mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING KAPPA SIGMA UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS CHAPTER
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-11-14

I rise today to mark 132 years of Kappa Sigma fraternity on the campus of the University of Arkansas and 100 years calling 711 W. Dickson Street its home. I join with so many other former and current members of the storied Xi Chapter in celebrating its tremendous legacy of brotherhood, academic achievement, and service. prgtoken The Kappa Sigma Xi Chapter was established in 1890 and is the largest fraternity on campus. The chapter is also the largest in the country, with over 4,000 initiates all-time and 335 undergraduates currently. It features prominent alumni, including notable figures such as Jerry Jones and former public servants who have served their communities, the State of Arkansas, and our country. prgtoken I am fortunate to be among several Kappa Sigma brothers to represent the people of Arkansas in the U.S. Congress. It is an honor to follow in the footsteps of William S. Goodwin of Warren, John McClellan from Sheridan, William Alexander from Osceola, and Ed Bethune of Little Rock, as well as Samuel B. Hill from Franklin who went on to serve the people of Washington State. Our time in the Xi Chapter undoubtedly shaped our desire to serve as leaders and give back through public service. prgtoken Being part of this organization is also a family affair, as my great uncle and cousin were members of Kappa Sigma's Xi Chapter. I know families throughout Arkansas have similar stories, which speaks to the broad and generational impact it continues to have in the natural State. prgtoken As former Senator and Presidential nominee Bob Dole once expressed, being involved with Kappa Sigma offers a great deal of learning experience and the opportunity to make lifelong friends. prgtoken I am pleased and honored to help celebrate this milestone with other Kappa Sigma brothers and the city of Fayetteville. Reflecting on the history and tradition of this special brotherhood is just one way to carry on its mission. prgtoken Along with the University of Arkansas Greek Life community, and specifically to the Xi Chapter of Kappa Sigma, we applaud the longevity and life-changing work the fraternity continues to demonstrate. prgtoken Congratulations, again, to all those associated with this institution and who are connected through the bond it has established for well over a century.
COMMEMORATING VETERANS DAY
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-11-14

I rise today to commemorate Veterans Day, a day in which we remember all those who have served our Nation in uniform. prgtoken This day was originally commemorated by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 as Armistice Day to remember all those who served in World War I. prgtoken In 1954, Armistice Day became Veterans Day in a proclamation by President Dwight Eisenhower to honor those who had served in uniform. In 1968, Congress officially designated Veterans Day as a Federal holiday. prgtoken We owe a sincere debt of gratitude to all those who have served and are currently serving in our military. Your sacrifice, dedication, and courage to our country is the reason we are able to live our lives in safety and freedom today. prgtoken In my home State of Pennsylvania alone, there are almost 800,000 veterans, with 300,000 being wartime veterans, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. prgtoken , please join me in thanking all of our veterans for their service to our country. May we always remember those who have made sacrifices to preserve our freedoms and our way of life.
MAJOR GENERAL OLIVER W. DILLARD VA OUTPATIENT CLINIC
Jake Ellzey (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-11-14

the balance of my time. prgtoken I am going to go off script for a moment here and just say that the more I hear about these veterans that we are honoring here today, they are just incredible. I want to know more about Major General Dillard and his Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Purple Heart. prgtoken As we are on the heels of Veterans Day this last weekend, the remarkable bravery that General Dillard must have shown to receive those awards is staggering, and I would like to come up and see the clinic in Michigan at some point just to honor the man and meet his family. prgtoken , I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and .
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-11-14

over the years, country music has evolved from its humble roots into a celebration of extremes. Most modern artists like to draw their listeners into one of two states: perfect happiness or pure agony. But country music's legacy lies somewhere in the middle, where life tests our mettle and deals both joy and sorrow, all too often in unequal measure. It is the realm of the courageously unlucky and the quietly brokenhearted and the source of the world's most complex and affecting storytelling. It is that world that Loretta Lynn invited us to experience from the time she was a young woman until the day she died. prgtoken Her resume is one of the most impressive in all entertainment: 46 solo studio albums, more than 50 Top Ten hits, member of the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Famer, and the Country Music Association's first female Entertainer of the Year. But Loretta was much more than the sum of her accolades. prgtoken She grew up poor and uneducated in the coal-mining hills of Kentucky. She was a wife at 15, a mother at 16, and moved thousands of miles away from home at an age when most teenagers today would just start dreaming about escaping from their parents. When she wasn't busy raising her children, she sang and played songs on a $17 Sears guitar. prgtoken If Nashville is a 10-year town, then I suppose Loretta Lynn must have considered herself lucky at last, she only had to wait 7 months from the time of her first record pressing to the moment she first stepped onstage at the Grand Ole Opry. Still, at 28, she had seen more than enough to know that there was no hiding in a spotlight, so she sang about her life and found a voice that was once assertive and disruptive. She blazed trails in music and television by being herself, using humor to blunt the edge that hard living and having little agency well into womanhood had given her writing. prgtoken On October 4 of this year, we lost our coal miner's daughter to a far better place. I will be forever grateful to her for her absolute belief in the power of storytelling. I hope her memory will inspire future generations of young women in music to do the bravest thing an artist can do and share their joy, pain, confusion, and hope in its most authentic form.
PREVENT ALL SORING TACTICS ACT OF 2021
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-11-14

