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formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. King, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Fetterman, and Ms. Smith) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: S. Res. 274 Whereas roadway fatalities kill tens of thousands of people in the United States each year; Whereas, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (referred to in this preamble as ``NHTSA''), 42,939 lives were lost in motor vehicle crashes in 2021 and all of the deaths were preventable; Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for people ages 1 to 54 and kill more than 100 people every day; Whereas, according to NHTSA, alcohol-impaired driving crashes are a leading killer on the roadways of the United States, with 13,384 lives lost to alcohol-impaired driving in 2021; Whereas, according to NHTSA, 3,522 people died in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2021; Whereas, according to NHTSA, 7,388 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States in 2021, representing a 22 percent increase in the last 5 years; Whereas, according to NHTSA, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased by 53 percent from 2012 to 2021; Whereas, according to the National Complete Streets Coalition at Smart Growth America, the pedestrian fatality rate compared to that of White, non-Hispanic people in the United States is-- (1) 220 percent higher for American Indian and Alaska Native people; (2) 100 percent higher for Black people; and (3) 20 percent higher for Hispanic and Latinx people; Whereas, according to NHTSA, a total of 961 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2021, representing a 32 percent increase in the last 10 years; Whereas independent research in 2015 found that motor vehicle crash death rates were as much as 4.3 times greater for those at the bottom of the education spectrum than those at the top; Whereas, according to NHTSA, motorcycles represented only 3 percent of all registered vehicles, but accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and 17 percent of all occupant fatalities in 2021; Whereas, according to NHTSA, in 2021, 40 percent of motor vehicle traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads, despite only 32 percent of miles traveled occurring on rural roads; Whereas, according to NHTSA, seatbelts prevented 14,653 fatalities and 450,000 serious injuries in 2019, saving $93,000,000,000 in medical care, lost productivity, and other injury-related costs; Whereas, according to NHTSA, in 2021, 50 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who died in a motor vehicle crash were unrestrained, while 85 percent of occupants who survived a motor vehicle crash were restrained; Whereas the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine cite that approximately 40 percent of crash fatalities initially survived the impact but later died, highlighting the importance of improving post-crash care; Whereas, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, increasing speed limits over the last 25 years have led to approximately 37,000 deaths; Whereas, according to NHTSA, speeding accounted for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2021; Whereas, according to Consumer Reports, existing safety technologies could cut road fatalities in half if such technologies were made standard on all vehicles, saving approximately 20,000 lives annually; Whereas roadway fatalities and injuries rose during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain a persistent cause of death in the United States; Whereas, a deep history of inequalities in the United States continues to impact transportation systems, with low- income neighborhoods experiencing more than twice as many pedestrian fatalities as neighborhoods with the highest incomes, according to the National Complete Streets Coalition at Smart Growth America; Whereas roadway fatalities disproportionately affect people of color and underserved communities and there must be an effort to collect better data to understand these impacts; Whereas too many families in the United States have been personally affected by preventable crashes; and Whereas a data-driven safe systems approach is proven to be effective at reducing traffic fatalities and injuries, including through taking into account all aspects of the transportation environment and not requiring a single actor to be responsible for traffic safety: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) commits to advancing policies that will end roadway fatalities by 2050; (2) calls on Congress and the Department of Transportation to commit to working together to achieve zero roadway fatalities by the year 2050; (3) supports efforts to address disparities and other equity-related issues related to transportation safety; (4) calls on the Department of Transportation, and the agencies within the Department of Transportation, to improve data gathering and tracking of traffic crashes and other issues related to transportation safety; (5) calls on the Department of Transportation, and the agencies within the Department of Transportation, to commit to the implementation of proven countermeasures and interventions to prioritize transportation safety; (6) recognizes the need for a safe system approach to transportation in the United States to improve access, safety, and mobility; and (7) supports the use of the term ``crash'', instead of ``accident'', when describing traffic incidents and encourages all agencies of the Federal Government to use this term. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-06-22-pt1-PgS2240 | null | 6,500 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. King, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Fetterman, and Ms. Smith) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: S. Res. 274 Whereas roadway fatalities kill tens of thousands of people in the United States each year; Whereas, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (referred to in this preamble as ``NHTSA''), 42,939 lives were lost in motor vehicle crashes in 2021 and all of the deaths were preventable; Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for people ages 1 to 54 and kill more than 100 people every day; Whereas, according to NHTSA, alcohol-impaired driving crashes are a leading killer on the roadways of the United States, with 13,384 lives lost to alcohol-impaired driving in 2021; Whereas, according to NHTSA, 3,522 people died in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2021; Whereas, according to NHTSA, 7,388 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States in 2021, representing a 22 percent increase in the last 5 years; Whereas, according to NHTSA, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased by 53 percent from 2012 to 2021; Whereas, according to the National Complete Streets Coalition at Smart Growth America, the pedestrian fatality rate compared to that of White, non-Hispanic people in the United States is-- (1) 220 percent higher for American Indian and Alaska Native people; (2) 100 percent higher for Black people; and (3) 20 percent higher for Hispanic and Latinx people; Whereas, according to NHTSA, a total of 961 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2021, representing a 32 percent increase in the last 10 years; Whereas independent research in 2015 found that motor vehicle crash death rates were as much as 4.3 times greater for those at the bottom of the education spectrum than those at the top; Whereas, according to NHTSA, motorcycles represented only 3 percent of all registered vehicles, but accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and 17 percent of all occupant fatalities in 2021; Whereas, according to NHTSA, in 2021, 40 percent of motor vehicle traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads, despite only 32 percent of miles traveled occurring on rural roads; Whereas, according to NHTSA, seatbelts prevented 14,653 fatalities and 450,000 serious injuries in 2019, saving $93,000,000,000 in medical care, lost productivity, and other injury-related costs; Whereas, according to NHTSA, in 2021, 50 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who died in a motor vehicle crash were unrestrained, while 85 percent of occupants who survived a motor vehicle crash were restrained; Whereas the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine cite that approximately 40 percent of crash fatalities initially survived the impact but later died, highlighting the importance of improving post-crash care; Whereas, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, increasing speed limits over the last 25 years have led to approximately 37,000 deaths; Whereas, according to NHTSA, speeding accounted for 29 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2021; Whereas, according to Consumer Reports, existing safety technologies could cut road fatalities in half if such technologies were made standard on all vehicles, saving approximately 20,000 lives annually; Whereas roadway fatalities and injuries rose during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain a persistent cause of death in the United States; Whereas, a deep history of inequalities in the United States continues to impact transportation systems, with low- income neighborhoods experiencing more than twice as many pedestrian fatalities as neighborhoods with the highest incomes, according to the National Complete Streets Coalition at Smart Growth America; Whereas roadway fatalities disproportionately affect people of color and underserved communities and there must be an effort to collect better data to understand these impacts; Whereas too many families in the United States have been personally affected by preventable crashes; and Whereas a data-driven safe systems approach is proven to be effective at reducing traffic fatalities and injuries, including through taking into account all aspects of the transportation environment and not requiring a single actor to be responsible for traffic safety: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) commits to advancing policies that will end roadway fatalities by 2050; (2) calls on Congress and the Department of Transportation to commit to working together to achieve zero roadway fatalities by the year 2050; (3) supports efforts to address disparities and other equity-related issues related to transportation safety; (4) calls on the Department of Transportation, and the agencies within the Department of Transportation, to improve data gathering and tracking of traffic crashes and other issues related to transportation safety; (5) calls on the Department of Transportation, and the agencies within the Department of Transportation, to commit to the implementation of proven countermeasures and interventions to prioritize transportation safety; (6) recognizes the need for a safe system approach to transportation in the United States to improve access, safety, and mobility; and (7) supports the use of the term ``crash'', instead of ``accident'', when describing traffic incidents and encourages all agencies of the Federal Government to use this term. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-06-22-pt1-PgS2240 | null | 6,501 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Smith, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Carper, Mr. Coons, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. King, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Markey, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Peters, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Booker, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Casey, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Reed, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Welch, Mr. Warner, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Tester, Mr. Manchin, and Ms. Sinema) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary: S. Res. 282 Whereas individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in this preamble as ``LGBTQ'') include individuals-- (1) from all States, territories, and the District of Columbia; and (2) from all faiths, races, national origins, socioeconomic statuses, disability statuses, education levels, and political beliefs; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have made, and continue to make, vital contributions to the United States and to the world in every aspect, including in the fields of education, law, health, business, science, research, economic development, architecture, fashion, sports, government, music, film, politics, technology, literature, and civil rights; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States served on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic as doctors, nurses, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders in all States, territories, and the District of Columbia, and continue to serve on the front lines today; Whereas the persistent failure of Federal and State officials to collect full and accurate data on sexual orientation and gender identity causes tremendous harm to LGBTQ individuals in the United States, who remain largely invisible to the government entities entrusted with ensuring their health, safety, and well-being; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in the United States Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Marines honorably and with distinction and bravery; Whereas a decades-long Federal policy, known as the ``Lavender Scare'', threatened and intimidated Federal public servants from employment due to their sexual orientation by alleging LGBTQ individuals posed a threat to national security, preventing many more from entering the workforce; Whereas an estimated number of more than 100,000 brave service members were discharged from the Armed Forces between the beginning of World War II and 2011 because of their sexual orientation, including the discharge of more than 13,000 service members under the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy that was in place between 1994 and 2011; Whereas transgender people were banned from military service from at least 1960, and were not permitted to serve without restriction until 2021; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in positions in the Federal Government and State and local governments, including as members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, mayors, and city council members; Whereas the demonstrators who protested on June 28, 1969, following a law enforcement raid of the Stonewall Inn, a LGBTQ club in New York City, are pioneers of the LGBTQ movement for equality; Whereas, throughout much of the history of the United States, same-sex relationships were criminalized in many States, and many LGBTQ individuals in the United States were forced to hide their LGBTQ identities while living in secrecy and fear; Whereas, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry and acknowledged that ``[n]o union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family''; Whereas Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (referred to in this preamble as ``AIDS'') has disproportionately impacted LGBTQ individuals in the United States, due in part to a lack of funding and research devoted to finding effective treatments for AIDS and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (referred to in this preamble as ``HIV'') during the early stages of the HIV and AIDS epidemic; Whereas gay and bisexual men and transgender women of color have a higher risk of contracting HIV; Whereas people living with HIV continue to face discrimination in the United States and, in certain States, may be subject to greater criminal punishment than individuals without HIV; Whereas the LGBTQ community maintains its unwavering commitment to ending the HIV and AIDS epidemic; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States face disparities in employment, healthcare, education, housing, and many other areas central to the pursuit of happiness in the United States; Whereas 28 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace, housing, or public accommodations, and 34 States have no explicit ban on discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in education; Whereas, as a result of discrimination, LGBTQ youth are at increased risk of-- (1) suicide; (2) homelessness; (3) becoming victims of bullying, violence, or human trafficking; and (4) developing mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression; Whereas only 13 States and the District of Columbia have explicit policies in place to protect foster youth from discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity; Whereas LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in child welfare and juvenile justice systems; Whereas the LGBTQ community has faced discrimination, inequality, and violence throughout the history of the United States; Whereas State legislatures across the country have introduced and passed harmful legislation specifically targeting LGBTQ youth, particularly transgender youth, and their ability to obtain access to healthcare, participate in athletic activities, and learn about race, gender, and sexuality in schools; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States, in particular transgender individuals, face a disproportionately high risk of becoming victims of violent hate crimes; Whereas members of the LGBTQ community have been targeted in acts of mass violence, including-- (1) the Club Q nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on November 19, 2022, where 5 people were killed and 25 people were wounded; (2) the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016, where 49 people were killed and 53 people were wounded; and (3) the arson attack at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 24, 1973, where 32 people died; Whereas LGBTQ individuals face persecution, violence, and death in many parts of the world, including State-sponsored violence like in Uganda, where LGBTQ people live under threat of the death penalty; Whereas, in the several years preceding 2019, hundreds of LGBTQ individuals around the world were arrested and, in some cases, tortured or even executed because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in countries and territories such as Chechnya, Egypt, Indonesia, and Tanzania; Whereas, in May 2019, Taiwan became the first place in Asia to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples; Whereas, since June 2019, Ecuador, Northern Ireland, and Costa Rica have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, the most recent country-wide extensions of those rights in the world; Whereas the LGBTQ community holds Pride festivals and marches in some of the most dangerous places in the world, despite threats of violence and arrest; Whereas, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (division E of Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2835) into law to protect all individuals in the United States from crimes motivated by their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have fought for equal treatment, dignity, and respect; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have achieved significant milestones, ensuring that future generations of LGBTQ individuals in the United States will enjoy a more equal and just society; Whereas, despite being marginalized throughout the history of the United States, LGBTQ individuals in the United States continue to celebrate their identities, love, and contributions to the United States in various expressions of Pride; Whereas, in June 2020, in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731 (2020), the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that existing civil rights laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, a landmark victory for the LGBTQ community; Whereas, in December 2022, Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act (Public Law 117-228; 136 Stat. 2305), which repealed the discriminatory legal definition of marriage as limited to a relationship between a man and a woman, and the discriminatory definition of a spouse as a person of the opposite sex; and Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States remain determined to pursue full equality, respect, and inclusion for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) supports the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in this resolution as ``LGBTQ'') individuals in the United States and around the world; (2) acknowledges that LGBTQ rights are human rights that are to be protected by the laws of the United States and numerous international treaties and conventions; (3) supports efforts to ensure the equal treatment of all individuals in the United States, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity; (4) supports efforts to ensure that the United States remains a beacon of hope for the equal treatment of individuals around the world, including LGBTQ individuals; and (5) encourages the celebration of June as ``LGBTQ Pride Month'' in order to provide a lasting opportunity for all individuals in the United States-- (A) to learn about the discrimination and inequality that the LGBTQ community endured and continues to endure; and (B) to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ community throughout the history of the United States. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-06-22-pt1-PgS2245 | null | 6,502 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Smith, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Carper, Mr. Coons, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. King, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Markey, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Peters, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Booker, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Casey, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Reed, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Welch, Mr. Warner, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Tester, Mr. Manchin, and Ms. Sinema) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary: S. Res. 282 Whereas individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in this preamble as ``LGBTQ'') include individuals-- (1) from all States, territories, and the District of Columbia; and (2) from all faiths, races, national origins, socioeconomic statuses, disability statuses, education levels, and political beliefs; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have made, and continue to make, vital contributions to the United States and to the world in every aspect, including in the fields of education, law, health, business, science, research, economic development, architecture, fashion, sports, government, music, film, politics, technology, literature, and civil rights; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States served on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic as doctors, nurses, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders in all States, territories, and the District of Columbia, and continue to serve on the front lines today; Whereas the persistent failure of Federal and State officials to collect full and accurate data on sexual orientation and gender identity causes tremendous harm to LGBTQ individuals in the United States, who remain largely invisible to the government entities entrusted with ensuring their health, safety, and well-being; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in the United States Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Marines honorably and with distinction and bravery; Whereas a decades-long Federal policy, known as the ``Lavender Scare'', threatened and intimidated Federal public servants from employment due to their sexual orientation by alleging LGBTQ individuals posed a threat to national security, preventing many more from entering the workforce; Whereas an estimated number of more than 100,000 brave service members were discharged from the Armed Forces between the beginning of World War II and 2011 because of their sexual orientation, including the discharge of more than 13,000 service members under the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy that was in place between 1994 and 2011; Whereas transgender people were banned from military service from at least 1960, and were not permitted to serve without restriction until 2021; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in positions in the Federal Government and State and local governments, including as members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, mayors, and city council members; Whereas the demonstrators who protested on June 28, 1969, following a law enforcement raid of the Stonewall Inn, a LGBTQ club in New York City, are pioneers of the LGBTQ movement for equality; Whereas, throughout much of the history of the United States, same-sex relationships were criminalized in many States, and many LGBTQ individuals in the United States were forced to hide their LGBTQ identities while living in secrecy and fear; Whereas, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry and acknowledged that ``[n]o union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family''; Whereas Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (referred to in this preamble as ``AIDS'') has disproportionately impacted LGBTQ individuals in the United States, due in part to a lack of funding and research devoted to finding effective treatments for AIDS and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (referred to in this preamble as ``HIV'') during the early stages of the HIV and AIDS epidemic; Whereas gay and bisexual men and transgender women of color have a higher risk of contracting HIV; Whereas people living with HIV continue to face discrimination in the United States and, in certain States, may be subject to greater criminal punishment than individuals without HIV; Whereas the LGBTQ community maintains its unwavering commitment to ending the HIV and AIDS epidemic; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States face disparities in employment, healthcare, education, housing, and many other areas central to the pursuit of happiness in the United States; Whereas 28 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace, housing, or public accommodations, and 34 States have no explicit ban on discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in education; Whereas, as a result of discrimination, LGBTQ youth are at increased risk of-- (1) suicide; (2) homelessness; (3) becoming victims of bullying, violence, or human trafficking; and (4) developing mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression; Whereas only 13 States and the District of Columbia have explicit policies in place to protect foster youth from discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity; Whereas LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in child welfare and juvenile justice systems; Whereas the LGBTQ community has faced discrimination, inequality, and violence throughout the history of the United States; Whereas State legislatures across the country have introduced and passed harmful legislation specifically targeting LGBTQ youth, particularly transgender youth, and their ability to obtain access to healthcare, participate in athletic activities, and learn about race, gender, and sexuality in schools; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States, in particular transgender individuals, face a disproportionately high risk of becoming victims of violent hate crimes; Whereas members of the LGBTQ community have been targeted in acts of mass violence, including-- (1) the Club Q nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on November 19, 2022, where 5 people were killed and 25 people were wounded; (2) the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016, where 49 people were killed and 53 people were wounded; and (3) the arson attack at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 24, 1973, where 32 people died; Whereas LGBTQ individuals face persecution, violence, and death in many parts of the world, including State-sponsored violence like in Uganda, where LGBTQ people live under threat of the death penalty; Whereas, in the several years preceding 2019, hundreds of LGBTQ individuals around the world were arrested and, in some cases, tortured or even executed because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in countries and territories such as Chechnya, Egypt, Indonesia, and Tanzania; Whereas, in May 2019, Taiwan became the first place in Asia to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples; Whereas, since June 2019, Ecuador, Northern Ireland, and Costa Rica have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, the most recent country-wide extensions of those rights in the world; Whereas the LGBTQ community holds Pride festivals and marches in some of the most dangerous places in the world, despite threats of violence and arrest; Whereas, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (division E of Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2835) into law to protect all individuals in the United States from crimes motivated by their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have fought for equal treatment, dignity, and respect; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have achieved significant milestones, ensuring that future generations of LGBTQ individuals in the United States will enjoy a more equal and just society; Whereas, despite being marginalized throughout the history of the United States, LGBTQ individuals in the United States continue to celebrate their identities, love, and contributions to the United States in various expressions of Pride; Whereas, in June 2020, in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731 (2020), the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that existing civil rights laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, a landmark victory for the LGBTQ community; Whereas, in December 2022, Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act (Public Law 117-228; 136 Stat. 2305), which repealed the discriminatory legal definition of marriage as limited to a relationship between a man and a woman, and the discriminatory definition of a spouse as a person of the opposite sex; and Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States remain determined to pursue full equality, respect, and inclusion for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) supports the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in this resolution as ``LGBTQ'') individuals in the United States and around the world; (2) acknowledges that LGBTQ rights are human rights that are to be protected by the laws of the United States and numerous international treaties and conventions; (3) supports efforts to ensure the equal treatment of all individuals in the United States, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity; (4) supports efforts to ensure that the United States remains a beacon of hope for the equal treatment of individuals around the world, including LGBTQ individuals; and (5) encourages the celebration of June as ``LGBTQ Pride Month'' in order to provide a lasting opportunity for all individuals in the United States-- (A) to learn about the discrimination and inequality that the LGBTQ community endured and continues to endure; and (B) to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ community throughout the history of the United States. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-06-22-pt1-PgS2245 | null | 6,503 |
formal | welfare | null | racist | Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Smith, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Carper, Mr. Coons, Mr. Ossoff, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. King, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Warren, Mr. Markey, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Peters, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Booker, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Casey, Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Reed, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Welch, Mr. Warner, Mr. Kaine, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Tester, Mr. Manchin, and Ms. Sinema) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary: S. Res. 282 Whereas individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in this preamble as ``LGBTQ'') include individuals-- (1) from all States, territories, and the District of Columbia; and (2) from all faiths, races, national origins, socioeconomic statuses, disability statuses, education levels, and political beliefs; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have made, and continue to make, vital contributions to the United States and to the world in every aspect, including in the fields of education, law, health, business, science, research, economic development, architecture, fashion, sports, government, music, film, politics, technology, literature, and civil rights; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States served on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic as doctors, nurses, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and first responders in all States, territories, and the District of Columbia, and continue to serve on the front lines today; Whereas the persistent failure of Federal and State officials to collect full and accurate data on sexual orientation and gender identity causes tremendous harm to LGBTQ individuals in the United States, who remain largely invisible to the government entities entrusted with ensuring their health, safety, and well-being; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in the United States Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Marines honorably and with distinction and bravery; Whereas a decades-long Federal policy, known as the ``Lavender Scare'', threatened and intimidated Federal public servants from employment due to their sexual orientation by alleging LGBTQ individuals posed a threat to national security, preventing many more from entering the workforce; Whereas an estimated number of more than 100,000 brave service members were discharged from the Armed Forces between the beginning of World War II and 2011 because of their sexual orientation, including the discharge of more than 13,000 service members under the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy that was in place between 1994 and 2011; Whereas transgender people were banned from military service from at least 1960, and were not permitted to serve without restriction until 2021; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States serve, and have served, in positions in the Federal Government and State and local governments, including as members of Congress, Cabinet Secretaries, Governors, mayors, and city council members; Whereas the demonstrators who protested on June 28, 1969, following a law enforcement raid of the Stonewall Inn, a LGBTQ club in New York City, are pioneers of the LGBTQ movement for equality; Whereas, throughout much of the history of the United States, same-sex relationships were criminalized in many States, and many LGBTQ individuals in the United States were forced to hide their LGBTQ identities while living in secrecy and fear; Whereas, on June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry and acknowledged that ``[n]o union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family''; Whereas Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (referred to in this preamble as ``AIDS'') has disproportionately impacted LGBTQ individuals in the United States, due in part to a lack of funding and research devoted to finding effective treatments for AIDS and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (referred to in this preamble as ``HIV'') during the early stages of the HIV and AIDS epidemic; Whereas gay and bisexual men and transgender women of color have a higher risk of contracting HIV; Whereas people living with HIV continue to face discrimination in the United States and, in certain States, may be subject to greater criminal punishment than individuals without HIV; Whereas the LGBTQ community maintains its unwavering commitment to ending the HIV and AIDS epidemic; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States face disparities in employment, healthcare, education, housing, and many other areas central to the pursuit of happiness in the United States; Whereas 28 States have no explicit ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace, housing, or public accommodations, and 34 States have no explicit ban on discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in education; Whereas, as a result of discrimination, LGBTQ youth are at increased risk of-- (1) suicide; (2) homelessness; (3) becoming victims of bullying, violence, or human trafficking; and (4) developing mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression; Whereas only 13 States and the District of Columbia have explicit policies in place to protect foster youth from discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity; Whereas LGBTQ youth of color are overrepresented in child welfare and juvenile justice systems; Whereas the LGBTQ community has faced discrimination, inequality, and violence throughout the history of the United States; Whereas State legislatures across the country have introduced and passed harmful legislation specifically targeting LGBTQ youth, particularly transgender youth, and their ability to obtain access to healthcare, participate in athletic activities, and learn about race, gender, and sexuality in schools; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States, in particular transgender individuals, face a disproportionately high risk of becoming victims of violent hate crimes; Whereas members of the LGBTQ community have been targeted in acts of mass violence, including-- (1) the Club Q nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on November 19, 2022, where 5 people were killed and 25 people were wounded; (2) the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, on June 12, 2016, where 49 people were killed and 53 people were wounded; and (3) the arson attack at the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 24, 1973, where 32 people died; Whereas LGBTQ individuals face persecution, violence, and death in many parts of the world, including State-sponsored violence like in Uganda, where LGBTQ people live under threat of the death penalty; Whereas, in the several years preceding 2019, hundreds of LGBTQ individuals around the world were arrested and, in some cases, tortured or even executed because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in countries and territories such as Chechnya, Egypt, Indonesia, and Tanzania; Whereas, in May 2019, Taiwan became the first place in Asia to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples; Whereas, since June 2019, Ecuador, Northern Ireland, and Costa Rica have extended marriage rights to same-sex couples, the most recent country-wide extensions of those rights in the world; Whereas the LGBTQ community holds Pride festivals and marches in some of the most dangerous places in the world, despite threats of violence and arrest; Whereas, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (division E of Public Law 111-84; 123 Stat. 2835) into law to protect all individuals in the United States from crimes motivated by their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have fought for equal treatment, dignity, and respect; Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States have achieved significant milestones, ensuring that future generations of LGBTQ individuals in the United States will enjoy a more equal and just society; Whereas, despite being marginalized throughout the history of the United States, LGBTQ individuals in the United States continue to celebrate their identities, love, and contributions to the United States in various expressions of Pride; Whereas, in June 2020, in Bostock v. Clayton County, 140 S. Ct. 1731 (2020), the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that existing civil rights laws prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, a landmark victory for the LGBTQ community; Whereas, in December 2022, Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act (Public Law 117-228; 136 Stat. 2305), which repealed the discriminatory legal definition of marriage as limited to a relationship between a man and a woman, and the discriminatory definition of a spouse as a person of the opposite sex; and Whereas LGBTQ individuals in the United States remain determined to pursue full equality, respect, and inclusion for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) supports the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (referred to in this resolution as ``LGBTQ'') individuals in the United States and around the world; (2) acknowledges that LGBTQ rights are human rights that are to be protected by the laws of the United States and numerous international treaties and conventions; (3) supports efforts to ensure the equal treatment of all individuals in the United States, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity; (4) supports efforts to ensure that the United States remains a beacon of hope for the equal treatment of individuals around the world, including LGBTQ individuals; and (5) encourages the celebration of June as ``LGBTQ Pride Month'' in order to provide a lasting opportunity for all individuals in the United States-- (A) to learn about the discrimination and inequality that the LGBTQ community endured and continues to endure; and (B) to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ community throughout the history of the United States. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-06-22-pt1-PgS2245 | null | 6,504 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-06-23-pt1-PgH3143 | null | 6,505 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(l) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following state are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-06-27-pt1-PgH3151 | null | 6,506 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows: EC-1319. A letter from the Under Secretary, Department of Defense, transmitting the semiannual report titled, ``Acceptance of Contributions For Defense Programs, Projects, and Activities; Defense Cooperation Account'', pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2608(e); Public Law 101-403, Sec. 202(a)(1) (as amended by Public Law 112-81, Sec. 1064(7)); (125 Stat. 1587); to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-1320. A letter from the General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, National Credit Union Administration, transmitting the Administration's final rule -- Joint Ownership Share Accounts (RIN: 3133-AF11) received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-1321. A letter from the Regulations Coordinator, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Removal of the Vaccine Requirements for Head Start Programs (RIN: 0970-AC90) received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. EC-1322. