mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING ANTOINE WALKER
Richard E. Neal (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2023-6-12

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Mr. Antoine Walker as he ends his twenty-two year career as Information Technology Director on the Committee on Ways and Means, ic Staff. He began his career in 2001 and over the years has done a remarkable job ensuring that the Members and Staff of this distinguished Committee have had a safe and effective work environment. prgtoken Antoine grew up with an Army father and French mother. They moved from place to place, but he spent most of his youth in Florida. He came to us from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a Systems Administrator for then Ranking Member Charles B. Rangel, and he now retires as Information Technology Director. Antoine has had a fine record of public service. He has managed and maintained the Committee's multiple servers, provided hands on assistance to Members and Staff of the Committee, and worked hand in hand with the Recording Studio and House Information Resources to ensure our Committee operated seamlessly not only day to day, but also ensuring that the Committee continued to function during the Historic Covid Pandemic. In fact, because of Antoine's meticulous management of the Committee's Continuation of Operations Program, we were the first Committee to hold a successful virtual hearing and set the precedent for the rest of the U.S. House. prgtoken I would like to recognize Antoine for being an invaluable asset to the Committee on Ways and Means. His attention to detail, sense of humor and all-around good disposition have endeared him to his many colleagues and friends. His self-defense classes, held in one of our hearing rooms during recesses, went a long way in captivating his coworkers. He holds a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and 3rd degree black belt in Jujitsu. prgtoken Once again, , I am proud of Antoine Walker and all that he has accomplished for the Committee. I wish him well in all of his future endeavors.
GAS STOVE PROTECTION AND FREEDOM ACT
Kelly Armstrong (Republican, ND) \u2014 2023-6-13

H.R. 1615, the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act, would prohibit funding to the Consumer Product Safety Commission for only two purposes: first, to regulate gas stoves as a banned hazardous product; and second, to impose any consumer product safety standard on gas stoves that would result in a prohibition on the use or sale of the appliances, or otherwise substantially increase the average price. prgtoken Simply put, this bill prevents the Commission from banning the entire product category of gas stoves. This bill does not prevent the Commission from its statutory mission to address specific models of gas stoves or any other product that may pose an actual safety hazard. prgtoken We are debating this bill because Commissioner Richard Trumka has made repeated statements that the Commission would consider substantial regulatory actions on gas stoves categorically. prgtoken His comments include a December 2022 statement advocating for a ban on gas stoves. The chair of the Commission has walked back Commissioner Trumka's impulsive statements by declaring: `` . . . I am not looking to ban gas stoves. . . . '' prgtoken However, despite the chairman's cleanup statement, the Commission has since issued a March 1 request for information that included repeated mentions of toxic emissions and chronic hazards regarding gas stoves. prgtoken We all agree that consumer product safety is important. Yet, it is apparent that the underlying motivation behind this veiled consumer safety plan is a green climate agenda with the goal to further restrict natural gas. prgtoken , 20 congressional sent a letter to the Commission in December 2022 that first mentioned the equivalent climate impact of regulating gas stoves before addressing the merits of any health concerns. prgtoken Let's discuss the alleged health concerns. First, multiple studies claiming that gas stoves create harmful indoor emission levels have been criticized for inaccurate conclusions and testing that failed to simulate real-world conditions. prgtoken Some of those studies measured indoor emissions in an area enclosed in a plastic tarp without any ventilation. prgtoken There are no studies establishing a causal relationship between cooking with gas stoves and asthma. Studies of actual homes under real- life conditions found that nitrogen dioxide levels were below the standard the EPA considers harmful to health. prgtoken Further, other cooking-related and non-cooking-related emissions factors have a meaningful effect on indoor emissions. prgtoken These are factors such as the chemical makeup of food and oils, cooking temperature, cooking methods, food surface-to-mass index, the use of exhaust and ventilation, and burning of tobacco, candles, and incense. prgtoken Again, all of this is secondary because we know the motivation of the CPSC, and throughout the entire administration, is a green climate push. prgtoken The goal is to dictate ho
GAS STOVE PROTECTION AND FREEDOM ACT
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Republican, WA) \u2014 2023-6-13

. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1615. The Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act is led by my friend Congressman Kelly Armstrong from North Dakota. It has bipartisan support here in the House, and it is a companion to Senators Cruz' and Manchin's bipartisan legislation in the Senate. prgtoken It will stop efforts by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that could result in an outright ban or substantial price increase in the cost of gas stoves while also allowing the Commission to prgtoken continue its important safety work for these appliances. prgtoken Commissioner Trumka suggested that the CPSC should consider a ban on gas stoves. He said, everything is on the table. prgtoken As FOX News reported last week, his efforts go back even further than previously reported and include the administration coordinating last summer with an environmental activist on the legal rationale to ban stoves. prgtoken To justify a ban, Mr. Trumka has also cited a study by Rocky Mountain Institute, which has partnered with the Chinese Government and is pushing America away from reliable and affordable energy. We must stop this agenda and make sure people have access to affordable appliances like gas stoves. prgtoken We aren't alone in raising the alarm that this effort to ban stoves goes too far. In fact, in California, a celebrity chef was recently given an exemption by local so he wouldn't have to comply with Palo Alto's natural gas stove ban in his new restaurant. prgtoken Surely, we can all agree today to allow every hardworking person in this country, regardless of their income or celebrity status, to have the same freedom to decide for themselves what stove is in their kitchen. prgtoken Again, H.R. 1615 allows the CPSC to continue their important safety work, but it stops the administration from implementing a political agenda, completely divorced from reality, to ban an appliance that is preferred by 40 percent of American households. prgtoken , I thank Congressman Armstrong for his leadership, and I urge strong bipartisan support on H.R. 1615.
Biden Administration (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-6-13

at the end of last week, President published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal touting his economic record. It was not exactly new material. The President is well known for attempting to put a rosy spin on his economic record. But I still have to marvel every time the President claims that he is building the economy from the bottom up and the middle out and working to give families ``more breathing room'' because if there is one thing that can be said about the Presidency, it is that American families have lost a lot of their breathing room. prgtoken The inflation crisis the President helped make is costing American families $880 this month. Let me just repeat that. The inflation crisis the President helped create is costing American families $880 this month--$880 for just 1 month. Meanwhile, real wages have declined for 26 consecutive months under President --26 consecutive months; 2- plus years. prgtoken So it is no surprise that in a poll last month, 49 percent of Americans reported that their personal financial situation is getting worse or that in another poll, 61 percent said recent price increases had caused financial hardship for them or their household. prgtoken Let's be very clear. This is not a random situation that just happened to occur on the President's watch. The President bears direct responsibility for this inflation crisis, which was set off in large part thanks to the bloated, Big-Government American Rescue Plan spending spree the and President forced through shortly after the President came to office. prgtoken You don't have to take my word on that. Here is what one former adviser had to say on the subject: The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed in the early days of the administration will go down in history as an extraordinary policy mistake. ``Will go down in history as an extraordinary policy mistake''--that from an adviser. prgtoken Another former adviser noted: The original sin was an oversized American Rescue Plan. prgtoken Contrary to what he suggested in his op-ed, the President has done exactly nothing to bring down inflation since. Indeed, he has continued to pursue the same kind of Big-Government, big-spending policies that helped land us in this mess in the first place. prgtoken It is frankly staggering to me that the President continues to have the audacity to say things like ``[h]ardworking families are reaping the rewards'' of his policies. Hard-working families are certainly reaping something from the President's policies, but it isn't rewards. prgtoken As I said earlier, the President is well known for trying to put a rosy spin on his economic record, and he trots out some of his favorite misleading statistics in this op-ed. prgtoken Since he took office, he claims, the economy has created more than 13 million jobs. That sounds pretty good, right? Until you realize that the va
CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF KOVENER'S KORNER
Erin Houchin (Republican, IN) \u2014 2023-6-13

Kovener's Korner Ice Cream has been a summertime staple in Seymour, Indiana, for decades. In fact, Kovener's Korner opened in 1949 as one of Seymour's very first drive-in restaurants, serving up sweet treats and their famous chocolate malt- flavored ice cream. prgtoken During its 75 years in business, this family-owned brick store on 2nd Street has employed hundreds of Hoosiers, with the majority being young adults in high school or college. prgtoken As we celebrate their 75th season, I am bringing well-deserved appreciation all the way from the House floor. I thank them for not only their delicious ice cream, but their commitment to the community and a summertime tradition for generations of families in Seymour. prgtoken We are proud to have so many special small businesses in southern Indiana, and Kovener's Korner is an exceptional example.
REGULATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE IN NEED OF SCRUTINY ACT OF 2023
Thomas Massie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-6-13

