mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
J.D. Vance (Republican, OH) \u2014 2023-9-29

in reserving the right to object, let me address a few of my distinguished colleague from Illinois' comments. prgtoken First of all, while it is true that my hold policy regarding the Department of Justice is not focused on any particular nominee, I do think this particular nominee is particularly troublesome, and let me just talk about why. prgtoken Ms. Perry is a figure who served as the chief ethics officer in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office during the Jussie Smollett hate crime hoax. You may remember that from a few years ago. This is when a person accused people of engaging in a false hate crime, took a ton of State resources to investigate it, and it turned out the entire thing was fraudulent and meant to gin up publicity for Mr. Smollett. prgtoken Everyone pretty much agrees that Ms. Foxx, who was the State's attorney at the time, engaged in some pretty unethical behavior, and Ms. Perry effectively rubberstamped it. Is she the sort of person who could be entrusted to impartially administer justice in the - Garland Department of Justice? I don't think she is. So I will be voting against her nomination. I also object to giving a streamlined confirmation process for her. prgtoken Now, the Senator from Illinois is apparently hell-bent on coming before the Chamber every single week to litigate what I think and believe is a corrupt and politicized Department of Justice. He makes much--and he makes much every single time we engage in this exercise-- about the fact that the Department of Justice has never had this kind of hold policy placed on it before. I agree. This is a new and unique circumstance. prgtoken What is much different about the administration Department of Justice and the Merrick Garland- Department of Justice is that never tried to throw his political opponents in prison. This is crazy, banana republic stuff, and I will not stand for it. prgtoken I will continue to hold these nominations, and I will continue to push back against the politicization of justice. prgtoken Finally, let me just say that what I have asked for and what I will continue to ask for is that these nominees go through regular order. The Senator knows well what everybody else knows, which is that, as one Senator, I cannot prevent the confirmation of these nominees however much I might like to. What I can do is force us to go through regular order. prgtoken I asked for a vote, Senator Durbin. You can invoke cloture. We can vote on cloture. We can then do a recorded vote. That is what we have done with many, many nominees, and because of the corruption of Merrick Garland's Department of Justice, it is what I ask with this nominee and with any in the future. prgtoken Because of that, , I object.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-9-29

I join my colleagues on the floor this morning to pay tribute to Senator Feinstein and to remember her warmth, her generosity, her kindness, and the way she really loved to elevate women. It didn't matter what your party was; it didn't matter where you came from; when you achieved, she loved to recognize that. prgtoken As I came to the Senate from the House and in being the first female from Tennessee to serve in the U.S. Senate, she talked about the likeness of that experience for her as breaking barriers and being the first female mayor of San Francisco and being the first woman from California to hold a seat in the U.S. Senate. So I always appreciated that she pushed forward with elevating women and encouraging women. prgtoken Of course, as we all know, she loved to gather the women of the Senate together for dinner or for a photo to make certain that we recorded our gains here in the Senate and that we had a place to share our stories of what we were experiencing, because we all know there were times that she had incurred different unkind words from people who thought that she should not be in that position. So we appreciated that of her. prgtoken I really enjoyed the opportunity to work with her on the Senate Judiciary prgtoken Committee. She and I spent quite a bit of time working on issues that pertained to our Nation's creative community. This was a community that she truly celebrated. She loved the fact that people could create a song out of a thought or a few words that they heard. prgtoken We worked together to protect those rights, the entertainers, and to make certain that, as we worked on the HITS Act, as we worked on intellectual property issues, that our innovators and our creators were going to have that constitutional right protected to benefit from those creations. prgtoken We all know--and I know many of my colleagues have mentioned today-- of her fondness for the Senate and for the institution. We will remember that as we wish her family well and wish them protection during this time of loss and sadness. prgtoken .
THE MATH
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2023-9-29

