hazylavender/hi huggingface dataset:
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2077-H2081] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. STEVENS: I rise today in honor of 44th District Court Judge Jamie Wittenberg, who passed away last winter after a courageous 3-year battle with brain cancer. Elected in 2008, Jamie was one of the youngest judges ever to be elected in Oakland County, Michigan. A Huntington Woods native and longtime Berkley resident, he attended Indiana University before graduatingfrom Wayne State Law school where he was a two-time recipient of the Leonard Gilman Scholarship. He served the State of Michigan honorably as a prosecutor in both Wayne and Macomb Counties prior to his election. During his many years on the bench, Judge Wittenberg doubled the size of the sobriety court and helped to establish a teen court, a diversion program to help keep juveniles out of the judicial system and build brighter futures. His family's world was upended over 3 years ago when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. No matter how daunting a diagnosis, Judge Wittenberg never complained. He never complained. He faced his cancer head-on by undergoing numerous surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. He remained in a state of ketosis. He far exceeded his original prognosis, handling a full court docket the entire time. Judge Wittenberg was a respected and admired jurist who was a fixture of our southeast Oakland County community in Michigan. He was a mentor to countless attorneys and respected by everyone who appeared before him in court, no matter what side of the issue they were on. He will be remembered as being deeply fair and compassionate. He is missed in our community, and this month he would have celebrated his 49th birthday. In addition to his beloved wife, Staci, Judge Wittenberg is survived by his four incredible daughters, Arielle, Talia, Brooke, and Maya, the lights of his life. He is survived by his parents, Mollie and Howard; his sister, Jodie; and, of course, his incredible brother, Robert Wittenberg who was sworn in by Judge Wittenberg as the Oakland County treasurer in just 2021. We know his memory will be a blessing. May his memory be a blessing, and may we join together in this Chamber to continue to push for a cure, to continue to push for investments in tackling the scourge that is glioblastoma.  {time}  1745  Reflecting on State of U.S. Industrial Base
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2072-H2077] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. MIKE GARCIA : I rise today to honor a community giant and historic leader of the Antelope Valley who is celebrating his 90th birthday this week, Bishop Hearns, Sr. of Lancaster, California. Bishop Hearns came from humble beginnings, growing up as a sharecropper in Mississippi. Driven by the desire to serve, he went on to fight for our Nation overseas in Korea in the U.S. Army. He came home and completed his education to become an engineer. He then started working at the beloved Air Force base in our district, Edwards Air Force Base, and had a groundbreaking career there. Upon his retirement from engineering, Bishop Hearns decided to continue on his life's path of service by being the first African- American official elected in Lancaster, ultimately becoming mayor. A multitude of accomplishments for a wonderful and heroic man, and someone I personally have great respect for in many ways, especially as a spiritual leader in our communities. As the Antelope Valley gathers to celebrate Bishop Hearns' life, I too express my thanks and gratitude for his lifetime of continued service, leadership, and being a role model for all of us. May his patriotic and heroic life be a guiding light for all of us.  President Biden Should Negotiate with House Republicans
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2072-H2077] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. MIKE GARCIA : I thank Ms. Foxx for being outspoken on this issue. I come from California. I have seen the devastating effects it has had on independent contractors; a record number of Californians are leaving. No one associated with AB 5 should be allowed to be in charge of the Department of Labor.  Raising Minimum Pay for the Military
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2072-H2077] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. MIKE GARCIA : I rise today to voice support for my bill, the Raising Annual Income of Servicemembers by Enhancing Minimum Base Pay Act or the RAISE Act, which would provide our junior enlisted servicemembers a much-needed pay raise to a minimum of the equivalent of $15 an hour or roughly $31,200 per year. As a former naval aviator and officer who represents a district that has an impact on many facets of our military and defense, I've seen firsthand just how much our Nation has neglected America's secret weapon, our heroic servicemembers. I stand here today to say that this ends. Mr. Speaker, if you look at the chart next to me, this details the monthly pay that our junior enlisted servicemembers currently make. Starting out as an E-1 with less than 2 years, you can see a monthly salary of just $1,695 or roughly $20,340 a year. That is the equivalent of about $11 an hour when you normalize it for a 40-hour workweek. Let that sink in: $11 an hour for someone putting their life on the line. It is not until they are in for a few years and have been promoted a couple times that they make the equivalent of $15 an hour or roughly $31,000 a year. In other words, it takes serving your country for several years, signing away some of your basic rights and freedoms, shaving your head, leaving home for 6 to 12 months, putting your life on the line, and going through a multitude of sacrifices, for our servicemembers to make as much as what a McDonald's worker starts at. This is embarrassing, and it is flat-out wrong. That is why we must pass the Raise Minimum Base Pay Act or work this initiative into this year's National Defense Authorization Act to get our servicemembers the pay raise that they so desperately need right now. About 30 percent of our enlisted troops actually qualify for food stamps. I will not stand here at this podium and feign support for big bills that provide small support for our troops. I won't do it. Our Nation faces recruitment and retention shortfalls that we have never seen before, the steepest in over 50 years. This is a frightening concern for our Nation's security, especially as peer threats like the Chinese Communist Party continue to grow--not just in terms of head count and technologies--their military capabilities with their eyes fixated on a potential invasion of Taiwan and the elimination long term of the United States. Yes, right now we must get our servicemembers a pay raise and continue to improve quality-of-life issues for them so that we can strengthen our military's positioning, strengthen its recruitment and retention, and get our servicemembers a much-needed pay raise. Mr. Speaker, any NDAA this year that fails to adequately address this issue fails to take care of our most precious weapon system, our troops, is not a good NDAA. It is way past due to do what is right for the warfighter. Mr. Speaker, I am committed to doing so this year.  A Pinch of Salt
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2072-H2077] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. MIKE GARCIA : I congratulate the Hart High girls' soccer team on their recent CIF championship. These young women showed up and gave it their all every single game this last season. Now they are the southern California regional champions. They are recognized as one of the best soccer teams in the State, and I would say probably one of the best soccer teams in the Nation. I recently had the pleasure of welcoming the Hart High girls' soccer team to my Santa Clarita office earlier this week. I saw young leaders, young women who work hard and are disciplined not only in soccer but also with their academics. They have accomplished so much at such a young age and have displayed what young athletic talent and leadership comes out of our beautiful 27th Congressional District in California. Congratulations to the Hart High girls' soccer team. They are a shining example of how great our communities are, and they make us all proud.  {time}  1730  School Safety
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2072-H2077] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. MIKE GARCIA : I rise today to encourage support for my bill, H.R. 1627, the Sergeant Steve Owen Defending Our Defenders Act. It is critical legislation that would make the murdering of a police officer a Federal felony punishable by only life in prison or the death penalty. For those of you who do not know Sergeant Steve Owen, he was a Los Angeles County Sheriff in the Antelope Valley in my district, a hero in our community, a family man who was brutally murdered in broad daylight on the streets of Lancaster back in 2016 by a vicious criminal who was out on parole. Sergeant Steve Owen's death is unfortunately becoming a common story in this day and age. In fact, in 2021, we saw a 60 percent increase in murder of law enforcement officers. This is due to the defund the police movement and soft-on-crime policies from elected officials from the far left, D.A.s who have been hired by Soros to be soft on violent criminals, and it has severely handicapped our police officers' ability to do their jobs and, in some cases, to go home safely at the end of their shift. This bill, named in honor of Sergeant Steve Owen, is all too necessary right now as our police officers face increased rates of crime against them. It is critical that we pass this legislation to ensure that our law enforcement officers have the protection necessary to do their jobs effectively and go home to their families. This should not be a tough bill to support for either Republicans or Democrats. The men and women who protect us every day deserve to know that we have their back. They give us a security blanket in our communities as elected officials, we should give them a meaningful deterrence to any criminal who is willing to do them harm. We must do more to take care of our heroic law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line on a daily basis to keep our communities safe. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. James), my good friend and West Point grad.