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken Even before America declared its independence, John Adams emphasized that a republic is a government of laws and not of men. That is what we are here to debate tonight. prgtoken Are we a government of laws or a government of the executive branch? Are we going to allow the executive branch to write the laws? Are we going to turn our Constitution on its head? Have we gone too far already? I would argue we have, and that is why we need the REINS Act, Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny. It provides that every major regulation that the administration seeks to promulgate has to come to Congress first, has to be passed by concurrent majorities in the House and the Senate and signed by the President. This is exactly what our Founders prescribed. This is a bill about who makes the laws in our country, and it is about reclaiming our legislative power from the administrative state. prgtoken I think it is appropriate to read from our Constitution at this point. Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution says: ``All legislative powers . . . `' not some legislative powers. ``All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.'' prgtoken Does it say it shall consist of a bureaucracy? It does not. All legislative powers are vested here and in the Senate. That is why we need to stop letting the executive branch make law. prgtoken Are they merely tweaking regulations? Are they determining the amount of sulfur dioxide that is acceptable to release from a power plant with civil infractions imposed if a company doesn't comply? No, they are making laws that put people in prison over in the administrative branch, and we are doing nothing about it. prgtoken We have atrophied. The power of Congress has atrophied. We are almost like ombudsmen to the executive branch now. This needs to change. prgtoken In the words of James Madison: ``The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands . . . may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.'' prgtoken I am afraid that is what we have come to. Too many of our laws, civil and criminal, are now being written by the executive branch. prgtoken Here is what the REINS Act does, and here is why it is important. If a regulation that is passed by the executive branch or suggested by the executive branch has more than $100 million of impact--that is a pretty high threshold. I would argue if it has any impact, we should be legislating it, but this is a compromise. If it has more than $100 million of impact, it has to come here if it is going to become a law. prgtoken They do not get to write the laws, and so that is why we need the REINS Act. prgtoken Mr. Chair, . House of Representatives,
SAVE OUR GAS STOVES ACT
Debbie Lesko (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2023-6-13

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise in opposition to this amendment, which is nothing more than an attempt to delay implementation of the underlying bill. prgtoken Secretary Granholm could simply say that my bill affects energy security, even though it doesn't. prgtoken The administration's ban on gas stoves is the result of the ' war on natural gas. They want to force a transition away from affordable and reliable energy by banning the products that Americans use every day. prgtoken The Department of Energy's gas stove ban is actually an energy security threat. Because it is not economically justified, it will not result in a significant savings of energy, and it will reduce consumer choice for natural gas kitchen ranges and ovens. Its goal is to eliminate the use of natural gas, which is used to support America's energy security. prgtoken Natural gas kitchen ranges and ovens are currently the preferred choice of 40 percent of American households. Nearly 187 million Americans use natural gas because it is affordable and reliable. prgtoken According to industry estimates, homes with natural gas appliances save up to $1,068 per year, compared to all electric homes. prgtoken Natural gas stoves are affordable, reliable, and widely popular. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and support the underlying bill, the Save Our Gas Stoves Act. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
RECOGNIZING KLYCE TRUE VALUE HARDWARE STORE
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2023-6-13

today, June 13, 2023, Klyce True Value Hardware in Sardis, MS, will celebrate its 100th year of business. It is my pleasure to congratulate William ``Bill'' Klyce, the current owner, on this milestone. prgtoken This family-owned local store is a picture of the American dream. In 1923, Fred Walthall Klyce, Sr opened for prgtoken business in downtown Sardis. He never dreamed his shop would become an anchor of the town for the next century. Fred passed the business down to his son John Klyce, Sr who would then hand it down to his own son Bill Klyce. Through the years, Klyce Hardware has become a repository for the history of Sardis. Visitors will be surprised at the artifacts they find when they walk through the store. prgtoken Klyce Hardware has always been characterized by community service. Today, Bill Klyce stocks the nuts, bolts, paints, and brushes his customers expect. But he does even more than that. Occasionally, someone needs an item he does not carry. When they do, he goes out of his way to find it. And sometimes, emergencies happen on a Sunday. When they do, Bill has been known to open the store so his fellow townspeople can repair their homes in a pinch. prgtoken Many who hear the story of Klyce Hardware will find it familiar, even if they have never heard of this particular store. They will recognize it because they know and love similar shops in their own towns. They have their own Klyce Hardware and their own Bill Klyce. prgtoken Across our Nation stretches a constellation of small businesses that quietly support the American way of life. The entrepreneurs who start them perform a kind of magic. Their enterprises create most American jobs, inject energy into local economies, and meet the practical needs of their neighbors. Without them, the American economy would lack its characteristic strength and optimism. prgtoken I want to thank Bill personally for carrying the legacy of his family's dream, and I want to congratulate Klyce Hardware on 100 years of outstanding service to the people of Sardis. The Klyce family represents the best of American enterprise, and I am glad to honor them today.
Nomination of Jared Bernstein (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-6-13