in some ways, Mr. Kelly and I are the yin and yang of districts. I have a very highly educated district, a fairly prosperous district. I represent Scottsdale, Phoenix. I am blessed to have grown up there. I have to accept that the economic experience that a lot of my people have is going to be very different than his, but we are all in the same boat. prgtoken Let's get back to trying to help people understand the reality. I do need to amend something Mr. Kelly is saying, though. We used to talk here that this debt is an existential risk to our grandkids. I am sorry. It is a risk to your retirement. There is the reality and the math. If you are retiring anytime now and in the near future, you have to understand that we are heading toward the time when we are going to have to turn the printing presses on. When we turn on those printing presses, we wipe out your savings. prgtoken Besides the misery we create for the devaluing of the dollar, devaluing of every bit of your savings, making it so our kids can never afford--high interest rates out to the future, but it is not a crash. It is actually an extension of potentially decades of misery. prgtoken Folks don't think this way. I keep coming back to trying to make the tax collection argument. Let's talk about why this is so important. prgtoken Here is the 1950s, when we had a 90.5 percent tax on the top income earners. Here is a deep secret: The tax code today is more progressive than it was back then because they had the lower middle class pay income taxes back then. Today, they are off the tax rolls. prgtoken Back then, 7.2 percent of the economy came in in income taxes, even though we had 90 percent. You go over all the years there has been tax reform, so 2020, let's do that year, we functionally had a mean tax of 37 percent, not 90 percent as that high part of the marginal tax rate, but we are getting 9.2 percent of the economy. prgtoken Most people have no idea what I am talking about, but here is the economy, and here is a really high marginal tax rate. We have a history of this, and repeatedly, you are only getting about 7 percent of the economy in taxes. We lowered the marginal tax rate for these top brackets, and now we are getting over 9 percent. We get dramatically more because the economy got bigger. prgtoken Show this to our brothers and sisters on the left, and they will often say, yes, I know, but it doesn't feel like I am punishing people. The amazing irony is that the highest income Americans vote for , not s. It is the bizarreness. prgtoken , I yield to Mr. Kelly to ask how many billionaires he thinks are in his district.
REMEMBERING NICK MACY
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-9-29

I rise today to recognize a dear friend, an aviator, a northern California agriculture community leader, and an American, Nick Macy. prgtoken Tragically, Nick received his heavenly wings recently at the final Reno Air Races, where my son and I were in attendance. This loss will be felt deeply throughout my district, the Klamath Basin, Siskiyou and Modoc Counties, and most especially in Tulelake. I feel his pain deeply myself. prgtoken Nick was a friend to myself and my office, as we worked closely with him for over a decade to try to resolve a silly bureaucratic issue in his airport. prgtoken A soft-spoken leader, Nick was a preeminent figure in his community. He valued his hometown, his family's history in aviation and the agricultural industries, and the rural roots that brought him up. prgtoken Nick is the son of a World War II B-24 instructor. He grew to become an expert in many areas of farming, water, crop dusting, fighting fires throughout the basin, and aviation as a six-time national champion in the T-6 Gold Class in the Six-Cat Air Racing Team. prgtoken Nick and Macy's Flying Service were incredibly important to the people in both Siskiyou and Modoc Counties. He truly loved his community, family, and friends, and he would do everything within his ability to ensure their prosperity. Nick was a cornerstone of the agriculture community up there. prgtoken Nick was devoted to his family and neighbors. One could always count on Nick. prgtoken My prayers are for his lovely wife, Beth, and his children and grandchildren. To all of his family and friends--so many who were gathered at the air race--may they feel God's presence in this moment of terrible loss. prgtoken Nick, Godspeed to you. Thank you for all you were to us. Your legacy will live on in Tulelake and our hearts. We won't forget you.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5525, CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS AND BORDER SECURITY ENHANCEMENT ACT, 2024
Victoria Spartz (Republican, IN) \u2014 2023-9-29

. Madam Chair, unfortunately, muscle memory is very strong in Washington, D.C. prgtoken Unfortunately, Wall Street and K street are very powerful in Washington, D.C. prgtoken Fortunately, we have people on the side that are willing to stand up for Main Street, willing to challenge their own leadership to deliver on issues of national security. prgtoken This institution went through tougher times. We deliberated a lot of issues, but we used to be able to come together on issues of national security and our border security. Our destructive debt situation is destroying American lives. prgtoken I hope the other side will join s to win this battle for the American people. It shouldn't be a political issue, politicized. If this government cannot deliver maybe it is worth it to shut it down. What is it for then? If we cannot come together on this, then we are not worthwhile to represent the American people. prgtoken So I hope that the other side stops being sheep and starts to actually not be afraid to challenge their own leadership and do something for this country because American people are sick and tired of us being worthless. We need to protect this country because if we don't save this Republic, no one else around the world will be able to defeat a lot of enemies, foreign and domestic. prgtoken I will tell you one thing, there is nothing unreasonable or extreme to serve the people, to secure the border, and deal with our debt. prgtoken I would appreciate it if the other side wakes up and supports s.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024 AND OTHER EXTENSIONS ACT
Kay Granger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-9-30