I rise in opposition to the PAST Act. This legislation attempts to eliminate the Walking Horse industry, which is prominent in my congressional district. The vast majority of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry is located in Tennessee and Kentucky. prgtoken The Tennessee Walking Horse is the most inspected horse in the world under current law, with both pre-show and post-competition inspections performed by both USDA inspectors and horse industry organization inspectors. The PAST Act eliminates the industry inspection entities and replaces them with new employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Justice Department, increasing bureaucracy and cost to the taxpayer. prgtoken The PAST Act is not widely supported by the horse industry. In fact, the vast majority of the active Tennessee Walking Horse industry stakeholders in my district oppose this bill and instead support Representative Scott DesJarlais' commonsense reforms and modernization of the Horse Protection Act contained in H.R. 6341, of which I am a cosponsor. prgtoken This bill fails to promote objective, science-based inspections. I oppose the PAST Act and how it will lead to the hiring of more government bureaucrats while failing to protect the horse industry from biased inspections. I encourage my fellow Members to vote against this bill.
INTEGRITY, NOTIFICATION, AND FAIRNESS IN ONLINE RETAIL MARKETPLACES FOR CONSUMERS ACT
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2022-11-14

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5502, the INFORM Consumers Act. prgtoken This is a big deal, . It really is. We worked really hard to get consensus on this particular bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee. prgtoken I commend the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee; the ranking member, Cathy McMorris Rodgers; and the chair of the subcommittee, my colleague, Jan Schakowsky. She is the lead sponsor of the bill, and I am the sponsor of the bill. It is a great accomplishment. prgtoken At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when physical storefronts were unable to open their doors, many consumers turned to online marketplaces for all of their goods. However, with such a rise in online purchases, criminals saw a new way to prey upon innocent consumers. prgtoken These storefronts were now bombarded with thousands of similar products with little to no information about the background of the goods. Some of the goods available were originally stolen from retail stores, counterfeited--and this happens in all our congressional districts--counterfeited from a foreign nation, or even made with dangerous components or forced labor. prgtoken That is why this bipartisan, bicameral legislation is necessary to increase transparency and safety online, and I am proud to help co-lead this bill with the chairwoman of the subcommittee, Ms. Schakowsky. prgtoken If H.R. 5502 is signed into law--and I think it will be--consumers and storefronts will be armed with information to understand where these products come from and whether they are real or not. That is not much to ask for. prgtoken It also provides protections to our small sellers and local mom-and- pop stores whose privacy is protected while also being able to operate with clear guidelines and one set of rules for doing business in all 50 States. prgtoken The INFORM Consumers Act establishes a uniform national standard to protect consumers from bad actors and online marketplaces by requiring certain large sellers of new and used consumer goods to verify their contact information, such as email, phone number, and business tax ID, within days of being listed as a high-volume seller on an online platform. prgtoken I thank, again, Chairwoman Schakowsky, for working with me in good faith to make this a strong product with broad consensus from Congress--it takes both parties to get these things done--and from a diverse set of stakeholders like Etsy, Poshmark, eBay, Amazon, but also retail industry leaders such as Home Depot, Walgreens, and Walmart. prgtoken The support around this legislation demonstrates what happens when Congress works together to move important legislation that will protect all Americans. That was our goal. I am glad to see that this bill will move forward in regular order, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation out of the House today. Let's get this signed into
RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT--Motion to Proceed
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2022-11-14