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2072-H2077] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. MIKE GARCIA : it is remarkable how quickly we forgot the lessons learned in Afghanistan. When we see the situation in Sudan and for Secretary of State Blinken to literally forget some of the lessons learned so quickly makes us wonder how many countries we are still vulnerable in as we move forward. I want to reflect on Afghanistan because it hasn't been that long and, yet, I think many Americans have actually forgotten what has happened there. We made several key strategic errors giving up Bagram Airfield: Leaving our allies in Afghanistan in the lurch without any notification in the dead of night, not handing operational control over from a State Department diplomatic mission in terms of an evacuation back to the DOD, and recognizing that we were, in fact, in a warfighting scenario where operational control should have been handed to the Department of Defense. It was a demonstration of cabinet members under a weak administration not having the backbone to stand up and tell their boss, the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief, that, Boss, we have a problem. We need to be more proactive. We need to take a step back, rethink our strategy here, and we need to make sure that every single American comes home. If you recall, we were actually bringing home American troops before we brought home American civilians in many of those cases. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Page H2072] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. JACKSON LEE: for as long as I have been here in the United States Congress, which is more than two decades, we have been fighting to add to the Constitution a perfectly sensible amendment, one that does not offend the American people. It simply says that the equal rights amendment declares that women are equal in this Nation from the early suffragette days to the days of Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Susan B. Anthony. That is only a fair statement, that the rights of women should be considered part of the Constitution. Unfortunately, today, the United States Senate voted it down when 51 of our Senators, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, whom I met outside the Senate Chambers, wanted to make sure that the Constitution stood on its four points of equality, justice, opportunity, and democracy. We will continue to fight until the equal rights amendment is passed fairly in this Nation and for the world to see, as they have admired us for our principles of freedom, that we believe in freedom for all the people of this Nation, men and women and families. That is extremely important. It is sad that it was voted down today by our friends on the other side of the aisle.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2071-H2072] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. PORTER: I rise today to celebrate the University High School's Science Bowl team. Recently, University High School competed in the National Science Bowl's regional competition, hosted annually at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. Over 100 students from southern California took part in this intense, ``Jeopardy!''-style tournament. It is a marathon, not a sprint, but these students were ready to run it. The team spent months mastering the curriculum, which included everything from natural sciences to advanced mathematics, and their hard work paid off. Against 19 of the brightest teams, University High School prevailed. This is now the school's fifth victory at the regional Science Bowl in the past 6 years. I am honored to celebrate these students' achievement and cheer them on as they head to nationals. Keep making Orange County proud.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Page H2071] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. OMAR: I rise today in support of the U.N. visit to my Minnesota district to advance racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement and address the historic oppression of Black and Brown people in our country. It has been nearly 3 years to the day since George Floyd was murdered at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Sadly, since then, the number of Black people killed by police has only increased--with over 1,000 police shootings a year in 2021 and 2020. This is a systemic issue that requires systemic solutions. That is why, in the wake of the killing of Daunte Wright and George Floyd, I introduced a package of bills, including the Protecting Our Protesters Act, the National Police Misuse of Force Investigation Board Act, and the Global Police Brutality Resolution. Following the murder of Amir Locke, I introduced the End Deadly No-Knock Warrants Act. We can and must fight systemic racial injustices in our criminal justice system, from the disproportionate arrest and incarceration rates Black and Brown people face to the marijuana laws that criminalize Black people and remain on the books.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Page H2071] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. PAYNE: I rise today to praise Bobbi Wilson and her attempts to rid our neighborhoods of the invasive spotted lantern flies. Bobbi Wilson is 9 years old and a young lady from Caldwell, New Jersey. When she learned about the dangers of spotted lantern flies, she made it her mission to collect and kill as many of them as possible. This invasive species is so dangerous to local plants and trees that ecologists urge residents to squash them on sight. Unfortunately, a local Republican Party leader called the police on her. He said that he was scared when he saw a young, 9-year-old Black female in his neighborhood. I am livid that even Black children doing good deeds are subjected to the abject racism that infects this country. Luckily, Bobbi Wilson was praised locally and nationally for her efforts. She earned recognition during a city council meeting and even from Yale University. No child in America should have to face the police for doing good deeds in their community.