hazylavender/hi huggingface dataset:
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2042] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. TITUS: on October 1, 2017, my district experienced the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history after a gunman opened fire at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. Mr. Speaker, 58 lives were lost and two victims have died since then. The shooter injured thousands, and more than 800 survivors sustained severe injuries and unimaginable trauma that stays with them the rest of their lives. In the years that followed, the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, under the leadership of the Honorable Barbara Buckley, became a model for cities across the country grappling with this same kind of hardship. My office took notice, and I pushed for and eventually got $3 million in Federal funding to help build and develop a Vegas Strong Resiliency Center to continue serving these victims. Tennille Pereira, its executive director, was on the Hill today to accept an award from the Congressional Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus. I nominated them for that award because we see the effects of their work in our community every day--for every survivor persevering through this lingering trauma and for every grieving family member who has lost a loved one. This center has helped keep Vegas strong and moving forward.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2042] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. JOHNSON : I rise to announce that this week I am reintroducing the FAIR Act, the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act. Forced arbitration has been a concern of mine for some time because powerful corporations have stripped away Americans' right to have their day in court. These forced arbitration clauses are everywhere. Americans sign away their rights when they buy a cell phone or sign an employment contract. They are forced into arbitration, a private for-profit dispute resolution process that bans claimants from banding together and where the deck is stacked against the little guy. That is why I have been championing this legislation since 2007, and momentum has shifted in our favor. Just last year, President Biden signed a law invalidating forced arbitration clauses in disputes about workplace sexual harassment and assault. That is progress, but we have more work to do. We need to restore Americans' right to use the court system, and in doing so, reinvigorate important civil rights, employment, and consumer protections in this country.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2041-H2042] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. SCHOLTEN: as west Michigan's Congresswoman, it is my top priority to support the next generation. That means regularly engaging with kids and students across the district. Since I took office, I have heard from so many young people, having them write to me about the need to protect endangered species. In direct response to their concerns, I chose to cosponsor the bipartisan Manatee Protection Act. Manatees are wonderfully intelligent mammals. They can be over 10 feet long and hold their breath underwater for nearly 20 minutes. We are at risk of losing these wonderful creatures forever. There are only 6,500 West Indian manatees left in the waters off the coast of Florida. This piece of legislation will give the West Indian manatees the protection status they deserve and ensure they do not go extinct forever. It is time to take action. I thank the students for sharing their passion for animals and their love of our world. I heard them, and I am responding to them.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2041] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. SALINAS: I rise in opposition to the default on America act. This dangerous bill is nothing more than an attempt to extract extreme concessions that will benefit big corporations, poison our environment, and hurt working families. To extract those concessions, House Republicans are threatening to default on our debt, something that could push us headlong into a recession. If we were to default on our debt, 84,000 families in Oregon's Sixth District alone would have their Social Security payments jeopardized. Mr. Speaker, 278,000 members of my community could lose their healthcare benefits, and small businesses in Oregon's Sixth District could be forced to pay an additional $2,500 in total loan payments. This bill is DOA in the Senate, which gives my colleagues the chance to go back to the drawing board and present a clean debt ceiling bill. I urge them to take this opportunity to do right by the American people.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2041] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. TOKUDA: I rise today to congratulate Hawaiian-born Sasha Kekauoha, more famously known as Sasha Colby, on being crowned the winner of ``RuPaul's Drag Race'' Season 15. I am so proud that a fellow Windward girl, hailing from the homesteads of Waimanalo, has earned the title of ``America's Next Drag Superstar.'' From the very beginning of the competition, Sasha, a seasoned drag legend, drew upon her ethnic heritage and childhood trauma as sources of inspiration for her performances. Throughout ``Drag Race,'' she authentically represented her Hawaiian culture, talking about the legacy she is building for our home State and about being mahu. In ancient Hawaiian days, mahu were considered extraordinary individuals of male and female spirit who brought their healing powers to Oahu from Tahiti. Today, trans people are among the most revered members in the Hawaiian community. Amidst ongoing attacks on our LGBTQ+ rights that particularly target trans people and drag queens, her win is not only well deserved, it gives us all hope. Congratulations to Sasha Colby. She is a leader. She is a proud mahu, and she is every drag queen's favorite drag queen.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2041] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. KAPTUR: dangerous budget shenanigans by House Republicans play with fire that can blunt economic growth and cruelly hurt countless Ohioans. Speaker McCarthy's roulette creates economic instability that can yield disastrous consequences for students, families, seniors, veterans, and public safety across our Buckeye State. His plan would endanger public safety and impact public health by shutting down five air traffic control towers in our State, cutting 330 safety inspections in rail, and denying 2,000 Ohioans admission to opioid treatment. His plan would raise costs for working families and students by eliminating 12,300 preschool and childcare slots in Ohio, stripping food assistance from nearly half a million Ohioans, making college tuition expensive for 200,000 Ohioans, and raising housing costs for 23,000 Ohioans. How about that for a start? The McCarthy plan is reckless and inches us closer to default. In sum, the McCarthy plan would thwart economic progress and should be shelved for a commonsense, bipartisan solution that serves all of America. Let's put people before politics.