panel 2E, row 71. Not long ago, a young lady visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial during a visit to Washington, DC. She walked along the wall searching the black granite panels, and she saw the name right there in front of her. She stopped and pressed her hand against it. It was panel 2E, row 71, Alvin C. Forney. prgtoken Across our country, not just on our National Mall but on the boulevards of our State capitals and in the squares of our small towns, there are names of brave Americans etched in memorials, the names of those who never came home. And there are those who did come home, whose names may not be on monuments but whose example of service and sacrifice for their country is no less inspiring. prgtoken For two and a half centuries, they have answered the calls. They have protected our freedoms. They placed their lives in the line of fire oceans away so that their countrymen can live lives in peace here at home. They are the citizen soldiers who defeated the King's army, who ended the scourge of slavery, who saved Western civilization and liberated concentration camps, who stood down communism and stand vigil against terrorism. They are more than just names, though. They are the spirit of this country: strong but merciful, forever guarding our freedoms, and devoted to our fellow citizen. prgtoken Cpl Alvin Forney lived this example out in his all-too-brief life. He seemed destined, no matter his path, to make a difference. And he did. Tall, handsome, with a bright smile and infectious optimism, he was an ace athlete, a football, track, and basketball star at Shortridge and Washington High Schools in Indianapolis. prgtoken A member of a military family, Corporal Forney enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1961, and he went west. He graduated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, and then trained in the mountains near Camp Pendleton. He endured the forced marches and step hikes in the tarantula- and rattlesnake-filled scrub. prgtoken San Diego-trained marines are sometimes derisively called Hollywood marines by their Paris Island peers. You see, Tinseltown is just up the Pacific Coast Highway. But if Hollywood did ever try to create the ideal marine, Corporal Forney could be its muse. prgtoken You can see it in the old photos, the focus, the confident air, the spotless uniform. He looked like a gentleman marine, a hero. And he wasn't just courageous or strong. He was patient and decent. Slow to anger, he seldom swore--a rarity, of course, for a U.S. prgtoken marine. He loved his family, and he loved his country. prgtoken When he arrived in Vietnam in the summer of 1965 as part of the Third Marine Expeditionary Force, his chief concern was not for himself. It was for his brother. You see, Army SGT William Forney, the corporal's brother, was departing for Vietnam. Corporal Forney wrote their mother, Minnie: I don't mind being over here, but I worry about Bill coming over.
PREVENT ALL SORING TACTICS ACT OF 2021
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-11-14

I thank the gentleman for allowing me time to speak on this bill today. prgtoken , I include for the Record a letter from the Tennessee Farm Bureau and Kentucky Farm Bureau Federations opposing H.R. 5441. November 14, 2022. Honorable Members of Congress, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Members of Congress: Please accept this letter as a statement of opposition to H.R. 5441, the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act by the Kentucky Farm Bureau and Tennessee Farm Bureau. The PAST Act is misleading in its strategies and purpose and sets a dangerous precedent for animal agriculture. Please take the time to review it closely and understand this initiative and the agenda of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). While the PAST Act expressly targets Walking Horses, this push by the HSUS brings to question which segment of animal-based agriculture will be targeted next. Supporters of the PAST Act argue the bill will ``eliminate soring'' within the Walking Horse Industry. However, soring is essentially nonexistent today. The bill professes to end soring by banning hoof pads and action devices which are used in Walking Horse performance shows, and implies such items cause soring. Hoof pads and action devices do not cause soring. Hoof pads are used to provide protection from ground force, to accentuate movement, and balance motion. These pads are used in many breeds other than the Walking Horse including the American Paint Horse, American Quarter Horse, American Saddlebred, and Morgan breeds. An action device is a band/chain weighing six (6) ounces or less. We are not aware of a study that indicates action devices or pads produce pain or cause tissue damage. The Tennessee Walking Horse is the most inspected horse in the world. The industry and its shows maintain a compliance rate with the Horse Protection Act that averages 99 percent. This rate is significant considering the inspection process today is almost 100 percent subjective. The PAST Act eliminates the organizations established by Congress in the original Horse Protection Act called Horse Industry Organizations (HIOs). These independent organizations provide inspectors for shows and are trained and certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Without HIOs, the PAST Act requires an increase in the USDA's workforce as well as additional employees for the U.S. Department of Justice. The Congressional Budget Office numbers reflect this cost. We urge you to not accept the mistreatment claims from years past as true today. Visit a Walking Horse farm and see the horses. Visit with a horse owner, trainer, farrier and their veterinarians. Cont
HONORING THE 2022 MARION TECHNICAL COLLEGE ALUMNI HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Jim Jordan (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-11-14

