was only temporary, the Kentucky Lock and Dam's rural electrification marked a turning point that has lasted for decades. It began as plans drawn in a humble patch of dirt by local businessman Luther Draffen and engineers from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Luther envisioned a lock and dam system that, for the first time, would bring electricity to much of Marshall County and the Jackson Purchase region. He relentlessly pushed for the investment and construction of the project to improve flood control, enhance the flow of commercial traffic, and power the region's future. prgtoken Luther made some influential allies along the way, including Senator Alben Barkley, who began his political career a few miles down the road in Paducah. Barkley was elected Senate majority leader in 1937 and, with his new clout, secured the first appropriation for the Kentucky Lock and Dam's construction the next year. Today, the dam creates the largest water reservoir in the eastern United States. prgtoken In my career, I have had my own opportunities to deliver for the families who depend on the Kentucky Lock and Dam. As its waterway traffic increased, I led the authorization for the construction of a new and larger lock. Since then, I have directed over $600 million to the project through the Appropriations Committee, investing in Kentucky's 20,000 maritime workers and their future. As work continues on the lock, I will always continue to support this project and the Kentuckians it serves. prgtoken Just up the river, we celebrated the ribbon cutting of a similar project at the Olmsted Locks and Dam in 2018. Over the course of three decades, the Olmsted became one of the largest civil works projects in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' history. Today, it sees more commercial traffic than any other inland waterway location within the United States. From its authorization through completion, I was working in the Senate to ensure the project received necessary funding for the families who depend on it. prgtoken So I am proud to join this community in marking the 75th anniversary of the Kentucky Lock and Dam and its transformative i
MORNING BUSINESS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2020-10-25

when the Senate considers nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, it is particularly important that we act fairly and consistently, using the same set of rules, no matter which political party is in power. prgtoken When President nominated Judge Garland 8 months before the 2016 Presidential election, I met with him and maintained that he was entitled to a hearing. Others argued that the winner of that year's Presidential election should be allowed to choose the nominee, and that is what happened. My views did not prevail, and the standard was established that a nominee to the Court would not be voted on prior to the election in a Presidential election year. This year, a vacancy has also occurred, notably much closer to the election. prgtoken Prior to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, I stated that, should a vacancy on the Supreme Court arise, the Senate should follow the precedent set 4 years ago and not vote on a nominee prior to the Presidential election. Since her passing, I have reiterated that in fairness to the American people--who will either be reelecting the President or selecting a new one--the decision on the nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy should be made by whoever is elected on November 3. prgtoken Because this vote is occurring prior to the election, I will vote against the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. To be clear, my vote does not reflect any conclusion that I have reached about Judge Barrett's qualifications to serve on the Supreme Court. What I have concentrated on is being fair and consistent, and I do not think it is fair nor consistent to have a Senate confirmation vote prior to the election.
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Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2020-10-25

