mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CRISIS ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER
Daniel Meuser (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , it is no surprise to anyone here or throughout the United States that we have a serious crisis at our southern border. All anyone has to do is go visit the southern border to see the devastation, to see the death, to see the desperation, to see the drugs coming across, Madam . prgtoken Since President has come into office, a record number, over 2 million illegal immigrants, have been apprehended: a 128 percent increase in apprehensions from the previous year. prgtoken And 1.7 million migrants were apprehended illegally just this year, while 400,000 illegally crossed the border and got away. prgtoken But the President and his administration halted the administration's successful remain in Mexico policy, has reinstated catch-and-release, has refused to enforce title 42, and is providing incentives for illegals to come into our country through mass amnesty proposals, work visas, and driver's licenses. Okay? prgtoken This is a serious matter for every State, for my constituents, for my district. We have the highest level of overdose fatalities ever, and it is a direct result of the administration policy. This needs to stop. This is a terrible situation caused by the administration. I wish it would stop. We could stop it here.
PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY ACT
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , the bill the majority has titled the Protecting Our Democracy Act does nothing to protect anything but the swamp. prgtoken Right now, the American people are trying to prepare for the holidays with the highest inflation rate in 30 years. They are struggling to keep their gas tanks full, put food on the table, and heat their homes. They are worried about rising crime in their communities. They are concerned their children have suffered while their classrooms were closed but the borders are wide open to illegal immigrants and deadly drugs. prgtoken are ignoring these real issues facing Americans today. Instead, want to talk about former President , even though a has occupied the White House for nearly a year. This is not what the American people want for Christmas. prgtoken The ' playbook is about as predictable as a Hallmark Christmas special. We have all seen this movie. prgtoken The bill before us today is based on political fiction, and it is the latest attempt to resurrect ' sham investigations of the past. prgtoken This bill unconstitutionally disrupts the separation of powers among the branches of government by diminishing the executive branch and ignoring the judicial branch. prgtoken For example, the legislation interferes with the President's pardon power, a power completely vested with the President. But this bill gives Congress access to sensitive White House deliberations and communications about pardons. What legislative purpose does that serve? prgtoken Congress has no authority to evaluate the President's pardon power. This bill also overrides the judicial branch by attaching partisan definitions to constitutional language that the Supreme Court has already spoken to. It would change the definition of an emolument to fit failed legal theories and indulge certain Members' false conspiracy theories--Members like, I don't know, Madam , Adam Schiff. prgtoken Rewriting this technical constitutional term would keep any businessperson who has conducted business outside the U.S. from running for President. That would mean no Hunter at the top of the ticket in 2024. prgtoken appear to think the skill set for running a business would not be helpful to the Federal Government. Maybe that is why ' only solution to any problem is to throw American taxpayer dollars at it and not to engage in serious government reform efforts. prgtoken only want career politicians--or even better, career bureaucrats--to be able to serve as elected officials. Similarly, are determined to make the Federal Government run as inefficiently as possible by allowing incompetent or dishonest Federal employees to keep their jobs. prgtoken The so-called whistleblower protections in the bill are so expansive that if a Federal employee, even a bad or ineffective one, claims th
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF KAZAKHSTAN'S INDEPENDENCE
Steve Chabot (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , as co-chair of the U.S.-Kazakhstan Congressional Caucus, I rise today to celebrate 30 years of Kazakhstan's independence and three decades of the U.S.-Kazakhstan bilateral relationship. In 1991, the United States was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan's independence, and the relationship remains as important today as it was 30 years ago. prgtoken In 2010, the United States and Kazakhstan entered into a Strategic Partnership and launched the Annual Bilateral Consultations on a variety of issues including but not limited to regional cooperation and security, rule of law and economic development, and human rights and civil society. In 2018, the two countries elevated their cooperation to establish an Enhanced Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century, and agreed to heightened cooperation on a multitude of policy issues. prgtoken One of the strongest areas of cooperation between the United States and Kazakhstan has been in the economic arena. Since independence, U.S. companies have been a significant source of foreign direct investment for Kazakhstan, and over the past 30 years, U.S. investment in Kazakhstan has totaled an estimated $370 billion. Kazakhstan has worked hard to create a strong market economy, and the country has focused significant resources on rule of law issues to create a welcoming environment for all foreign investment. prgtoken Kazakhstan became a member of the World Bank's International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (``ICSID'') in 1992, a member of the World Trade Association (WTO) in 2015, and in 2017, Kazakhstan became a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In 2018, the government officially launched the Astana International Finance Center (AIFC), which among other things, provides foreign investors with the opportunity