since President took office, consumer prices have risen more than 16 percent. American families are paying 20 percent more to put food on the table than they did in January 2021 and 36 percent more on energy. But over more than 2 years of Washington ' runaway inflation, President 's top advisers have refused to even admit that it is a problem, let alone that their policies are driving it. prgtoken In early 2021, after Senate helped ram through the administration's reckless taxing-and-spending spree, one top White House adviser insisted that any inflationary effect would be ``transitory.'' prgtoken Eight months deeper into the administration's inflationary spiral, the same adviser insisted that inflation would be ``growing half as fast a year from now''--another fanciful prediction overcome by the harsh, painful consequence of Washington ' reckless spending and another instance where Jared Bernstein--President 's choice to serve as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers--was simply dead wrong on economic advice, dead wrong. prgtoken The CEA was designed to produce objective, empirical economic analysis. With the rarest of exceptions, it has been led by a seasoned economist with a Ph.D. in the field. That streak would end with Mr. Bernstein. prgtoken The nominee the Senate will consider this week can more accurately claim expertise in partisan warfare than economics. He has been labeled in the press as President 's ``man on the left.'' prgtoken In his own words, Mr. Bernstein's long record of progressive fantasies speaks for itself. For example, he said: We should not kid ourselves into thinking . . . that we can pay for Medicare for All and a jobs guarantee solely by taxing the rich. prgtoken The nominee has called abortion ``at its core an economic issue.'' He urged to ``take the Green New Deal seriously.'' And last year, he praised a nearly $80 billion plan to expand IRS enforcement as one of his favorite parts of President 's so-called Inflation Reduction Act. What a staggering--staggering--lack of awareness of the way his party's policies have hurt working families across our country. So the American people cannot afford Jerry Bernstein at the wheel of CEA.
Maiden Speech (Executive Calendar)
Eric Schmitt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-6-13

it is an honor to be here with all of you to give this maiden speech, and I want to thank the senior Senator from Missouri. We may be the youngest combo. He is younger than I, but he is the senior Senator. He reminds me of that quite often as we speak to groups. But I want to thank him for his leadership. Senator Blunt is also here, whom I followed in the Senate. prgtoken When Benjamin Franklin exited the Constitutional Convention, he was asked what type of government the delegates had come up with. He famously replied: A republic, if you can keep it. prgtoken Those words are as significant today as they were a couple hundred years ago, especially as two major threats loom over our Republic: a supercharged administrative State and the unprecedented stifling of free speech. prgtoken If you want to understand some of the frustration that is out there, a lot of it comes from the fact that people believe there is a narrowing of the bandwidth of acceptable speech--what they can say, what they can hear. As it relates to the administrative state, a lot of people are frustrated that no matter whom they send here, they feel like sometimes things never really change, and we must fix that. prgtoken But first, let's back up. prgtoken Years before Franklin's famous remark, ordinary folks--farmers, blacksmiths, laborers, leatherworkers--who made up the Continental militias achieved something extraordinary. Fed up with an increasingly tyrannical rule of an unaccountable despot thousands of miles away, these ordinary men fought and won our independence at a time that seems very far away but set the stage for the freedoms that we enjoy to this very minute. prgtoken That is our origin story. The electrical cord of freedom that has been strung across the centuries is our national identity. We boldly declared to the world that freedom isn't granted to us by a King or a Queen or any government. prgtoken We believe in individual rights, a very new concept at the time, and those rights were granted to us by God. Chief among those were life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If those words are a mission statement--and they are--the Constitution provides the structure to protect and safeguard those freedoms that we enjoy that have made us the envy of the world. That structure has allowed ordinary men and women to achieve incredible things, to pursue their dreams, to pursue happiness, which is a very uniquely American concept. prgtoken I grew up in Bridgeton, MO. Bridgeton sits in North St. Louis County in the shadow of the airport. Bridgeton is a working-class, blue-collar neighborhood, and I grew up in a working-class, blue-collar family. prgtoken My grandfather was an infantryman in World War II and returned from the war with little more than an eighth grade education and some money he won playing craps on the Queen Elizabeth on the way home. He started a butcher shop and raised a family. My dad and his broth