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Expanded Report to Congress on Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in Medicaid, 2018-2021, pursuant to Public Law 116-260, Sec. 209(b)(5); (134 Stat. 2989); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1323. A letter from the Assistant General Counsel, Regulatory Affairs Division, Office of the General Counsel, Consumer Product Safety Commission, transmitting the Commission's Major direct final rule -- Safety Standard for Clothing Storage Units [Docket No.: CPSC- 2023-0015] received June 16, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1324. A letter from the Assistant General Counsel for Legislation, Regulation and Energy Efficiency, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Microwave Ovens [EERE-2017-BT-STD-0023] (RIN: 1904-AE00) received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1325. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Testing Provisions for Air Emission Sources; Correction [EPA-HQ-OAR-2020-0556; FRL-8335-06-OAR] (RIN: 2060-AV35) received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1326. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program: Standards for 2023-2025 and Other Changes [EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0427; FRL-8514-02-OAR] (RIN: 2060- AV14) received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1327. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Approval, Limited Approval and Limited Disapproval of California Air Plan Revisions; Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District; Stationary Source Permits [EPA-R09-OAR-2022-0338; FRL-10269- 02-R9] received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1328. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; Tennessee; Revisions to Startup, Shutdown, and Malfunction Rules [EPA-R4-OAR-2022-0783; FRL-10523-02-R4] received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104- 121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1329. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Implementing Statutory Addition of Certain Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) to the Toxics Release Inventory Beginning with Reporting Year 2023 [EPA-HQ-OPPT-2023-0223; FRL 10781- 01-OCSPP] (RIN: 2070-AL40) received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1330. A letter from the Associate Director, Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting the Agency's final rule -- Air Plan Approval; Virginia; Startup, Shutdown, and Malfunction Amendments to Facility and Control Equipment Maintenance or Malfunction Regulations [EPA-R03-OAR-2023-0104; FRL10907-02-R3] received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1331. A letter from the Secretary, Federal Trade Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising [16 CFR Part 255] received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1332. A letter from the Acting Secretary of Labor, Department of Labor, transmitting the Department's Semiannual Report to Congress from the Office of Inspector General, for the period October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023; to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. EC-1333. A letter from the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, transmitting the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas 2022 management report and financial statements, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 9106(a)(1); Public Law 97-258 (as amended by Public Law 101-576, Sec. 306(a)); (104 Stat. 2854); to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. EC-1334. A letter from the Chief Financial Officer, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, transmitting the 2022 management report of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines including financial statements, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 9106(a)(1); Public Law 97-258 (as amended by Public Law 101- 576, Sec. 306(a)); (104 Stat. 2854); to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. EC-1335. A letter from the President and CEO, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, transmitting the 2022 management report and financial statements of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 9106(a)(1); Public Law 97-258 (as amended by Public Law 101-576, Sec. 306(a)); (104 Stat. 2854); to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. EC-1336. A letter from the Chairman, Federal Labor Relations Authority, transmitting a notice of a nomination, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 3349(a); Public Law 105-277, Sec. 151(b); (112 Stat. 2681-614); to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. EC-1337. A letter from the Director, Administrative Office of the United States Courts, transmitting the annual report on bankruptcy statistics mandated by the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 159(b)(3), pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 159(b)(3); Public Law 109-8, Sec. 601(a); (119 Stat. 119); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1338. A letter from the Agency Representative, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce, transmitting the Department's final rule -- Standardization of the Patent Term Adjustment Statement Regarding Information Disclosure Statements [Docket No.: PTO-P-2022-0008] (RIN: 0651-AD60) received June 22, 2022, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1339. A letter from the Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Legislative Affairs, Department of State, transmitting a Report to Congress on the Extension of the Jackson-Vanik Waiver Authority for Turkmenistan, pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 2432(d)(1)(B); Public Law 93-618, Sec. 402(d)(1); (88 Stat. 2056); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-1340. A letter from the Director, Legal Processing Division, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, transmitting the Service's IRB only rule -- Revenue Procedure: Examination of returns and claims for refund, credit, or abatement; determination of correct tax liability [Rev. Proc. 2023-21] received June 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Ways and Means. EC-1341. A letter from the Senior Regulatory and Policy Coordinator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting the Department's Major rule -- Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program: Revised Guidance, Implementation of Sections 1191- 1198 of the Social Security Act for Initial Price Applicability Year 2026 received June 30, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); jointly to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. EC-1342. A letter from the Assistant Legislative Counsel, Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs, Department of the Interior, transmitting a certification that nationals of a foreign country, directly or indirectly, are conducting fishing operations in a manner or under circumstances which diminish the effectiveness of an international fishery conservation program, pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(4), pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 1978(a)(4); Aug. 27, 1954, ch. 1018, Sec. 8 (as amended by Public Law 114-231, Sec. 501(1)); (130 Stat. 956); jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-06-30-pt1-PgH3155-7 | null | 6,507 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-06-30-pt1-PgH3160-2 | null | 6,508 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Under clause 3 of rule XII, ML-35. The SPEAKER presented a memorial of the Senate of the State of Ohio, relative to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 115, urging the President of the United States to rescind the Federal Housing Finance Agency's new loan-level price adjustments (LLPAs) for purchase, rate-term refinance, and cash-out refinance loans; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-06-30-pt1-PgH3160 | null | 6,509 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-03-pt1-PgH3166 | null | 6,510 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-06-pt1-PgH3171 | null | 6,511 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | By Mr. GAETZ: H.J. Res. 79. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1, Section 1 The single subject of this legislation is: Terminating the national emergency declared by the President on May 11, 2004, pursuant to the National Emergencies Act. | 2020-01-06 | The RECORDER | House | CREC-2023-07-06-pt1-PgH3173-8 | null | 6,512 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | By Mr. MORAN: H.J. Res. 80. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article V The single subject of this legislation is: Economics and Public Finance | 2020-01-06 | The RECORDER | House | CREC-2023-07-06-pt1-PgH3173-9 | null | 6,513 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgH3177 | null | 6,514 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, first, I would like to welcome back my colleagues, including our Senate Acting President pro tempore back to the Senate after celebrating the July 4th holiday. Today, my thoughts are with all New Yorkers impacted by the flash floods that barraged the Hudson Valley, particularly Orange County where the West Point Military Academy is located, as well as other parts of Upstate New York, particularly Ontario County. The situation on the ground remains dangerous. Streets have been turned into rivers; houses have been swept away in their entirety; and, sadly, at least one person has lost her life. I have been in contact with the local first responders on the ground to ensure we are doing everything we can in my office to help. Today, I also called on FEMA to be ready to grant any request from the State for a major disaster declaration. And I urge everyone in New York and across the Northeast to exercise caution in the coming days. The danger is not over. I will continue to monitor this situation and bring the long arm of the Federal Government to help in every way that it can. Madam President, now, when people think about the July 4th holiday, they think about fireworks, barbecues, family. But last week, many Americans saw something else too. They saw more construction workers hard at work in their communities. They saw more hard hats and shovels and cranes and cement trucks operating day and night. They saw, in other words, Democrats' agenda in action, an agenda that has created over 35,000 new infrastructure projects over the last 2 years. These projects will mean millions of new good-paying jobs across the country for years to come. New York is a terrific example. Last week, I was proud to announce that nearly $7 billion in Federal dollars has been approved for the Gateway Tunnel project, in what will be the largest Federal transportation grant in history for the most important infrastructure project in America. Gateway has been a true passion of mine for more than a decade, a labor of love that I have been focused on for a long time. It is critical for our economy in the Northeast and, in fact, in the entire country. Should the tunnels under the Hudson not be usable, the Northeast--and probably the country--would go into recession. So this affects everybody. And the funding I announced was as a direct result of the terrific work we did in Congress to pass generational infrastructure legislation. Our work over the past few years is paying off. The Gateway project alone will create 72,000 new jobs--good-paying jobs--and generate over $19 billion in ancillary economic activity in addition to the dollars that are being spent. And our infrastructure agenda is not just about bridges and tunnels either. The administration announced recently over $42 billion in broadband funding is heading to the States across the Nation--more money so kids can access high-speed internet at home and so more families in both rural and urban communities can stay connected across the country. I thank my colleagues who worked over the July 4th weekend to announce all the great projects happening around the country. Implementation will remain a top Democratic priority. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2263-7 | null | 6,515 |
formal | urban | null | racist | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, first, I would like to welcome back my colleagues, including our Senate Acting President pro tempore back to the Senate after celebrating the July 4th holiday. Today, my thoughts are with all New Yorkers impacted by the flash floods that barraged the Hudson Valley, particularly Orange County where the West Point Military Academy is located, as well as other parts of Upstate New York, particularly Ontario County. The situation on the ground remains dangerous. Streets have been turned into rivers; houses have been swept away in their entirety; and, sadly, at least one person has lost her life. I have been in contact with the local first responders on the ground to ensure we are doing everything we can in my office to help. Today, I also called on FEMA to be ready to grant any request from the State for a major disaster declaration. And I urge everyone in New York and across the Northeast to exercise caution in the coming days. The danger is not over. I will continue to monitor this situation and bring the long arm of the Federal Government to help in every way that it can. Madam President, now, when people think about the July 4th holiday, they think about fireworks, barbecues, family. But last week, many Americans saw something else too. They saw more construction workers hard at work in their communities. They saw more hard hats and shovels and cranes and cement trucks operating day and night. They saw, in other words, Democrats' agenda in action, an agenda that has created over 35,000 new infrastructure projects over the last 2 years. These projects will mean millions of new good-paying jobs across the country for years to come. New York is a terrific example. Last week, I was proud to announce that nearly $7 billion in Federal dollars has been approved for the Gateway Tunnel project, in what will be the largest Federal transportation grant in history for the most important infrastructure project in America. Gateway has been a true passion of mine for more than a decade, a labor of love that I have been focused on for a long time. It is critical for our economy in the Northeast and, in fact, in the entire country. Should the tunnels under the Hudson not be usable, the Northeast--and probably the country--would go into recession. So this affects everybody. And the funding I announced was as a direct result of the terrific work we did in Congress to pass generational infrastructure legislation. Our work over the past few years is paying off. The Gateway project alone will create 72,000 new jobs--good-paying jobs--and generate over $19 billion in ancillary economic activity in addition to the dollars that are being spent. And our infrastructure agenda is not just about bridges and tunnels either. The administration announced recently over $42 billion in broadband funding is heading to the States across the Nation--more money so kids can access high-speed internet at home and so more families in both rural and urban communities can stay connected across the country. I thank my colleagues who worked over the July 4th weekend to announce all the great projects happening around the country. Implementation will remain a top Democratic priority. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2263-7 | null | 6,516 |
formal | affirmative action | null | racist | Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, this work period, we must continue to confirm President Biden's nominees and rebalance the Federal bench with judges who respect the rule of law. Sadly, Americans' faith in the Judiciary is at an alltime low after the extreme MAGA right captured the Supreme Court. In the last few weeks, this MAGA majority on the Court has gutted affirmative action, blocked student debt relief for millions of Americans, and green-lit discrimination against the LGBTQ community. What we are seeing at the Supreme Court is a sickening hypocrisy: As some Justices feel free to accept lavish gifts and vacations from billionaire friends, they are refusing to help everyday Americans just trying to get a fair shake. And the billionaires who have provided these trips and emoluments are no ordinary, run-of-the-mill billionaires. They are ideological MAGA extremists who bankroll hard-right MAGA causes and then bring those cases before the same judges they patronized. Congress has clear authority to oversee the Federal judiciary, and that includes making sure that the highest Court in the land is held to equally high ethical standards. So I support Chairman Durbin and the Judiciary Committee's efforts to advance SCOTUS ethics reform and look forward to working with them on this issue. In the meantime, Senate Democrats will continue to help restore faith and balance to the Federal judiciary by keeping up our historic pace of confirming President Biden's judicial nominees. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2264-2 | null | 6,517 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, this work period, we must continue to confirm President Biden's nominees and rebalance the Federal bench with judges who respect the rule of law. Sadly, Americans' faith in the Judiciary is at an alltime low after the extreme MAGA right captured the Supreme Court. In the last few weeks, this MAGA majority on the Court has gutted affirmative action, blocked student debt relief for millions of Americans, and green-lit discrimination against the LGBTQ community. What we are seeing at the Supreme Court is a sickening hypocrisy: As some Justices feel free to accept lavish gifts and vacations from billionaire friends, they are refusing to help everyday Americans just trying to get a fair shake. And the billionaires who have provided these trips and emoluments are no ordinary, run-of-the-mill billionaires. They are ideological MAGA extremists who bankroll hard-right MAGA causes and then bring those cases before the same judges they patronized. Congress has clear authority to oversee the Federal judiciary, and that includes making sure that the highest Court in the land is held to equally high ethical standards. So I support Chairman Durbin and the Judiciary Committee's efforts to advance SCOTUS ethics reform and look forward to working with them on this issue. In the meantime, Senate Democrats will continue to help restore faith and balance to the Federal judiciary by keeping up our historic pace of confirming President Biden's judicial nominees. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2264-2 | null | 6,518 |
formal | extremists | null | Islamophobic | Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, this work period, we must continue to confirm President Biden's nominees and rebalance the Federal bench with judges who respect the rule of law. Sadly, Americans' faith in the Judiciary is at an alltime low after the extreme MAGA right captured the Supreme Court. In the last few weeks, this MAGA majority on the Court has gutted affirmative action, blocked student debt relief for millions of Americans, and green-lit discrimination against the LGBTQ community. What we are seeing at the Supreme Court is a sickening hypocrisy: As some Justices feel free to accept lavish gifts and vacations from billionaire friends, they are refusing to help everyday Americans just trying to get a fair shake. And the billionaires who have provided these trips and emoluments are no ordinary, run-of-the-mill billionaires. They are ideological MAGA extremists who bankroll hard-right MAGA causes and then bring those cases before the same judges they patronized. Congress has clear authority to oversee the Federal judiciary, and that includes making sure that the highest Court in the land is held to equally high ethical standards. So I support Chairman Durbin and the Judiciary Committee's efforts to advance SCOTUS ethics reform and look forward to working with them on this issue. In the meantime, Senate Democrats will continue to help restore faith and balance to the Federal judiciary by keeping up our historic pace of confirming President Biden's judicial nominees. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2264-2 | null | 6,519 |
formal | MAGA | null | white supremacist | Mr. SCHUMER. Finally, this work period, we must continue to confirm President Biden's nominees and rebalance the Federal bench with judges who respect the rule of law. Sadly, Americans' faith in the Judiciary is at an alltime low after the extreme MAGA right captured the Supreme Court. In the last few weeks, this MAGA majority on the Court has gutted affirmative action, blocked student debt relief for millions of Americans, and green-lit discrimination against the LGBTQ community. What we are seeing at the Supreme Court is a sickening hypocrisy: As some Justices feel free to accept lavish gifts and vacations from billionaire friends, they are refusing to help everyday Americans just trying to get a fair shake. And the billionaires who have provided these trips and emoluments are no ordinary, run-of-the-mill billionaires. They are ideological MAGA extremists who bankroll hard-right MAGA causes and then bring those cases before the same judges they patronized. Congress has clear authority to oversee the Federal judiciary, and that includes making sure that the highest Court in the land is held to equally high ethical standards. So I support Chairman Durbin and the Judiciary Committee's efforts to advance SCOTUS ethics reform and look forward to working with them on this issue. In the meantime, Senate Democrats will continue to help restore faith and balance to the Federal judiciary by keeping up our historic pace of confirming President Biden's judicial nominees. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2264-2 | null | 6,520 |
formal | election integrity | null | racist | Mr. SCHUMER. On voting rights, the great John Lewis said, ``Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part to build what we called the Beloved Community.'' We should heed these words in our day and age because today House Republicans introduced their latest broadside against the fundamental right to vote, a sweeping bill that one lawmaker called ``the most substantive and conservative election integrity legislation that will come before the House in over a generation.'' Let me say that again: ``the most substantive and conservative election integrity legislation that will come before the House in over a generation.'' Democrats here in the Senate will never allow such a terrible proposal to become law, and very soon, we will once again move to bring real, much needed voting rights legislation before Congress. People think that the attacks against democracy came and went on January 6. Unfortunately, sadly, that is not true. In States as diverse as Georgia, Texas, Iowa, Florida, and Arizona, partisans have rewritten the rules of our elections in broad daylight to make it harder to vote--harder to vote--in a democracy that, of course, for centuries has hailed the right to vote and advanced it. Today's bill from Republicans is the latest example of the giant step backward the Republicans these days are taking when it comes to voting rights, and Democrats will fiercely oppose it. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2264-3 | null | 6,521 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, over 25 years ago, America made a noble and necessary commitment--never again to deploy or produce chemical weapons and to destroy our remaining stockpiles. The Blue Grass Army Depot in my home State of Kentucky has been home to the bulk of our Nation's legacy chemical weapons for decades. On Friday, the depot safely destroyed the last nerve-agent rocket in the U.S. arsenal. Last week marks a major milestone in an effort that dates back to President Reagan's call for a global prohibition on chemical weaponry altogether. After a decade of bilateral negotiations, the United States made an international commitment to ban their use, production, and stockpile for good. At that time, Blue Grass Army Depot stored over 500 tons of lethal chemical agents. The Army's initial plan for eliminating the depot's stockpile was incineration--literally burning the rockets. Understandably, local residents were concerned about the potential for poisonous leaks into the community, with schools and family homes literally in spitting distance. When I joined the Senate in 1985, our first victory was putting a stop to new munitions entering the Commonwealth. The second came when I passed legislation forcing the Army to explore more advanced disposal options that ensured the safety of local residents. Over the years, I have been proud to call greater national attention to this important local issue. I fought to bring home nearly $7 billion in Federal funding to support the responsible destruction of these munitions, and I will continue to fight for Kentuckians until the mission is complete. It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead this charge in the Senate and to push for the safety of Madison County families each step of the way. We wouldn't be here today without the singular focus and determination of community leaders like Craig Williams, an extremely effective local advocate who devoted much of his career to seeing this project through. And, of course, we owe a debt of gratitude to the operators, technicians, construction workers, and other staff for their work on the ground. Today is as much a story of local success as it is a reminder of worldwide significance. The United States is firmly planted in a wide international coalition that recognizes the moral imperative to reject chemical weapons, and unfortunately, that coalition is more important today than ever. The authoritarian regime in Moscow that escalated a brutal war in Europe last year is the same one that repeatedly and brazenly ignores the Chemical Weapons Convention that governs our efforts. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly used deadly nerve agents on foreign soil and supported the Assad regime's use of devastating sarin and chlorine against Syrian civilians. As we condemn this horror, the American people can be proud that our Nation stands squarely on the right side of history. Families in my home State of Kentucky can rest a little easier. Thanks to the dedication of so many, the United States has shown the world that our commitment to the global prohibition on chemical weapons is ironclad as ever. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2265-2 | null | 6,522 |
formal | MAGA | null | white supremacist | Mr. McCONNELL. Now on another matter, last month, the Supreme Court wrapped up its productive term by deciding some especially consequential decisions in favor of equal protection and Executive restraint. In response, Washington Democrats offered a fresh example of just how profoundly they misunderstand the Court and its role in our government. The President, who has flirted with calls for Court packing, warned ominously that a coequal branch was ``not a normal court.'' The Democratic leader who threatened Justices by name from the steps of the Court branded it as ``MAGA.'' And this month, the Judiciary Committee will attempt to force the Court to restructure itself in the name of ``ethics.'' But for all the Democrats' breathless fearmongering, the record of the Supreme Court's latest term tells a very different story. By the numbers, the Court remains as ideologically diverse and unpredictable as even passing students of our Constitution know it was designed to be. Nearly half the cases the Court heard this term produced a unanimous outcome. It ruled overwhelmingly in both directions--striking down union thuggery and declining to stop the Biden administration's open border policy. By contrast, just 9 percent of cases were decided 6 to 3, with each of the Republican-appointed Justices in the majority. The exact margin liberal commentators use to claim that the Supreme Court is irredeemably polarized actually decided fewer than 1 in 10 cases this term. This is the institution our colleague from New York likes to call a MAGA Court. Really. Here is the reality: In case after case, the exceptionally qualified Justices Washington Democrats have spent years vilifying continue to prove their strength and independent jurisprudence. Justice Barrett was just as likely this term to vote with Justice Kagan as with Justice Thomas. Let me say that again. Justice Barrett was just as likely this term to vote with Justice Kagan as with Justice Thomas. Justice Kavanaugh was more likely to vote with Justice Kagan. And the Court's two most conservative Justices, Thomas and Alito, voted together less frequently than liberal Justices Sotomayor and Jackson. The Supreme Court is not in crisis when it refuses to reliably and predictably advance Democrats' priorities. The Court is not in crisis when it puts the text of our law above politics. The Supreme Court is a coequal branch of government, and it should continue to do its job. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2265-3 | null | 6,523 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | At 3:02 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has passed the following bill, in which it requests the concurrence of the Senate: H.R. 3564. An act to cancel recent changes made by the Federal Housing Finance Agency to the up-front loan level pricing adjustments charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for guarantee of single-family mortgages, and for other purposes. The message also announced that pursuant to section 2(a) of the National Cultural Center Act (20 U.S.C. 76h(a)), amended by Public Law 107-117, and the order of the House of January 9, 2023, the Speaker appoints the following Member on the part of the House of Representatives to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: Mrs. Beatty of Ohio. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2285-3 | null | 6,524 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | The following bill was read the first and the second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated: H.R. 3564. An act to cancel recent changes made by the Federal Housing Finance Agency to the up-front loan level pricing adjustments charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for guarantee of single-family mortgages, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2285-4 | null | 6,525 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: EC-1555. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Mefenoxam; Pesticide Tolerances'' (FRL No. 10992- 01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-1556. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Sedaxane; Pesticide Tolerances'' (FRL No. 10994- 01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-1557. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Trifloxystrobin; Pesticide Tolerances'' (FRL No. 10570-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-1558. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Sulfoxaflor; Pesticide Tolerance'' (FRL No. 10967- 01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-1559. A communication from the Associate Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Glufosinate; Pesticide Tolerances'' (FRL No. 11019-01-OCSPP) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-1560. A communication from the Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary, Department of Defense, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Modification of Authority of the Department of Defense to Carry Out Certain Prototype Projects (DFARS Case 2023-D006)'' (RIN0750-AL79) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-1561. A communication from the Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary, Department of Defense, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Undefinitized Contract Actions (DFARS Case 2021- D003)'' (RIN0750-AL79) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-1562. A communication from the Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary, Department of Defense, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Payment Instructions (DFARS Case 2017-D036)'' (RIN0750-AL79) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-1563. A communication from the Secretary of Energy, transmitting a legislative proposal to extend the authority of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) under section 3132 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005, as amended, to accept, retain, and use external contributions indefinitely; to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-1564. A communication from the Director of the Selective Service System, transmitting, pursuant to law, the System's Congressional Budget Justification for fiscal year 2024; to the Committee on Armed Services. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2285-7 | null | 6,526 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated: POM-29. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Colorado reaffirming Colorado to be the permanent location for the United States Space Command, and, in connection therewith, urging the Department of Defense to keep the United States Space Command in Colorado; to the Committee on Armed Services. House Joint Resolution No. 23-1015 Whereas, Our nation and the world have significantly benefitted from technological and scientific advances resulting from space exploration and aerospace activities, and Colorado is paving the way for new discoveries in the frontiers of space by having a rich history in aerospace development and being at the forefront of space travel, exploration, and aerospace research; and Whereas, Colorado is the acting provisional Space Command Base, and it will remain the provisional base until 2026. Colorado is also the center for United States military space operations and strategy. According to the Colorado Space Coalition, the state's military commands are the primary customers for space-based research, development, acquisitions, and operations, representing nearly 90 percent of space-related expenditure by the military. Moving the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) to Huntsville, Alabama, would be incredibly disruptive to the National Defense Strategy. In addition, it would cause a major upheaval in existing infrastructure and jobs in the state, which would result in higher costs and less efficient outcomes for the United States military; and Whereas, Colorado is strategically located at the center of our national and space defense. We are the home to five key strategic military commands: North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), United States Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC Space) Missile Warning Center, the United States Space Force, and the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command; and five military installations, including United States Space Force bases Buckley, Peterson, and Schriever; Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station; as well as Fort Carson Army Base; and Whereas, The 460th Space Wing at Buckley Space Force Base provides operational command and control of three constellations to space-based infrared missile warning systems, has been defending America continuously since 1970, and is a critical part of global defense and national security; and Whereas, Colorado leads the charge in bringing current and future global positioning system (GPS) assets to life, a service provided free to the world by United States Space Force in Colorado Springs. Lockheed Martin designs and builds GPS III, the most powerful GPS satellite to date, which United Launch Alliance launches, with Raytheon Technologies developing the command and control capabilities. Boeing, L3Harris Technologies, Braxton Technologies, and Infinity Systems Engineering also support GPS development and operations from locations in Colorado. These GPS technologies enable an integral part of our global economy and have an incalculable impact that has improved the everyday lives of billions of people around the world; and Whereas, Colorado's aerospace industry is home to a broad range of companies that create products and systems for commercial, military, and civil space applications, such as spacecraft, launch vehicles, satellites, command and control software, sensors, and navigation operations. These companies include Ball Aerospace, Boeing, DigitalGlobe, L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Teledyne Brown Engineering, and United Launch Alliance, which make up a large portion of the aerospace sector; and Whereas, Colorado has an existing educated workforce, ranked second in the nation for residents with a bachelor's degree or higher, and a pipeline of higher education institutions to sustain future growth. We are home to the United States Air Force Academy and many colleges and universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Denver, Colorado Mesa University, and Fort Lewis College. Altogether, they provide access to world-class aerospace-related degrees and offer aerospace companies one of the country's most educated workforces; and Whereas, Colorado is home to some amazing research institutions. These institutions include the prestigious Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder. It began in 1948, a decade before NASA, and is the world's only research institute to have sent instruments to all eight planets and to Pluto, combining all aspects of space exploration through science, engineering, mission operations, and scientific data analysis; and Whereas, Colorado is also home to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center, a world-leading center of predictions for the solar and near- Earth space environment and the nation's official source of watches, warnings, and alerts of incoming solar storms, using satellite observations to protect and save lives and property; and Whereas, Various organizations are key to Colorado's prominence in aerospace, such as the Colorado Space Coalition, a group of industry stakeholders working to make Colorado a center of excellence for aerospace; the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, working to bring together aerospace stakeholders from the industry, government, and academia for roundtable discussions and business development and to encourage grassroots citizen participation in aerospace issues; the Colorado chapter of Citizens for Space Exploration, whose mission is to promote better understanding of aerospace and its importance to our economy and daily lives, as well as to promote the importance of human space exploration; Manufacturer's Edge, a statewide manufacturing assistance center that encourages the strength and competitiveness of Colorado manufacturers by providing on-site technical assistance through coaching, training, and consulting by providing collaboration-focused industry programs and by leveraging government, university, and economic development partnerships; and the Space Foundation, founded in 1983, with its world headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which holds an annual Space Symposium, bringing together civil, commercial, and national security space leaders from around the world to discuss, address, and plan for the future of space exploration; and Whereas, For the aforementioned reasons, it is in the best interests of the American taxpayer to keep USSPACECOM in the state because Colorado is already fulfilling the mission of the USSPACECOM; because Colorado Springs has in place the community infrastructure capacity and community support to champion an expanding mission; because the move would cost the United States billions of dollars; and because the move would severely disrupt the Colorado aerospace industry, which has grown to support the mission; Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy- fourth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein. That we, the members of the General Assembly: (1) Strongly urge the Department of Defense of the Biden- Harris administration to reevaluate the merits of this irresponsible decision and rightly conclude that it is the correct decision to keep the existing USSPACECOM in Colorado, recognizing Colorado's unique blend of military installations and major commands, private aerospace companies, academic and research institutions, and government entities, and the valuable synergies this ecosystem produces; (2) Strongly urge the Department of Defense of the Biden- Harris administration to permanently base USSPACECOM in Colorado, recognizing that Colorado provides the existing command structure, base infrastructure, and communications platforms necessary to successfully host additional national security initiatives and ensure coordination of efforts without committing additional funds; (3) Proudly express that Colorado has deep ties with the Department of Defense and immense patriotic commitment to providing for the nation's security and bolstering our defense; (4) Express our most sincere and deepest appreciation to our service members and civilian employees working in and supporting military and civilian aerospace companies, military installations, and civil organizations in Colorado; and (5) Hereby declare Colorado to be the prime location for the permanent headquarters for USSPACECOM. Be it further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.; Vice President Kamala Harris; Congressman Kevin McCarthy; Senator Chuck Schumer; Senator Mitch McConnell; Senator Michael Bennet; Senator John Hickenlooper; Congresswoman Diana DeGette; Congresswoman Lauren Boebert; Congressman Jason Crow; Congressman Joe Neguse; Congressman Ken Buck; Congressman Doug Lamborn; Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen; Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo; Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator; Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator; Phil Washington, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator; Governor Jared Polis; Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera; Brig. Gen. Laura Clellan, The Adjutant General, Colorado National Guard; Wayne R. Monteith, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration; General John W. ``Jay'' Raymond, U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations; Colonel Robert J. Schreiner, USAF, Commander Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado; Dr. Christopher Scolese, Director, National Reconnaissance Office; Ross Garelick Bell, Executive Director, Aerospace States Association; Thomas E. Zelibor, Chief Executive Officer, Space Foundation; Dr. Ronald Sega, Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; Michael Gass, Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; and Bob Cone, Chair, Colorado Citizens for Space Exploration. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2286 | null | 6,527 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated: POM-29. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of the State of Colorado reaffirming Colorado to be the permanent location for the United States Space Command, and, in connection therewith, urging the Department of Defense to keep the United States Space Command in Colorado; to the Committee on Armed Services. House Joint Resolution No. 23-1015 Whereas, Our nation and the world have significantly benefitted from technological and scientific advances resulting from space exploration and aerospace activities, and Colorado is paving the way for new discoveries in the frontiers of space by having a rich history in aerospace development and being at the forefront of space travel, exploration, and aerospace research; and Whereas, Colorado is the acting provisional Space Command Base, and it will remain the provisional base until 2026. Colorado is also the center for United States military space operations and strategy. According to the Colorado Space Coalition, the state's military commands are the primary customers for space-based research, development, acquisitions, and operations, representing nearly 90 percent of space-related expenditure by the military. Moving the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) to Huntsville, Alabama, would be incredibly disruptive to the National Defense Strategy. In addition, it would cause a major upheaval in existing infrastructure and jobs in the state, which would result in higher costs and less efficient outcomes for the United States military; and Whereas, Colorado is strategically located at the center of our national and space defense. We are the home to five key strategic military commands: North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), United States Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC Space) Missile Warning Center, the United States Space Force, and the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command; and five military installations, including United States Space Force bases Buckley, Peterson, and Schriever; Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station; as well as Fort Carson Army Base; and Whereas, The 460th Space Wing at Buckley Space Force Base provides operational command and control of three constellations to space-based infrared missile warning systems, has been defending America continuously since 1970, and is a critical part of global defense and national security; and Whereas, Colorado leads the charge in bringing current and future global positioning system (GPS) assets to life, a service provided free to the world by United States Space Force in Colorado Springs. Lockheed Martin designs and builds GPS III, the most powerful GPS satellite to date, which United Launch Alliance launches, with Raytheon Technologies developing the command and control capabilities. Boeing, L3Harris Technologies, Braxton Technologies, and Infinity Systems Engineering also support GPS development and operations from locations in Colorado. These GPS technologies enable an integral part of our global economy and have an incalculable impact that has improved the everyday lives of billions of people around the world; and Whereas, Colorado's aerospace industry is home to a broad range of companies that create products and systems for commercial, military, and civil space applications, such as spacecraft, launch vehicles, satellites, command and control software, sensors, and navigation operations. These companies include Ball Aerospace, Boeing, DigitalGlobe, L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Teledyne Brown Engineering, and United Launch Alliance, which make up a large portion of the aerospace sector; and Whereas, Colorado has an existing educated workforce, ranked second in the nation for residents with a bachelor's degree or higher, and a pipeline of higher education institutions to sustain future growth. We are home to the United States Air Force Academy and many colleges and universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Denver, Colorado Mesa University, and Fort Lewis College. Altogether, they provide access to world-class aerospace-related degrees and offer aerospace companies one of the country's most educated workforces; and Whereas, Colorado is home to some amazing research institutions. These institutions include the prestigious Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder. It began in 1948, a decade before NASA, and is the world's only research institute to have sent instruments to all eight planets and to Pluto, combining all aspects of space exploration through science, engineering, mission operations, and scientific data analysis; and Whereas, Colorado is also home to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center, a world-leading center of predictions for the solar and near- Earth space environment and the nation's official source of watches, warnings, and alerts of incoming solar storms, using satellite observations to protect and save lives and property; and Whereas, Various organizations are key to Colorado's prominence in aerospace, such as the Colorado Space Coalition, a group of industry stakeholders working to make Colorado a center of excellence for aerospace; the Colorado Space Business Roundtable, working to bring together aerospace stakeholders from the industry, government, and academia for roundtable discussions and business development and to encourage grassroots citizen participation in aerospace issues; the Colorado chapter of Citizens for Space Exploration, whose mission is to promote better understanding of aerospace and its importance to our economy and daily lives, as well as to promote the importance of human space exploration; Manufacturer's Edge, a statewide manufacturing assistance center that encourages the strength and competitiveness of Colorado manufacturers by providing on-site technical assistance through coaching, training, and consulting by providing collaboration-focused industry programs and by leveraging government, university, and economic development partnerships; and the Space Foundation, founded in 1983, with its world headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which holds an annual Space Symposium, bringing together civil, commercial, and national security space leaders from around the world to discuss, address, and plan for the future of space exploration; and Whereas, For the aforementioned reasons, it is in the best interests of the American taxpayer to keep USSPACECOM in the state because Colorado is already fulfilling the mission of the USSPACECOM; because Colorado Springs has in place the community infrastructure capacity and community support to champion an expanding mission; because the move would cost the United States billions of dollars; and because the move would severely disrupt the Colorado aerospace industry, which has grown to support the mission; Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy- fourth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein. That we, the members of the General Assembly: (1) Strongly urge the Department of Defense of the Biden- Harris administration to reevaluate the merits of this irresponsible decision and rightly conclude that it is the correct decision to keep the existing USSPACECOM in Colorado, recognizing Colorado's unique blend of military installations and major commands, private aerospace companies, academic and research institutions, and government entities, and the valuable synergies this ecosystem produces; (2) Strongly urge the Department of Defense of the Biden- Harris administration to permanently base USSPACECOM in Colorado, recognizing that Colorado provides the existing command structure, base infrastructure, and communications platforms necessary to successfully host additional national security initiatives and ensure coordination of efforts without committing additional funds; (3) Proudly express that Colorado has deep ties with the Department of Defense and immense patriotic commitment to providing for the nation's security and bolstering our defense; (4) Express our most sincere and deepest appreciation to our service members and civilian employees working in and supporting military and civilian aerospace companies, military installations, and civil organizations in Colorado; and (5) Hereby declare Colorado to be the prime location for the permanent headquarters for USSPACECOM. Be it further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.; Vice President Kamala Harris; Congressman Kevin McCarthy; Senator Chuck Schumer; Senator Mitch McConnell; Senator Michael Bennet; Senator John Hickenlooper; Congresswoman Diana DeGette; Congresswoman Lauren Boebert; Congressman Jason Crow; Congressman Joe Neguse; Congressman Ken Buck; Congressman Doug Lamborn; Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen; Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo; Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator; Pam Melroy, NASA Deputy Administrator; Phil Washington, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator; Governor Jared Polis; Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera; Brig. Gen. Laura Clellan, The Adjutant General, Colorado National Guard; Wayne R. Monteith, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration; General John W. ``Jay'' Raymond, U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations; Colonel Robert J. Schreiner, USAF, Commander Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado; Dr. Christopher Scolese, Director, National Reconnaissance Office; Ross Garelick Bell, Executive Director, Aerospace States Association; Thomas E. Zelibor, Chief Executive Officer, Space Foundation; Dr. Ronald Sega, Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; Michael Gass, Co-chair, Colorado Space Coalition; and Bob Cone, Chair, Colorado Citizens for Space Exploration. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-10-pt1-PgS2286 | null | 6,528 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Collins) laid before the House the following message from the President of the United States; which was read and, together with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed:To the Congress of the United States: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Reqister and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to Hong Kong that was declared in Executive Order 13936 of July 14, 2020, is to continue in effect beyond July 14, 2023. The situation with respect to Hong Kong, including recent actions taken by the People's Republic of China to fundamentally undermine Hong Kong's autonomy, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in substantial part outside the United States, to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13936 with respect to the situation in Hong Kong. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., The White House, July 11, 2023. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3183-5 | null | 6,529 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or votes objected to under clause 6 of rule XX. The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3184-3 | null | 6,530 |
formal | COIN | null | transphobic | 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS COMMEMORATIVE COIN | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3187 | null | 6,531 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1548) to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to specify that actions of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation are not a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act, as amended, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3190-4 | null | 6,532 |
formal | COIN | null | transphobic | 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS COMMEMORATIVE COIN | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3191 | null | 6,533 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the question on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal, which the Chair will put de novo. The question is on the Speaker's approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3192 | null | 6,534 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows: Mr. McHENRY: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 2622. A bill to amend the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 to codify certain Securities and Exchange Commission no-action letters that exclude brokers and dealers compensated for certain research services from the definition of investment adviser, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 118-134). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. McHENRY: Committee on Financial Services. H.R. 1548. A bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to specify that actions of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation are not a collection of information under the Paperwork Reduction Act, with an amendment (Rept. 118-135, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mrs. RODGERS of Washington: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 752. A bill to require Select USA to coordinate with State-level economic development organizations to increase foreign direct investment in semiconductor-related manufacturing and production (Rept. 118-136). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mrs. RODGERS of Washington: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 813. A bill to direct the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to conduct an interagency review of and report to Congress on ways to increase the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment, with an amendment (Rept. 118-137). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. GRAVES of Missouri: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 3935. A bill to amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize and improve the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation programs, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 118-138). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. LUCAS: Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H.R. 3559. A bill to provide for Federal Aviation Administration research and development, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 118-139, Pt. 1). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mrs. RODGERS of Washington: Committee on Energy and Commerce. H.R. 2544. A bill to improve the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, and for other purposes (Rept. 118-140). Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3203-3 | null | 6,535 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3206 | null | 6,536 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | By Mr. GALLAGHER: H.J. Res. 81. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article V The single subject of this legislation is: Proposes an amendment to the Constitution requiring the Supreme Court to be composed of not more than nine Justices. | 2020-01-06 | The RECORDER | House | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgH3208-10 | null | 6,537 |
formal | extremists | null | Islamophobic | Business before the Senate Mr. President, now, on Senate business, today the Senate will continue working to confirm two district judges and two Executive nominations. Last night, I filed cloture on four additional nominations: another circuit court judge, another district judge, a Commissioner of the EEOC, and an EPA Assistant Administrator. This sets up a busy rest of the week here on the Senate floor. And at the same time, the Senate will continue to move forward on the annual National Defense Authorization Act, known as the NDAA. Passing the NDAA is important for many reasons: to strengthen our defense and keep our country safe, to outcompete the Chinese Government, and to give our troops well-deserved pay raises. The NDAA has routinely been a bipartisan effort, with both sides working in good faith, and that has been the case so far this year too. I want to thank Chairman Reed and Ranking Member Wicker for moving the NDAA through committee quickly on the bipartisan cooperation. As we turn to the NDAA, I am hopeful we can come together here in the Senate on legislation related to our ongoing competition with the Chinese Government, on artificial intelligence, and perhaps some other important issues. I hope we can see that bipartisanship continues here on the floor and that we can pass the bill quickly without being dilatory. The House is having a whole lot of trouble moving on this must needed legislation, something I believe we can and should avoid in the Senate. Finally, as Americans' faith in the Judiciary is at an alltime low, thanks to the MAGA-majority Supreme Court, Senate Democrats will continue to move forward on legislation to restore trust in our Court. Supreme Court Justices should not be accepting lavish gifts and vacations from billionaire MAGA extremists who bankroll hard-right causes and taint our judicial system by bringing those same cases before the same judges. The highest Court in the land must be held to equally high ethical standards. I support the efforts of Chairman Durbin and the Judiciary Committee to advance ethics reform in committee, and I hope we can move on such legislation in this Chamber. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgS2292-2 | null | 6,538 |
formal | MAGA | null | white supremacist | Business before the Senate Mr. President, now, on Senate business, today the Senate will continue working to confirm two district judges and two Executive nominations. Last night, I filed cloture on four additional nominations: another circuit court judge, another district judge, a Commissioner of the EEOC, and an EPA Assistant Administrator. This sets up a busy rest of the week here on the Senate floor. And at the same time, the Senate will continue to move forward on the annual National Defense Authorization Act, known as the NDAA. Passing the NDAA is important for many reasons: to strengthen our defense and keep our country safe, to outcompete the Chinese Government, and to give our troops well-deserved pay raises. The NDAA has routinely been a bipartisan effort, with both sides working in good faith, and that has been the case so far this year too. I want to thank Chairman Reed and Ranking Member Wicker for moving the NDAA through committee quickly on the bipartisan cooperation. As we turn to the NDAA, I am hopeful we can come together here in the Senate on legislation related to our ongoing competition with the Chinese Government, on artificial intelligence, and perhaps some other important issues. I hope we can see that bipartisanship continues here on the floor and that we can pass the bill quickly without being dilatory. The House is having a whole lot of trouble moving on this must needed legislation, something I believe we can and should avoid in the Senate. Finally, as Americans' faith in the Judiciary is at an alltime low, thanks to the MAGA-majority Supreme Court, Senate Democrats will continue to move forward on legislation to restore trust in our Court. Supreme Court Justices should not be accepting lavish gifts and vacations from billionaire MAGA extremists who bankroll hard-right causes and taint our judicial system by bringing those same cases before the same judges. The highest Court in the land must be held to equally high ethical standards. I support the efforts of Chairman Durbin and the Judiciary Committee to advance ethics reform in committee, and I hope we can move on such legislation in this Chamber. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgS2292-2 | null | 6,539 |
formal | terrorists | null | Islamophobic | Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, right now, President Biden and other NATO leaders are convening in Lithuania. The way I see it, there are four key objectives for this important summit: securing more Western support for Ukraine; improving NATO's own military capabilities; strengthening collective resolve against the primary threats posed by China, Russia, and terrorists; and welcoming Sweden to the alliance. I am encouraged by the progress NATO is making towards each of these objectives, but there is more work to be done. As transatlantic leaders confer about how to help Ukraine defeat Russian aggression, it is significant they are doing so in a Baltic country--itself once a ``captive nation'' subjected to decades-long Soviet occupation. The Baltics' proud history of resistance drives their active contributions to NATO and extensive contributions from their own arsenals to Ukraine's fight. Decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, brutal Russian occupation has now found a new target, and the fate of Ukraine's resistance continues to depend on Western support. Western allies should use this week's summit to commit even more critical capabilities to tip the balance of forces in Ukraine's favor. Time is of the essence for allies to increase production of critical munitions and to send longer range, more sophisticated, and more lethal systems to the frontlines. In this regard, I welcome President Biden's decision to provide Ukraine cluster munitions to improve its defense against Russian invaders. However overdue, these munitions will both improve Ukraine's capability to strike Russian forces and compensate for shortfalls in standard artillery rounds. Despite vocal opposition from his own party, the President ultimately made the right call. The fact of the matter is, Russia has been using cluster munitions for months in Ukraine. American cluster munitions have a substantially lower failure rate than the Russian munitions. And while the risk of unexploded ordnance is not zero, it is fantasy to believe that wars can be fought without risk. Here is the bottom line: It should be up to Ukraine whether to employ these effective weapons on its own soil. Plenty of liberals have criticized President Biden for this decision. The New York Times editorial board suggested that helping Ukraine match capabilities its aggressors are already using amounts to ``a clear escalation of the conflict.'' The senior Senator from Vermont suggested yesterday that the President should be concerned about what ``the rest of the world feels'' about these weapons. Never mind that providing these capabilities to Ukraine will save lives by facilitating a counteroffensive designed to stop Russia's conscious efforts to kill civilians. If liberals are truly concerned about civilian casualties in Ukraine, they should support giving our friends the capabilities they need to end Russia's brutal war. The stakes are simply too high for leaders in Washington to let their own naivete and virtue signaling get in the way of reality. Ukraine's war will not be won with yard signs or hollow promises to hold Putin accountable; it will be won with weapons. The same rules apply to future conflicts we hope to deter. Unity is important, but hard power will be decisive. On this front, NATO is making progress toward rebuilding the hard power many allies allowed to atrophy. Every member of the alliance now spends at least 20 percent of its defense budget on actual capabilities. Our allies are making progress toward spending 2 percent of GDP on defense, and more than half of the alliance should hit that goal by the end of next year. But we should agree that 2 percent is a floor, not a ceiling, for our commitments to collective defense. Our allies should invest in critical capabilities and modern systems that add to NATO's combat power, and they should revive defense industrial bases that have languished since the Cold War. Certainly, another clear way to strengthen NATO is to welcome Sweden to the alliance. Like Finland, Sweden is a high-tech economy with a strong industrial base. Its leaders are committed to contributing to the alliance and are investing even more significantly in an already capable military. I am encouraged that President Erdogan and Prime Minister Orban have agreed to support Sweden's accession, and I look forward to rapid action by the Turkish and Hungarian Parliaments. For America's part, it is past time for the Senate to consider the National Defense Authorization Act. We have an obligation to ensure the U.S. military remains the world's preeminent fighting force, capable of deterring and defeating enemy aggression. The Senate will have an opportunity to lead our allies by example as soon as the Democratic leader brings the NDAA to the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgS2292-5 | null | 6,540 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | U.S. Supreme Court Mr. President, now on an entirely different matter, as I explained yesterday, an ideologically independent Supreme Court concluded its most recent term with a series of landmark rulings reaffirming fundamental constitutional principle. I would like to speak briefly today about one such example--the Court's 6-to-3 decisions striking down race-based preference in higher education admissions. For decades, colleges and universities discriminated against bright, young applicants on the basis of the color of their skin. The practice is not just wrong but wildly unpopular with a majority of Americans. Unfortunately, a series of misguided and increasingly confused Supreme Court precedents have allowed universities to continue this indefensible practice. Last month, that all changed. As the Chief Justice wrote for the majority, ``Our constitutional history does not tolerate'' the choice of race over merit. Most Americans already knew this to be true. More than half of our Nation's history has been a steady march toward more fully ensuring the promise of the 14th Amendment: equal protection under the law. Along the way, millions of hard-working and ambitious students have hoped for a fair shake on their academic qualifications, not the color of their skin. So last month's ruling marked an overdue and historic step. Racial discrimination has no place in college admissions. And thanks to the Court's action, more bright, young Americans will get a shot at writing their American dreams. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgS2293 | null | 6,541 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Rosie Hidalgo as Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, OVW. Ms. Hidalgo is a proven champion for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and her extensive experience, as well as her longstanding commitment to justice, will make her an outstanding Director of OVW. Ms. Hidalgo received her B.A. from Georgetown University and her J.D. from New York University School of Law. She began her legal career providing direct representation to survivors of domestic violence, as well as assisting them in securing custody of their children. She then joined the nonprofit Esperanza United, where she advocated on behalf of victims of gender-based crimes and promoted policies designed to improve public safety. Ms. Hidalgo is particularly equipped to lead OVW, having worked there as deputy director for policy. In this capacity, she implemented Violence Against Women Act--VAWA--related grants and engaged with relevant agencies and stakeholders to devise new ways to improve the law. Today, Ms. Hidalgo serves as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor on Gender-Based Violence at the White House, where she played a key role in securing the bipartisan reauthorization of VAWA. After more than a decade without a Senate-confirmed Director, OVW will benefit from Hidalgo's expertise, leadership, and unwavering commitment to aiding survivors of gender-based violence. I strongly support her nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.) | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DURBIN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgS2304-3 | null | 6,542 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today the Senate will vote to confirm Kymberly Evanson to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. A native of Longview, WA, Ms. Evanson received her bachelor's degree from Seattle University and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Evanson began her legal career as an associate with K&L Gates, where she practiced for 2 years before joining her current firm, the Seattle-based Pacifica Law Group. At Pacifica, Ms. Evanson has a varied practice with an overarching focus on public interest legal work, including on behalf of legal municipalities and municipal agencies. She has handled cases that touch on a broad range of issues, from the State constitutional amendment process and federalism to immigration, trade secrets, and clemency. Her work also includes two briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court. The American Bar Association rated Ms. Evanson ``well qualified,'' and she has the strong support of Senators Murray and Cantwell. Given her breadth and depth of litigation experience, as well as her commitment to equal justice and the rule of law, Ms. Evanson will make an outstanding addition to the Western District of Washington. I strongly support her nomination and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for her confirmation. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.) | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DURBIN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-11-pt1-PgS2304-4 | null | 6,543 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, proceedings will resume on questions previously postponed. Votes will be taken in the following order: Ordering the previous question on the amendment to House Resolution 582 and on the resolution; Adoption of the amendment to House Resolution 582, if ordered; and Adoption of House Resolution 582, if ordered. The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, remaining electronic votes will be conducted as5-minute votes. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgH3229-3 | null | 6,544 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on the resolution (H. Res. 582) providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2670) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgH3229-4 | null | 6,545 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgH3477 | null | 6,546 |
formal | blue | null | antisemitic | Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another matter, last month, the Supreme Court included in its most consequential rulings of the term a major blow to the Biden administration's sprawling conception of executive branch power. For years, the administration grasped for a way to deliver a big dose of catnip to Washington Democrats' wealthy blue-State base in the form of student loan socialism. They had dreamed up a reverse Robin Hood system of taking from working families to pay off the student loans of highly educated professionals, moving hundreds of billions of dollars in outstanding debt from high-earning doctors and lawyers onto the taxpayers' tab. The median college graduate earns 55 percent more than the median worker who holds a high school diploma. And the wealthiest households in the country owe a disproportionate share of America's student debt. But Democrats are hellbent on forgiving that debt at the expense of folks who carefully saved, paid off their debt, or avoided it altogether. Of all the ways Washington Democrats have dreamed up to waste taxpayer dollars and betray the trust of working Americans, this one may well have taken the cake. But when the Biden administration picked an especially outlandish deal for enacting this particular scheme, the Supreme Court ended up being involved. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Court ruled that 20-year-old emergency authorities designed during the War on Terror did not permit the President to ignore Congress and unilaterally cancel debt from his party's most reliable supporters. As Chief Justice Roberts put it in the opinion of the Court, the administration's plan `` `modified' the cited provisions'' of existing authorities ``only in the same sense that the French Revolution `modified' the status of the French nobility.'' Washington Democrats tried to serve working families a raw deal. And by all accounts, they will probably try it again. But Senate Republicans continue to stand against radical student loan socialism--in whatever form it may take. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2332 | null | 6,547 |
formal | working families | null | racist | Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another matter, last month, the Supreme Court included in its most consequential rulings of the term a major blow to the Biden administration's sprawling conception of executive branch power. For years, the administration grasped for a way to deliver a big dose of catnip to Washington Democrats' wealthy blue-State base in the form of student loan socialism. They had dreamed up a reverse Robin Hood system of taking from working families to pay off the student loans of highly educated professionals, moving hundreds of billions of dollars in outstanding debt from high-earning doctors and lawyers onto the taxpayers' tab. The median college graduate earns 55 percent more than the median worker who holds a high school diploma. And the wealthiest households in the country owe a disproportionate share of America's student debt. But Democrats are hellbent on forgiving that debt at the expense of folks who carefully saved, paid off their debt, or avoided it altogether. Of all the ways Washington Democrats have dreamed up to waste taxpayer dollars and betray the trust of working Americans, this one may well have taken the cake. But when the Biden administration picked an especially outlandish deal for enacting this particular scheme, the Supreme Court ended up being involved. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Court ruled that 20-year-old emergency authorities designed during the War on Terror did not permit the President to ignore Congress and unilaterally cancel debt from his party's most reliable supporters. As Chief Justice Roberts put it in the opinion of the Court, the administration's plan `` `modified' the cited provisions'' of existing authorities ``only in the same sense that the French Revolution `modified' the status of the French nobility.'' Washington Democrats tried to serve working families a raw deal. And by all accounts, they will probably try it again. But Senate Republicans continue to stand against radical student loan socialism--in whatever form it may take. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. McCONNELL | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2332 | null | 6,548 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. THUNE. Madam President, summer has arrived, which means Congress is turning its attention to appropriations bills for the coming year, and my hope is that this year Congress will consider all 12 appropriations bills under regular order. Now, what do I mean by regular order? Regular order refers to allowing bills to go through the committee process--including hearings and a markup, where members of the committee have a chance to amend and improve the bill--and then a referral by the committee to the Senate as a whole. Bills are then considered on the Senate floor. Some bills pass the Senate by unanimous consent, while others undergo a full debate, including amendment votes, before being voted on by the Senate as a whole. Then, if necessary, the bill goes to a conference committee or is passed back and forth between the House and the Senate to reconcile any differences between the House and Senate bills before the amended versions are then put to the full House and Senate. That is what is considered the ``regular order'' process, and it is generally the best way to make laws. Regular order allows for a truly deliberative process. It provides the time to fully consider all aspects of legislation and to hear input from a broad array of Members. It promotes collaboration, compromise, and a sense of ownership of the final legislation, which makes bills more likely to pass. And, it is a transparent process, one that ensures that both Senators and the American people can see how the legislation in question is made and have ample time to digest it--not to mention the key fact that, by ensuring the input of more Senators, regular order helps ensure that a broader swath of the American people is represented in any final legislation. Regular order is something that I think most Members generally aspire to. But the actual use of regular order has all too frequently been in short supply around here in recent years. Too often, major legislation has been written behind closed doors and dropped on Members at the last minute--bypassing the chairmen, ranking members, and Senators who sit on the committees of jurisdiction and would otherwise have the opportunity to consider and amend the legislation in committee, before being brought up for a floor vote with little or no opportunity to offer amendments. Fifty years ago, most bills were going through regular order. In fact, 83 percent of the legislation considered on the Senate floor during the 1970s was a product of the committee process. But by the 2010s, those numbers had dropped sharply, along with the number of Senate floor votes on amendments. But, of course, even while the use of regular order has decreased, some legislation does still go through the regular order process. And I can personally attest to the fact that the use of regular order can bring major bipartisan successes. During my time as chairman of the Commerce Committee, I focused on promoting collaboration and ensuring that bills in our committee's jurisdiction went through the regular order process, and we accomplished a lot: the first reauthorization of the Federal Communications Commission in more than a quarter century, the first reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Board in its 20-year history, multiple bills to advance the development and adoption of 5G, the longest surface transportation reauthorization since 1998, the longest reauthorization of the FAA since 1982, the first law to hold websites accountable for facilitating sex trafficking, and lots more. The vast majority of the bills that I just named ended up passing the Senate by strong bipartisan margins. And, of course, those are just examples of what was then our committee's jurisdiction. There are plenty of others. For example, Democrats are more often associated with imposing burdensome government regulations than with lifting them. But Senator Crapo's 2018 bill easing the regulatory burden for community banks and credit unions went through the regular order process, and, ultimately, 17 Senate Democrats joined Republicans to support the bill. In 2015, the HELP Committee passed one of the largest rewrites of our Nation's K-12 laws, the Every Student Succeeds Act, which returned more power to States when it comes to how kids are educated, by holding numerous hearings and multiple days of markups and considering dozens of amendments. In the end, that law passed with 85 votes in the U.S. Senate. The 2018 farm bill, which reauthorized important safety net programs for farmers and ranchers, passed the Senate with 87 votes, following robust consideration by the Agriculture Committee, amendment votes on the Senate floor, and a conference committee. And the list goes on. Regular order promotes collaborative, bipartisan, and successful results. As I indicated, regular order has been in somewhat short supply in the Senate in recent years. But I am encouraged by the fact that there seems to be a growing desire to return to regular order and that the Democrat chair and Republican vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee have expressed a shared commitment to considering all 12 appropriations bills this year through the regular order process. But there are concerning signs too. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee recently held its first partisan markup since the Affordable Care Act in 2009. That defeats the whole idea of a committee process that can yield a bipartisan result on the Senate floor, and it suggests the Democrats are still too entrenched in the partisan far-left mindset that saw them force legislation like the so-called American Rescue Plan Act through Congress. That was the bill that helped plunge our Nation into its current inflation crisis. And perhaps even more concerning, recently, the majority leader, when referring to his plans on artificial intelligence, actually claimed that Congress will need ``to invent a new process to develop the right policies to implement our framework'' because the committee process ``won't suffice.'' I wonder how his committee chairs feel about that, and I would venture to suggest that the committee process has worked pretty well to develop all sorts of important legislation and to get buy-in from Senators. As we continue with the appropriations process, I hope that the determination expressed by the Democrat chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee to pass all 12 appropriations bills through regular order will prevail, and I hope that this same attitude will be applied to other legislation that the Senate must consider this year--like the National Defense Authorization Act, the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, the farm bill, and more. If we want to get anything done in divided government, we are going to have to compromise, and the regular order process promotes the kind of bipartisan, collaborative action that will allow us to accomplish real things for the American people. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. THUNE | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2333-3 | null | 6,549 |
