mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE HONORABLE MARCIA FUDGE DURING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
Joyce Beatty (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2024-3-20

I rise today during this month, Women's History Month, and it gives me great pleasure to rise today to honor a woman who has made history and is making history: the Honorable Marcia Fudge, the 18th Secretary of HUD, former United States female Black- American Member of Congress, a lawyer, a prosecutor, and the very first female and Black person to be mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio. prgtoken She hailed as the 21st national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She is a sojourner, she is a colleague, an adviser, and, more importantly, , a trusted friend. prgtoken Fudge never sat down and waited for an opportunity. She made opportunities I know that firsthand. I had known Marcia Fudge for decades prior to coming to the United States Congress. As a matter of fact, when I was a senior vice president at the Ohio State University, then-Congresswoman Marcia Fudge invited me to sit in the gallery as, again, she made history. prgtoken It was Congresswoman Marcia Fudge who honored the State of Ohio and my leadership for making Ohio the first State to honor Rosa Parks and what she did on December 1, 1955. Marcia Fudge entered it into the Congressional Record from this very spot. That was another history for the great State of Ohio. prgtoken A few years later, there I was, a candidate for the United States Congress, and, again, it was then-Congresswoman Marcia Fudge who stood by my side and elevated me to have the confidence and the assurance that I, too, one day would stand on this House floor. prgtoken Then as a freshman, she entrusted me to be the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference. Never in the history of the CBC had a freshman been appointed some 40 days after being elected to chair such a massive event, but that is what Congresswoman Marcia Fudge did. She elevated people. She worked with people. She went out and mentored young students so they would know that they, too, could have opportunities. prgtoken It was no surprise to us that she became the seventh Black woman to chair the Congressional Black Caucus and the 21st national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. It was no surprise when the President tapped her to be the 18th United States HUD Secretary. prgtoken When she walked into that White House, she brought with her a whole village because she understood the depth and the importance of what it would mean to be United States HUD Secretary. prgtoken Marcia Fudge's tireless efforts have not only helped families keep their homes, but she has also made the American Dream of homeownership a reality. It is a reality for countless individuals, including returning citizens. Through her advocacy, she has opened doors of housing and business opportunities for Black and Brown communities, championing equity every step of the way. prgtoken Her stand against racial bias in the appraisal market is a testament to her commitment to justice and fairne
CELEBRATE THE BICYCLE
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2024-3-20

. Madam , I am here this morning on the occasion of the 24th annual National Bike Summit to celebrate the bicycle. It was an honor to kick off the annual bicycle ride through the Capitol this morning with several hundred enthusiasts. prgtoken We had a lot to celebrate. The infrastructure bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, has unleashed unprecedented investments. We have $1 billion a year for the Safer Streets for All Act, and we have already $1.7 billion committed. There are over 1,000 communities that are dealing with plans for their bicycle network. prgtoken Madam , there is a lot of dissension here on Capitol Hill. You may have noticed that it is hard sometimes for people to agree, but we are celebrating bike partisanship. prgtoken The bicycle brings people together to be able to burn calories instead of fossil fuel. It is the most efficient form of transportation ever designed. prgtoken There are exciting programs internationally. The World Bicycle Relief program has distributed three-quarters of a million bicycles to developing countries. A health professional in sub-Saharan Africa with a bicycle can see three times as many patients and do so more safely. prgtoken We have opportunities in terms of being able to extend the range of activities for our children. Legislation I have been working on for years in terms of the Safe Routes to School Program has been extended to include high schools now. prgtoken I started the week watching grade school bike bus with young people surrounded by a rope moving as a bus on their way to school. prgtoken The bicycle helps eliminate the congestion around our schools in the morning, and it gives young people a sense of freedom while it encourages their health. prgtoken During the pandemic, people turned to the bicycle for recreation in a way that was safe, and it extended their recreational experience. prgtoken Bicycle tourism is having a profound effect in rural and small-town America as people discover the joy of looking at the countryside at 10 miles an hour instead of 70. It is also good for the economy because people on bicycles tend to actually spend more than people who are racing through neighborhoods. prgtoken This notion of burning calories instead of fossil fuel, I think, is profound. We are working to extend activities for e-bikes. Part of our legislation has more e-bike charging stations, and the e-bike makes any bicycle commuter into a regular, effective commuter, extending their range. prgtoken It has contributed here on Capitol Hill. When I first came, there were a few of us who were biking. You would see an occasional bike messenger, but now we are looking at massive investments even in our Nation's Capital. prgtoken One of the things I am most proud of is bicycle lanes in the center of perhaps America's most iconic street, Pennsylvania Avenue. There is a whole range of investments that have been made in our Nation's Capital to make it more livable. prgtoken Madam
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2024-3-20