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2041] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. HARRIS: fiscal sanity has returned to Washington, D.C. I didn't think I was going to live long enough to see this, but today, minutes ago, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2811, the Limit, Save, Grow Act. We agreed with the majority of the American public that inflation is tied to runaway Federal Government spending and that it is about time the President realized that his fairyland budget that never, ever, ever balances is actually bad for America. Maybe this will bring him to the negotiating table so that when we raise the credit limit on America on our American credit card, we actually do what we would do in our own households--we would actually begin to control spending. That is a huge step. It is about time it is happening in Washington. Mr. Speaker, I hope it is not too late.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2040-H2041] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. THANEDAR: I rise today to request support for naming a Federal building after the late Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Mr. Conyers was a civil rights legend, the dean of the House of Representatives and, above all else, a faithful and devoted public servant for the city of Detroit. In this House, Mr. Conyers had many firsts. He was one of the first members of the Congressional Black Caucus. He was the first African American to serve on the Judiciary Committee and to become its chairman. He was the first to introduce the bill making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a Federal holiday. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask for your support in naming a Federal building after this Detroit icon.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2040] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. PORTER: I rise today to speak up for keeping Americans safe at work. On April 28, Workers Memorial Day, we remember all those workers who lost their lives or became disabled on the job. In 2021, one worker died every 101 minutes from an occupational injury. Congress must take steps so all Americans can go to work without needlessly endangering themselves. Fifty-two years ago, we took a leap forward when the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect. The labor movement fought tirelessly to make it happen, but their work continues today, and so must ours. We need OSHA to expand protections to all industries and all workplace hazards. One person who doesn't return home from work is one too many. I join my friends in labor in fighting for every single worker to have a safe job.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2040] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. CARTER : I rise today to celebrate the life of Reverend Charles Stanley, an influential Baptist pastor who for more than 50 years preached from First Baptist Church of Atlanta. A native of Dry Fork, Virginia, it was his mother, Rebecca, who first introduced him to the Bible. His paternal grandfather was also a preacher, and at age 14 Reverend Stanley felt a calling to the ministry. He graduated from the University of Richmond with a bachelor's degree in history in 1954, and 2 years later was ordained at a Baptist church. He later became a pastor at churches in Hendersonville, North Carolina; Fairborn, Ohio; and Miami and Bartow, Florida, before joining First Baptist Church of Atlanta in 1969 as associate pastor. As the senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Atlanta, he was known as one of the leading American preachers of his time, alongside figures like Reverend Billy Graham. In 1984, he was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Nation's largest Protestant denomination. His leadership and dedication to spreading the word of God has impacted many generations of Christians. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2040] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. PAYNE: I rise today to discuss H.R. 2811, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023. This bill is more proof of the Republicans' anti-American agenda. It would create more water and air pollution nationwide. It would cost the country trillions of dollars in taxes from corporations and the richest 1 percent. It would deny food assistance to hardworking American families who need it. And it would deny American college students and schoolchildren a quality education. Republicans only care about budget cuts during Democratic administrations. They said nothing when Donald Trump added $8 trillion to the national debt. Thankfully, Democrats put people over politics. President Biden's budget saves trillions of dollars and helps American families. It benefits all Americans, and it is the plan we need right now.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2040] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. THOMPSON : I rise today to recognize members of the Lions Clubs, the Rotary Club, the Kiwanis Club, and the Optimist organizations who are on Capitol Hill today. Volunteer service is the cornerstone of a successful, strong, and healthy community. It is also an important staple of American life. I have been a member of my hometown organization, the Howard Area Lions Club, so I know firsthand the good this club does around the world. To share the impactful work of service clubs and their volunteers, I founded the Congressional Service Organization Caucus in 2019 with Congressman   Jimmy Panetta of California, a past Rotarian. Earlier today, the Congressional Service Organization Caucus hosted a Member and staff briefing. Speakers from Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, and Optimist clubs shared how their members strive to make the world a better place one community at a time. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join the Congressional Service Organization Caucus to ensure service to others remains a viable part of American life for generations to come.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Page H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. PETERS: due to a long-standing family obligation, planned well before the congressional schedule was available, I could not be present for votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 195, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 196, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 197, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 198, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 199, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 200.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1979-H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. BOYLE : I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my friends on the other side of the aisle will claim they are being ``fiscally responsible.'' Let's be clear. There never has been and never will be anything fiscally responsible about refusing to pay America's bills. Killing millions of jobs is also not fiscally responsible. Neither is knowingly unleashing a recession. That is why even former President Trump said: ``I can't imagine anybody ever even thinking of using the debt ceiling as a negotiating [tool].'' Now, I had hoped that when the Speaker referred to the budget process and debt ceiling as ``apples and oranges,'' it meant my friends on the other side finally understood the real-world ramifications of their reckless brinkmanship, yet here we are.  {time}  1430  Republicans' DOA act, the default on America act, will cut investments, crush job creation, and crash the economy. Their default on America act must be DOA. There is no way Congress will agree to 10 years of destructive caps and the biggest single cut to nondefense programs in American history. For what? In exchange for a few months of respite before we would have to go through this debt ceiling roller coaster all over again. Mr. Speaker, when the American people hear what I just said, the biggest single cut to nondefense programs in the history of the American Government, they might be wondering what exactly that means. Well, here are some specifics: First, in total, we are talking about an immediate cut of at least $142 billion. That would mean, for example, public safety. After recent near- misses, under this bill, 125 air traffic control towers would be shut down, impacting one-third of all airports. Following the disastrous derailments in eastern Ohio and West Virginia, rail safety jobs would be dramatically reduced, with 11,000 fewer safety inspection days and 30,000 fewer miles of track inspected annually. Our communities would be less safe with the cut of Federal support to 60 local law enforcement agencies, 300 to 400 fewer local law enforcement positions, as well as approximately 11,000 fewer FBI personnel. On health, amid a mental health and overdose crisis, nearly 1 million people facing a suicidal or mental health crisis would be unable to access support services through the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, and tens of thousands of individuals could be denied admission to opioid use disorder treatment. In terms of families and nutrition, with the looming rise of food insecurity, nutrition services such as Meals on Wheels would be cut for more than 1 million seniors. How can we allow this to happen? We simply cannot and must not. Now, many of us on this side of the aisle who will be speaking will detail even more of the cuts that are included in this DOA, default on America act, but for now, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1979-H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. ARRINGTON: the last time we had a significant fiscal reform it came through debt ceiling negotiations that were led by no other than President Joe Biden in 2011. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler), my good friend.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1979-H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. LAWLER: this bill begins the conversation, and President Biden and Senator Schumer must now come to the negotiating table and work with Speaker McCarthy in good faith to move our country forward and restore fiscal sanity and solvency.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1979-H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. BOYLE : I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), Speaker Emerita of the House.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1979-H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. PELOSI: I thank Mr. Boyle and Mr. Richie Neal for their leadership in bringing our side of the story to this. And what is that? I thank the Republicans for the clarity with which they have put forth their default on America act because their default on America act will do just this. When you vote for this bill, you will vote to: Put veterans' healthcare at risk, eliminating up to 30 million healthcare visits for our veterans. Slash Pell grants for tens of thousands of students. Rip away food assistance for women, infants, and children, a million of them, a million seniors off of Meals on Wheels. Pollute the planet by overturning what we did to save the planet with green tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act. Cut $8 billion in law enforcement from State, local, and Federal law enforcement, pulling cops off the street, and up to 700,000 fewer jobs to be created. Certainly, we negotiate over the appropriations bills. I am an appropriator, and for 20 years I have been in 19 engagements of the debt ceiling kind. Whether we lift the debt ceiling is a question of whether we honor the Constitution that says the full faith and credit of America shall not be in doubt.  When you use that as a wedge, as President Trump admonished you not to, you are placing in doubt our credit rating and what that means to American people on their credit card billsand at the kitchen table. You are playing with fire. We have been down this road before. When the former President was President, three times we lifted the debt ceiling, never placing in doubt the full faith and credit of the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1979-H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. ARRINGTON: I yield myself such time as I may consume. When President Biden negotiated the fiscal reforms in the debt ceiling in 2011, he said he was pleased and thankful to do it. He called it a normal process. He said that you have got to compromise, didn't like the my-way-or-the-highway approach, and said it was a great honor. I hope he shares those sentiments today and soon. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1979-H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. MEUSER: I thank my good friend from Texas, the chairman of the Budget Committee. Mr. Speaker, we are debating a bill to accomplish goals, goals of equal importance: Pay the Nation's debts and begin a discussion with a plan so that we demonstrate to the American people that we in this House will rein in the astronomically excessive spending of the past 3 years. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve and demand that we do this. It is right and just. We must pay our Nation's debts. The American people don't want to see the excesses continue. That sentiment is pervasive. Over the past 3 years, we have increased our national debt by almost $12 trillion. Some was due to COVID, most due to ideology and complete lack of fiscal restraint. Mr. Speaker, our plan pays our Nation's debts, and we must, as well, limit Federal excesses moving forward back to 2022 levels. We are not talking about going into disasters here, 2022 levels with increases moving forward. It saves money by largely reclaiming COVID funds--COVID is over; those funds are available; they should be reclaimed--and by creating growth initiatives, which we must have, Mr. Speaker, in order to compete globally and assure the American Dream stays alive for our children. The White House and this House must cooperate and do what is right and just.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1979-H2039] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-26
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. BOYLE : I remind my fellow Pennsylvanian, as well as all the Members of this House, that according to Moody's Analytics, the legislation that is in front of us ``would meaningfully increase the likelihood of recession.'' And lead to 800,000 job losses by the end of 2024. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.