formal | extremists | null | Islamophobic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on forum shopping in the judiciary, our Federal judiciary is built on the trust and confidence of the American people, but right now, sadly, Americans' faith in the judicial system is at an alltime low thanks to the hijacking of our courts by the MAGA hard right and the unfair practice known as forum shopping. Forum shopping essentially allows litigants in certain cases to handpick judges sympathetic to their cause. At its core, forum shopping undermines the spirit of a fair and balanced judiciary. That is why earlier this week I sent a letter to 18 of my Democratic colleagues and to the chair of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rights, calling on the Judicial Conference to consider reforms that would put an end to forum shopping. If Americans want to see a clear example of why forum shopping is a serious problem, consider the Northern District of Texas. In that district, civil cases are often assigned to a single judge, if not one of just a few. And it so happens, one of those judges is infamous--infamous--for his well-documented opposition to freedom of choice. Do you know who knew that? The MAGA Republicans. So when MAGA Republicans sought to strip away access to FDA-approved abortion medication, widely available for decades, they intentionally targeted the Northern District of Texas, where only one judge sat. They knew which judge they would get. To those who don't follow judiciary procedure, in most districts there are a bunch of judges. They put the case on wheel, and they spin the wheel around, and whomever the arrow lands on gets the case. You can't pick your judge. But in this case, you can pick your judge, and in this case, it is an extreme MAGA judge, who we know has views that are so, so deeply held that no unbiassed bystander can think a fair trial will be held. And, lo and behold, of course, that judge sided with the anti-choice extremists, marking the first time ever that a judge has ordered a drug to be taken off the market nationwide. It doesn't just affect Amarillo and northern Texas. It affects the whole country. This isn't equal justice. This isn't a fair or impartial application of the rule of law. This is extremists using forum shopping to pull a fast one on the vast majority of Americans who opposed this ruling. And, of course, women's freedom of choice isn't the only issue at stake. When extremists can manipulate our judiciary to get judges of their preference, it endangers everything from healthcare to immigration reform, to commonsense gun safety, to voting rights. Forum shopping is a serious problem that will only worsen Americans' crisis of faith in the judiciary. The letter Democrats sent offers a path for sensible, good-faith reforms that will preserve an independent Federal judiciary, while letting in much needed fresh air into America's halls of justice. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2333 | null | 6,550 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on forum shopping in the judiciary, our Federal judiciary is built on the trust and confidence of the American people, but right now, sadly, Americans' faith in the judicial system is at an alltime low thanks to the hijacking of our courts by the MAGA hard right and the unfair practice known as forum shopping. Forum shopping essentially allows litigants in certain cases to handpick judges sympathetic to their cause. At its core, forum shopping undermines the spirit of a fair and balanced judiciary. That is why earlier this week I sent a letter to 18 of my Democratic colleagues and to the chair of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rights, calling on the Judicial Conference to consider reforms that would put an end to forum shopping. If Americans want to see a clear example of why forum shopping is a serious problem, consider the Northern District of Texas. In that district, civil cases are often assigned to a single judge, if not one of just a few. And it so happens, one of those judges is infamous--infamous--for his well-documented opposition to freedom of choice. Do you know who knew that? The MAGA Republicans. So when MAGA Republicans sought to strip away access to FDA-approved abortion medication, widely available for decades, they intentionally targeted the Northern District of Texas, where only one judge sat. They knew which judge they would get. To those who don't follow judiciary procedure, in most districts there are a bunch of judges. They put the case on wheel, and they spin the wheel around, and whomever the arrow lands on gets the case. You can't pick your judge. But in this case, you can pick your judge, and in this case, it is an extreme MAGA judge, who we know has views that are so, so deeply held that no unbiassed bystander can think a fair trial will be held. And, lo and behold, of course, that judge sided with the anti-choice extremists, marking the first time ever that a judge has ordered a drug to be taken off the market nationwide. It doesn't just affect Amarillo and northern Texas. It affects the whole country. This isn't equal justice. This isn't a fair or impartial application of the rule of law. This is extremists using forum shopping to pull a fast one on the vast majority of Americans who opposed this ruling. And, of course, women's freedom of choice isn't the only issue at stake. When extremists can manipulate our judiciary to get judges of their preference, it endangers everything from healthcare to immigration reform, to commonsense gun safety, to voting rights. Forum shopping is a serious problem that will only worsen Americans' crisis of faith in the judiciary. The letter Democrats sent offers a path for sensible, good-faith reforms that will preserve an independent Federal judiciary, while letting in much needed fresh air into America's halls of justice. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2333 | null | 6,551 |
formal | MAGA | null | white supremacist | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on forum shopping in the judiciary, our Federal judiciary is built on the trust and confidence of the American people, but right now, sadly, Americans' faith in the judicial system is at an alltime low thanks to the hijacking of our courts by the MAGA hard right and the unfair practice known as forum shopping. Forum shopping essentially allows litigants in certain cases to handpick judges sympathetic to their cause. At its core, forum shopping undermines the spirit of a fair and balanced judiciary. That is why earlier this week I sent a letter to 18 of my Democratic colleagues and to the chair of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rights, calling on the Judicial Conference to consider reforms that would put an end to forum shopping. If Americans want to see a clear example of why forum shopping is a serious problem, consider the Northern District of Texas. In that district, civil cases are often assigned to a single judge, if not one of just a few. And it so happens, one of those judges is infamous--infamous--for his well-documented opposition to freedom of choice. Do you know who knew that? The MAGA Republicans. So when MAGA Republicans sought to strip away access to FDA-approved abortion medication, widely available for decades, they intentionally targeted the Northern District of Texas, where only one judge sat. They knew which judge they would get. To those who don't follow judiciary procedure, in most districts there are a bunch of judges. They put the case on wheel, and they spin the wheel around, and whomever the arrow lands on gets the case. You can't pick your judge. But in this case, you can pick your judge, and in this case, it is an extreme MAGA judge, who we know has views that are so, so deeply held that no unbiassed bystander can think a fair trial will be held. And, lo and behold, of course, that judge sided with the anti-choice extremists, marking the first time ever that a judge has ordered a drug to be taken off the market nationwide. It doesn't just affect Amarillo and northern Texas. It affects the whole country. This isn't equal justice. This isn't a fair or impartial application of the rule of law. This is extremists using forum shopping to pull a fast one on the vast majority of Americans who opposed this ruling. And, of course, women's freedom of choice isn't the only issue at stake. When extremists can manipulate our judiciary to get judges of their preference, it endangers everything from healthcare to immigration reform, to commonsense gun safety, to voting rights. Forum shopping is a serious problem that will only worsen Americans' crisis of faith in the judiciary. The letter Democrats sent offers a path for sensible, good-faith reforms that will preserve an independent Federal judiciary, while letting in much needed fresh air into America's halls of justice. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2333 | null | 6,552 |
formal | you know who | null | antisemitic | Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on forum shopping in the judiciary, our Federal judiciary is built on the trust and confidence of the American people, but right now, sadly, Americans' faith in the judicial system is at an alltime low thanks to the hijacking of our courts by the MAGA hard right and the unfair practice known as forum shopping. Forum shopping essentially allows litigants in certain cases to handpick judges sympathetic to their cause. At its core, forum shopping undermines the spirit of a fair and balanced judiciary. That is why earlier this week I sent a letter to 18 of my Democratic colleagues and to the chair of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rights, calling on the Judicial Conference to consider reforms that would put an end to forum shopping. If Americans want to see a clear example of why forum shopping is a serious problem, consider the Northern District of Texas. In that district, civil cases are often assigned to a single judge, if not one of just a few. And it so happens, one of those judges is infamous--infamous--for his well-documented opposition to freedom of choice. Do you know who knew that? The MAGA Republicans. So when MAGA Republicans sought to strip away access to FDA-approved abortion medication, widely available for decades, they intentionally targeted the Northern District of Texas, where only one judge sat. They knew which judge they would get. To those who don't follow judiciary procedure, in most districts there are a bunch of judges. They put the case on wheel, and they spin the wheel around, and whomever the arrow lands on gets the case. You can't pick your judge. But in this case, you can pick your judge, and in this case, it is an extreme MAGA judge, who we know has views that are so, so deeply held that no unbiassed bystander can think a fair trial will be held. And, lo and behold, of course, that judge sided with the anti-choice extremists, marking the first time ever that a judge has ordered a drug to be taken off the market nationwide. It doesn't just affect Amarillo and northern Texas. It affects the whole country. This isn't equal justice. This isn't a fair or impartial application of the rule of law. This is extremists using forum shopping to pull a fast one on the vast majority of Americans who opposed this ruling. And, of course, women's freedom of choice isn't the only issue at stake. When extremists can manipulate our judiciary to get judges of their preference, it endangers everything from healthcare to immigration reform, to commonsense gun safety, to voting rights. Forum shopping is a serious problem that will only worsen Americans' crisis of faith in the judiciary. The letter Democrats sent offers a path for sensible, good-faith reforms that will preserve an independent Federal judiciary, while letting in much needed fresh air into America's halls of justice. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SCHUMER | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2333 | null | 6,553 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, since the President of the United States, President Biden, took office, America's southern border has faced unprecedented challenges. Unfortunately, none of these struggles seems to have captured President Biden's attention--not the 5.4 million border crossings or the more than 1.5 million ``got-aways''; not the 1.6 million pounds of illicit drugs that were seized by Border Patrol, the 108,000 Americans who died last year from drug overdoses; not the tractor/trailers filled with the bodies of dead migrants or city sidewalks lined with people who have nowhere to go; not even the fact that the cartels are making a fortune off the backs of vulnerable migrants and fueling America's drug crisis. The American people have been stunned by the scope and the scale of President Biden's border crisis--and I call it that because it is a result of his policies. But it has been going on for 2\1/2\ years now, and the Biden administration doesn't seem to care. The administration has tried to deflect, distract, even deceive the American people into thinking things are just not that bad or maybe they could be worse. But the spin doctors can only accomplish so much. We have continued to learn about the many ways the Biden administration has fumbled its mission at the southern border. And the consequences have been absolutely devastating. Reporting from the New York Times earlier this year looked at what has happened to unaccompanied migrant children once they arrive into the United States. Since President Biden took office, 300,000--300,000--unaccompanied children have arrived at the border. To be clear, these children did not cross the border with their parents, but they did get some help--mainly the coyotes or the human smugglers who, for a fee, will smuggle people into the United States. But these children, as we might expect, are particularly vulnerable as they make this dangerous journey north in the custody of these criminal organizations. The sad reality is that many come to the United States in the care of these criminals, and parents who paid smugglers thousands of dollars to bring their children into the United States are taking an incredible risk with their children. We know this journey is not safe, and it is not easy. Many children are subjected to violence, exploitation, even sexual abuse at the hands of these criminal smugglers. Many, as you might expect, arrive in the United States traumatized and in poor physical health. Now, you would think that once these children have made this dangerous journey across the southern border and they are taken from the custody of the cartels to that of the U.S. Government, that they would be safe. Unfortunately, we know that is not the case. Of the more than 300,000 migrant children who arrived in the United States on President Biden's watch, roughly 85,000 could not be accounted for 30 days after they were placed with a sponsor. Just to be clear, the process is, the Border Patrol receives these unaccompanied children and has a responsibility to turn them over to Health and Human Services and the Office of Refugee Relocation, or ORR, who then proceeds to identify a sponsor in the United States where this child may be sent to await an asylum hearing that will likely never occur. But the problem is not just that this asylum hearing will not likely ever be held, it is that these children may never be heard from again as far as the Federal Government is concerned. So the practice is, 30 days after the children are placed with sponsors, the Federal Agency in charge is supposed to make a call, a wellness call, to see how the child is doing. But as this chart indicates, one out of three--in one out of three of these cases, there is no answer. Nobody responds. And that is the last contact or attempted contact the Biden administration would have with these children or their sponsors, because beyond that, they would say: Our job is done. It is up to the child protective services agencies in the various States to take care of these children. But we know they are already overwhelmed with foster children and others just coming from the United States, much less adding another 300,000 to that list. So, of the 300,000 migrant children placed by this administration, there are 85,000 cases where the child and the sponsor have never been heard from again. We don't know where these children are. The Biden administration doesn't know where they are. We don't know whether they are being fed. We don't know whether they are going to school. We don't know whether they are being recruited into gangs. We don't know whether they are being abused or neglected or sexually exploited, and the Biden administration is fine with that because they don't care. I know that may sound harsh, but the fact is, if they did care, they could fix it, but they refuse to do so. The Biden administration has no idea what has happened to these migrant children. It has effectively abandoned them. Well, the obvious question is, How did this happen? Aren't there policies in place that are designed to prevent this from happening? In short, the answer is yes, there are, but nearly all of those guidelines are set by the Agencies involved, not by Congress. The Biden administration has full discretion to change its policies regarding the placement of migrant children. They don't need to wait on Congress to tell them; they can do it themselves. They have the ability to determine who can actually sponsor these children and the sort of vetting or background checks that would be necessary for the sponsors to pass. They have the ability to set guidelines for followup calls and wellness visits and other services that would ensure that these children are not being exploited and that they are not being neglected. The Biden administration has the complete authority to remove children from the custody of a sponsor if the sponsor refuses to cooperate or presents any sort of risk to the child. In other words, the Biden administration made 85,000 phone calls to sponsors with children they had placed with those sponsors. There was no answer, and the sponsors cut off contact with the Agency. The Biden administration could go and take those children away from the sponsors because they have violated their agreements to cooperate with the U.S. Government. Well, they haven't done that. The short answer is, the Biden administration could do as much or as little as it wants to protect these vulnerable children. Clearly it has made the decision to do as little as possible to protect them. Unsurprisingly, the administration's negligence has led to the widespread mistreatment of migrant children. The New York Times has documented story after story of young people who are working in dangerous jobs in violation of State child labor laws--of children working in meat processing plants, on construction sites, in factories, and doing other dangerous jobs that are meant for adults, not children. These children obviously aren't going to school. They are not furthering their education. They are being forced into labor in violation of State child labor laws. The New York Times has documented it. We also know from the New York Times' investigative stories that the Health and Human Services Department--the Agency responsible for this program--has received warning after warning that these children are at risk. These warnings have come through government staffers, outside contractors, and the Department's own hotline. Not only were whistleblowers ignored, but many were silenced. They were pushed out of their jobs. Some were retaliated against for trying to protect these vulnerable migrant children. Yes, once again, the Biden administration was well aware of this. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra knew about credible reports about trafficking and abuse, but he continued to push for the speedy placement of migrants with sponsors with little regard for the dangers that created. In other words, when the Biden administration had a public relations problem--when we saw the crush of humanity at the border--their first reaction was, let's move these migrants out of the border region as fast as we can, and our public relations problem will go away. So rather than making sure these children were protected, they actually relaxed the vetting requirement for the sponsors. They haven't even gone so far as to require background checks, criminal background checks or otherwise, of other people living in the same households as these children. They may have checked the sponsor himself or herself, but if a house is full of other people, they need to check everybody in the household to make sure they are not registered sex offenders or that they don't have backgrounds of abusing or neglecting children or otherwise. To solve the administration's public relations problem, they just decided to move these kids through the system as fast as possible and then wash their hands. Then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh was well aware of this situation. Last year, the Department's investigators identified major instances of child labor violations that took place in auto part factories and meatpacking plants, and all of this information was made available to the White House. Until recently, Susan Rice served as the Director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council. Her job required her to oversee virtually every aspect of domestic policy matters, including the placement of migrant children. Both Health and Human Services and the Labor Department shared concerns about labor trafficking and child labor violations, but those reports were either ignored by the White House or were intentionally swept under the rug. The Biden administration knew that countless numbers of migrant children were in danger, but it did absolutely nothing. The administration didn't just turn a blind eye; it intentionally tried to cover up the widespread exploitation of migrant children. It is a coverup. In the wake of these damning reports, I wrote a letter to Chairman Durbin of the Senate Judiciary Committee that was cosigned by every Republican member of that committee, and we asked for a hearing on this matter. We urged him to invite Biden administration leaders who failed to act on these warnings to testify in person in front of the committee, under oath. That included Secretary Becerra, former Labor Secretary Walsh, and former White House adviser Susan Rice. The chairman scheduled a hearing last month, but none--none--of these officials bothered to show up, further indicating that they simply don't care. In fact, this so-called oversight hearing did not include a single Biden administration witness. How do you hold people accountable for their negligence or their intentional acts that harm innocent, vulnerable children if they can't be held accountable to show up for a hearing and testify, if they are proud of what they did, to the committee and the American people about what they did to protect these vulnerable children? But they didn't bother to show up, indicating once again that they simply don't care. Now, after we pointed out to the chairman that the Biden administration's witnesses were no-shows, he promised to hold a followup hearing to make sure the Biden administration's witnesses appeared. I intend to hold him to that promise, and I look forward to the opportunity. I actually said: ``Thank you very much for doing that.'' He didn't have to do that, but I think Chairman Durbin understands that this is the right thing to do. So I appreciate his willingness to hold a followup hearing with the Biden administration's witnesses, and I look forward to the opportunity to ask those officials who are charged with the care and custody of these vulnerable children why they have shirked their responsibilities. Now, the Biden administration may be fine with abandoning migrant children in order to avoid a bad news cycle, but I am not, and I think all fairminded Members of the Senate and the Congress are not. I really question whether people are aware of what the situation is, which is why I am here on the floor of the Senate today to talk about it. I hope that once they become aware, they will become like me--concerned that something has to change, that people need to be held accountable, and that these children need to be protected. If you were an American citizen and you treated an American citizen child like the Biden administration has treated these migrant children from other countries, you would be charged and convicted of the reckless endangerment of a child or of human trafficking. In other words, you would go to jail or prison if you treated an American citizen child this way. So how is it the Biden administration gets off with treating these migrant children with any less dignity and safety? Well, in light of all of this reporting in the New York Times and elsewhere, we need answers, we need accountability, and we need policy changes to ensure that these practices come to an end. The Biden administration owes the American people answers, not just Members of Congress and not just members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. They need to tell us what is being done to keep track of these children. How are they ensuring their welfare? What is going to change to ensure that these migrant children are not victims of inhumane labor practices or worse? Given everything that has happened over the last 2\1/2\ years, I have no confidence in Secretary Becerra, Secretary Mayorkas, or President Biden, because they know about the problem. They were warned about the problem, but they didn't do anything about it, which tells me they just don't care. President Biden lives in a very nice government-provided house--the White House. He is not personally affected by this unprecedented level of human migration and the baffling pace of drug trafficking. He is not personally affected by the fact that 108,000 Americans died last year after consuming drugs that came across our southwestern border, and he is certainly not personally affected by the mistreatment of these migrant children, but it is his job. It is his responsibility. It is our responsibility to make sure this comes to an end because this is simply unacceptable. Children endure abuse and exploitation on their journeys to the United States. The current system is not compassionate, but they sure shouldn't be met here on American soil with more of the same. We need to prioritize the safety of these children as they await their immigration court hearings. President Biden and his administration must change and take responsibility for this gross exploitation of these vulnerable children, and they need to take immediate action to end it. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2334 | null | 6,554 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, since the President of the United States, President Biden, took office, America's southern border has faced unprecedented challenges. Unfortunately, none of these struggles seems to have captured President Biden's attention--not the 5.4 million border crossings or the more than 1.5 million ``got-aways''; not the 1.6 million pounds of illicit drugs that were seized by Border Patrol, the 108,000 Americans who died last year from drug overdoses; not the tractor/trailers filled with the bodies of dead migrants or city sidewalks lined with people who have nowhere to go; not even the fact that the cartels are making a fortune off the backs of vulnerable migrants and fueling America's drug crisis. The American people have been stunned by the scope and the scale of President Biden's border crisis--and I call it that because it is a result of his policies. But it has been going on for 2\1/2\ years now, and the Biden administration doesn't seem to care. The administration has tried to deflect, distract, even deceive the American people into thinking things are just not that bad or maybe they could be worse. But the spin doctors can only accomplish so much. We have continued to learn about the many ways the Biden administration has fumbled its mission at the southern border. And the consequences have been absolutely devastating. Reporting from the New York Times earlier this year looked at what has happened to unaccompanied migrant children once they arrive into the United States. Since President Biden took office, 300,000--300,000--unaccompanied children have arrived at the border. To be clear, these children did not cross the border with their parents, but they did get some help--mainly the coyotes or the human smugglers who, for a fee, will smuggle people into the United States. But these children, as we might expect, are particularly vulnerable as they make this dangerous journey north in the custody of these criminal organizations. The sad reality is that many come to the United States in the care of these criminals, and parents who paid smugglers thousands of dollars to bring their children into the United States are taking an incredible risk with their children. We know this journey is not safe, and it is not easy. Many children are subjected to violence, exploitation, even sexual abuse at the hands of these criminal smugglers. Many, as you might expect, arrive in the United States traumatized and in poor physical health. Now, you would think that once these children have made this dangerous journey across the southern border and they are taken from the custody of the cartels to that of the U.S. Government, that they would be safe. Unfortunately, we know that is not the case. Of the more than 300,000 migrant children who arrived in the United States on President Biden's watch, roughly 85,000 could not be accounted for 30 days after they were placed with a sponsor. Just to be clear, the process is, the Border Patrol receives these unaccompanied children and has a responsibility to turn them over to Health and Human Services and the Office of Refugee Relocation, or ORR, who then proceeds to identify a sponsor in the United States where this child may be sent to await an asylum hearing that will likely never occur. But the problem is not just that this asylum hearing will not likely ever be held, it is that these children may never be heard from again as far as the Federal Government is concerned. So the practice is, 30 days after the children are placed with sponsors, the Federal Agency in charge is supposed to make a call, a wellness call, to see how the child is doing. But as this chart indicates, one out of three--in one out of three of these cases, there is no answer. Nobody responds. And that is the last contact or attempted contact the Biden administration would have with these children or their sponsors, because beyond that, they would say: Our job is done. It is up to the child protective services agencies in the various States to take care of these children. But we know they are already overwhelmed with foster children and others just coming from the United States, much less adding another 300,000 to that list. So, of the 300,000 migrant children placed by this administration, there are 85,000 cases where the child and the sponsor have never been heard from again. We don't know where these children are. The Biden administration doesn't know where they are. We don't know whether they are being fed. We don't know whether they are going to school. We don't know whether they are being recruited into gangs. We don't know whether they are being abused or neglected or sexually exploited, and the Biden administration is fine with that because they don't care. I know that may sound harsh, but the fact is, if they did care, they could fix it, but they refuse to do so. The Biden administration has no idea what has happened to these migrant children. It has effectively abandoned them. Well, the obvious question is, How did this happen? Aren't there policies in place that are designed to prevent this from happening? In short, the answer is yes, there are, but nearly all of those guidelines are set by the Agencies involved, not by Congress. The Biden administration has full discretion to change its policies regarding the placement of migrant children. They don't need to wait on Congress to tell them; they can do it themselves. They have the ability to determine who can actually sponsor these children and the sort of vetting or background checks that would be necessary for the sponsors to pass. They have the ability to set guidelines for followup calls and wellness visits and other services that would ensure that these children are not being exploited and that they are not being neglected. The Biden administration has the complete authority to remove children from the custody of a sponsor if the sponsor refuses to cooperate or presents any sort of risk to the child. In other words, the Biden administration made 85,000 phone calls to sponsors with children they had placed with those sponsors. There was no answer, and the sponsors cut off contact with the Agency. The Biden administration could go and take those children away from the sponsors because they have violated their agreements to cooperate with the U.S. Government. Well, they haven't done that. The short answer is, the Biden administration could do as much or as little as it wants to protect these vulnerable children. Clearly it has made the decision to do as little as possible to protect them. Unsurprisingly, the administration's negligence has led to the widespread mistreatment of migrant children. The New York Times has documented story after story of young people who are working in dangerous jobs in violation of State child labor laws--of children working in meat processing plants, on construction sites, in factories, and doing other dangerous jobs that are meant for adults, not children. These children obviously aren't going to school. They are not furthering their education. They are being forced into labor in violation of State child labor laws. The New York Times has documented it. We also know from the New York Times' investigative stories that the Health and Human Services Department--the Agency responsible for this program--has received warning after warning that these children are at risk. These warnings have come through government staffers, outside contractors, and the Department's own hotline. Not only were whistleblowers ignored, but many were silenced. They were pushed out of their jobs. Some were retaliated against for trying to protect these vulnerable migrant children. Yes, once again, the Biden administration was well aware of this. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra knew about credible reports about trafficking and abuse, but he continued to push for the speedy placement of migrants with sponsors with little regard for the dangers that created. In other words, when the Biden administration had a public relations problem--when we saw the crush of humanity at the border--their first reaction was, let's move these migrants out of the border region as fast as we can, and our public relations problem will go away. So rather than making sure these children were protected, they actually relaxed the vetting requirement for the sponsors. They haven't even gone so far as to require background checks, criminal background checks or otherwise, of other people living in the same households as these children. They may have checked the sponsor himself or herself, but if a house is full of other people, they need to check everybody in the household to make sure they are not registered sex offenders or that they don't have backgrounds of abusing or neglecting children or otherwise. To solve the administration's public relations problem, they just decided to move these kids through the system as fast as possible and then wash their hands. Then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh was well aware of this situation. Last year, the Department's investigators identified major instances of child labor violations that took place in auto part factories and meatpacking plants, and all of this information was made available to the White House. Until recently, Susan Rice served as the Director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council. Her job required her to oversee virtually every aspect of domestic policy matters, including the placement of migrant children. Both Health and Human Services and the Labor Department shared concerns about labor trafficking and child labor violations, but those reports were either ignored by the White House or were intentionally swept under the rug. The Biden administration knew that countless numbers of migrant children were in danger, but it did absolutely nothing. The administration didn't just turn a blind eye; it intentionally tried to cover up the widespread exploitation of migrant children. It is a coverup. In the wake of these damning reports, I wrote a letter to Chairman Durbin of the Senate Judiciary Committee that was cosigned by every Republican member of that committee, and we asked for a hearing on this matter. We urged him to invite Biden administration leaders who failed to act on these warnings to testify in person in front of the committee, under oath. That included Secretary Becerra, former Labor Secretary Walsh, and former White House adviser Susan Rice. The chairman scheduled a hearing last month, but none--none--of these officials bothered to show up, further indicating that they simply don't care. In fact, this so-called oversight hearing did not include a single Biden administration witness. How do you hold people accountable for their negligence or their intentional acts that harm innocent, vulnerable children if they can't be held accountable to show up for a hearing and testify, if they are proud of what they did, to the committee and the American people about what they did to protect these vulnerable children? But they didn't bother to show up, indicating once again that they simply don't care. Now, after we pointed out to the chairman that the Biden administration's witnesses were no-shows, he promised to hold a followup hearing to make sure the Biden administration's witnesses appeared. I intend to hold him to that promise, and I look forward to the opportunity. I actually said: ``Thank you very much for doing that.'' He didn't have to do that, but I think Chairman Durbin understands that this is the right thing to do. So I appreciate his willingness to hold a followup hearing with the Biden administration's witnesses, and I look forward to the opportunity to ask those officials who are charged with the care and custody of these vulnerable children why they have shirked their responsibilities. Now, the Biden administration may be fine with abandoning migrant children in order to avoid a bad news cycle, but I am not, and I think all fairminded Members of the Senate and the Congress are not. I really question whether people are aware of what the situation is, which is why I am here on the floor of the Senate today to talk about it. I hope that once they become aware, they will become like me--concerned that something has to change, that people need to be held accountable, and that these children need to be protected. If you were an American citizen and you treated an American citizen child like the Biden administration has treated these migrant children from other countries, you would be charged and convicted of the reckless endangerment of a child or of human trafficking. In other words, you would go to jail or prison if you treated an American citizen child this way. So how is it the Biden administration gets off with treating these migrant children with any less dignity and safety? Well, in light of all of this reporting in the New York Times and elsewhere, we need answers, we need accountability, and we need policy changes to ensure that these practices come to an end. The Biden administration owes the American people answers, not just Members of Congress and not just members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. They need to tell us what is being done to keep track of these children. How are they ensuring their welfare? What is going to change to ensure that these migrant children are not victims of inhumane labor practices or worse? Given everything that has happened over the last 2\1/2\ years, I have no confidence in Secretary Becerra, Secretary Mayorkas, or President Biden, because they know about the problem. They were warned about the problem, but they didn't do anything about it, which tells me they just don't care. President Biden lives in a very nice government-provided house--the White House. He is not personally affected by this unprecedented level of human migration and the baffling pace of drug trafficking. He is not personally affected by the fact that 108,000 Americans died last year after consuming drugs that came across our southwestern border, and he is certainly not personally affected by the mistreatment of these migrant children, but it is his job. It is his responsibility. It is our responsibility to make sure this comes to an end because this is simply unacceptable. Children endure abuse and exploitation on their journeys to the United States. The current system is not compassionate, but they sure shouldn't be met here on American soil with more of the same. We need to prioritize the safety of these children as they await their immigration court hearings. President Biden and his administration must change and take responsibility for this gross exploitation of these vulnerable children, and they need to take immediate action to end it. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2334 | null | 6,555 |