I rise today to recognize Daniel ``Dan'' Nolan, a courageous firefighter and dedicated public servant, inspiring community leader, and dear friend to so many-- including myself. Reflecting the enormous loyalty and love felt for him across the community--indeed, our State--thousands of mourners attended calling hours last Friday in Wethersfield, where I joined in thanking his beautiful family for sharing him with us. prgtoken Born in Hartford, CT, on July 29, 1962, Dan joined the military upon graduating from Windsor High School in 1980 and served in the Army National Guard for 38 years. Dan quickly rose to the rank of captain and was deployed three times--to Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In Iraq, Dan was detached to the 130th Combat Engineer Battalion from Puerto Rico, where he performed route clearance missions to clear improvised explosive devices--IEDs--from the streets of Baghdad. While in Afghanistan, Dan served as commander of the 246th Fire Fighting Detachment at Forward Operating Base--FOB--in Zabul. Dan led over 300 outside the wire missions and was the recipient of many commendations including the Combat Action Badge and the Bronze Star. Always looking to help others, Dan also developed his own community outreach programs in Afghanistan to provide food, clothing, shoes, and toys to needy local villagers. prgtoken Dan was a second-generation firefighter, first joining the Hartford Fire Department in 1984. He rose to become deputy chief of training and was one of the many Hartford firefighters who served at Ground Zero following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Dan is remembered with deep affection by his fellow firefighters for his leadership, bravery, and encyclopedic knowledge and expertise in the firefighting profession. prgtoken Dan was a longstanding active member of his local community. He was a lifelong member of the Irish American Home Society in Glastonbury and was a prominent leader of the Irish History Committee and the annual Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade. He was also involved in countless charitable organizations, most notably Amy's Angels, as well as Lea's Foundation for Leukemia Research, where he served on the board of directors since its inception in 1998. prgtoken So many of the remembrances offered by people close to Dan reflect a common theme: ``He was always trying to help people.'' One friend recalls working as a server at a local restaurant where Dan was a regular and always asked to put someone else's bill on his tab. A barber who cut Dan's hair every few months shared that he always arrived with advice about scholarships or access to veteran benefits. A neighbor remembered Dan helping her move into her new house amid frigid temperatures and snowfall. prgtoken My friendship with Dan deepened when I worked closely with him during his years-long effort to bring his translator Mohammad and his Afghanistan family to the Unite
AMERICA HAS A GUN PROBLEM
Robin L. Kelly (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-3-20

I rise today because America has a gun problem. prgtoken Every week my constituents wake up to news of another shooting, another life cut short, another family torn apart. prgtoken Doing nothing about this crisis is not an option. prgtoken Year after year, the United States leads the developed world in gun deaths but lags far behind in meaningful policy solutions. prgtoken When I first came to Washington, I published the 2014 Kelly Report on Gun Violence in America. This first-of-its-kind report framed gun violence as a public health crisis and offered solutions that truly matched the scale of the epidemic. prgtoken Unfortunately, 10 years later, gun violence still claims tens of thousands of lives every year. prgtoken Since 2014, guns have become the number one cause of death for children and teens. Gun violence is killing a generation and robbing communities of future leaders, teachers, doctors, artists, and more. prgtoken , 10 years later, I am, once again, bringing together survivors, advocates, experts, and my fellow Members of Congress to say: Enough is enough. prgtoken I produced the 2024 Kelly Report to chart a path for the work yet to be done. prgtoken My wish is that this would be the last Kelly Report on gun violence I need to write. My wish is that our country will see a future where children can safely walk to the park, a high school student can safely pick up her friends, and a father can safely play basketball with his son in their driveway. prgtoken Americans should not have to live in constant fear of becoming another deadly statistic. Thoughts and prayers are not substitutes for policy and action. prgtoken I hope that this report not only sheds light on the public health crisis that is gun violence in America, but also provides a meaningful roadmap to create change and save lives. Recognizing Meagan Thompson
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2024-3-20