to seek out an alternative jurisdiction for dispute resolution. Such investments in the rule of law in Kazakhstan have been an important step to grow Kazakhstan's market economy and continue to attract investment from the United States. prgtoken As we continue to grow our strong economic ties, I urge Congress to establish Permanent Normal Trade Relations for Kazakhstan as soon as possible. I was honored to recently join in the bipartisan effort to introduce H.R. 5544, which lifts Kazakhstan from the existing constraints of the outdated Jackson-Yanik Amendment. This graduation for Kazakhstan is long overdue. As Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee which has jurisdiction over U.S. foreign policy issues affecting Central Asia, I understand what an important regional partner Kazakhstan has been to the United States during the past 30 years. But I also understand what an important role Kazakhstan will continue to play in the region moving forward, and any efforts to strengthen our economic ties will strengthen the bilateral relationship across the board. prgtoken So I would like to congra
TRIBUTE TO MICHEAL MAHONEY
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-12-9

I rise today to honor and recognize Micheal Mahoney of Kansas City. Micheal has been a reporter in the KC area for over 40 years, starting with breaking news, then making a career into politics with a fair, but always tough sensibility. prgtoken I have known Mike for a few years now since coming to Congress, and to me, he has one of the best reputations among reporters in the region. The press and Congress are often thought of as adversaries, with journalists always trying to dig into Members to get the best scoop or ``gotcha'' moment, while Members are having to watch their backs. With Mike, that has never been the case. Sure, he would always try to dig, but that was simply to get the best possible info for Kansans, not just to put someone on the spot. Any time I had an interview with Mike, he truly was looking for the heart of a story, with no cheap tricks. He gave everyone involved a fair shot to tell their side and laid everything out crystal clear for viewers to see when the story came on. It is easy to see in each story what was really going on thanks to Mike's integrity in interviews, and talent for storytelling. prgtoken As he finishes out his time with KMBC, I hope he is able to reflect on the wonderful career he has had. He has been there to provide outstanding coverage of every political event in Kansas for all to see and even has an Emmy to his name for covering the 1993 flooding along the Missouri River, along with a Mall Dodson National Headliners Award in 1981 for his coverage of the Hyatt Regency Skywalk falling in KC. Furthermore, Mike has been on the board of the Kansas City St. Patrick's Day Committee and has even been the grand marshal for the St. Patrick's Day parade. Through it all, he has been one of KC's finest. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the wonderful career of Mr. Micheal Mahoney and wish him nothing but joy and happiness in his next chapter of life.
CELEBRATING THE RETIREMENT OF CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT BRUCE A. FONG
John Katko (Republican, NY) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the career of Chief Master Sergeant Bruce A. Fong who will retire from the United States Air Force on December 18, 2021, after more than 31 years of military service. prgtoken Chief Fong is a native of Central New York and a graduate of Whitesboro Senior High School. He also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Information Systems from Columbia College of Missouri, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude. prgtoken Chief Fong entered the active-duty Air Force under the delayed enlistment program in December 1979 and attended basic military training in July 1980 at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Following Basic Military Training, he went on to technical training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas to become an Air Cargo Specialist. prgtoken In September 1980 Chief Fong, then Airman Basic, was assigned to the 603rd Military Airlift Support Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. He worked in the ramp services section where he was responsible for the on/off-loading of cargo on military and civilian aircraft such as the Boeing 747, the Lockheed Martin C-5 Galaxy, C-141A/B Starlifter, C-130 Hercules, the McDonnell Douglas C-9 Nightingale, and the KC-1O Extender. Chief Fong became phase two qualified on the C-130 and C-141, which provided the ability to service the aircraft without the supervision of a loadmaster. During his time at Kadena Air Base, Chief Fong was involved many times in an extraordinarily successful joint service deployment exercise ``Team Spirit'' supervising the loading operations of military aircraft, often working with untrained Air Force and Marine Corps load crews. prgtoken After two and a half years in Okinawa, Chief Fong had a permanent change of station to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, where he was assigned to the 436th Aerial Port Squadron. He worked in the special handling section and was responsible for the timely and accurate inventory of critical cargo using the Aerial Port Documentation and Management System. Chief Fong also participated in the NATO exercise ``Bright Star,'' where he spent time in Cairo Egypt assisting the 436th Airlift Control Element in the on/off-loading of sixty aircraft and officially recognized for his effort by the Airlift Control Element commander. prgtoken After a 10-year break in service Chief Fong joined the I 74th Fighter Wing, New York Air National Guard in February 1996 as a Drill Status Guardsmen. He was assigned to the 174th Logistics Readiness Squadron as a Traffic Management Specialist. prgtoken In October 1998, Chief Fong was hired as a full-time military technician with the 174th Communications Flight. In his lengthy career within the organization, he held positions as a network administrator, network infrastructure technician, network control center supervisor, operations superintendent, and the finally as the Chief Enlisted Manager. As Chief Enlisted Manager, he was responsible for the training, read