formal | welfare | null | racist | Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, since the President of the United States, President Biden, took office, America's southern border has faced unprecedented challenges. Unfortunately, none of these struggles seems to have captured President Biden's attention--not the 5.4 million border crossings or the more than 1.5 million ``got-aways''; not the 1.6 million pounds of illicit drugs that were seized by Border Patrol, the 108,000 Americans who died last year from drug overdoses; not the tractor/trailers filled with the bodies of dead migrants or city sidewalks lined with people who have nowhere to go; not even the fact that the cartels are making a fortune off the backs of vulnerable migrants and fueling America's drug crisis. The American people have been stunned by the scope and the scale of President Biden's border crisis--and I call it that because it is a result of his policies. But it has been going on for 2\1/2\ years now, and the Biden administration doesn't seem to care. The administration has tried to deflect, distract, even deceive the American people into thinking things are just not that bad or maybe they could be worse. But the spin doctors can only accomplish so much. We have continued to learn about the many ways the Biden administration has fumbled its mission at the southern border. And the consequences have been absolutely devastating. Reporting from the New York Times earlier this year looked at what has happened to unaccompanied migrant children once they arrive into the United States. Since President Biden took office, 300,000--300,000--unaccompanied children have arrived at the border. To be clear, these children did not cross the border with their parents, but they did get some help--mainly the coyotes or the human smugglers who, for a fee, will smuggle people into the United States. But these children, as we might expect, are particularly vulnerable as they make this dangerous journey north in the custody of these criminal organizations. The sad reality is that many come to the United States in the care of these criminals, and parents who paid smugglers thousands of dollars to bring their children into the United States are taking an incredible risk with their children. We know this journey is not safe, and it is not easy. Many children are subjected to violence, exploitation, even sexual abuse at the hands of these criminal smugglers. Many, as you might expect, arrive in the United States traumatized and in poor physical health. Now, you would think that once these children have made this dangerous journey across the southern border and they are taken from the custody of the cartels to that of the U.S. Government, that they would be safe. Unfortunately, we know that is not the case. Of the more than 300,000 migrant children who arrived in the United States on President Biden's watch, roughly 85,000 could not be accounted for 30 days after they were placed with a sponsor. Just to be clear, the process is, the Border Patrol receives these unaccompanied children and has a responsibility to turn them over to Health and Human Services and the Office of Refugee Relocation, or ORR, who then proceeds to identify a sponsor in the United States where this child may be sent to await an asylum hearing that will likely never occur. But the problem is not just that this asylum hearing will not likely ever be held, it is that these children may never be heard from again as far as the Federal Government is concerned. So the practice is, 30 days after the children are placed with sponsors, the Federal Agency in charge is supposed to make a call, a wellness call, to see how the child is doing. But as this chart indicates, one out of three--in one out of three of these cases, there is no answer. Nobody responds. And that is the last contact or attempted contact the Biden administration would have with these children or their sponsors, because beyond that, they would say: Our job is done. It is up to the child protective services agencies in the various States to take care of these children. But we know they are already overwhelmed with foster children and others just coming from the United States, much less adding another 300,000 to that list. So, of the 300,000 migrant children placed by this administration, there are 85,000 cases where the child and the sponsor have never been heard from again. We don't know where these children are. The Biden administration doesn't know where they are. We don't know whether they are being fed. We don't know whether they are going to school. We don't know whether they are being recruited into gangs. We don't know whether they are being abused or neglected or sexually exploited, and the Biden administration is fine with that because they don't care. I know that may sound harsh, but the fact is, if they did care, they could fix it, but they refuse to do so. The Biden administration has no idea what has happened to these migrant children. It has effectively abandoned them. Well, the obvious question is, How did this happen? Aren't there policies in place that are designed to prevent this from happening? In short, the answer is yes, there are, but nearly all of those guidelines are set by the Agencies involved, not by Congress. The Biden administration has full discretion to change its policies regarding the placement of migrant children. They don't need to wait on Congress to tell them; they can do it themselves. They have the ability to determine who can actually sponsor these children and the sort of vetting or background checks that would be necessary for the sponsors to pass. They have the ability to set guidelines for followup calls and wellness visits and other services that would ensure that these children are not being exploited and that they are not being neglected. The Biden administration has the complete authority to remove children from the custody of a sponsor if the sponsor refuses to cooperate or presents any sort of risk to the child. In other words, the Biden administration made 85,000 phone calls to sponsors with children they had placed with those sponsors. There was no answer, and the sponsors cut off contact with the Agency. The Biden administration could go and take those children away from the sponsors because they have violated their agreements to cooperate with the U.S. Government. Well, they haven't done that. The short answer is, the Biden administration could do as much or as little as it wants to protect these vulnerable children. Clearly it has made the decision to do as little as possible to protect them. Unsurprisingly, the administration's negligence has led to the widespread mistreatment of migrant children. The New York Times has documented story after story of young people who are working in dangerous jobs in violation of State child labor laws--of children working in meat processing plants, on construction sites, in factories, and doing other dangerous jobs that are meant for adults, not children. These children obviously aren't going to school. They are not furthering their education. They are being forced into labor in violation of State child labor laws. The New York Times has documented it. We also know from the New York Times' investigative stories that the Health and Human Services Department--the Agency responsible for this program--has received warning after warning that these children are at risk. These warnings have come through government staffers, outside contractors, and the Department's own hotline. Not only were whistleblowers ignored, but many were silenced. They were pushed out of their jobs. Some were retaliated against for trying to protect these vulnerable migrant children. Yes, once again, the Biden administration was well aware of this. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra knew about credible reports about trafficking and abuse, but he continued to push for the speedy placement of migrants with sponsors with little regard for the dangers that created. In other words, when the Biden administration had a public relations problem--when we saw the crush of humanity at the border--their first reaction was, let's move these migrants out of the border region as fast as we can, and our public relations problem will go away. So rather than making sure these children were protected, they actually relaxed the vetting requirement for the sponsors. They haven't even gone so far as to require background checks, criminal background checks or otherwise, of other people living in the same households as these children. They may have checked the sponsor himself or herself, but if a house is full of other people, they need to check everybody in the household to make sure they are not registered sex offenders or that they don't have backgrounds of abusing or neglecting children or otherwise. To solve the administration's public relations problem, they just decided to move these kids through the system as fast as possible and then wash their hands. Then-Labor Secretary Marty Walsh was well aware of this situation. Last year, the Department's investigators identified major instances of child labor violations that took place in auto part factories and meatpacking plants, and all of this information was made available to the White House. Until recently, Susan Rice served as the Director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council. Her job required her to oversee virtually every aspect of domestic policy matters, including the placement of migrant children. Both Health and Human Services and the Labor Department shared concerns about labor trafficking and child labor violations, but those reports were either ignored by the White House or were intentionally swept under the rug. The Biden administration knew that countless numbers of migrant children were in danger, but it did absolutely nothing. The administration didn't just turn a blind eye; it intentionally tried to cover up the widespread exploitation of migrant children. It is a coverup. In the wake of these damning reports, I wrote a letter to Chairman Durbin of the Senate Judiciary Committee that was cosigned by every Republican member of that committee, and we asked for a hearing on this matter. We urged him to invite Biden administration leaders who failed to act on these warnings to testify in person in front of the committee, under oath. That included Secretary Becerra, former Labor Secretary Walsh, and former White House adviser Susan Rice. The chairman scheduled a hearing last month, but none--none--of these officials bothered to show up, further indicating that they simply don't care. In fact, this so-called oversight hearing did not include a single Biden administration witness. How do you hold people accountable for their negligence or their intentional acts that harm innocent, vulnerable children if they can't be held accountable to show up for a hearing and testify, if they are proud of what they did, to the committee and the American people about what they did to protect these vulnerable children? But they didn't bother to show up, indicating once again that they simply don't care. Now, after we pointed out to the chairman that the Biden administration's witnesses were no-shows, he promised to hold a followup hearing to make sure the Biden administration's witnesses appeared. I intend to hold him to that promise, and I look forward to the opportunity. I actually said: ``Thank you very much for doing that.'' He didn't have to do that, but I think Chairman Durbin understands that this is the right thing to do. So I appreciate his willingness to hold a followup hearing with the Biden administration's witnesses, and I look forward to the opportunity to ask those officials who are charged with the care and custody of these vulnerable children why they have shirked their responsibilities. Now, the Biden administration may be fine with abandoning migrant children in order to avoid a bad news cycle, but I am not, and I think all fairminded Members of the Senate and the Congress are not. I really question whether people are aware of what the situation is, which is why I am here on the floor of the Senate today to talk about it. I hope that once they become aware, they will become like me--concerned that something has to change, that people need to be held accountable, and that these children need to be protected. If you were an American citizen and you treated an American citizen child like the Biden administration has treated these migrant children from other countries, you would be charged and convicted of the reckless endangerment of a child or of human trafficking. In other words, you would go to jail or prison if you treated an American citizen child this way. So how is it the Biden administration gets off with treating these migrant children with any less dignity and safety? Well, in light of all of this reporting in the New York Times and elsewhere, we need answers, we need accountability, and we need policy changes to ensure that these practices come to an end. The Biden administration owes the American people answers, not just Members of Congress and not just members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. They need to tell us what is being done to keep track of these children. How are they ensuring their welfare? What is going to change to ensure that these migrant children are not victims of inhumane labor practices or worse? Given everything that has happened over the last 2\1/2\ years, I have no confidence in Secretary Becerra, Secretary Mayorkas, or President Biden, because they know about the problem. They were warned about the problem, but they didn't do anything about it, which tells me they just don't care. President Biden lives in a very nice government-provided house--the White House. He is not personally affected by this unprecedented level of human migration and the baffling pace of drug trafficking. He is not personally affected by the fact that 108,000 Americans died last year after consuming drugs that came across our southwestern border, and he is certainly not personally affected by the mistreatment of these migrant children, but it is his job. It is his responsibility. It is our responsibility to make sure this comes to an end because this is simply unacceptable. Children endure abuse and exploitation on their journeys to the United States. The current system is not compassionate, but they sure shouldn't be met here on American soil with more of the same. We need to prioritize the safety of these children as they await their immigration court hearings. President Biden and his administration must change and take responsibility for this gross exploitation of these vulnerable children, and they need to take immediate action to end it. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. CORNYN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2334 | null | 6,556 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Tiffany Cartwright to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Ms. Cartwright is an accomplished litigator who has dedicated her career to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. She received her Bachelor's degree from Stanford University and her law degree from Stanford Law School. Ms. Cartwright began her legal career as a law clerk--first with Justice Dana Fabe on the Alaska Supreme Court, and then with Judge Betty Fletcher on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Most recently, she has worked as a trial lawyer at MacDonald Hoague & Bayless, where she has handled a number of cases on issues ranging from employee discrimination to voting rights. In addition to her litigation practice, since 2016, Ms. Cartwright has served on the Local Rules Committee of the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington, a role in which she has gained significant expertise in the District's rules and practices. The American Bar Association has unanimously rated Ms. Cartwright ``Qualified,'' and she has the strong support of Senators Murray and Cantwell. Given her considerable trial experience and deep knowledge of the Western District, Ms. Cartwright will be an excellent addition to the federal bench. I strongly support her nomination and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for her confirmation. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DURBIN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2336-2 | null | 6,557 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to speak in support of the confirmation of Judge Myong Joun to the U.S. Court for the District of Massachusetts. In a few minutes, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on Judge Joun's nomination. And this afternoon, once we have invoked cloture, we will vote on his confirmation. When Judge Joun was a child, his family immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea with only a few dollars in their pockets. He was raised by his single mother who earned a living as a seamstress. He attended New York City Public Schools, served in the Massachusetts National Guard, and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston and Suffolk University Law School in Boston. In private practice, including at his own law firm, Judge Joun litigated extensively before the Massachusetts State and Federal courts, eventually earning an appointment as a justice of the Boston Municipal Court. Judge Joun has shown a steadfast commitment to civil rights and access to justice. In private practice, he often took on cases involving police misconduct, wage theft, and housing violations. As one of his many colleagues writing in on his behalf put it, Judge Joun's ``professional life has been devoted to working with people who need legal assistance but are unable to navigate the system because of language, financial, or educational barriers.'' Judge Joun has also consistently and generously given his time to service, holding leadership roles in organizations such as the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Bar Association, and the National Lawyers Guild. For many years, he has taught trial advocacy to law students. Over the course of his career, Judge Joun has exemplified the highest standards of the legal profession. He is a dedicated public servant who will bring knowledge, experience, and compassion to the Massachusetts Federal district court. As the first Asian-American man and first Korean American to serve on the district court of Massachusetts, Judge Joun will be a trailblazer. I have no doubt that he will continue to serve the people of Massachusetts with distinction, and I look forward to his confirmation. Senator Warren and I absolutely endorse his candidacy with the strongest possible recommendation to the full Senate, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on cloture and on his nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. MARKEY | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2336 | null | 6,558 |
formal | single mother | null | racist | Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to speak in support of the confirmation of Judge Myong Joun to the U.S. Court for the District of Massachusetts. In a few minutes, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on Judge Joun's nomination. And this afternoon, once we have invoked cloture, we will vote on his confirmation. When Judge Joun was a child, his family immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea with only a few dollars in their pockets. He was raised by his single mother who earned a living as a seamstress. He attended New York City Public Schools, served in the Massachusetts National Guard, and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston and Suffolk University Law School in Boston. In private practice, including at his own law firm, Judge Joun litigated extensively before the Massachusetts State and Federal courts, eventually earning an appointment as a justice of the Boston Municipal Court. Judge Joun has shown a steadfast commitment to civil rights and access to justice. In private practice, he often took on cases involving police misconduct, wage theft, and housing violations. As one of his many colleagues writing in on his behalf put it, Judge Joun's ``professional life has been devoted to working with people who need legal assistance but are unable to navigate the system because of language, financial, or educational barriers.'' Judge Joun has also consistently and generously given his time to service, holding leadership roles in organizations such as the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Bar Association, and the National Lawyers Guild. For many years, he has taught trial advocacy to law students. Over the course of his career, Judge Joun has exemplified the highest standards of the legal profession. He is a dedicated public servant who will bring knowledge, experience, and compassion to the Massachusetts Federal district court. As the first Asian-American man and first Korean American to serve on the district court of Massachusetts, Judge Joun will be a trailblazer. I have no doubt that he will continue to serve the people of Massachusetts with distinction, and I look forward to his confirmation. Senator Warren and I absolutely endorse his candidacy with the strongest possible recommendation to the full Senate, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on cloture and on his nomination. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. MARKEY | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2336 | null | 6,559 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | New Orleans Madam President, let me talk about another subject quickly, one of my cities, my city of New Orleans. It is iconic. The whole world knows it. I have told this story before. I am going to tell it again because it illustrates my point. My first job in government was with a reform Governor called Governor ``Buddy'' Roemer. That was at a time when Japan and its economy--it is still strong today, but it was rising high and looking good back in the late eighties. Governor Roemer decided to take a trip to Japan to try to entice our Japanese friends to come invest in Louisiana. Governor Roemer came back, and he said: Kennedy, you will never believe what happened to me. I said: Tell me about it, Governor. He said: My first meeting, I was meeting with 50 Japanese businesspeople. He said: I thought I would break the ice, so I asked all of them, ``How many of you have been to Louisiana?'' Governor Roemer said three or four people raised their hands. So then he turned to this group of 50 Japanese businesspeople and said: OK. Second question, ``How many of you have been to New Orleans?'' He said 25 people raised their hands. My point, of course, is that New Orleans is special. It is special to the world. It is special to America. It is special to me. I used to live there. My son was raised there for a while. I met my wife there. Every State and country in the world would love to have a New Orleans. We are 300 years old. We were founded in 1718. We are envied for our food, our music, our architecture, our diversity, our dialects, our merriment, our festivals, our celebration of life. People in New Orleans dance with the music on and without. It is a special city. But my city, Madam President, has hit a rough patch. Crime is strangling a free people nowhere more than the city of New Orleans. I regret to say this, but it is safer to walk down the streets of Mogadishu than it is some of the streets in my city of New Orleans. I know others are having a crime problem. It doesn't make me feel any bit better. Last year, New Orleans was the murder capital of the world. We had 265 people murdered. That is double since 2019. And that doesn't include the burglaries and the carjackings and the break-ins and the thefts and the other crimes of violence, the rapes, the property crimes. Our 9-1-1 program is a mess. We are trying to deal with this, but we are not just taking it lying down.We are right now looking for a new police chief, and we need a good one. We need a tried and tested police chief who has experience in a big city, and we are in the process of picking a police chief. Now, our mayor, who has 2 more years on her term, is in charge of picking the police chief. Our new police chief has to be confirmed by our city council. But, more importantly than our city council, as important as our city council is, our new police chief has to have the confidence of the people of Louisiana and the good people of New Orleans. Our mayor, as is her right, has decided to handle the selection of the new police chief herself. She has appointed an outside, third-party group to quarterback the selection of the new police chief. That outside, third-party group says it has done a nationwide search. It had 33 applicants for police chief. Apparently--we don't know this for a fact--most of them were not interviewed. Six were. And that is all we know. That is all we know of one of the most important and maybe the most important selection in municipal government in the last decade in New Orleans. Our mayor has shared nothing else with us--nothing, zero, zilch, nada. To her credit, our mayor has been asked why--and, by the way, that includes our city council. You would think, since the city council has to confirm the new police chief, that our city council would have been brought in from day one, but our mayor decided not to do that. At a press conference on July 5, our mayor was asked about this secrecy, and here is what she said. I am going to quote our mayor, for whom I have great respect, because I certainly don't want to put words in her mouth. This is what she told the press. To the press: I have to say you all have a great way of doing that to people. You know you damage people, even though you try to say you are doing it fairly. That is not what I want. The mayor goes on to say to the press: I don't want to do that for those who look at New Orleans as a place that they want to come and serve, and I definitely do not want to do that for men and women that have responded who are currently serving. Now, look, I get it. I know all about the gifts and the gaps of our news media. We have an opinion. But you don't have to like or dislike a free press to serve your people. And I can assure you, right now in New Orleans, parts of which look like a scene out of ``Mad Max,'' that the people of New Orleans are vitally interested--not just the press--in who our new police chief will be. Our mayor has 2 years left to serve. It is going to be a challenge to get a police chief to come to New Orleans and serve for 2 years--uproot wherever she or he is, come to New Orleans for 2 years with no guarantee that a new mayor will reappoint that new police chief. So it is going to be a challenge to begin with. On top of that, we all in New Orleans have a lot of questions about crime in our city and our new police chief. I just jotted down a few. We want to know if our new police chief believes in broken-windows law enforcement. We want to know if our new police chief--how she or he is going to increase police response times. We have got great cops in New Orleans. The morale is low. We don't have nearly enough of them. But their response times have tripled in 3 years. I am not blaming it on them, but it is a problem. In picking a new police chief, we want to know our new police chief's opinion about whether we have enough investigators, about the Federal consent decree that we are under. Has it helped? Has it hurt? Is it time to ask to get out from under it? We want to know if our new program called Ethical Policing Is Courageous is working. We launched it with high hopes. Is it working? What does our new police chief think about it? We want to know what our new police chief thinks about our Adopt-a-Block Program. Is it working? We want to know our police chief's opinion about whether police officers--we are trying hard to recruit them, but we are losing them. We lost 20 percent in the last 2 years. We want to know how our new police chief feels about requiring or not requiring police officers to live in the city. Can they live outside, in the suburbs? We want to know what our new police chief thinks about computer analytics and camera technology and facial recognition technology. I can keep going. These are all fair questions. And it is not just the press asking, even though the press is entitled to ask; it is the people of New Orleans because they are scared, because they love our city, because they think it is worth fighting for, because they want justice, but they understand that without order, there can be no justice. So I say to my mayor of New Orleans with all the respect I can muster: Please, Mayor, please, Mayor, please, with sugar on top, call a press conference. Tell us who has applied. Tell us who didn't make the cut. Tell us why they didn't make the cut. Tell us the criteria that you and your team used, without an interview, to eliminate them. Tell us who the six remaining semifinalists are. Give us their names. Let us hear from them. Give us time to look at their record. Give us time to ask fair but tough questions. And let's make this decision together because we are all going to have to live with it. Please, Mayor, please, reconsider your position. Let's do this together. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2344-2 | null | 6,560 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, the Kentucky Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners--NAWBO--connects women to resources, people, information, and organizations that can help them achieve their personal, business, or political goals. It is composed of women of all ages and levels of experience from all sectors of the marketplace. Each year, NAWBO Kentucky recognizes women for their achievements in business and this year is no exception. In addition to their annual recognitions, they have added a new award, the Legacy Award, which will be presented at this year's ceremony. The Legacy Award is to be given to a woman who is a role model to other women, has achieved excellence in her field, has promoted other women, has broken barriers for women in her field, and has held leadership roles in her community. The inaugural recipient of this award is Ann B. Bakhaus, former president of Kentucky Eagle, Inc. Ann Bakhaus served as the president of Kentucky Eagle, Inc., a total beverage and spirit distributor based in Lexington, and ran day-to-day operations for the company for 20 years before passing the business to her daughter. She still owns the company and serves as the chairman of the corporation board. This company has been in the Bakhaus family since 1948, and Ann is glad to be able to carry on the family legacy. In her role with Kentucky Eagle, Inc., Bakhaus achieved many goals including the expansion of product distribution and the construction of the company's new headquarters which was the first official Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Anheuser Busch distributorship in the country. Beyond serving on the board for Kentucky Eagle, Bakhaus is also heavily invested in community development. One of her biggest passions currently is the addition of Town Branch Park to downtown Lexington and the benefits it will provide to the community. Her desire is to see the Lexington community continue to flourish and is committed to being a part of that progress. I am proud to recognize the Kentucky Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and to honor Ms. Bakhaus for her many achievements. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. PAUL | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2355-4 | null | 6,561 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, the Alaska Railroad Corporation--ARRC--is a renowned institution in my State, and I would like to first congratulate the Alaska Railroad on its 100-year birthday and take a few minutes to discuss the immense impact the railroad has had not only within Alaska, butalso across our Nation. The Alaska Railroad, its builders, operators, and leaders have been foundational to Alaska's development for a century. Throughout its storied history, the railroad has supported war efforts, transported passengers between Alaska's largest cities, helped build the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, invested in real estate, and facilitated tourism and commerce across miles of my State's remote and wild landscapes. It took decades of twists and turns before the Alaska Railroad Corporation charged forth. What would later become the ARRC laid the first track in Alaska in 1903, starting in Seward and extending 50 miles north. In 1914, the U.S. Congress, acknowledging the national importance of expanding the railroad, funded construction and operations from Seward to Fairbanks at an estimated construction cost of $35 million. On July 15, 1923, President Warren G. Harding drove a golden spike into the ground at Nenana, uniting the track and marking the completion of the Alaska Railroad. During World War II, from 1940-1943, the railroad played a key role in moving military and civilian supplies that were essential in supporting the war efforts. In 1943, two tunnels were built through the Chugach Mountains to allow rail access to Whittier, a military port and fuel depot essential to the Nation's defense. This important partnership with the U.S. military continues to this day. In 1962, the railroad established its first car-barge service in Whittier, followed by train-ship service, revolutionizing Alaska by enabling rail cars from the lower 48 to be shipped to any point along the Alaska Railroad. In the early to mid-1970s, the railroad supported construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline; shipping and storing pipeline between Valdez, Seward, and Fairbanks, from where it was then trucked to the North Slope. In 1981, the railroad entered into agreements with Fairbanks and Anchorage school district career centers for a tour guide program that trained high school students to serve as hosts onboard summer passenger trains. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the authorization of the transfer of the Alaska Railroad to the State of Alaska. Shortly thereafter, the Alaska Railroad Corporation was born. By 1996, the ARRC showed a profit of $8.0 million and passenger ridership had grown to 512,000. Former Governor Bill Sheffield became CEO in 1997. In the early 2000s, the Alaska Railroad Corporation's real estate operations exceeded $11 million in profits for the first time and a web-based passenger reservation system was implemented. Simultaneously, the Alaska Railroad began a program to reduce diesel emissions and noise. 2003 was the railroad's most profitable and safe year in its history up until that point. In 2013, the Railroad's own Bill O'Leary was named CEO, becoming the first lifelong Alaskan to lead the railroad. Today, the ARRC operates a regularly scheduled public transportation service connecting Alaskans and visitors to communities from Seward to Fairbanks. Passengers gain access to wonderfully remote regions and areas off the road system including Alaska's Chugach National Forest and Denali National Park, which are visited by hundreds of thousands of people annually. Like Alaska itself, the Alaska Railroad's story is full of peaks and valleys. Every mile of this legendary railroad was earned through grit, bravery, skill and sweat. Alaska Railroad Corporation trains are iconic symbols, in Alaska and around the world, of the ``can do'' spirit of Alaskans. The railroad's irreplaceable team, as much as the iron and steel of the locomotives, have served as foundational infrastructure driving economic development in The Last Frontier. I respectfully urge my fellow Members of the 118th Congress to join the proud Members of the Alaska Delegation in congratulating and thanking the Alaska Railroad Corporation for 100 years of service to our State and to our Nation. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SULLIVAN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2355-5 | null | 6,562 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, the Alaska Railroad Corporation--ARRC--is a renowned institution in my State, and I would like to first congratulate the Alaska Railroad on its 100-year birthday and take a few minutes to discuss the immense impact the railroad has had not only within Alaska, butalso across our Nation. The Alaska Railroad, its builders, operators, and leaders have been foundational to Alaska's development for a century. Throughout its storied history, the railroad has supported war efforts, transported passengers between Alaska's largest cities, helped build the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, invested in real estate, and facilitated tourism and commerce across miles of my State's remote and wild landscapes. It took decades of twists and turns before the Alaska Railroad Corporation charged forth. What would later become the ARRC laid the first track in Alaska in 1903, starting in Seward and extending 50 miles north. In 1914, the U.S. Congress, acknowledging the national importance of expanding the railroad, funded construction and operations from Seward to Fairbanks at an estimated construction cost of $35 million. On July 15, 1923, President Warren G. Harding drove a golden spike into the ground at Nenana, uniting the track and marking the completion of the Alaska Railroad. During World War II, from 1940-1943, the railroad played a key role in moving military and civilian supplies that were essential in supporting the war efforts. In 1943, two tunnels were built through the Chugach Mountains to allow rail access to Whittier, a military port and fuel depot essential to the Nation's defense. This important partnership with the U.S. military continues to this day. In 1962, the railroad established its first car-barge service in Whittier, followed by train-ship service, revolutionizing Alaska by enabling rail cars from the lower 48 to be shipped to any point along the Alaska Railroad. In the early to mid-1970s, the railroad supported construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline; shipping and storing pipeline between Valdez, Seward, and Fairbanks, from where it was then trucked to the North Slope. In 1981, the railroad entered into agreements with Fairbanks and Anchorage school district career centers for a tour guide program that trained high school students to serve as hosts onboard summer passenger trains. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the authorization of the transfer of the Alaska Railroad to the State of Alaska. Shortly thereafter, the Alaska Railroad Corporation was born. By 1996, the ARRC showed a profit of $8.0 million and passenger ridership had grown to 512,000. Former Governor Bill Sheffield became CEO in 1997. In the early 2000s, the Alaska Railroad Corporation's real estate operations exceeded $11 million in profits for the first time and a web-based passenger reservation system was implemented. Simultaneously, the Alaska Railroad began a program to reduce diesel emissions and noise. 2003 was the railroad's most profitable and safe year in its history up until that point. In 2013, the Railroad's own Bill O'Leary was named CEO, becoming the first lifelong Alaskan to lead the railroad. Today, the ARRC operates a regularly scheduled public transportation service connecting Alaskans and visitors to communities from Seward to Fairbanks. Passengers gain access to wonderfully remote regions and areas off the road system including Alaska's Chugach National Forest and Denali National Park, which are visited by hundreds of thousands of people annually. Like Alaska itself, the Alaska Railroad's story is full of peaks and valleys. Every mile of this legendary railroad was earned through grit, bravery, skill and sweat. Alaska Railroad Corporation trains are iconic symbols, in Alaska and around the world, of the ``can do'' spirit of Alaskans. The railroad's irreplaceable team, as much as the iron and steel of the locomotives, have served as foundational infrastructure driving economic development in The Last Frontier. I respectfully urge my fellow Members of the 118th Congress to join the proud Members of the Alaska Delegation in congratulating and thanking the Alaska Railroad Corporation for 100 years of service to our State and to our Nation. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. SULLIVAN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2355-5 | null | 6,563 |
formal | terrorist | null | Islamophobic | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: EC-1601. A communication from the Security Officer II of the Office of Senate Security, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report regarding amending the foreign terrorist organization designations, Section 219 of INA (U) (OSS-2023- 0611); to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-1602. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a six-month periodic report on the national emergency that was declared in Executive Order 14078 with respect to hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of United States nationals abroad; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-1603. A communication from the Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, Department of State, transmitting, pursuant to law, a notification of intent to provide assistance to Ukraine, including for self-defense and border security operations; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-1604. A communication from the Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, Department of State, transmitting, pursuant to law, a notification of intent to provide assistance to Ukraine, including for self-defense and border security operations; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-1605. A communication from the Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, Department of State, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``Determination Under Section 506(a) (1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA) to Provide Military Assistance to Ukraine''; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-1606. A communication from the Assistant Secretary, Legislative Affairs, Department of State, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``Determination Under Section 506(a) (1) and Section 614(a) (1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA) to Provide Military Assistance to Ukraine''; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-1607. A communication from the Assistant Legal Adviser for Treaty Affairs, Department of State, transmitting, pursuant to the Case-Zablocki Act, 1 U.S.C. 112b, as amended, the report of the texts and background statements of international agreements, other than treaties (List 2023-0040 - 2023-0051); to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-1608. A communication from the Chair of the Commission on International Religious Freedom, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Commission's 2023 Annual Report; to the Committee on Foreign Relations. EC-1609. A communication from the Regulations Coordinator, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Removal of the Vaccine Requirements for Head Start Programs'' (RIN0970-AC90) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. EC-1610. A communication from the Assistant General Counsel for Regulatory Affairs, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Allocation of Assets in Single-Employer Plans; Interest Assumptions for Valuing Benefits'' (29 CFR Part 4044) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. EC-1611. A communication from the Secretary to the Railroad Retirement Board, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the actuarial status of the railroad retirement system; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. EC-1612. A communication from the Senior Advisor, Department of Health and Human Services, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to a vacancy in the position of Director of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. EC-1613. A communication from the Board Members, Railroad Retirement Board, transmitting, pursuant to law, the 2023 annual report on the financial status of the railroad unemployment insurance system; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. EC-1614. A communication from the Director of the Peace Corps, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Office of Inspector General's Semiannual Report for the period of October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1615. A communication from the Director of Congressional Affairs, Federal Election Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Commission's Semiannual Report of the Inspector General for the period from October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1616. A communication from the Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Commission's Semiannual Report of the Inspector General and a Management Report for the period from October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023 received in the Office of the President pro tempore; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1617. A communication from the Director of Congressional Affairs, Federal Election Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Commission's Semiannual Report of the Inspector General for the period from October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023 received in the Office of the President pro tempore; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1618. A communication from the Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Commission's Semiannual Report of the Inspector General and a Management Report for the period from October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1619. A communication from the Director, Office of Government Ethics, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Executive Branch Financial Disclosure and Standards of Ethical Conduct Regulations'' (RIN3209-AA68) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1620. A communication from the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Commission's fiscal year 2022 annual report relative to the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act); to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1621. A communication from the Director, Office of Personnel Management, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Office's fiscal year 2022 annual report relative to the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act); to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1622. A communication from the Director, Office of Personnel Management, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) for Fiscal Year 2020''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1623. A communication from the Director, Office of Acquisition Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-04, Introduction'' (FAC 2023-04) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1624. A communication from the Director, Office of Government Ethics, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Legal Expense Fund Regulation'' (RIN3209-AA50) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1625. A communication from the Director, Office of Personnel Management, transmitting, pursuant to law, the Office of Inspector General's Semiannual Report and the Management Response for the period of October 1, 2022 through March 31, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1626. A communication from the Director, Office of Personnel Management, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) for Fiscal Year 2019''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1627. A communication from the Director, Office of Acquisition Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-03, Technical Amendments'' (FAC 2023-03) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1628. A communication from the Director, Office of Acquisition Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2023-03, Small Entity Compliance Guide'' (FAC 2023- 03) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1629. A communication from the Director, Office of Acquisition Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2022-007, Removal of FAR Subpart 8-5, Acquisition of Helium'' (RIN9000-AO44) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1630. A communication from the Director, Office of Acquisition Policy, General Services Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2022-002, Exemption of Certain Contracts from the Periodic Inflation Adjustments to the Acquisition-Related Thresholds'' (RIN9000- AO39) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1631. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-131, ``District of Columbia Housing Authority Procurement Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1632. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-131, ``Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Technical Temporary Amendment Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1633. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-131, ``Targeted Historic Preservation Assistance Temporary Amendment Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1634. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-131, ``Food Delivery Fees Transparency Temporary Amendment Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1635. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-145, ``Sam 'The Man' Burns Way Designation Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1636. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-146, ``Allen Y. Lew Place Designation Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1637. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-147, ``Makiyah Wilson Way Designation Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1638. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-148, ``Xi Omega Way Designation Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. EC-1639. A communication from the Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report on D.C. Act 25-149, ``Howard East Towers Alley Closing and Street Dedication Act of 2023''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2357-3 | null | 6,564 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated: POM-30. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey respectfully urging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to enact legislation creating a program to subsidize the purchase of diapers; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Assembly Resolution No. 87 Whereas, The ability to access clean diapers is a medical and economic necessity for the health and welfare of infants and toddlers and their families; and Whereas, The majority of children in the United States use disposable diapers until the age of three; and Whereas, A child in the United States uses approximately 3,800 disposable diapers per year for the first three years of the child's life; and Whereas, Diapers on average cost a family $80 a month in New Jersey, equaling an annual cost of $960 and a cumulative total cost for three years of $2,880; and Whereas, Statistics collected by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the vast majority of parents work outside the home and these individuals need child care. For example, over 70 percent of single women and over 80 percent of single men, who are head of households with children under the age of 18, are employed and over 58 percent of mothers with infants under a year old participate in the workforce; and Whereas, The majority of day care providers require that children use disposable diapers; and Whereas, For those individuals who are moderate to low income, the purchase of diapers can be a significant portion of their monthly income: and Whereas, Over 35 percent of families who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) have a child under the age of three years old; and Whereas, The maximum TANF cash benefit for a family consisting of one parent and two children is $424 a month in New Jersey; and Whereas, For families who rely on TANF, one child's need for diapers will take up 18 percent of the monthly TANF cash benefit; and Whereas, TANF is the only public assistance benefit that can be used to purchase diapers; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits and Women, Infant and Children benefits cannot be used to purchase diapers; and Whereas, The President of the United States announced an initiative in March of 2016 which encourages companies to develop low-cost disposable diapers and to assist in the distribution of disposable diapers through diaper banks; and Whereas, [H.R. 4055, the ``Hygiene Assistance for Families of Infants and Toddlers Act of 2015'' was introduced in November 2015 to address the needs of infants and toddler who lack sufficient diapers] In the past, federal legislation has been introduced to help low-income families address the diapering needs of their children, but such legislation has not been enacted; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. The United States Congress and the President of the United States are respectfully urged to enact legislation creating a program to subsidize the cost of disposable diapers for families. 2. The President of the United States is respectfully requested to continue efforts to support the development of low cost disposable diapers and the development of a network of organizations to provide access to disposable diapers to support working parents. 3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and to every member of Congress elected from this State. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2358 | null | 6,565 |