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Page H2071] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. PINGREE: today, I rise to recognize a Mainer whose acts of kindness and love touched the lives of so many, even though most never knew his name until now. On every Valentine's Day since 1979, Kevin Fahrman of Falmouth, Maine, anonymously papered the greater Portland area with red hearts with the help of family and friends. Known as the Valentine's Day Bandit, he would blanket the city with hearts large and small in an enduring love letter to Portland, Maine. Every morning on February 14, Portland residents and visitors would wake up and walk the streets of the city covered in reminders of unconditional love handed out without any expectation of recognition or thanks. The identity of the Valentine's Day Bandit remained a mystery that confounded and delighted Mainers for decades--until now. Kevin passed away unexpectedly this past weekend, and his family decided it was finally time to unmask the man who had left an indelible mark on the city of Portland. Kevin never wanted recognition during his life, but his family wanted to honor him in his passing. I thank Kevin's family for sharing him with us for so long and for allowing us the opportunity to say thank you and honor him now in his passing. May his legacy of love transcend his life and continue to inspire us to show kindness to one another every single day of the year.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Page H2071] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. CARTER : I rise today to celebrate the life of Bud Stack, a decorated military veteran, loving father, and servant to his community. A native of North Carolina, Bud joined the U.S. Navy, where he became a career pilot and officer and graduated from George Washington University. He served in Vietnam as an A-6 pilot based on an aircraft carrier and received many military honors for his service. After retiring from the U.S. Navy, he worked with Grumman Aeronautics, Saudi Arabia Civil Air Safety, and later returned to Savannah with Gulfstream and FlightSafety International. Always dedicated to his family, Bud made frequent trips to Brazil, where his sons lived and grew up. Bud shared his love for Christ with stints in the nursery and as a Sunday school teacher at Bull Street Baptist Church. He also assisted in the college ministry, as well as ministering through meals to the elderly. He participated in several mission trips, with one to Israel being particularly special. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Bud will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Page H2071] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Ms. BROWNLEY: House Republicans' ineffectual and outright wrong economic policies are bringing our country to the brink of default and opening the door to crippling financial hardships for America's working families. In addition to catapulting our Nation into economic instability, the House Republican default on America bill will cause unemployment to double, the stock market to crash, and mortgage and student loan rates to skyrocket. The Republican budget cuts vital funding to schools, forces communities to lay off thousands of first responders, and increases housing costs. Rather than discuss the budget in good faith, Republicans are intent on holding the full faith and credit of the United States hostage. Under the guise of responsible spending, Republicans are destroying our economy and putting the lives and livelihood of millions of Americans at risk in the process. House Democrats stand united in working for the people and building an economy that lowers costs, creates good-paying jobs, and makes communities safer.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Page H2071] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. DAVIS : America must pay its bills and must not default. Failure to do so would trigger massive job loss, a recession, and rising costs. Congress must raise the debt limit, as previously done on a bipartisan basis. This cannot and should not fall on the backs of eastern North Carolinians, rural Americans, and the American people. Mr. Speaker, we must not engage in the politics of division and uncertainty. We must always protect the full faith and credit of the United States. Mr. Speaker, I hope we can come to a bipartisan resolution to deliver for eastern North Carolina and America.
[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)] [House] [Pages H2070-H2071] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-27
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. FRY: I rise today to congratulate Ms. Renee Atkinson of Aynor High School for being named South Carolina's Teacher of the Year. Aynor High School and the entire Horry County School District are blessed to have such a dedicated public servant who has touched the lives of so many of our children in her 20-year teaching career. Not only is she exceptional in the classroom, but she devotes time to helping other teachers in Horry County learn and grow. Our country's future relies on great teachers like Ms. Atkinson who mold and shape the lives of our young adults. I thank her for her passion and service to our community. Mr. Speaker, we appreciate the mark she has left on her students, our community, and the great State of South Carolina. This is a much- deserved recognition. Congratulations to Ms. Atkinson.