I thank my staff, Elliott--who is on the floor--Brad, Cirilo, Seth, and Brad for all the work that they have done as we have gone through the nomination process. prgtoken I was reviewing my prepared remarks this morning, and then I reflected back on a very important moment during the Judiciary Committee hearing where Senator Cornyn asked--he said: You can see, among all of us, we have three-ring binders; we have staff behind us; we have taken weeks to prepare; and you are about to go through some 20 hours of questions, would you mind sharing with us your notes? She looked at a blank notepad that was given to her by the chairman. It had nothing on it. prgtoken She came to that committee fully prepared to answer any question from the 22 members of the Judiciary Committee purely from what is up there, and she did an extraordinary job. prgtoken The reason she did an extraordinary job is because she has had an extraordinary career, beginning as a student, then going to Rhodes College, where she was magna cum laude, then going to Notre Dame School of Law, where she graduated first in her class. prgtoken She went on to be a professor at Notre Dame, and she was, multiple times, voted the Distinguished Professor by a broad spectrum of liberal and conservative students. prgtoken She has also proven as a judge, with some 600 cases going through the Seventh Circuit, that she has an encyclopedic knowledge of that law. There were so many times when members on the other side of the aisle would try to trip her up or ask her a question. She had no notes to refer to. She got the specifics of the case right. prgtoken What she demonstrated throughout the entire hearing process, which I attended, was that she interprets--she does her job by doing two things: looking at the plain letter of the Constitution, understanding the limits that the laws can have within the bounds of the Constitution, and rule accordingly. prgtoken Now, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle of the Judiciary Committee were constantly--it was clear to me, after weeks of attacking Amy Coney Barrett, not directly but through surrogates, that they were trying to demonize this person before she ever came before the committee, like they did with Justice Kavanaugh. But each and every time they asked her a question, she brought them back to the boundaries of the Constitution and the question of law before, in her case, the circuit court, and there was just no way to trip her up. prgtoken So then what happened? Then they started talking about how you are going to go to the Supreme Court, and you are going to overturn the Affordable Care Act. They asked her questions that they knew she couldn't answer. Justice Ginsburg, pursuant to the Ginsburg rule--they had no intention--no responsible judge would go before the Judiciary Committee and tell you how they are going to rule on a future case. It is actually a violation of their code of conduct. <|p|
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Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-10-25

it is an honor and a privilege to speak on behalf of the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States today. prgtoken One of Judge Barrett's familiar themes, one that she has invoked in speeches when speaking about the Constitution and about the role of the Federal judiciary, involves a line from Odysseus. It involves a reference to the ``Odyssey.'' prgtoken She says: The Constitution is like when Odysseus ties himself to the mast to resist the song of the Sirens. And he tells his crew, `Don't untie me no matter how much I plead.' That's what we've done as the American people with the Constitution. We've said . . . it's the people sober appealing to the people drunk, [that when you are tempted to get untied], that when you are tempted to get carried away by your passions and trample upon the First Amendment rights or minority rights, this document will hold you back. prgtoken Judge Barrett points out a very critical matter here, an absolutely essential matter, which is, first of all, that the whole point of having a Constitution involves restraining and restricting government. As it relates to the judiciary, it involves acknowledging the necessarily limited, finite, and confined role of the judiciary. prgtoken Sometimes when people refer to the three branches of the Federal Government, they will get it backward. Sometimes people will refer to the judicial branch as if it were the most powerful. This gets it exactly backward. It was designed to be--and, in fact, is--the least dangerous branch of the three branches. That is not to say it is not the most dangerous of all. Government, generally, is something that while necessary is also dangerous just like water or fire or wind or oxygen or any of the things that we depend upon for our day-to-day existence. prgtoken Government, including the power of the judiciary itself, has to be managed carefully, and it has to be channeled. If it is not, we become dangerous. So that is why we have a Constitution. It is to restrain government because government is force. Government is nothing more or nothing less than the collective, coercive use of force. We use it to protect life, liberty, and property. We use it to make sure that people don't harm each other and to make sure that we are protected from our adversaries within and without our borders, our boundaries. Yet, if we lose sight of what government does and what it doesn't do, what it can and cannot do, what it may or may not do, or what any branch of the government may do, we find ourselves in troubled, troubled waters. prgtoken The reason I say that the judicial branch is the least dangerous of the three is that it doesn't possess the power to say what should be, only what is. The power of the legislative branch, where we serve, is the most dangerous of the three because we have the power to prohibit conduct. We ha
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Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-10-25