formal | welfare | null | racist | The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated: POM-30. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey respectfully urging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to enact legislation creating a program to subsidize the purchase of diapers; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Assembly Resolution No. 87 Whereas, The ability to access clean diapers is a medical and economic necessity for the health and welfare of infants and toddlers and their families; and Whereas, The majority of children in the United States use disposable diapers until the age of three; and Whereas, A child in the United States uses approximately 3,800 disposable diapers per year for the first three years of the child's life; and Whereas, Diapers on average cost a family $80 a month in New Jersey, equaling an annual cost of $960 and a cumulative total cost for three years of $2,880; and Whereas, Statistics collected by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the vast majority of parents work outside the home and these individuals need child care. For example, over 70 percent of single women and over 80 percent of single men, who are head of households with children under the age of 18, are employed and over 58 percent of mothers with infants under a year old participate in the workforce; and Whereas, The majority of day care providers require that children use disposable diapers; and Whereas, For those individuals who are moderate to low income, the purchase of diapers can be a significant portion of their monthly income: and Whereas, Over 35 percent of families who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) have a child under the age of three years old; and Whereas, The maximum TANF cash benefit for a family consisting of one parent and two children is $424 a month in New Jersey; and Whereas, For families who rely on TANF, one child's need for diapers will take up 18 percent of the monthly TANF cash benefit; and Whereas, TANF is the only public assistance benefit that can be used to purchase diapers; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits and Women, Infant and Children benefits cannot be used to purchase diapers; and Whereas, The President of the United States announced an initiative in March of 2016 which encourages companies to develop low-cost disposable diapers and to assist in the distribution of disposable diapers through diaper banks; and Whereas, [H.R. 4055, the ``Hygiene Assistance for Families of Infants and Toddlers Act of 2015'' was introduced in November 2015 to address the needs of infants and toddler who lack sufficient diapers] In the past, federal legislation has been introduced to help low-income families address the diapering needs of their children, but such legislation has not been enacted; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. The United States Congress and the President of the United States are respectfully urged to enact legislation creating a program to subsidize the cost of disposable diapers for families. 2. The President of the United States is respectfully requested to continue efforts to support the development of low cost disposable diapers and the development of a network of organizations to provide access to disposable diapers to support working parents. 3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and to every member of Congress elected from this State. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-12-pt1-PgS2358 | null | 6,566 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on ordering the previous question on the resolution (H. Res. 583) providing for further consideration of the bill (H.R. 2670) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgH3502-4 | null | 6,567 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message from the President of the United States; which was read and, together with the accompanying papers, referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed:To the Congress of the United States: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of United States nationals abroad declared in Executive Order 14078 of July 19, 2022, is to continue in effect beyond July 19, 2023. Hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of United States nationals are heinous acts that undermine the rule of law. Terrorist organizations, criminal groups, and other malicious actors who take hostages for financial, political, or other gain--as well as foreign states that engage in the practice of wrongful detention, including for political leverage or to seek concessions from the United States--threaten the integrity of the international political system and the safety of United States nationals and other persons abroad. Hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of United States nationals abroad continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14078 with respect to hostage-taking and the wrongful detention of United States nationals abroad. Joseph R. Biden, Jr., The White House, July 12, 2023. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgH3502 | null | 6,568 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgH3575 | null | 6,569 |
formal | identify as | null | transphobic | Diversity Mr. President, now, on Democratic office diversity, this morning, the Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative released the results of its annual survey of Democratic staffers, the seventh year they have done so in a row. When I became majority leader, I promised to work to increase the diversity of Senate offices so that they can reflect the diversity of the States and the communities in which we serve. This year's survey shows that we continue to make important progress, and I want to highlight a few of the results. For the fourth year in a row, the number of diverse staffers has increased, reaching the highest level since we launched our survey and almost certainly the highest level ever, certainly the highest level in our conference's history. Our survey also shows that more African Americans work for Senate Democratic offices than ever, and, in fact, that is also true for Latinos, Middle Eastern and North Africans, and Asian American Pacific Islanders. Additionally, more staffers identify as part of the LGBTQ community since we first asked that question starting in 2019. These milestones matter. Diversity matters. Our democracy can only thrive when all voices are heard and represented. I have seen that in my own office. I learn more and more from people of diverse backgrounds. It is a great thing, and it helps me be a better Senator for all the people of New York State. And I believe our survey matters, too, because the only way we can make progress is by holding ourselves accountable through transparency. To say we are doing it is not enough. To actually do it and have the statistics and numbers that show we are doing it shows the real progress we are making. Now, we have a lot of work left to do. We are not there yet. No, that is for sure. But I am encouraged that our caucus continues to grow more diverse with each passing year. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgS2446-2 | null | 6,570 |
formal | terrorists | null | Islamophobic | China Mr. President, on another matter, during this week's summit in Vilnius, NATO allies issued a wide-ranging joint statement on the challenges facing the alliance. Among other things, I was encouraged to see our allies united in a particularly frank new assessment of the Chinese threat. Quote: The People's Republic of China's stated ambition and coercive policies challenge our interests, security, and values. . . . The PRC's malicious hybrid and cyber operations and its confrontational rhetoric and disinformation target Allies and harm Alliance security. Some of us have even more stark concerns about the PRC. But even this consensus statement indicates a promising shift toward the realism the current moment simply demands. Of course, NATO allies have never just been concerned with the North Atlantic. Individual NATO allies fought alongside U.S. soldiers in Korea and deployed to other far-flung regions to help contest Soviet aggression. After 9/11, NATO invoked article V for the first time and came to America's defense. A number of NATO allies deployed to Afghanistan, and some stayed until the bitter end, long after certain American politicians had simply given up. NATO created a training mission in Iraq, and NATO allies remain focused on the threat radical terrorists still pose to our collective security. Russia's invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014 woke some allies and some Americans to the threat posed by great-power adversaries, but the dramatic escalation in Ukraine last year sounded an even larger alarm. NATO, as an alliance, stayed focused on the threat posed by great-power adversaries--and not just on the European continent. As the UK Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee put it in a new report, ``China almost certainly maintains the largest state intelligence apparatus in the world--dwarfing the UK's Intelligence Community and presenting a challenge for our Agencies to cover. Europe's largest and most integrated economies are recognizing the dangers of getting in bed with authoritarian regimes. As Germany's Foreign Minister has observed candidly, ``We paid for every cubic metre of Russian gas twofold and threefold with our national security.'' So I am hopeful our allies are resolved to avoid making similar mistakes in the future. They seem to increasingly understand the deep strategic links between our own continent and the Indo-Pacific. That is why the alliance invited key partners--Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand--to participate in the Vilnius summit. Now, effective deterrence, resilience, and defense means much more than strong words and diplomatic displays of unity; it means concrete plans backed by robust investments. Today, Germany's Government is releasing a followup to its new security strategy dedicated to what it calls ``systemic rivalry'' with China. The Foreign Minister describes the long-awaited plan as an effort to ``protect our own resilience, our own security, and reduce dependencies that threaten us.'' It is encouraging to hear the Foreign Minister acknowledging that the PRC has become ``more repressive at home and more offensive abroad.'' However, the document clearly reflects an ongoing debate within the German Government about how to engage both economically and strategically with China. The United States and other allies will be watching how this debate unfolds and what practical steps Germany takes to limit the growing threats from Beijing. As Germany's major pledges to make significant new investments in defense suggest, Berlin really is at a turning point. I am hopeful that Germany's defense commitments will be realized, that promised funds will go under contract to repair its badly atrophied military, and that German businesses will diversify their investments away from increasingly risky bets in the PRC. The United States, for our part, needs no convincing that China poses a singular strategic threat. In fact, clear majorities of Americans support expanding our deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. But if we want to succeed at the big things like outcompeting China, we need to get our ducks in a row on our most basic governing responsibility: providing for the common defense. Hard power is essential--more so than any number of pet rocks politicians hold up as helpful to compete with China. Hard power is the currency of geopolitics. The National Defense Authorization Act--our annual must-pass opportunity to assert national security priorities--is finally before us. When it comes to actually delivering the robust funding our Armed Forces need, the Biden administration has left our work cut out for us. His defense budget was plainly insufficient to meet the growing security challenges we face. We need to invest in the cutting-edge capabilities that will make our adversaries think twice, and we need to rebuild the industrial base that keeps America's arsenal--and the arsenal of democracy, our allies' arsenals--stocked. There is no time to rest on our laurels. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgS2447 | null | 6,571 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated: EC-1640. A communication from the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, transmitting a legislative proposal entitled ``To extend the authority to provide employees of the U.S. Secret Service with overtime pay beyond other statutory limits, and for other purposes''; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1641. A communication from the Secretary, Judicial Conference of the United States, transmitting, a report relative to Article III judgeship recommendations for the 118th Congress; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1642. A communication from the Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Withdrawal of the Statement of Enforcement Principles Regarding Unfair Methods of Competition' under Section 5 of the FTC Act'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1643. A communication from the Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Statement of the Commission on Use of Prior Approval Provisions in Merger Orders'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1644. A communication from the Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Revised Jurisdictional Thresholds for Section 8 of the Clayton Act'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1645. A communication from the Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Policy Statement on Enforcement Related to Gig Work'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1646. A communication from the Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Revised Jurisdictional Thresholds for Section 7A of the Clayton Act'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1647. A communication from the Agency Representative, Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Setting and Adjusting Patent Fees During Fiscal Year 2020'' (RIN0651-AD31) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1648. A communication from the Agency Representative, Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Reducing Patent Fees for Small Entities and Micro Entities Under the Unleashing American Innovators Act of 2022'' (RIN0651-AD66) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1649. A communication from the Section Chief of the Diversion Control Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Reporting Theft or Significant Loss of Controlled Substances'' ((RIN1117-AB57) (Docket No. DEA-574)) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1650. A communication from the Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legislative Affairs, Department of Justice, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``2023 National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction''; to the Committee on the Judiciary. EC-1651. A communication from the Chief Human Capital Officer, Small Business Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to a vacancy in the position of Deputy Administrator, Small Business Administration, received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. EC-1652. A communication from the Regulation Development Coordinator, Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Department of Veterans Affairs, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Allowances for Caskets and Urns for Unclaimed Remains of Veterans'' (RIN2900-AR36) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. EC-1653. A communication from the Attorney-Advisor, Office of General Counsel, Department of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to a vacancy in the position of Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-1654. A communication from the Attorney-Advisor, Office of General Counsel, Department of Transportation, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to a vacancy in the position of Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Transportation, received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-1655. A communication from the Chair, National Transportation Safety Board, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Internal Personnel Rules and Practices of the NTSB'' (RIN3147-AA23) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-1656. A communication from the Deputy Chief, Space Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Revising Spectrum Sharing Rules for Non-Geostationary Orbit, Fixed- Satellite Service Systems'' ((IB Docket No. 21-456) (FCC 23- 29)) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-1657. A communication from the Secretary of the Interior, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to the Pelly Amendment to the Fisherman's Protective Act of 1967; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-1658. A communication from the Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Adjustments to Civil Penalty Amounts'' received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-1659. A communication from the Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Standards for Safeguarding Customer Information'' (RIN3084-AB35) received in the Office of the President of the Senate on June 22, 2023; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-1660. A communication from the Secretary of the Federal Trade Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising'' received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. EC-1661. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Pesticide Tolerances; Implementing Registration Review Decisions for Certain Pesticides; Aluminum tris (O- ethylphosphonate), Carbon disulfide, et al.'' (FRL No. 10840- 01-OCSPP) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-1662. A communication from the Director of the Regulatory Management Division, Environmental Protection Agency, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Benzpyrimoxan; Pesticide Tolerances'' (FRL No. 11057-01-OCSPP) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. EC-1663. A communication from the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Sustainment), transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to a review of the MQ-4C Triton program; to the Committee on Armed Services. EC-1664. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Subordinated Debt'' (RIN3133-AF08) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1665. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Chartering and Field of Membership'' (RIN3133-AF06) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1666. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Temporary Regulatory Relief in Response to COVID-19-Prompt Corrective Action'' (RIN3133-AF19) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1667. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Temporary Regulatory Relief in Response to COVID-19-Prompt Corrective Action'' (RIN3133-AF19) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1668. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Interagency Guidance on Credit Risk Review Systems'' ((RIN3064-ZA09) (RIN3133- AF05)) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1669. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Interagency Guidance on Credit Risk Review Systems'' ((RIN3064-ZA09) (RIN3133- AF05)) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1670. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment'' (RIN3133-AF34) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1671. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment'' (RIN3133-AF40) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1672. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Fees Paid by Credit Unions'' (RIN3133-AF24) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1673. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Technical Amendments'' (RIN3133-AF22) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1674. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Role of Supervisory Guidance'' (RIN3133-AF28) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1675. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Corporate Credit Unions'' (RIN3133-AF13) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1676. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Real Estate Appraisals'' (RIN3133-AF17) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1677. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Joint Ownership of Share Accounts'' (RIN3133-AF11) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1678. A communication from the General Counsel of the National Credit Union Administration, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled ``Real Estate Appraisals'' (RIN3133-AE98) received during adjournment of the Senate in the Office of the President of the Senate on July 7, 2023; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1679. A communication from the Senior Congressional Liaison, Legislative Affairs, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report entitled ``2022 Fair Lending Report of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau''; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. EC-1680. A communication from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting, pursuant to law, a report relative to operation of the Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF) for fiscal year 2022; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgS2456-2 | null | 6,572 |
formal | based | null | white supremacist | Mr. MERKLEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary: Whereas plastic pollution represents a global threat that will require individual and collective action, both nationally and internationally, to address; Whereas 450,000,000 tons of plastic is produced each year, a number that is projected to triple by 2050; Whereas, in the United States-- (1) the rate of plastic waste recycling decreased in 2021 to between 4 and 6 percent; and (2) less than 3 percent of plastic waste is recycled into a similar quality product; Whereas a recent study from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found that, in 2022, the United States-- (1) mismanaged 4 percent of plastic waste; (2) landfilled 73 percent of plastic waste; (3) incinerated 19 percent of plastic waste; and (4) recycled 4 percent of plastic waste; Whereas single-use plastics account for at least 40 percent of the plastic produced every year; Whereas over 12,000,000 tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year from land-based sources alone; Whereas if no action is taken, the flow of plastics into the ocean is expected to triple by 2040; Whereas recent studies estimate that there are 171,000,000,000,000 pieces of plastic in the oceans of the world; Whereas of the 171,000,000,000,000 pieces of plastic in the ocean, 1 percent floats, 5 percent washes up on beaches, and 94 percent sinks to the bottom; Whereas nearly 1,300 marine species have consumed plastics; Whereas plastics, and associated chemicals of plastics, are ingested by humans and are associated with well-established human health risks; Whereas studies have found microplastic particles in human blood, lungs, colons, and placentas; Whereas studies suggest that humans ingest over 800 microplastics per day; Whereas taking action to reduce plastic use, collect and clean up litter, and reuse and recycle more plastics will lead to less plastic pollution; Whereas, every July, people challenge themselves to reduce their plastic footprint through ``Plastics Free July''; Whereas, over the last 40 years, over 17,000,000 volunteers have joined the International Coastal Cleanup to collect more than 350,000,000 pounds of plastic and debris while simultaneously recording their findings to inform research and upstream action; Whereas switching to reusable items instead of single-use items can prevent waste, save water, and reduce litter; and Whereas July 2023 is an appropriate month to designate as Plastic Pollution Action Month to recommit to taking action, individually and as a country, to reduce plastic pollution: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) designates July 2023 as ``Plastic Pollution Action Month''; (2) recognizes the dangers to human health and the environment posed by plastic pollution; and (3) encourages all individuals in the United States to protect, conserve, maintain, and rebuild public health and the environment by responsibly participating in activities to reduce plastic pollution in July 2023 and year-round. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgS2465 | null | 6,573 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Mr. MERKLEY submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary: Whereas plastic pollution represents a global threat that will require individual and collective action, both nationally and internationally, to address; Whereas 450,000,000 tons of plastic is produced each year, a number that is projected to triple by 2050; Whereas, in the United States-- (1) the rate of plastic waste recycling decreased in 2021 to between 4 and 6 percent; and (2) less than 3 percent of plastic waste is recycled into a similar quality product; Whereas a recent study from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found that, in 2022, the United States-- (1) mismanaged 4 percent of plastic waste; (2) landfilled 73 percent of plastic waste; (3) incinerated 19 percent of plastic waste; and (4) recycled 4 percent of plastic waste; Whereas single-use plastics account for at least 40 percent of the plastic produced every year; Whereas over 12,000,000 tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year from land-based sources alone; Whereas if no action is taken, the flow of plastics into the ocean is expected to triple by 2040; Whereas recent studies estimate that there are 171,000,000,000,000 pieces of plastic in the oceans of the world; Whereas of the 171,000,000,000,000 pieces of plastic in the ocean, 1 percent floats, 5 percent washes up on beaches, and 94 percent sinks to the bottom; Whereas nearly 1,300 marine species have consumed plastics; Whereas plastics, and associated chemicals of plastics, are ingested by humans and are associated with well-established human health risks; Whereas studies have found microplastic particles in human blood, lungs, colons, and placentas; Whereas studies suggest that humans ingest over 800 microplastics per day; Whereas taking action to reduce plastic use, collect and clean up litter, and reuse and recycle more plastics will lead to less plastic pollution; Whereas, every July, people challenge themselves to reduce their plastic footprint through ``Plastics Free July''; Whereas, over the last 40 years, over 17,000,000 volunteers have joined the International Coastal Cleanup to collect more than 350,000,000 pounds of plastic and debris while simultaneously recording their findings to inform research and upstream action; Whereas switching to reusable items instead of single-use items can prevent waste, save water, and reduce litter; and Whereas July 2023 is an appropriate month to designate as Plastic Pollution Action Month to recommit to taking action, individually and as a country, to reduce plastic pollution: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) designates July 2023 as ``Plastic Pollution Action Month''; (2) recognizes the dangers to human health and the environment posed by plastic pollution; and (3) encourages all individuals in the United States to protect, conserve, maintain, and rebuild public health and the environment by responsibly participating in activities to reduce plastic pollution in July 2023 and year-round. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgS2465 | null | 6,574 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Lankford, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Collins, Mr. Peters, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Carper, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Markey, Mr. Boozman, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Moran, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Wicker, Ms. Sinema, Ms. Ernst, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Fischer, Mrs. Blackburn, and Mr. Warnock) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to: S. Res. 298 Whereas, in 1777, before the passage of the Bill of Rights, 10 sailors and marines blew the whistle on fraud and misconduct that was harmful to the United States; Whereas the Founding Fathers unanimously supported the whistleblowers in words and deeds, including by releasing government records and providing monetary assistance for the reasonable legal expenses necessary to prevent retaliation against the whistleblowers; Whereas, on July 30, 1778, in demonstration of their full support for whistleblowers, the members of the Continental Congress unanimously passed the first whistleblower legislation in the United States that read: ``Resolved, That it is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, as well as all other the inhabitants thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states, which may come to their knowledge'' (legislation of July 30, 1778, reprinted in Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, ed. Worthington C. Ford et al. (Washington, DC, 1904-37), 11:732); Whereas whistleblowers risk their careers, jobs, and reputations by reporting waste, fraud, and abuse to the proper authorities; Whereas, in providing the proper authorities with lawful disclosures, whistleblowers save the taxpayers of the United States billions of dollars each year and serve the public interest by ensuring that the United States remains an ethical and safe place; and Whereas it is the public policy of the United States to encourage, in accordance with Federal law (including the Constitution of the United States, rules, and regulations) and consistent with the protection of classified information (including sources and methods of detection of classified information), honest and good faith reporting of misconduct, fraud, misdemeanors, and other crimes to the appropriate authority at the earliest time possible: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) designates July 30, 2023, as ``National Whistleblower Appreciation Day''; and (2) ensures that the Federal Government implements the intent of the Founding Fathers, as reflected in the legislation passed on July 30, 1778 (relating to whistleblowers), by encouraging each executive agency to recognize National Whistleblower Appreciation Day by-- (A) informing employees, contractors working on behalf of the taxpayers of the United States, and members of the public about the legal right of a United States citizen to ``blow the whistle'' to the appropriate authority by honest and good faith reporting of misconduct, fraud, misdemeanors, or other crimes; and (B) acknowledging the contributions of whistleblowers to combating waste, fraud, abuse, and violations of laws and regulations of the United States. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-13-pt1-PgS2466 | null | 6,575 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the question on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal, which the Chair will put de novo. The question is on the Speaker's approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-14-pt1-PgH3600 | null | 6,576 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-14-pt1-PgH3612-2 | null | 6,577 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | By Ms. BUSH: H.J. Res. 82. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section 8 The single subject of this legislation is: This joint resolution affirms the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment and certifies the Archivist of the U.S. to certify and publish it. | 2020-01-06 | The RECORDER | House | CREC-2023-07-14-pt1-PgH3614-2 | null | 6,578 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered. The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-17-pt1-PgH3619-3 | null | 6,579 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1418) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to reauthorize user fee programs relating to new animal drugs and generic new animal drugs, as amended. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. BILIRAKIS | House | CREC-2023-07-17-pt1-PgH3620 | null | 6,580 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 111) to require each agency, in providing notice of a rulemaking, to include a link to a 100-word plain language summary of the proposed rule, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-17-pt1-PgH3626-4 | null | 6,581 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaLota). Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the question on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal, which the Chair will put de novo. The question is on the Speaker's approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaLota) | House | CREC-2023-07-17-pt1-PgH3628-2 | null | 6,582 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(1) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-17-pt1-PgH3640 | null | 6,583 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or votes objected to under clause 6 of rule XX. The House will resume proceedings on postponed questions at a later time. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgH3670 | null | 6,584 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Proceedings will resume on questions previously postponed. Votes will be taken in the following order: Passage of: H.J. Res. 68; H.J. Res. 70; H.J. Res. 74; H.J. Res. 71; H.J. Res. 79; and, Motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 57. The first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, remaining electronic votes will be conducted as 5-minute votes. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgH3681-3 | null | 6,585 |
formal | XX | null | transphobic | The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 57) expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State of Israel, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. | 2020-01-06 | The SPEAKER pro tempore | House | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgH3684-2 | null | 6,586 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Under clause 2 of rule XIV, executive communications were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as follows: EC-1403. A letter from the Director, Office of Legislative Affairs, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, transmitting the Corporation's final rule -- Supervisory Guidance on Multiple Re-Presentment NSF Fees August 2022 (Revised June 2023) received June 27, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Financial Services. EC-1404. A letter from the Assistant General Counsel For Regulatory Services, Office of General Counsel, Department of Education, transmitting the Department's Major final rule -- Improving Income Driven Repayment for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program (RIN: 1840-AD81) received July 17, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. EC-1405. A letter from the Deputy Chief, Space Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Revising Spectrum Sharing Rules for Non-Geostationary Orbit, Fixed-Satellite Service Systems [IB Docket No.: 21-456], pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1406. A letter from the General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- Transmission System Planning Performance Requirements for Extreme Weather [Docket No.: RM22-10-000; Order No.: 896] received June 28, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1407. A letter from the General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, transmitting the Commission's final rule -- One-Time Informational Reports on Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessments Climate Change, Extreme Weather, and Electric System Reliability [Docket Nos.: RM22-16-000, AD21-13-000; Order No.: 897] received June 28, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. EC-1408. A letter from the Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting D.C. Act 25-81, ``Marion Barry Avenue Designation Act of 2023'', pursuant to Public Law 93-198, Sec. 602(c)(1); (87 Stat. 814); to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. EC-1409. A letter from the Chairman, Council of the District of Columbia, transmitting D.C. Act 25-171, ``Fiscal Year 2023 Revised Local Budget Adjustment Temporary Act of 2023'', pursuant to Public Law 93-198, Sec. 602(c)(1); (87 Stat. 814); to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. EC-1410. A letter from the Director, Congressional Affairs, Federal Election Commission, transmitting the Commission's interim final rule -- Contributions in the Name of Another [Notice 2023-09] received May 22, 2023, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A); Public Law 104-121, Sec. 251; (110 Stat. 868); to the Committee on House Administration. EC-1411. A letter from the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, transmitting a letter from the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, transmitting the annual compilation of financial disclosure statements filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives by members of the board of the Office of Congressional Ethics (H. Doc. No. 118--55); to the Committee on Ethics and ordered to be printed. EC-1412. A communication from the President of the United States, transmitting a letter regarding certification by the Secretary of the Interior that national of Mexico are engaging the trade or taking of totoaba and vaquita that diminishes the effectiveness of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 1978(b); Aug. 27, 1954, ch. 1018, Sec. 8(b) (as amended by Public Law 95-376, Sec. 2); (92 Stat. 714) (H. Doc. No. 118--54); jointly to the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources, and ordered to be printed. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgH3697-2 | null | 6,587 |