. Madam , I rise today in support of H.R. 5860, a bill that keeps the government open until November 17. prgtoken While I would rather be here speaking on the floor about final appropriations bills, I want Members to understand why passing a short- term funding bill today is so important. prgtoken First, I want to explain how we find ourselves in this situation. Just 9 months ago, when s took back the majority in the House, our commitment was to regular order for appropriations, no more omnibus measures released in the dead of night, no more Christmas Eve votes on thousands of pages of text that Members of Congress had not read. prgtoken Unfortunately, there were a few stumbling blocks as we sought to change the process. For example, the administration's budget request was more than a month late. It then took months for the President to come to the table on the debt ceiling negotiations. Even before the debt ceiling agreement spending framework was in place, the Appropriations Committee got to work. In fact, this year, we held more than 70 hearings, reviewed roughly 80,000 requests from Members, listened, and then acted. prgtoken We began markups in May, 5 months ago, and then made adjustments to reflect changes in the law that set spending caps for the year. The appropriations bills moved through the subcommittees and then the floor. Even though a few bills have more steps to take in the process, I am proud of the work we have done. prgtoken As of today, we have sent four appropriations bills to the Senate, totaling roughly 70 percent of funding needed for this year. The Senate has not sent us any bills yet. The House has now laid down a marker on what I believe are our highest priorities. prgtoken It should be crystal clear to the American people that House s support what is in our national security. Most importantly, we are focused on our troops and our veterans as well as defending our homeland and our interests abroad. At the same time, the bill we have drafted demonstrates that we must stop government overreach and the out-of-control spending of the last few years. prgtoken These are the most conservative appropriations bills in history, and we simply need more time to get our important work done. prgtoken While a continuing resolution is not ideal, it prevents a harmful government shutdown, gives us more time to pass the appropriations bills on the floor of the House, and allows us to start negotiations on final, full-year bills with the Senate. prgtoken Yesterday, I voted for a different version of a short-term funding bill that included key border security measures. I strongly support these efforts and will continue to fight for them as this process moves along. prgtoken Today, the most important priority is keeping government open while we work on full-year appropriations bills that reflect conservative priorities. prgtoken Passing this bill is the best way for us to move the process for
LETTER TO CORSICANA, TEXAS
Jake Ellzey (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-9-30

I rise today to include in the Record the following letter to honor the people of Corsicana, Texas and to celebrate its 175th Anniversary: Hello from the year 2023! My name is Jake Ellzey, and I currently serve as the Congressman for Corsicana for the 118th Congress. I am honored to represent this great city and to help celebrate the 175th birthday of Corsicana. Corsicana was founded in 1848, and in the 175 years since its founding, so much has changed, but the one thing that has always remained is the good people who call this town their home. Now, I can't tell you much about what happened in Corsicana in 1848, but I can give you a little insight into what it looks like today in 2023. Corsicana is a small town in Navarro County with 26,000 folks and a beautiful courthouse right in the middle. It's home to great restaurants like The Across the Street Diner and Old Mexican Inn. The community has thriving businesses, like Collins Street Bakery, Oil City Iron Works, and Gilfillan's Hardware. The people here are proud to support the Corsicana Tigers and the Navarro College Bulldogs. In 2023, life is pretty good in Corsicana and Navarro County. It's a community that works together. It's a community that worships together. It's a community that prays together. I am sure much has probably happened since 2023 for y'all, but I know one thing that hasn't changed is our pride for the state of Texas and the great town of Corsicana. The community of Corsicana has always been strong, and I have no doubt that that has held true through the years. As y'all celebrate this day, reflect on the strength of this city and our Nation. I don't know what is happening in the country, but I know there is nothing our nation and the people of Texas cannot handle. I am proud to be the Representative for Corsicana in 2023, and I send well wishes to all of the Corsicana residents past, present, and future. God Bless Corsicana and God Bless the United States.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024 AND OTHER EXTENSIONS ACT
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-9-30

with just a few hours to spare, the Senate is now in a position to prevent a harmful and unnecessary government shutdown. prgtoken As I have said for weeks, the clearest path forward has been to pass a straightforward, short-term funding extension that gives us time to continue a number of important discussions about outstanding priorities, from securing supplemental relief for victims of natural disasters to restoring security and sanity at the southern border that the administration has dragged into chaos, to putting stronger restraints on the President's reckless spending to supplying Ukraine with even more of the lethal assistance it needs to repel Russia's invasion. prgtoken On that particular point, most Senate s remain committed to helping our friends on the frontlines, to investing more heavily in American strength that reinforces our allies, and deterring our top strategic adversary, China. prgtoken I am confident the Senate will pass further urgent assistance to Ukraine later this year. But let's be clear. The alternative to our action today, an entirely avoidable government shutdown, would not just pause our progress on these important priorities, it would actually set them back. And in the process, it would saddle the people we represent with unnecessary hardships. prgtoken So I am glad our colleagues in the House have taken action on a continuing resolution that keeps critical government functions going at their current rates of operation. prgtoken Passing this measure and keeping the lights on will allow us to return our attention to making headway on full-year appropriations our colleagues have been working on, literally, for months. And it will give us the flexibility to meet urgent supplemental priorities both at home and abroad. prgtoken Therefore, I would urge our colleagues to join me in supporting this important step in the right direction.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024 AND OTHER EXTENSIONS ACT
Anthony D’Esposito (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-9-30