HONORING RANDOLPH BRINKLEY
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , I offer these remarks on behalf of Congressman Ben Cline and myself in honor of Randolph ``Randy'' W. Brinkley of Daleville, Virginia, who passed away on November 13, 2021, at the age of 51. Mr. Brinkley served the community as a long-time educator and scoutmaster. prgtoken Mr. Brinkley was born on January 12, 1970 in Covington, Virginia, to Robert Franklin Brinkley and Glenda Scott Brinkley. Following his graduation from Alleghany High School in 1988, he joined and served in the U.S. Army National Guard for the next eight years. prgtoken He received degrees from numerous universities including a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Mary Baldwin and a Post-Masters degree as an Education Specialist from the University of Virginia. He began his teaching career in Roanoke city. Over the years he taught at several schools throughout the state and helped them establish programs to foster STEM education for their students. For the last five years, Mr. Brinkley has been serving as the STEM instructor for Salem High School. prgtoken Outside of the classroom, Mr. Brinkley spent much of his time serving as a scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America. He was an Assistant Scout Master and High Adventure Coordinator for Troop 211, which met at St. Mark's United Methodist Church. He was also a Mason at a local lodge and a Shriner who advocated for the Shriner's Hospital for Children. He spent his life teaching and investing in the lives of youth in the community. His distinguished service and kindness will be greatly missed by all who knew him. prgtoken Mr. Brinkley's survivors include his wife of twenty-five years, Donna Lynn Brinkley; his son, Nathaniel Scott Brinkley; and many other beloved family and friends. We offer them my condolences on the loss of this great man and educator.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-12-9

it is important to remember that the fact that someone holds a government post and is an expert in a field does not make that person capable of making laws. prgtoken Yes, there are lots of experts in our government; some of them hold high bureaucratic or other executive posts. It doesn't mean that they may make laws. prgtoken By operation of the Constitution, we are the experts for purposes relevant to making law. We are the only organ of the Federal Government that may make law. prgtoken And so anytime someone starts to say they are the experts, therefore, they get to make the law, that is a problem. prgtoken To call this a ``nonsense idea,'' to refer to this as an idea that wastes the time of the American people, ignores the plight of almost 45 million Americans whose jobs are being threatened right now. prgtoken My friend and distinguished colleague, the Senator from Washington, has made an argument against this that doesn't match her conclusion. What she is stating is not that natural immunity makes no difference-- although her conclusion would seem to suggest that--what she is saying instead is that someone who has had COVID and recovered and therefore developed natural immunity could develop additional resistance to future infections by also being vaccinated. prgtoken I understand this argument. In fact, it is an argument that I myself have used. I had COVID, I recovered from COVID, and I have been fully vaccinated. But the question is not whether you can gain additional protection from that; it is whether or not you can look at an original COVID infection from which someone has recovered and accept the fact that it offers at least a comparable degree of protection as one can obtain from a vaccine. prgtoken So let's be honest about what we are and are not talking about here. We are talking about 45 million Americans whose jobs are being threatened as they head into the holidays at a time when economic conditions make that unusually intolerable--intolerable as a result of many conditions that the Federal Government itself put in place. prgtoken In all events, this is really a bare minimum of what we can do for the American people. The burden should not be on them to prove why they should not be fired--fired by a company being threatened by the President of the United States with crippling fines. This is cruel. It is barbaric. It is not authorized by statute or the Constitution. And in this circumstance, they are ignoring science.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-12-9

I rise today to recognize the 100th birthday of World War II veteran Leville Stephens. prgtoken I am proud to celebrate this milestone and honor his service and sacrifice in our Nation's uniform. prgtoken Mr. Stephens answered the call to serve. He trained at Fort Huachuca in Arizona, one of 30,0000 African-American soldiers who prepared for battle at this location before deploying overseas. He was assigned to the 93rd Infantry Division and shipped to the Pacific theater. prgtoken As a private first class, Mr. Stephens served in a number of dangerous locations during the war, including the Philippines, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. He was on his way to Japan when the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, bringing about the Japanese surrender. prgtoken Mr. Stephens described his mindset while in uniform as simply ``doing his prgtoken duty as a soldier.'' He believed his job was to follow his orders and do what needed to be done. That attitude, shared by so many of his fellow soldiers among the Greatest Generation, helped the United States achieve victory and secure a desperately needed peace. prgtoken He is rightfully proud of his service, alongside his family and friends among whom he also inspires admiration and gratitude by being a devoted husband to his wife Hattie and a dutiful father and grandfather. prgtoken Mr. Stephens is a true American hero whose determination and dedication helped change the course of history. He answered his country's call to arms with courage, bravery, and honor. Our Nation owes him a debt of gratitude for his efforts to defend the freedoms we hold dear and defeat tyranny around the globe. prgtoken I am honored to recognize his serve and sacrifice, and wish him a very special and wonderful 100th birthday.