formal | the Fed | null | antisemitic | Under clause 2 of rule XIII, reports of committees were delivered to the Clerk for printing and reference to the proper calendar, as follows: Mrs. HOUCHIN: Committee on Rules. House Resolution 597. Resolution providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3935) to amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize and improve the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation programs, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3941) to prohibit the use of the facilities of a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education to provide shelter for aliens who have not been admitted into the United States, and for other purposes (Rept. 118-147), Referred to the House Calendar. Mr. GRAVES of Missouri: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. H.R. 3395. A bill to direct the Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center to evaluate foreign ownership of marine terminals at the 15 largest United States container ports, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 118-148), Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. ROGERS of Alabama: Committee on Armed Services. H.R. 1282. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to expand eligibility to certain military retirees for concurrent receipt of veterans' disability compensation and retired pay or combat-related special compensation, and for other purposes; with an amendment (Rept. 118-149 Pt. 1), Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. COMER: Committee on Oversight and Accountability. H.R. 192. A bill to prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia; with amendments (Rept. 118-150), Referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union. discharge of committee Pursuant to clause 2 of rule XIII, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs discharged from further consideration, H.R. 1282, referred to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgH3698 | null | 6,588 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Pursuant to clause 7(c)(l) of rule XII and Section 3(c) of H. Res. 5 the following statements are submitted regarding (1) the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the accompanying bill or joint resolution and (2) the single subject of the bill or joint resolution. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | House | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgH3700 | null | 6,589 |
formal | MAGA | null | white supremacist | Freedom to Vote Act Mr. President, on the Freedom to Vote Act, in just a few minutes, I will be joining a group of my Democratic colleagues to mark the reintroduction of the Freedom to Vote Act. The Freedom to Vote Act rests on a simple yet fundamental principle: All Americans, no matter where they live, should have the freedom to vote without fear of discrimination. Our bill will set basic standards for Americans to vote safely and securely and help instill confidence that our Nation's elections are free and fair. I want to thank Senators Klobuchar, Kaine, and Warnock for their good work on putting this bill together, as well as my House colleagues, led by Leader Jeffries. While Democrats are actively working to expand access to the ballot box, MAGA Republicans in the House, unfortunately, are doing exactly the opposite. Last week, House Republicans introduced and advanced through committee the most restrictive voting rights package we have seen in decades. The Republican package would make voting harder for millions of Americans by creating more barriers to the ballot box, including new obstacles to voter registration and mail-in voting. The Republican package would allow the scourge of dark money to fester in our politics by loosening campaign finance safeguards and empowering wealthy, wealthy donors. Let me be clear. Let me be very clear. Democrats will never allow this Republican package to become law and, instead, will focus our efforts on commonsense, real voting rights legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2968 | null | 6,590 |
formal | working families | null | racist | Appropriations Mr. President, on a related matter, the sooner we pass the NDAA, the sooner we can deliver on full-year appropriations for defense and each of the other areas Senator Collins, Senator Murray, and our colleagues are working to finish in committee. I am grateful for our colleagues' commitment to a regular order appropriations process. Funding the government on schedule means fulfilling one of the Senate's most basic responsibilities. But just as important as the must-pass measures that are kept in are the radical ideas that are actually kept out. Here is an example: Last week, the Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to prevent unelected administration bureaucrats from abandoning the use of affordable and efficient gas appliances in American homes and small businesses. The Biden Energy Department's proposed rule regulating gas stoves into extinction is just one of the many ways Washington Democrats want to let elite coastal liberals impose their preferences on all 50 States and spend truckloads of taxpayer dollars accordingly. DOE's latest rule would effectively ban 96 percent of the gas stoves currently in use in America, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission has begun work on a potential gas stove ban of their own. Unelected bureaucrats are preparing to pounce, and working families and small businesses across the country are rightly worried. One hospitality industry expert in West Virginia called the cost of switching a kitchen to electric from cheaper and more efficient gas as a multithousand dollar thing. ``A multi-thousand dollar thing,'' that would mean lower quality and longer wait times. Well, as with any number of other radical climate ideas, some of our Democratic colleagues don't seem to care about these real-world impacts. And in this case, some have been downright oblivious to the threat. Back in 2021, Senator Barrasso proposed an amendment to ensure that Democrats' radical climate regulations couldn't restrict the use of gas appliances. But the senior Senator from West Virginia led the vote against the amendment in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Senate Democrats blocked it again on the floor for good measure. In response to Senator Barrasso's concerns on behalf of working families and small businesses, Senator Manchin said: I don't see that happening. ``I don't see that happening.'' Even as Senator Manchin offered the reckless taxing and spending spree that gave $840 in special rebates for folks to swap their gas stoves for the electric ranges that activists prefer. Well, it appears our colleague has since changed his tune. This time around, he sponsored the amendment blocking the sort of radical regulation he couldn't imagine just 2 years ago. As our colleagues continue to make headway on the regular order appropriations, I am glad this commonsense measure has earned bipartisan support. But it really begs the question: Wouldn't working families and small businesses be better off if Washington Democrats would just stand up to the radical climate regulations in the first place? I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2969 | null | 6,591 |
formal | tax cut | null | racist | Michigan Mr. President, I come to the floor today first of all to say that, as everybody in this Chamber knows, I am extremely proud to be from Michigan. We are the State of innovation. We built the automobile, the automobile assembly line, and the American middle class as a result. In Michigan, we make things and we grow things. Just take a look at recent headlines: Ford chose Marshall, MI, as the site of a new battery plant. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs when it opens in 2026. In June, I was at the groundbreaking for a new UL Solutions battery lab in Auburn Hills. Their work is going to improve the batteries that go into electric vehicles like my Bolt, which I love. Hemlock Semiconductor, a proud Michigan company that manufactures products used in the semiconductor and solar industries, is expanding its plant by creating an industrial park that will create 170 new jobs, and I expect a lot more jobs will be coming after that. We are also attracting businesses from Europe and around the world. This spring, Norwegian company Nel Hydrogen announced that it is going to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan that is going to create more than 500 jobs. Exciting things are happening--and not just in Michigan. All around the country, all across the country, manufacturing facilities are opening, small businesses are launching, and folks are headed to work at good-paying jobs. This past month, 209,000 jobs were created--209,000 jobs were created last month--which means there have been 13.2 million jobs created since President Biden took office. This is in less than 3 years. It is in less than 2\1/2\ years--in about 2\1/2\ years, I guess. We are announcing an unemployment rate that is 3.6 percent. It has been under 4 percent for the last 17 months in a row--17 months in a row. There have been 13.7 million jobs created in about 2\1/2\ years, and this is coming out of a pandemic and all that surrounded it with supply chain breakdowns and all of the challenges. Yet, because of what we are doing, we are seeing the strength in the underlying economy. That is the longest stretch in over 50 years, when we look at the unemployment rate--the longest stretch in over 50 years--50 years. The highest number of Americans age 25 to 54 are now in the workforce--the highest number--since May of 2002. The percentage of women who are working set a new record for the third month in a row. Wages are up. Inflation is going down. It is down at the lowest level in 2 years. We have got more to do, but it is going in the right direction. This is Bidenomics in action. This is not by accident that all of this is happening. We are growing our economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. It is the opposite of trickle-down economics. It is the opposite, not giving everything to those at the top--the very wealthy--who can then take their dollars and go anywhere in the world and be able to invest in a race to the bottom on jobs, which is what we have seen for decades, which, by the way, got us the supply chain problems, when over half of the chips going into our automobiles and other electronics were made from one company in Taiwan. We are now turning that around. We are making smart investments in America, including in our infrastructure--rebuilding America--in manufacturing, in clean energy, and actually making sure we are saying: If you want those tax credits that we want to support you to create those jobs, you have to make it in America. You have to make it in America, not just take the dollars from America and then put them somewhere else. You have to actually make it in America. That is what we are doing. We are empowering American workers through higher wages and better training and more support for unions. We are lowering costs for the things that Americans need, starting with prescription drugs, by the way, capping the cost of insulin per month at $35 for our seniors and people on Medicare. We are laser-focused to do more, by the way, to make that cap for everybody who is on insulin, and on all the other changes to bring down healthcare costs and prescription drug costs. We are laser-focused on taking on the drug companies to be able to do that. We are making sure small businesses have the support they need. I am excited that we have seen the largest number of Black small businesses being created in the last couple of years. We are seeing so many more opportunities for entrepreneurs, for small businesses across the country, which are so much a part of the backbone of our economy. We are seeing that as well. We are basically seeing what we call Bidenomics because it is growing the middle class. It is aiming at the American middle class. It is saying we want to support you, but the jobs have to be here in America. We want to rebuild and invest in America for the future and in all of our technologies, from high-speed internet to our roads andbridges and airports and rails and all the other things that will allow us to be leading the pack in a global economy and competing. We want to bring those jobs home. Then we are laser-focused on lowering costs for folks. If that means taking on the oil companies or taking on the drug companies, so be it. But we are laser-focused on bringing down costs. That is what Bidenomics is all about. Bidenomics, the opposite of trickle down--the opposite of trickle down. Meanwhile, what are our Republicans colleagues doing? Unfortunately, the same thing they have been doing for decades. By the way, they have never met a problem that a tax cut for the wealthy wouldn't solve. I remember so many times, when the economy was doing well 20 years ago: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. And then, when the economy was down, and when we had Wall Street crash: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. It doesn't matter what the problem is, the solution is a tax cut for the ultrawealthy of the country, with the idea that it will trickle, trickle down. Unfortunately, what has happened with that is it never trickled down, at least not for the people in Michigan. Of course, they are waiting for it to trickle down. But it did blow up the deficit. It did blow up the deficit. In fact, 25 percent of all of the debt accumulated by the country ever was in 4 years of President Trump. Twenty-five percent of all of the deficit and debt created ever in the country was under 4 years of President Trump. And the 2017 Trump tax giveaway exploded the deficit. That is why that was happening. It exploded the deficit by nearly $2 trillion and gave the ultrawealthy massive tax breaks. So we have come out of this manufactured crisis around the debt ceiling, taking the country to the edge of default, and all the talk about how much debt we have, and then, as soon as that gets resolved and President Biden brings everybody to the table and there is a bipartisan agreement not to have our country crash and default because of, unfortunately, the manufactured antics on the other side, what happens next? Our Republican colleagues have a new tax package. After talking about the debt and the deficit, they have turned around again and want another tax cut for the wealthiest and the largest corporations. In fact, Big Oil will get another $10.5 billion tax break under their latest tax cuts, on top of the embedded tax breaks that have been there for 100 years with Big Oil. These tax breaks are supposed to help folks get started in the industry--and I think they are pretty much established in our country, after 100 years of this. But, no, a $10.5 billion tax break, in addition now, is what is being proposed in the House. Their proposal would roll back clean energy tax credits that are creating jobs. The things I listed at the very beginning as I was talking all relate to the focus on investing in clean energy and saying it has to be a production tax credit. So you don't get it unless you are making this in America, and this is key. This has not been happening for decades, and it is now happening. They want to roll that all back--roll back all the things we are trying to do to combat the climate crisis, which is hitting us over the head every single day, destroying homes and creating havoc and costing lives. All that is happening because of excess carbon pollution that is in the atmosphere, and that has been here for as long as we have been using fossil fuels. I wish the oil companies would take some of the hundreds of billions that they have been given on tax breaks and put it back into technology to stop pollution. That would be very helpful, if that were where they had put that. But instead what they have done is put it into funding efforts to say the climate crisis isn't real, that it is all a hoax, that everybody is making it up. And we see where we are today because it is not made up. It never was made up. When they got the first tax breaks 100 years ago, if they had put part of that into technology to make sure that what they were doing was not polluting the atmosphere, we wouldn't even be here today talking about the climate crisis. And, certainly, Mr. President, with what is happening in your home State of Vermont, you see how it destroyed a town. It is extraordinary what is happening with the weather and all the damage. Our Republican colleagues want to roll back all the efforts right now to try to clean up things and for a cleaner environment. They want another big tax break for Big Oil. They are going to endanger about 150,000 good-paying jobs, and, on top of that, it would balloon the deficit again by another $300 billion just over the next 3 years. If Republicans extend all of the Trump tax giveaways, we would add another $2.5 trillion--``t''--to the deficit if they got what they have been proposing. Again, we have tried trickle-down economics, with tax breaks for those at the top, slashing investments for America, and shipping good jobs overseas. That has been the strategy or the result of the strategy--not that they were saying: Oh, we are going to ship jobs overseas. No, they just let it happen by giving tax breaks to folks who did that with no accountability. That is trickle-down economics. Now, we have what we are proudly calling Bidenomics: investments in America, empowering workers, lowering costs, and helping small businesses. And it is actually working. Let me go back to the slide. It is actually working. When we look at just last month, there were 209,000 jobs. And every month there is a jobs report--more jobs, more jobs, more jobs. There were 13.2 million jobs created in the last 2\1/2\ years. That is real. There are economists talking about that--good-paying jobs for people, jobs you can raise a family on; 3.6 percent unemployment rate and under 4 percent for the last 17 months, the lowest in 50 years. It is not about just debating rhetoric back and forth. What we have is something that has never worked, which is trickle-down economics, but is used over and over and over again. I shouldn't say it never worked. It never worked for the majority of people. It never grew the middle class. It worked for a few people. It worked for a few people really, really well, but it has not worked for the majority of Americans. And now we are turning and saying: Let's focus on something that does--investing in America, bringing jobs home, tackling the big special interests that are causing all of our costs to go up, like the drug companies and oil companies, and bringing down the costs. And, by the way, the engine of our economy, the small businesses, let's make sure we are laser-focused on helping our small businesses. We have tried Republicans' trickle-down economics. Surprise--it didn't work. It never worked. The wealthy keep buying bigger yachts, while everybody else is left treading water. Bidenomics is different. It is investing in us--all of us. It is investing in our shared future. It is growing the middle class. And it is working. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2972 | null | 6,592 |
formal | tax cuts | null | racist | Michigan Mr. President, I come to the floor today first of all to say that, as everybody in this Chamber knows, I am extremely proud to be from Michigan. We are the State of innovation. We built the automobile, the automobile assembly line, and the American middle class as a result. In Michigan, we make things and we grow things. Just take a look at recent headlines: Ford chose Marshall, MI, as the site of a new battery plant. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs when it opens in 2026. In June, I was at the groundbreaking for a new UL Solutions battery lab in Auburn Hills. Their work is going to improve the batteries that go into electric vehicles like my Bolt, which I love. Hemlock Semiconductor, a proud Michigan company that manufactures products used in the semiconductor and solar industries, is expanding its plant by creating an industrial park that will create 170 new jobs, and I expect a lot more jobs will be coming after that. We are also attracting businesses from Europe and around the world. This spring, Norwegian company Nel Hydrogen announced that it is going to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan that is going to create more than 500 jobs. Exciting things are happening--and not just in Michigan. All around the country, all across the country, manufacturing facilities are opening, small businesses are launching, and folks are headed to work at good-paying jobs. This past month, 209,000 jobs were created--209,000 jobs were created last month--which means there have been 13.2 million jobs created since President Biden took office. This is in less than 3 years. It is in less than 2\1/2\ years--in about 2\1/2\ years, I guess. We are announcing an unemployment rate that is 3.6 percent. It has been under 4 percent for the last 17 months in a row--17 months in a row. There have been 13.7 million jobs created in about 2\1/2\ years, and this is coming out of a pandemic and all that surrounded it with supply chain breakdowns and all of the challenges. Yet, because of what we are doing, we are seeing the strength in the underlying economy. That is the longest stretch in over 50 years, when we look at the unemployment rate--the longest stretch in over 50 years--50 years. The highest number of Americans age 25 to 54 are now in the workforce--the highest number--since May of 2002. The percentage of women who are working set a new record for the third month in a row. Wages are up. Inflation is going down. It is down at the lowest level in 2 years. We have got more to do, but it is going in the right direction. This is Bidenomics in action. This is not by accident that all of this is happening. We are growing our economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. It is the opposite of trickle-down economics. It is the opposite, not giving everything to those at the top--the very wealthy--who can then take their dollars and go anywhere in the world and be able to invest in a race to the bottom on jobs, which is what we have seen for decades, which, by the way, got us the supply chain problems, when over half of the chips going into our automobiles and other electronics were made from one company in Taiwan. We are now turning that around. We are making smart investments in America, including in our infrastructure--rebuilding America--in manufacturing, in clean energy, and actually making sure we are saying: If you want those tax credits that we want to support you to create those jobs, you have to make it in America. You have to make it in America, not just take the dollars from America and then put them somewhere else. You have to actually make it in America. That is what we are doing. We are empowering American workers through higher wages and better training and more support for unions. We are lowering costs for the things that Americans need, starting with prescription drugs, by the way, capping the cost of insulin per month at $35 for our seniors and people on Medicare. We are laser-focused to do more, by the way, to make that cap for everybody who is on insulin, and on all the other changes to bring down healthcare costs and prescription drug costs. We are laser-focused on taking on the drug companies to be able to do that. We are making sure small businesses have the support they need. I am excited that we have seen the largest number of Black small businesses being created in the last couple of years. We are seeing so many more opportunities for entrepreneurs, for small businesses across the country, which are so much a part of the backbone of our economy. We are seeing that as well. We are basically seeing what we call Bidenomics because it is growing the middle class. It is aiming at the American middle class. It is saying we want to support you, but the jobs have to be here in America. We want to rebuild and invest in America for the future and in all of our technologies, from high-speed internet to our roads andbridges and airports and rails and all the other things that will allow us to be leading the pack in a global economy and competing. We want to bring those jobs home. Then we are laser-focused on lowering costs for folks. If that means taking on the oil companies or taking on the drug companies, so be it. But we are laser-focused on bringing down costs. That is what Bidenomics is all about. Bidenomics, the opposite of trickle down--the opposite of trickle down. Meanwhile, what are our Republicans colleagues doing? Unfortunately, the same thing they have been doing for decades. By the way, they have never met a problem that a tax cut for the wealthy wouldn't solve. I remember so many times, when the economy was doing well 20 years ago: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. And then, when the economy was down, and when we had Wall Street crash: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. It doesn't matter what the problem is, the solution is a tax cut for the ultrawealthy of the country, with the idea that it will trickle, trickle down. Unfortunately, what has happened with that is it never trickled down, at least not for the people in Michigan. Of course, they are waiting for it to trickle down. But it did blow up the deficit. It did blow up the deficit. In fact, 25 percent of all of the debt accumulated by the country ever was in 4 years of President Trump. Twenty-five percent of all of the deficit and debt created ever in the country was under 4 years of President Trump. And the 2017 Trump tax giveaway exploded the deficit. That is why that was happening. It exploded the deficit by nearly $2 trillion and gave the ultrawealthy massive tax breaks. So we have come out of this manufactured crisis around the debt ceiling, taking the country to the edge of default, and all the talk about how much debt we have, and then, as soon as that gets resolved and President Biden brings everybody to the table and there is a bipartisan agreement not to have our country crash and default because of, unfortunately, the manufactured antics on the other side, what happens next? Our Republican colleagues have a new tax package. After talking about the debt and the deficit, they have turned around again and want another tax cut for the wealthiest and the largest corporations. In fact, Big Oil will get another $10.5 billion tax break under their latest tax cuts, on top of the embedded tax breaks that have been there for 100 years with Big Oil. These tax breaks are supposed to help folks get started in the industry--and I think they are pretty much established in our country, after 100 years of this. But, no, a $10.5 billion tax break, in addition now, is what is being proposed in the House. Their proposal would roll back clean energy tax credits that are creating jobs. The things I listed at the very beginning as I was talking all relate to the focus on investing in clean energy and saying it has to be a production tax credit. So you don't get it unless you are making this in America, and this is key. This has not been happening for decades, and it is now happening. They want to roll that all back--roll back all the things we are trying to do to combat the climate crisis, which is hitting us over the head every single day, destroying homes and creating havoc and costing lives. All that is happening because of excess carbon pollution that is in the atmosphere, and that has been here for as long as we have been using fossil fuels. I wish the oil companies would take some of the hundreds of billions that they have been given on tax breaks and put it back into technology to stop pollution. That would be very helpful, if that were where they had put that. But instead what they have done is put it into funding efforts to say the climate crisis isn't real, that it is all a hoax, that everybody is making it up. And we see where we are today because it is not made up. It never was made up. When they got the first tax breaks 100 years ago, if they had put part of that into technology to make sure that what they were doing was not polluting the atmosphere, we wouldn't even be here today talking about the climate crisis. And, certainly, Mr. President, with what is happening in your home State of Vermont, you see how it destroyed a town. It is extraordinary what is happening with the weather and all the damage. Our Republican colleagues want to roll back all the efforts right now to try to clean up things and for a cleaner environment. They want another big tax break for Big Oil. They are going to endanger about 150,000 good-paying jobs, and, on top of that, it would balloon the deficit again by another $300 billion just over the next 3 years. If Republicans extend all of the Trump tax giveaways, we would add another $2.5 trillion--``t''--to the deficit if they got what they have been proposing. Again, we have tried trickle-down economics, with tax breaks for those at the top, slashing investments for America, and shipping good jobs overseas. That has been the strategy or the result of the strategy--not that they were saying: Oh, we are going to ship jobs overseas. No, they just let it happen by giving tax breaks to folks who did that with no accountability. That is trickle-down economics. Now, we have what we are proudly calling Bidenomics: investments in America, empowering workers, lowering costs, and helping small businesses. And it is actually working. Let me go back to the slide. It is actually working. When we look at just last month, there were 209,000 jobs. And every month there is a jobs report--more jobs, more jobs, more jobs. There were 13.2 million jobs created in the last 2\1/2\ years. That is real. There are economists talking about that--good-paying jobs for people, jobs you can raise a family on; 3.6 percent unemployment rate and under 4 percent for the last 17 months, the lowest in 50 years. It is not about just debating rhetoric back and forth. What we have is something that has never worked, which is trickle-down economics, but is used over and over and over again. I shouldn't say it never worked. It never worked for the majority of people. It never grew the middle class. It worked for a few people. It worked for a few people really, really well, but it has not worked for the majority of Americans. And now we are turning and saying: Let's focus on something that does--investing in America, bringing jobs home, tackling the big special interests that are causing all of our costs to go up, like the drug companies and oil companies, and bringing down the costs. And, by the way, the engine of our economy, the small businesses, let's make sure we are laser-focused on helping our small businesses. We have tried Republicans' trickle-down economics. Surprise--it didn't work. It never worked. The wealthy keep buying bigger yachts, while everybody else is left treading water. Bidenomics is different. It is investing in us--all of us. It is investing in our shared future. It is growing the middle class. And it is working. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2972 | null | 6,593 |
formal | single | null | homophobic | Michigan Mr. President, I come to the floor today first of all to say that, as everybody in this Chamber knows, I am extremely proud to be from Michigan. We are the State of innovation. We built the automobile, the automobile assembly line, and the American middle class as a result. In Michigan, we make things and we grow things. Just take a look at recent headlines: Ford chose Marshall, MI, as the site of a new battery plant. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs when it opens in 2026. In June, I was at the groundbreaking for a new UL Solutions battery lab in Auburn Hills. Their work is going to improve the batteries that go into electric vehicles like my Bolt, which I love. Hemlock Semiconductor, a proud Michigan company that manufactures products used in the semiconductor and solar industries, is expanding its plant by creating an industrial park that will create 170 new jobs, and I expect a lot more jobs will be coming after that. We are also attracting businesses from Europe and around the world. This spring, Norwegian company Nel Hydrogen announced that it is going to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan that is going to create more than 500 jobs. Exciting things are happening--and not just in Michigan. All around the country, all across the country, manufacturing facilities are opening, small businesses are launching, and folks are headed to work at good-paying jobs. This past month, 209,000 jobs were created--209,000 jobs were created last month--which means there have been 13.2 million jobs created since President Biden took office. This is in less than 3 years. It is in less than 2\1/2\ years--in about 2\1/2\ years, I guess. We are announcing an unemployment rate that is 3.6 percent. It has been under 4 percent for the last 17 months in a row--17 months in a row. There have been 13.7 million jobs created in about 2\1/2\ years, and this is coming out of a pandemic and all that surrounded it with supply chain breakdowns and all of the challenges. Yet, because of what we are doing, we are seeing the strength in the underlying economy. That is the longest stretch in over 50 years, when we look at the unemployment rate--the longest stretch in over 50 years--50 years. The highest number of Americans age 25 to 54 are now in the workforce--the highest number--since May of 2002. The percentage of women who are working set a new record for the third month in a row. Wages are up. Inflation is going down. It is down at the lowest level in 2 years. We have got more to do, but it is going in the right direction. This is Bidenomics in action. This is not by accident that all of this is happening. We are growing our economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. It is the opposite of trickle-down economics. It is the opposite, not giving everything to those at the top--the very wealthy--who can then take their dollars and go anywhere in the world and be able to invest in a race to the bottom on jobs, which is what we have seen for decades, which, by the way, got us the supply chain problems, when over half of the chips going into our automobiles and other electronics were made from one company in Taiwan. We are now turning that around. We are making smart investments in America, including in our infrastructure--rebuilding America--in manufacturing, in clean energy, and actually making sure we are saying: If you want those tax credits that we want to support you to create those jobs, you have to make it in America. You have to make it in America, not just take the dollars from America and then put them somewhere else. You have to actually make it in America. That is what we are doing. We are empowering American workers through higher wages and better training and more support for unions. We are lowering costs for the things that Americans need, starting with prescription drugs, by the way, capping the cost of insulin per month at $35 for our seniors and people on Medicare. We are laser-focused to do more, by the way, to make that cap for everybody who is on insulin, and on all the other changes to bring down healthcare costs and prescription drug costs. We are laser-focused on taking on the drug companies to be able to do that. We are making sure small businesses have the support they need. I am excited that we have seen the largest number of Black small businesses being created in the last couple of years. We are seeing so many more opportunities for entrepreneurs, for small businesses across the country, which are so much a part of the backbone of our economy. We are seeing that as well. We are basically seeing what we call Bidenomics because it is growing the middle class. It is aiming at the American middle class. It is saying we want to support you, but the jobs have to be here in America. We want to rebuild and invest in America for the future and in all of our technologies, from high-speed internet to our roads andbridges and airports and rails and all the other things that will allow us to be leading the pack in a global economy and competing. We want to bring those jobs home. Then we are laser-focused on lowering costs for folks. If that means taking on the oil companies or taking on the drug companies, so be it. But we are laser-focused on bringing down costs. That is what Bidenomics is all about. Bidenomics, the opposite of trickle down--the opposite of trickle down. Meanwhile, what are our Republicans colleagues doing? Unfortunately, the same thing they have been doing for decades. By the way, they have never met a problem that a tax cut for the wealthy wouldn't solve. I remember so many times, when the economy was doing well 20 years ago: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. And then, when the economy was down, and when we had Wall Street crash: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. It doesn't matter what the problem is, the solution is a tax cut for the ultrawealthy of the country, with the idea that it will trickle, trickle down. Unfortunately, what has happened with that is it never trickled down, at least not for the people in Michigan. Of course, they are waiting for it to trickle down. But it did blow up the deficit. It did blow up the deficit. In fact, 25 percent of all of the debt accumulated by the country ever was in 4 years of President Trump. Twenty-five percent of all of the deficit and debt created ever in the country was under 4 years of President Trump. And the 2017 Trump tax giveaway exploded the deficit. That is why that was happening. It exploded the deficit by nearly $2 trillion and gave the ultrawealthy massive tax breaks. So we have come out of this manufactured crisis around the debt ceiling, taking the country to the edge of default, and all the talk about how much debt we have, and then, as soon as that gets resolved and President Biden brings everybody to the table and there is a bipartisan agreement not to have our country crash and default because of, unfortunately, the manufactured antics on the other side, what happens next? Our Republican colleagues have a new tax package. After talking about the debt and the deficit, they have turned around again and want another tax cut for the wealthiest and the largest corporations. In fact, Big Oil will get another $10.5 billion tax break under their latest tax cuts, on top of the embedded tax breaks that have been there for 100 years with Big Oil. These tax breaks are supposed to help folks get started in the industry--and I think they are pretty much established in our country, after 100 years of this. But, no, a $10.5 billion tax break, in addition now, is what is being proposed in the House. Their proposal would roll back clean energy tax credits that are creating jobs. The things I listed at the very beginning as I was talking all relate to the focus on investing in clean energy and saying it has to be a production tax credit. So you don't get it unless you are making this in America, and this is key. This has not been happening for decades, and it is now happening. They want to roll that all back--roll back all the things we are trying to do to combat the climate crisis, which is hitting us over the head every single day, destroying homes and creating havoc and costing lives. All that is happening because of excess carbon pollution that is in the atmosphere, and that has been here for as long as we have been using fossil fuels. I wish the oil companies would take some of the hundreds of billions that they have been given on tax breaks and put it back into technology to stop pollution. That would be very helpful, if that were where they had put that. But instead what they have done is put it into funding efforts to say the climate crisis isn't real, that it is all a hoax, that everybody is making it up. And we see where we are today because it is not made up. It never was made up. When they got the first tax breaks 100 years ago, if they had put part of that into technology to make sure that what they were doing was not polluting the atmosphere, we wouldn't even be here today talking about the climate crisis. And, certainly, Mr. President, with what is happening in your home State of Vermont, you see how it destroyed a town. It is extraordinary what is happening with the weather and all the damage. Our Republican colleagues want to roll back all the efforts right now to try to clean up things and for a cleaner environment. They want another big tax break for Big Oil. They are going to endanger about 150,000 good-paying jobs, and, on top of that, it would balloon the deficit again by another $300 billion just over the next 3 years. If Republicans extend all of the Trump tax giveaways, we would add another $2.5 trillion--``t''--to the deficit if they got what they have been proposing. Again, we have tried trickle-down economics, with tax breaks for those at the top, slashing investments for America, and shipping good jobs overseas. That has been the strategy or the result of the strategy--not that they were saying: Oh, we are going to ship jobs overseas. No, they just let it happen by giving tax breaks to folks who did that with no accountability. That is trickle-down economics. Now, we have what we are proudly calling Bidenomics: investments in America, empowering workers, lowering costs, and helping small businesses. And it is actually working. Let me go back to the slide. It is actually working. When we look at just last month, there were 209,000 jobs. And every month there is a jobs report--more jobs, more jobs, more jobs. There were 13.2 million jobs created in the last 2\1/2\ years. That is real. There are economists talking about that--good-paying jobs for people, jobs you can raise a family on; 3.6 percent unemployment rate and under 4 percent for the last 17 months, the lowest in 50 years. It is not about just debating rhetoric back and forth. What we have is something that has never worked, which is trickle-down economics, but is used over and over and over again. I shouldn't say it never worked. It never worked for the majority of people. It never grew the middle class. It worked for a few people. It worked for a few people really, really well, but it has not worked for the majority of Americans. And now we are turning and saying: Let's focus on something that does--investing in America, bringing jobs home, tackling the big special interests that are causing all of our costs to go up, like the drug companies and oil companies, and bringing down the costs. And, by the way, the engine of our economy, the small businesses, let's make sure we are laser-focused on helping our small businesses. We have tried Republicans' trickle-down economics. Surprise--it didn't work. It never worked. The wealthy keep buying bigger yachts, while everybody else is left treading water. Bidenomics is different. It is investing in us--all of us. It is investing in our shared future. It is growing the middle class. And it is working. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2972 | null | 6,594 |