. Madam , Marion Technical College in Marion, Ohio, will hold a ceremony on Thursday, November 17, to mark the induction of its 2022 Alumni Hall of Fame class. I am honored to commend to the House this year's inductees: prgtoken Tammi Cowell, MTC Class of 1991, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer at Tri-Rivers Career Center. prgtoken John ``Tom'' Gleespen, MTC Class of 1975, President of Gleespen Engineering and Surveying. prgtoken Sue Jacob, MTC Class of 1981, retired River Valley School District educator. prgtoken Darl Snyder, MTC Class of 1983, Territory Manager for 2J Supply Company. prgtoken Selection for the Hall of Fame is a high honor accorded to only a small number of alumni each year. To be considered, alumni must demonstrate excellence in their respective professions and set a positive example for current and future MTC students. prgtoken On behalf of the people of Ohio's Fourth Congressional District, I am pleased to join in the accolades for these four distinguished alumni as they are inducted into the Marion Technical College Alumni Hall of Fame.
UKRAINE
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-11-15

I come to the floor of the Senate tonight for the 25th consecutive week while the Senate has been in session to talk about the brutal and illegal and unprovoked war on Ukraine by Russia--Ukraine, a democratic nation, an ally of ours who only wants to live in peace with its neighbors. prgtoken A lot has happened in the last 6 weeks since we have been in session; however, I want to start by addressing some very serious news out of Poland this afternoon. Today, Russia launched another barbaric salvo of missile strikes against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, including hitting civilian residences and power facilities. prgtoken According to reports, during this bombardment today, two missiles went into Poland and struck a Polish village 5 miles from the Ukrainian border, killing two people. Several officials, including a senior U.S. intelligence official and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine himself, have stated that these missiles were Russian missiles. prgtoken Now, remember, Poland is a NATO ally. There are U.S. troops in Poland. The Pols have been beside us in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are strong allies. If this is true that Russia launched missiles that, intentionally or unintentionally, struck NATO territory and killed civilians, then NATO's response must be strong and unequivocal. And it must be swift, as soon as we get the proper intelligence from what happened. prgtoken At the very least, I believe this is an opportunity for the administration to remove what were already misguided restrictions on U.S. military aid to Ukraine. Ukraine needs better aircraft, as an example, to be able to clear its skies of these Russian missiles and the Russian drones, many of which are now being procured from Iran. prgtoken And if Russian missiles are now striking NATO territory, then it is clearly in NATO's interest to provide these aircraft to Ukraine. The planes don't have to come from the United States. They may well come from other allies. But the F-16s or F-15s that would be especially useful in this situation would probably have to be approved by the United States before any conveyance could occur. We should provide that approval. prgtoken Ukraine also needs longer range missiles. They have been asking for what are called ATACMS missiles that enable them to strike Russian missile launchers in enemy territory, many in Ukraine, in places like the Donbas or the southern part of Ukraine or Crimea. The Ukrainian missiles currently cannot reach those missile launchers that the Russians are using. So the Russians have these long-range missiles, and they don't. This is to avoid more destruction, more tragic circumstances like we saw today, more destruction of civilian targets, and more death. prgtoken And, lastly, Ukraine needs other help too. They need more air defense systems. They need more armored vehicles like Abrams main battle tanks, which have the ability to push Russian forces out of its territory and
HONORING THE LIFE OF TERRY BARKER
Beth Van Duyne (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-11-15

I rise today with a heavy heart. Over the weekend, tragedy struck North Texas as six lives were taken in an air show honoring our veterans. One victim was Texas-24 resident and local leader, Terry Barker. prgtoken Terry was the epitome of an all-American hero. An Army veteran and American Airlines pilot of 36 years, Terry spent decades of his storied and accomplished life serving others. His service in the Army and unmatched dedication to honoring veterans is a testament to the kind of man Terry was. prgtoken Just last week, to pay tribute to veterans, Terry helped set up the Keller Field of Honor: 1,776 full-size U.S. flags dedicated to the 1,776 heroes. He then took to the skies one last time in a World War II era B-17 bomber to pay tribute to the Greatest Generation. prgtoken Terry was also a dedicated public servant, spending two terms as a Keller City councilmember. My friend and colleague, Keller Mayor Armin Mizani, described Terry as his mentor, and an ``outgoing and selfless man who always had a joke to share.'' prgtoken Texas-24 lost an American patriot, a public servant, and beloved friend this week. I ask you to please join me in praying for Terry, his family, and all of those affected by this weekend's tragedy.