THE DANGERS FACING OUR COUNTRY
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2021-12-9

. The process is broken. It is why I come here almost every week--and you do, too--and we try to just focus on what is ahead of us. I just spent a half an hour sort of focusing on debt and deficit. That is not or , it is what is ahead of us. prgtoken You have been here a few years. How many actual real discussions-- other than theater of, We should do a study commission. We should write a strongly worded memo; the theater of this place--instead of doing what is really hard, and understand, you can't just do one thing. That is the great fraud now. We have gotten ourselves in such a difficult position, it has got to be everything. prgtoken A couple years ago I came here, and we brought in 19 attributes that you had to do almost at the exact same time to maximize enough economic growth, enough technology disruption, all the things to make it work. You actually helped me on some of that. But my fear, those are really uncomfortable, and you will have an army of lobbyists really unhappy with you when you tell the truth about the math.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Pretty handsome guy, huh? Real handsome guy in his dress blues. Today, the citizens of Lake Charles in the State of Louisiana and our country mourn the loss of this U.S. Navy SEAL and commander of SEAL Team 8. Commander Bourgeois, Brian Bourgeois, died from injuries suffered during a training accident Saturday. We lost a SEAL, a dedicated patriot, a son, husband, father, and hero. prgtoken Commander Bourgeois was born 43 years ago in Lake Charles, LA. He dedicated his adult life to family and to service to our country. He began by enrolling in the U.S. Naval Academy, from which he graduated in May 2001. During his two-decade-long career, Commander Bourgeois served honorably, led his men bravely, and made our country proud. prgtoken The long list of honors and medals Commander Bourgeois earned for his service to our country includes a Bronze Star marked with a ``V,'' denoting heroic acts performed during combat; two Defense Meritorious Service Medals; a Joint Service Commendation Medal; two Marine Corps Commendation Medals; two Marine Corps Achievement Medals; a Combat Action Ribbon; a National Defense Service Medal; an Iraq Campaign Medal; and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He was as decorated as he was loved. prgtoken At the annual Army-Navy game scheduled for this weekend, to honor prgtoken Commander Bourgeois--a brother and former member of the Midshipmen football team--the Navy team will run out onto the field with a flag of SEAL Team 8. That banner, representing his spirit, will fly alongside the American flag, the Navy flag, and the Marine Corps flag. prgtoken The Navy Football Brotherhood, a nonprofit organization aimed at supporting the families of their fallen teammates, is leading fundraising efforts to help support the Bourgeois family. prgtoken Our country has and always will depend on our most noble answering the call to serve. To his wife Megan and five children, your father represents the best of our Nation. He is a hero who dedicated his life to defending our country and protecting the lives of every American. For that, we will be forever grateful and shall never forget his service and sacrifice. prgtoken Please join me in taking this moment in silent prayer for Commander Bourgeois, his family, and all who loved and knew him. prgtoken .
PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY ACT
Chris Stewart (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-12-9

. Madam , there is so much in this bill to be concerned about. prgtoken For the last 5 years, as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I lived through the Russian hoax, I lived through impeachment 1, I lived through impeachment 2, all of which are great examples of provisions in this bill that harm our democracy. Let me talk about just one of them. prgtoken Tucked into this bill's provisions are elements which will rewrite the very nature of our democracy, whittling down the meaning of government for the people and by the people. prgtoken The President of the United States is elected by the people to run the executive branch. The President, by design, is accountable to the people. But among the many failures in this bill before us today are new sections which would severely restrict the ability of the President to remove senior government employees. This will have the effect of empowering these senior officials with the ability to paralyze a President whose policies they may not agree with, which we saw again and again during the Russian hoax, during impeachment 1, and during impeachment 2. This sets a dangerous precedent that will create a permanent bureaucratic resistance to the duly elected President. prgtoken The danger of these provisions will also set in motion a precedent to weaponize the entire intelligence community bureaucracy by allowing anonymous individuals to paralyze a President without any accountability. If you don't think it is going to happen, I refer you back to the Russian investigation hoax, to impeachment 1, and to impeachment 2. This guarantees more of this collusion. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.