some months ago, in July of this year, I came to this floor shortly after the conclusion of the Supreme Court's most recent term to lament the ongoing judicial activism--the judicial imperialism--that we have seen from this Court over this past term and from the Supreme Court for years on end. prgtoken I quote the late Justice Scalia who said: ``The imperial judiciary lives.'' prgtoken I said on the floor of this Senate--and it was a shame to say but was undeniable--that the imperial judiciary continued to live in this country--a judiciary intent and a Supreme Court intent on legislating from the Bench, on making up laws that went along with no regard for what the people actually wrote in their statutes or in their laws. prgtoken I particularly lamented the position of religious conservatives, of people of faith, who had seen in this past term from the U.S. Supreme Court decision after decision that tossed aside the concerns of religious conservatives and faithful Americans and who had watched the Supreme Court legislate and depart from the text of written laws with barely any concern for the effects on religious liberties. In fact, it tossed aside concerns about religious liberty, religious freedom, and in one or two lines of opinions, the effect on religious institutions. This is what we have been seeing from the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken Religious conservatives have come to a place of asking: What is it that we are fighting for? What is it that we have been working for and voting for all of these years? Is anybody actually listening to us? Do our votes really matter? prgtoken Those are the questions that religious conservatives were asking in July of this year, and that is why the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States comes as such historic and welcomed news to people of faith in this country, to religious conservatives, and to all who believe in the rule of law in America. prgtoken The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett is truly historic. This is the most openly pro-life judicial nominee to the Supreme Court in my lifetime. This is an individual who has been open in her criticism of that illegitimate decision Roe v. Wade. prgtoken She is a nominee who has been open about her faith and her faith commitments and the way she and her husband live their lives--immersed in their Catholic faith--and raise their children in their Catholic faith and want others to have the freedom to be able to do the same. Her nomination and, I anticipate, her confirmation tonight, in just a few hours on this floor, will show that there is nothing wrong with any of that. prgtoken In fact, people of faith should be welcomed on the Supreme Court of the United States, and people of Judge Barrett's convictions should be welcomed on the Supreme Court of the United States. In just a few hours, with the vote of this body, we will confirm that this is, indeed, the case. prgtoken I have to s
Medical care for the uninsured could cost billions more (Executive Calendar)
Mitt Romney (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-10-25

I rise today to express my support for the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. She is exceptionally intelligent, academically astute, and impeccably credentialed. She has a record of sound opinions and temperament as a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Her life experiences provide her with valuable perspective and evident wisdom. Perhaps most important, she is a woman of unquestionable character and integrity, the presence of which is essential to our Nation, as the confidence of the Court itself is in the balance. I will be honored to vote to confirm her nomination. prgtoken , I also rise to address my concern regarding the division and contempt for others that is growing among many of our citizens. The causes of this malady are many and varied, but one to which I draw attention is the declining trust held by the citizenry in our many institutions. A democratic republic is highly dependent upon the confidence of its people in the institutions that lie at its foundation. These includes churches, schools, governments at all levels, the press, corporations, markets, and most relevant today, the justice system and the courts. Absent public confidence in these institutions, a democratic republic will not thrive or perhaps endure. prgtoken Fortunately, the Supreme Court enjoys a great deal of respect from the American people. Unfortunately, the third branch may be one of the few institutions of our democratic republic that is not experiencing a collapse in public trust. prgtoken Our churches have been diminished by scandal and by politicization. prgtoken Trust in local law enforcement has fallen as we have witnessed some officers, who have sworn to protect our communities, endanger the lives of citizens. While this is particularly true for citizens of color, the demonstrations by millions of Americans are evidence that the distrust is broadly shared. prgtoken Trust in the FBI and the intelligence community, long admired for their integrity and professionalism, has withered with the attacks by politicians from both parties, though admittedly my party has been the more vocal. What a message it sends when the President accepts the word of the Russian President rather than the conclusions of our intelligence agencies. prgtoken Even the CDC and the FDA have fallen in credibility, due both to inevitable human error and to blistering political attacks. prgtoken The free press is not only protected by the Constitution; it is critical to the preservation of democracy. Here, too, charges of ``fake news'' and claims that the press is the enemy of the people--worsened by the media's constant amplification of divisiveness--have so diminished the trust many Americans have in the media that they instead believe bizarre, anonymous conspiracy theories on the internet. prgtoken Now, more than at any other time during my lifetime, it is essential