formal | middle class | null | racist | Michigan Mr. President, I come to the floor today first of all to say that, as everybody in this Chamber knows, I am extremely proud to be from Michigan. We are the State of innovation. We built the automobile, the automobile assembly line, and the American middle class as a result. In Michigan, we make things and we grow things. Just take a look at recent headlines: Ford chose Marshall, MI, as the site of a new battery plant. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs when it opens in 2026. In June, I was at the groundbreaking for a new UL Solutions battery lab in Auburn Hills. Their work is going to improve the batteries that go into electric vehicles like my Bolt, which I love. Hemlock Semiconductor, a proud Michigan company that manufactures products used in the semiconductor and solar industries, is expanding its plant by creating an industrial park that will create 170 new jobs, and I expect a lot more jobs will be coming after that. We are also attracting businesses from Europe and around the world. This spring, Norwegian company Nel Hydrogen announced that it is going to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan that is going to create more than 500 jobs. Exciting things are happening--and not just in Michigan. All around the country, all across the country, manufacturing facilities are opening, small businesses are launching, and folks are headed to work at good-paying jobs. This past month, 209,000 jobs were created--209,000 jobs were created last month--which means there have been 13.2 million jobs created since President Biden took office. This is in less than 3 years. It is in less than 2\1/2\ years--in about 2\1/2\ years, I guess. We are announcing an unemployment rate that is 3.6 percent. It has been under 4 percent for the last 17 months in a row--17 months in a row. There have been 13.7 million jobs created in about 2\1/2\ years, and this is coming out of a pandemic and all that surrounded it with supply chain breakdowns and all of the challenges. Yet, because of what we are doing, we are seeing the strength in the underlying economy. That is the longest stretch in over 50 years, when we look at the unemployment rate--the longest stretch in over 50 years--50 years. The highest number of Americans age 25 to 54 are now in the workforce--the highest number--since May of 2002. The percentage of women who are working set a new record for the third month in a row. Wages are up. Inflation is going down. It is down at the lowest level in 2 years. We have got more to do, but it is going in the right direction. This is Bidenomics in action. This is not by accident that all of this is happening. We are growing our economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. It is the opposite of trickle-down economics. It is the opposite, not giving everything to those at the top--the very wealthy--who can then take their dollars and go anywhere in the world and be able to invest in a race to the bottom on jobs, which is what we have seen for decades, which, by the way, got us the supply chain problems, when over half of the chips going into our automobiles and other electronics were made from one company in Taiwan. We are now turning that around. We are making smart investments in America, including in our infrastructure--rebuilding America--in manufacturing, in clean energy, and actually making sure we are saying: If you want those tax credits that we want to support you to create those jobs, you have to make it in America. You have to make it in America, not just take the dollars from America and then put them somewhere else. You have to actually make it in America. That is what we are doing. We are empowering American workers through higher wages and better training and more support for unions. We are lowering costs for the things that Americans need, starting with prescription drugs, by the way, capping the cost of insulin per month at $35 for our seniors and people on Medicare. We are laser-focused to do more, by the way, to make that cap for everybody who is on insulin, and on all the other changes to bring down healthcare costs and prescription drug costs. We are laser-focused on taking on the drug companies to be able to do that. We are making sure small businesses have the support they need. I am excited that we have seen the largest number of Black small businesses being created in the last couple of years. We are seeing so many more opportunities for entrepreneurs, for small businesses across the country, which are so much a part of the backbone of our economy. We are seeing that as well. We are basically seeing what we call Bidenomics because it is growing the middle class. It is aiming at the American middle class. It is saying we want to support you, but the jobs have to be here in America. We want to rebuild and invest in America for the future and in all of our technologies, from high-speed internet to our roads andbridges and airports and rails and all the other things that will allow us to be leading the pack in a global economy and competing. We want to bring those jobs home. Then we are laser-focused on lowering costs for folks. If that means taking on the oil companies or taking on the drug companies, so be it. But we are laser-focused on bringing down costs. That is what Bidenomics is all about. Bidenomics, the opposite of trickle down--the opposite of trickle down. Meanwhile, what are our Republicans colleagues doing? Unfortunately, the same thing they have been doing for decades. By the way, they have never met a problem that a tax cut for the wealthy wouldn't solve. I remember so many times, when the economy was doing well 20 years ago: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. And then, when the economy was down, and when we had Wall Street crash: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. It doesn't matter what the problem is, the solution is a tax cut for the ultrawealthy of the country, with the idea that it will trickle, trickle down. Unfortunately, what has happened with that is it never trickled down, at least not for the people in Michigan. Of course, they are waiting for it to trickle down. But it did blow up the deficit. It did blow up the deficit. In fact, 25 percent of all of the debt accumulated by the country ever was in 4 years of President Trump. Twenty-five percent of all of the deficit and debt created ever in the country was under 4 years of President Trump. And the 2017 Trump tax giveaway exploded the deficit. That is why that was happening. It exploded the deficit by nearly $2 trillion and gave the ultrawealthy massive tax breaks. So we have come out of this manufactured crisis around the debt ceiling, taking the country to the edge of default, and all the talk about how much debt we have, and then, as soon as that gets resolved and President Biden brings everybody to the table and there is a bipartisan agreement not to have our country crash and default because of, unfortunately, the manufactured antics on the other side, what happens next? Our Republican colleagues have a new tax package. After talking about the debt and the deficit, they have turned around again and want another tax cut for the wealthiest and the largest corporations. In fact, Big Oil will get another $10.5 billion tax break under their latest tax cuts, on top of the embedded tax breaks that have been there for 100 years with Big Oil. These tax breaks are supposed to help folks get started in the industry--and I think they are pretty much established in our country, after 100 years of this. But, no, a $10.5 billion tax break, in addition now, is what is being proposed in the House. Their proposal would roll back clean energy tax credits that are creating jobs. The things I listed at the very beginning as I was talking all relate to the focus on investing in clean energy and saying it has to be a production tax credit. So you don't get it unless you are making this in America, and this is key. This has not been happening for decades, and it is now happening. They want to roll that all back--roll back all the things we are trying to do to combat the climate crisis, which is hitting us over the head every single day, destroying homes and creating havoc and costing lives. All that is happening because of excess carbon pollution that is in the atmosphere, and that has been here for as long as we have been using fossil fuels. I wish the oil companies would take some of the hundreds of billions that they have been given on tax breaks and put it back into technology to stop pollution. That would be very helpful, if that were where they had put that. But instead what they have done is put it into funding efforts to say the climate crisis isn't real, that it is all a hoax, that everybody is making it up. And we see where we are today because it is not made up. It never was made up. When they got the first tax breaks 100 years ago, if they had put part of that into technology to make sure that what they were doing was not polluting the atmosphere, we wouldn't even be here today talking about the climate crisis. And, certainly, Mr. President, with what is happening in your home State of Vermont, you see how it destroyed a town. It is extraordinary what is happening with the weather and all the damage. Our Republican colleagues want to roll back all the efforts right now to try to clean up things and for a cleaner environment. They want another big tax break for Big Oil. They are going to endanger about 150,000 good-paying jobs, and, on top of that, it would balloon the deficit again by another $300 billion just over the next 3 years. If Republicans extend all of the Trump tax giveaways, we would add another $2.5 trillion--``t''--to the deficit if they got what they have been proposing. Again, we have tried trickle-down economics, with tax breaks for those at the top, slashing investments for America, and shipping good jobs overseas. That has been the strategy or the result of the strategy--not that they were saying: Oh, we are going to ship jobs overseas. No, they just let it happen by giving tax breaks to folks who did that with no accountability. That is trickle-down economics. Now, we have what we are proudly calling Bidenomics: investments in America, empowering workers, lowering costs, and helping small businesses. And it is actually working. Let me go back to the slide. It is actually working. When we look at just last month, there were 209,000 jobs. And every month there is a jobs report--more jobs, more jobs, more jobs. There were 13.2 million jobs created in the last 2\1/2\ years. That is real. There are economists talking about that--good-paying jobs for people, jobs you can raise a family on; 3.6 percent unemployment rate and under 4 percent for the last 17 months, the lowest in 50 years. It is not about just debating rhetoric back and forth. What we have is something that has never worked, which is trickle-down economics, but is used over and over and over again. I shouldn't say it never worked. It never worked for the majority of people. It never grew the middle class. It worked for a few people. It worked for a few people really, really well, but it has not worked for the majority of Americans. And now we are turning and saying: Let's focus on something that does--investing in America, bringing jobs home, tackling the big special interests that are causing all of our costs to go up, like the drug companies and oil companies, and bringing down the costs. And, by the way, the engine of our economy, the small businesses, let's make sure we are laser-focused on helping our small businesses. We have tried Republicans' trickle-down economics. Surprise--it didn't work. It never worked. The wealthy keep buying bigger yachts, while everybody else is left treading water. Bidenomics is different. It is investing in us--all of us. It is investing in our shared future. It is growing the middle class. And it is working. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2972 | null | 6,595 |
formal | special interest | null | antisemitic | Michigan Mr. President, I come to the floor today first of all to say that, as everybody in this Chamber knows, I am extremely proud to be from Michigan. We are the State of innovation. We built the automobile, the automobile assembly line, and the American middle class as a result. In Michigan, we make things and we grow things. Just take a look at recent headlines: Ford chose Marshall, MI, as the site of a new battery plant. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs when it opens in 2026. In June, I was at the groundbreaking for a new UL Solutions battery lab in Auburn Hills. Their work is going to improve the batteries that go into electric vehicles like my Bolt, which I love. Hemlock Semiconductor, a proud Michigan company that manufactures products used in the semiconductor and solar industries, is expanding its plant by creating an industrial park that will create 170 new jobs, and I expect a lot more jobs will be coming after that. We are also attracting businesses from Europe and around the world. This spring, Norwegian company Nel Hydrogen announced that it is going to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan that is going to create more than 500 jobs. Exciting things are happening--and not just in Michigan. All around the country, all across the country, manufacturing facilities are opening, small businesses are launching, and folks are headed to work at good-paying jobs. This past month, 209,000 jobs were created--209,000 jobs were created last month--which means there have been 13.2 million jobs created since President Biden took office. This is in less than 3 years. It is in less than 2\1/2\ years--in about 2\1/2\ years, I guess. We are announcing an unemployment rate that is 3.6 percent. It has been under 4 percent for the last 17 months in a row--17 months in a row. There have been 13.7 million jobs created in about 2\1/2\ years, and this is coming out of a pandemic and all that surrounded it with supply chain breakdowns and all of the challenges. Yet, because of what we are doing, we are seeing the strength in the underlying economy. That is the longest stretch in over 50 years, when we look at the unemployment rate--the longest stretch in over 50 years--50 years. The highest number of Americans age 25 to 54 are now in the workforce--the highest number--since May of 2002. The percentage of women who are working set a new record for the third month in a row. Wages are up. Inflation is going down. It is down at the lowest level in 2 years. We have got more to do, but it is going in the right direction. This is Bidenomics in action. This is not by accident that all of this is happening. We are growing our economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. It is the opposite of trickle-down economics. It is the opposite, not giving everything to those at the top--the very wealthy--who can then take their dollars and go anywhere in the world and be able to invest in a race to the bottom on jobs, which is what we have seen for decades, which, by the way, got us the supply chain problems, when over half of the chips going into our automobiles and other electronics were made from one company in Taiwan. We are now turning that around. We are making smart investments in America, including in our infrastructure--rebuilding America--in manufacturing, in clean energy, and actually making sure we are saying: If you want those tax credits that we want to support you to create those jobs, you have to make it in America. You have to make it in America, not just take the dollars from America and then put them somewhere else. You have to actually make it in America. That is what we are doing. We are empowering American workers through higher wages and better training and more support for unions. We are lowering costs for the things that Americans need, starting with prescription drugs, by the way, capping the cost of insulin per month at $35 for our seniors and people on Medicare. We are laser-focused to do more, by the way, to make that cap for everybody who is on insulin, and on all the other changes to bring down healthcare costs and prescription drug costs. We are laser-focused on taking on the drug companies to be able to do that. We are making sure small businesses have the support they need. I am excited that we have seen the largest number of Black small businesses being created in the last couple of years. We are seeing so many more opportunities for entrepreneurs, for small businesses across the country, which are so much a part of the backbone of our economy. We are seeing that as well. We are basically seeing what we call Bidenomics because it is growing the middle class. It is aiming at the American middle class. It is saying we want to support you, but the jobs have to be here in America. We want to rebuild and invest in America for the future and in all of our technologies, from high-speed internet to our roads andbridges and airports and rails and all the other things that will allow us to be leading the pack in a global economy and competing. We want to bring those jobs home. Then we are laser-focused on lowering costs for folks. If that means taking on the oil companies or taking on the drug companies, so be it. But we are laser-focused on bringing down costs. That is what Bidenomics is all about. Bidenomics, the opposite of trickle down--the opposite of trickle down. Meanwhile, what are our Republicans colleagues doing? Unfortunately, the same thing they have been doing for decades. By the way, they have never met a problem that a tax cut for the wealthy wouldn't solve. I remember so many times, when the economy was doing well 20 years ago: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. And then, when the economy was down, and when we had Wall Street crash: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. It doesn't matter what the problem is, the solution is a tax cut for the ultrawealthy of the country, with the idea that it will trickle, trickle down. Unfortunately, what has happened with that is it never trickled down, at least not for the people in Michigan. Of course, they are waiting for it to trickle down. But it did blow up the deficit. It did blow up the deficit. In fact, 25 percent of all of the debt accumulated by the country ever was in 4 years of President Trump. Twenty-five percent of all of the deficit and debt created ever in the country was under 4 years of President Trump. And the 2017 Trump tax giveaway exploded the deficit. That is why that was happening. It exploded the deficit by nearly $2 trillion and gave the ultrawealthy massive tax breaks. So we have come out of this manufactured crisis around the debt ceiling, taking the country to the edge of default, and all the talk about how much debt we have, and then, as soon as that gets resolved and President Biden brings everybody to the table and there is a bipartisan agreement not to have our country crash and default because of, unfortunately, the manufactured antics on the other side, what happens next? Our Republican colleagues have a new tax package. After talking about the debt and the deficit, they have turned around again and want another tax cut for the wealthiest and the largest corporations. In fact, Big Oil will get another $10.5 billion tax break under their latest tax cuts, on top of the embedded tax breaks that have been there for 100 years with Big Oil. These tax breaks are supposed to help folks get started in the industry--and I think they are pretty much established in our country, after 100 years of this. But, no, a $10.5 billion tax break, in addition now, is what is being proposed in the House. Their proposal would roll back clean energy tax credits that are creating jobs. The things I listed at the very beginning as I was talking all relate to the focus on investing in clean energy and saying it has to be a production tax credit. So you don't get it unless you are making this in America, and this is key. This has not been happening for decades, and it is now happening. They want to roll that all back--roll back all the things we are trying to do to combat the climate crisis, which is hitting us over the head every single day, destroying homes and creating havoc and costing lives. All that is happening because of excess carbon pollution that is in the atmosphere, and that has been here for as long as we have been using fossil fuels. I wish the oil companies would take some of the hundreds of billions that they have been given on tax breaks and put it back into technology to stop pollution. That would be very helpful, if that were where they had put that. But instead what they have done is put it into funding efforts to say the climate crisis isn't real, that it is all a hoax, that everybody is making it up. And we see where we are today because it is not made up. It never was made up. When they got the first tax breaks 100 years ago, if they had put part of that into technology to make sure that what they were doing was not polluting the atmosphere, we wouldn't even be here today talking about the climate crisis. And, certainly, Mr. President, with what is happening in your home State of Vermont, you see how it destroyed a town. It is extraordinary what is happening with the weather and all the damage. Our Republican colleagues want to roll back all the efforts right now to try to clean up things and for a cleaner environment. They want another big tax break for Big Oil. They are going to endanger about 150,000 good-paying jobs, and, on top of that, it would balloon the deficit again by another $300 billion just over the next 3 years. If Republicans extend all of the Trump tax giveaways, we would add another $2.5 trillion--``t''--to the deficit if they got what they have been proposing. Again, we have tried trickle-down economics, with tax breaks for those at the top, slashing investments for America, and shipping good jobs overseas. That has been the strategy or the result of the strategy--not that they were saying: Oh, we are going to ship jobs overseas. No, they just let it happen by giving tax breaks to folks who did that with no accountability. That is trickle-down economics. Now, we have what we are proudly calling Bidenomics: investments in America, empowering workers, lowering costs, and helping small businesses. And it is actually working. Let me go back to the slide. It is actually working. When we look at just last month, there were 209,000 jobs. And every month there is a jobs report--more jobs, more jobs, more jobs. There were 13.2 million jobs created in the last 2\1/2\ years. That is real. There are economists talking about that--good-paying jobs for people, jobs you can raise a family on; 3.6 percent unemployment rate and under 4 percent for the last 17 months, the lowest in 50 years. It is not about just debating rhetoric back and forth. What we have is something that has never worked, which is trickle-down economics, but is used over and over and over again. I shouldn't say it never worked. It never worked for the majority of people. It never grew the middle class. It worked for a few people. It worked for a few people really, really well, but it has not worked for the majority of Americans. And now we are turning and saying: Let's focus on something that does--investing in America, bringing jobs home, tackling the big special interests that are causing all of our costs to go up, like the drug companies and oil companies, and bringing down the costs. And, by the way, the engine of our economy, the small businesses, let's make sure we are laser-focused on helping our small businesses. We have tried Republicans' trickle-down economics. Surprise--it didn't work. It never worked. The wealthy keep buying bigger yachts, while everybody else is left treading water. Bidenomics is different. It is investing in us--all of us. It is investing in our shared future. It is growing the middle class. And it is working. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2972 | null | 6,596 |
formal | special interests | null | antisemitic | Michigan Mr. President, I come to the floor today first of all to say that, as everybody in this Chamber knows, I am extremely proud to be from Michigan. We are the State of innovation. We built the automobile, the automobile assembly line, and the American middle class as a result. In Michigan, we make things and we grow things. Just take a look at recent headlines: Ford chose Marshall, MI, as the site of a new battery plant. It is expected to create 2,500 jobs when it opens in 2026. In June, I was at the groundbreaking for a new UL Solutions battery lab in Auburn Hills. Their work is going to improve the batteries that go into electric vehicles like my Bolt, which I love. Hemlock Semiconductor, a proud Michigan company that manufactures products used in the semiconductor and solar industries, is expanding its plant by creating an industrial park that will create 170 new jobs, and I expect a lot more jobs will be coming after that. We are also attracting businesses from Europe and around the world. This spring, Norwegian company Nel Hydrogen announced that it is going to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan that is going to create more than 500 jobs. Exciting things are happening--and not just in Michigan. All around the country, all across the country, manufacturing facilities are opening, small businesses are launching, and folks are headed to work at good-paying jobs. This past month, 209,000 jobs were created--209,000 jobs were created last month--which means there have been 13.2 million jobs created since President Biden took office. This is in less than 3 years. It is in less than 2\1/2\ years--in about 2\1/2\ years, I guess. We are announcing an unemployment rate that is 3.6 percent. It has been under 4 percent for the last 17 months in a row--17 months in a row. There have been 13.7 million jobs created in about 2\1/2\ years, and this is coming out of a pandemic and all that surrounded it with supply chain breakdowns and all of the challenges. Yet, because of what we are doing, we are seeing the strength in the underlying economy. That is the longest stretch in over 50 years, when we look at the unemployment rate--the longest stretch in over 50 years--50 years. The highest number of Americans age 25 to 54 are now in the workforce--the highest number--since May of 2002. The percentage of women who are working set a new record for the third month in a row. Wages are up. Inflation is going down. It is down at the lowest level in 2 years. We have got more to do, but it is going in the right direction. This is Bidenomics in action. This is not by accident that all of this is happening. We are growing our economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. It is the opposite of trickle-down economics. It is the opposite, not giving everything to those at the top--the very wealthy--who can then take their dollars and go anywhere in the world and be able to invest in a race to the bottom on jobs, which is what we have seen for decades, which, by the way, got us the supply chain problems, when over half of the chips going into our automobiles and other electronics were made from one company in Taiwan. We are now turning that around. We are making smart investments in America, including in our infrastructure--rebuilding America--in manufacturing, in clean energy, and actually making sure we are saying: If you want those tax credits that we want to support you to create those jobs, you have to make it in America. You have to make it in America, not just take the dollars from America and then put them somewhere else. You have to actually make it in America. That is what we are doing. We are empowering American workers through higher wages and better training and more support for unions. We are lowering costs for the things that Americans need, starting with prescription drugs, by the way, capping the cost of insulin per month at $35 for our seniors and people on Medicare. We are laser-focused to do more, by the way, to make that cap for everybody who is on insulin, and on all the other changes to bring down healthcare costs and prescription drug costs. We are laser-focused on taking on the drug companies to be able to do that. We are making sure small businesses have the support they need. I am excited that we have seen the largest number of Black small businesses being created in the last couple of years. We are seeing so many more opportunities for entrepreneurs, for small businesses across the country, which are so much a part of the backbone of our economy. We are seeing that as well. We are basically seeing what we call Bidenomics because it is growing the middle class. It is aiming at the American middle class. It is saying we want to support you, but the jobs have to be here in America. We want to rebuild and invest in America for the future and in all of our technologies, from high-speed internet to our roads andbridges and airports and rails and all the other things that will allow us to be leading the pack in a global economy and competing. We want to bring those jobs home. Then we are laser-focused on lowering costs for folks. If that means taking on the oil companies or taking on the drug companies, so be it. But we are laser-focused on bringing down costs. That is what Bidenomics is all about. Bidenomics, the opposite of trickle down--the opposite of trickle down. Meanwhile, what are our Republicans colleagues doing? Unfortunately, the same thing they have been doing for decades. By the way, they have never met a problem that a tax cut for the wealthy wouldn't solve. I remember so many times, when the economy was doing well 20 years ago: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. And then, when the economy was down, and when we had Wall Street crash: Oh, we should do a tax cut for the wealthy. It doesn't matter what the problem is, the solution is a tax cut for the ultrawealthy of the country, with the idea that it will trickle, trickle down. Unfortunately, what has happened with that is it never trickled down, at least not for the people in Michigan. Of course, they are waiting for it to trickle down. But it did blow up the deficit. It did blow up the deficit. In fact, 25 percent of all of the debt accumulated by the country ever was in 4 years of President Trump. Twenty-five percent of all of the deficit and debt created ever in the country was under 4 years of President Trump. And the 2017 Trump tax giveaway exploded the deficit. That is why that was happening. It exploded the deficit by nearly $2 trillion and gave the ultrawealthy massive tax breaks. So we have come out of this manufactured crisis around the debt ceiling, taking the country to the edge of default, and all the talk about how much debt we have, and then, as soon as that gets resolved and President Biden brings everybody to the table and there is a bipartisan agreement not to have our country crash and default because of, unfortunately, the manufactured antics on the other side, what happens next? Our Republican colleagues have a new tax package. After talking about the debt and the deficit, they have turned around again and want another tax cut for the wealthiest and the largest corporations. In fact, Big Oil will get another $10.5 billion tax break under their latest tax cuts, on top of the embedded tax breaks that have been there for 100 years with Big Oil. These tax breaks are supposed to help folks get started in the industry--and I think they are pretty much established in our country, after 100 years of this. But, no, a $10.5 billion tax break, in addition now, is what is being proposed in the House. Their proposal would roll back clean energy tax credits that are creating jobs. The things I listed at the very beginning as I was talking all relate to the focus on investing in clean energy and saying it has to be a production tax credit. So you don't get it unless you are making this in America, and this is key. This has not been happening for decades, and it is now happening. They want to roll that all back--roll back all the things we are trying to do to combat the climate crisis, which is hitting us over the head every single day, destroying homes and creating havoc and costing lives. All that is happening because of excess carbon pollution that is in the atmosphere, and that has been here for as long as we have been using fossil fuels. I wish the oil companies would take some of the hundreds of billions that they have been given on tax breaks and put it back into technology to stop pollution. That would be very helpful, if that were where they had put that. But instead what they have done is put it into funding efforts to say the climate crisis isn't real, that it is all a hoax, that everybody is making it up. And we see where we are today because it is not made up. It never was made up. When they got the first tax breaks 100 years ago, if they had put part of that into technology to make sure that what they were doing was not polluting the atmosphere, we wouldn't even be here today talking about the climate crisis. And, certainly, Mr. President, with what is happening in your home State of Vermont, you see how it destroyed a town. It is extraordinary what is happening with the weather and all the damage. Our Republican colleagues want to roll back all the efforts right now to try to clean up things and for a cleaner environment. They want another big tax break for Big Oil. They are going to endanger about 150,000 good-paying jobs, and, on top of that, it would balloon the deficit again by another $300 billion just over the next 3 years. If Republicans extend all of the Trump tax giveaways, we would add another $2.5 trillion--``t''--to the deficit if they got what they have been proposing. Again, we have tried trickle-down economics, with tax breaks for those at the top, slashing investments for America, and shipping good jobs overseas. That has been the strategy or the result of the strategy--not that they were saying: Oh, we are going to ship jobs overseas. No, they just let it happen by giving tax breaks to folks who did that with no accountability. That is trickle-down economics. Now, we have what we are proudly calling Bidenomics: investments in America, empowering workers, lowering costs, and helping small businesses. And it is actually working. Let me go back to the slide. It is actually working. When we look at just last month, there were 209,000 jobs. And every month there is a jobs report--more jobs, more jobs, more jobs. There were 13.2 million jobs created in the last 2\1/2\ years. That is real. There are economists talking about that--good-paying jobs for people, jobs you can raise a family on; 3.6 percent unemployment rate and under 4 percent for the last 17 months, the lowest in 50 years. It is not about just debating rhetoric back and forth. What we have is something that has never worked, which is trickle-down economics, but is used over and over and over again. I shouldn't say it never worked. It never worked for the majority of people. It never grew the middle class. It worked for a few people. It worked for a few people really, really well, but it has not worked for the majority of Americans. And now we are turning and saying: Let's focus on something that does--investing in America, bringing jobs home, tackling the big special interests that are causing all of our costs to go up, like the drug companies and oil companies, and bringing down the costs. And, by the way, the engine of our economy, the small businesses, let's make sure we are laser-focused on helping our small businesses. We have tried Republicans' trickle-down economics. Surprise--it didn't work. It never worked. The wealthy keep buying bigger yachts, while everybody else is left treading water. Bidenomics is different. It is investing in us--all of us. It is investing in our shared future. It is growing the middle class. And it is working. I yield the floor. | 2020-01-06 | Unknown | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2972 | null | 6,597 |
formal | Chicago | null | racist | Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, 2 months ago I had the privilege of delivering the commencement address at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. It was an inspiring celebration. Among the new doctors receiving their medical degrees that day were six young people who had been brought to this country as children and educated in American schools, but had never been able to become citizens. It used to be that such young people had no real future in America. In 2012, however, with bipartisan encouragement from Senator Dick Lugar and myself, President Obama created the DACA program, which allows young people who are undocumented and meet rigorous conditions can remain in America and work legally. That same year, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine became the first medical school in America to openly welcome undocumented DACA recipients. It was a courageous decision. But there was a big obstacle: DACA recipients are ineligible for Federal tuition assistance, and without such financial aid, most Dreamers cannot afford college, much less medical school. In stepped a smart, visionary public servant with a creative solution. His name was William Brandt, Jr. As chair of the Illinois Finance Authority, he created a program to provide interest-free loans to DACA students at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. In exchange, these Dreamer doctors, after they graduate, work in medically underserved areas in Illinois. In a life filled with many firsts and financial successes, Bill Brandt considered Illinois' loan program for DACA medical students his proudest achievement. It is really a model for the Nation. Thirty-eight DACA recipients have now graduated from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. As someone who has worked for more than 20 years to pass the Dream Act, I am grateful to Bill for having such faith in Dreamers. And I am deeply saddened by his recent death at the too-young age of 73. Bill Brandt was born in Chicago and his talent for business was obvious early on. In college, he worked as a door-to-door salesman for Kirby Vacuum Cleaners and once won the salesman-of-the-year award from the local distributor. His introductory pitch to customers was: ``Brandt is the name; dirt sucking's the game.'' Who could say no to that? In 1976, after earning a master's degree in sociology from the University of Chicago, he founded his own company, Development Specialists, Inc., and became a pioneer in the corporate restructuring and bankruptcy consulting industry. There are people--Gordon Gekko types--who specialize in buying distressed companies only to strip them of their assets and then declare bankruptcy and fire all the employees. Bill Brandt was the opposite of that. To Bill, success meant helping struggling companies turn around. He was proud of all the companies he helped regain their financial footing and of the thousands of jobs he helped save. He believed that good public policies could make the economy stronger and fairer for everyone. When Congress passed a new Federal bankruptcy law in 1994, he testified about ways to make the new law fairer, more streamlined, and accessible to everyone. To Bill, social justice wasn't just a theory; it was a calling. As a high school senior, he started to do community outreach at the Benton House, a social services organization in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. He believed that government could help make life better for people and that everyone has a responsibility to hold government accountable. He was a trusted adviser and friend to many public officials, including former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and President Bill Clinton. Bill also believed that everyone has a responsibility to leave the world a better place than they found it. He certainly lived up to that responsibility, and he will be missed. Loretta and I offer our condolences to Bill's family, especially Patrice, his wife of 43 years; their children Katherine, Joan, John, and William; their grandchildren; to Bill's many friends; and to the countless others, like those Dreamer doctors at Loyola University Chicago, who will help keep his legacy alive for years to come. | 2020-01-06 | Mr. DURBIN | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2979-3 | null | 6,598 |
formal | Reagan | null | white supremacist | Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, this past weekend, on July 15, 2023, Alaskans marked a milestone as we recognized a century of operations for the Alaska Railroad Corporation. The Railroad, as we call it, along with all of its builders, operators, and leaders, has been a critical catalyst for our still-young State's growth and development. For 100 years now, the Railroad has transported passengers between Alaska's largest cities, bolstered tourism and commerce across hundreds of miles of terrain, helped build some of our State's most critical infrastructure, and supported our Nation's wartime efforts. It took decades for the Alaska Railroad Corporation to become the entity we recognize today. The Alaska Central Railway, later renamed the Alaska Railroad, laid its first track in Alaska in 1903. It started in Seward and extended 50 miles north. The Alaska Central Railway reorganized in 1910 as the Alaska Northern Railway Co., later extending the railroad to Kern Creek, 71 miles from Seward. In 1914, the U.S. Congress, understanding the intrinsic value in the Railroad's expansion, funded the construction and operation of a railroad from Seward to Fairbanks. On July 15, 1923, President Warren G. Harding drove a golden spike to unite the track at Nenana, marking the completion of the Alaska Railroad as we know it today. From 1940 to 1943, the Railroad was integral to our Nation's efforts in World War II, hauling military and civilian supplies across the State. In 1962, the Railroad established its first car-barge service in Whittier, followed by train-ship service in June 1964, which revolutionized the State by enabling rail cars from the lower 48 to be shipped to any point along its route. In the early to mid-1970s, the Railroad supported construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System by shipping and storing pipe and construction materials between Valdez, Seward, and Fairbanks, where it was then trucked to the North Slope. In 1981, the Alaska Railroad entered into agreements with Fairbanks and Anchorage school district career centers to create a tour-guide program to train high school students to serve as hosts onboard summer passenger trains. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the authorization of the transfer of the Alaska Railroad to the State of Alaska. In 1985, the railroad became the property of the State of Alaska, and the AlaskaRailroad Corporation, or ARRC, was born. Today, the Alaska Railroad Corporation operates regularly scheduled public transportation service that connects roughly half a million Alaskans and visitors to communities from Seward to Fairbanks each year. Passengers can access remote regions of our State, including areas off the road system. Some of the most popular Alaskan treasures that local residents and tourists alike can visit include the Chugach National Forest, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Denali National Park and Preserve. The Railroad is also a vital part of our supply chains, linking the Alaskan interior to Seward, Whittier, and the Port of Alaska in Anchorage. The Railroad hauled 3.7 million tons of freight last year, including natural resources, industrial goods, and more. As we reach this 100th anniversary, I join Alaskans in recognizing that our Railroad is a lot more than locomotives and rails. Many talented men and women have dedicated their lives to its safe operation and to carrying passengers and freight across wide expanses, rivers, and mountains, showcasing our State and contributing to our economy. I join the rest of the Alaska delegation in congratulating the Alaska Railroad Corporation on 100 years of operation and look forward to a new century of investment, expansion, and service ahead to meet the continued needs of our State and Nation. | 2020-01-06 | Ms. MURKOWSKI | Senate | CREC-2023-07-18-pt1-PgS2981-6 | null | 6,599 |
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