while I appreciate the eloquent remarks from my colleague from Connecticut, I am from New York, and today we ask ourselves a very basic question: Are we voting and supporting to keep the United States of America open to make sure our government moves forward or are we drawing the line in the sand, putting Ukraine over the greatest country in the world, the United States of America? prgtoken My colleague from Connecticut also mentioned that there were only 15 minutes given to her conference. I find it startling that you need more than just seconds to make a vote in support of keeping this government open and supporting the United States of America. prgtoken This is not today a issue. It is not a issue. This is an American issue. Today, we should all stand on this floor and support this continuing resolution and keeping this government open.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024 AND OTHER EXTENSIONS ACT
Austin Scott (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-9-30

before I speak to the issue of Ukraine, I thought I might read the American citizens the 27th Amendment to the Constitution. ``No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.'' prgtoken If you are watching this--I am sorry that you don't have something better to do on a Saturday--but you need to know who is telling you the truth and who is not telling you the truth. prgtoken Recently, you heard my colleague from Connecticut tell you that the bill has a pay raise for Members of Congress. It is simply not true. And if it did, it would be unconstitutional. If the Senate bill changes the compensation for Members of Congress then it, too, is unconstitutional. prgtoken Again, the 27th Amendment word for word: ``No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.'' They are simply grasping at straws. They have intended to shut down the government from the start. prgtoken With regard to Ukraine funding, I am on the Armed Services Committee, I also happen to be on the Intelligence Committee, and I support the mission in Ukraine. It is not a U.S.-led mission. It is a mission that the United States is participating in, and this continuing resolution will not do anything to hinder what the United States is doing with regard to Ukraine. prgtoken We need to vote for this continuing resolution. We need to keep the United States Government open. We need to keep the DOD funded and our soldiers funded, and disregard totally what you are hearing from the other side. They are grasping at straws, making excuses, and telling flat-out lies about Member compensation as an excuse to vote against this piece of legislation. prgtoken Let's keep the government open. Vote for this bill.
RECOGNIZING COACH MARTY HAUCK, OF ROLLA HIGH SCHOOL
Jason Smith (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-9-30

I rise today to congratulate Coach Marty Hauck, of Rolla High School in Missouri, on being awarded the 2023 USA Wresting Greco-Roman Developmental Coach of the Year Award. prgtoken As coach of both men's and women's Rolla High School wrestling teams. His successes extend beyond the high school level as he's been named world championship coach three times by Team USA and remains the coach of the USA U-17 world championship team. prgtoken Coach Hauck continues to have remarkable success with Rolla High School's wrestling team. The school boasts 48 state qualifiers, 29 state placers. and 4 champions under his leadership. This impressive record is a testament to Coach Hauck's talent, passion, and commitment to inspiring each one of his student-athletes to reach their full potential. prgtoken Leadership is not just something you do but is a defining characteristic in people. I take great pride in recognizing Coach Hauck's exceptional contributions to the sport of wrestling. both within the community of Rolla and on the world stage. His achievements serve as an inspiration to aspiring athletes and coaches alike of what it means to be a leader. On behalf of the entire Eighth Congressional District, we thank Coach Hauck for his dedicated service.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024 AND OTHER EXTENSIONS ACT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-9-30

I have very good news for the country. and s have come prgtoken to an agreement, and the government will remain open. We will have avoided a shutdown. prgtoken Bipartisanship, which has been the trademark of the Senate, has prevailed, and the American people can breathe a sigh of relief. But this is a bridge CR. Leader McConnell and I have agreed to continue fighting for more economic and security aid for Ukraine. We support Ukraine's efforts to defend its sovereignty against Putin's aggression. prgtoken So thank you, thank you to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their excellent work. The bipartisanship here in the Senate set the tone for today's result, and I hope it sets the tone for the future. prgtoken . Recognition of the Minority Leader