today I am introducing the Expanding Access to EAT Local Foods Act with Senators Brown, Booker, Wyden, Butler, Whitehouse, King, Blumenthal, Smith, Shaheen, Warren, Fetterman, and Welch. This bill would create a permanent grant program for State and Tribal governments to procure local foods for distribution to nearby hunger relief programs. prgtoken The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted national supply chains and highlighted the importance of resilient, local food systems. In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created the Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement, LFPA, Program, using nearly $900 million in one-time funds. Through LFPA, USDA has awarded grants to State and Tribal governments to buy local foods for distribution to nearby feeding programs. LFPA provides as access to food for those in need, creates economic opportunity for local and underserved producers, farmers, and fishermen, and strengthens our food supply chains. prgtoken This program is making a positive impact in communities across the country. In my home State of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has worked with the nonprofit Farm Fresh Rhode Island to purchase food from 95 local producers, distributing that nutritious, local food to over 65,000 Rhode Islanders. prgtoken However, unless codified in law, this program will end when the one- time LFPA dollars are fully expended. And without sustained investment, we will lose the resilient local food systems that the LFPA program has been able to create. prgtoken The EAT Local Foods Act prevents us from losing ground by creating a permanent program for States and Tribes to purchase food from producers within their State's geographic bounds or within 400 miles of the final delivery destination for distribution through the hunger relief system. prgtoken This is a win-win-win. First, the bill supports local economic development by providing local producers with access to the hunger relief market. By establishing a new, reliable stream of orders for small, beginning, and underserved farmers, ranchers, and fishers, the bill will give these businesses the financial security to invest and further expand. Second, the bill would strengthen our domestic agriculture supply chain. By investing in local food distribution, the bill would help build local businesses that support durable and resilient local food systems. Third, the EAT Local Foods Act would help combat food insecurity by providing fresh, nutritious, local food to underserved communities, feeding more families and helping ease the strain on the hunger relief system. prgtoken I am pleased that the bill is supported by farmers, food hubs, coalitions, and business networks from across the country, including the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the National Center for Frontier Communities, and the Wallace Center at Winrock International. In Rhode Island, the bill is supported by t
Nomination of Adeel Abdullah Mangi (Executive Session)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2024-3-21

with me today is Mr. Matt Turner, one of my colleagues in my Senate office. prgtoken , I want to talk about one of President 's nominees to be on the Federal Bench, but first I want to digress for a moment. prgtoken I love animals, and I especially love dogs. If only people had the hearts of dogs, the world would be better off. prgtoken The Presiding Officer and I, of course, are in the same profession-- politics. Politics takes a big heart and a lot of wind and a thick skin. I try not to worry too much about what anybody thinks of me-- except dogs. I really like dogs. prgtoken I used to have a beagle. His name was Roger. I loved Roger to death. We lost him a few years ago to cancer. prgtoken Roger was a stray. Actually, Roger was raised to hunt rabbits. If you know anything about beagles, when a beagle gets on a scent, the beagle is oblivious to everything else. They just follow that scent. Roger got on the scent and got lost and showed up at my house, so Becky and I took Roger in. prgtoken Roger was a rascal. He was a rascal. He loved us, but he couldn't help himself. Whenever there was a small crack in the door, Roger was gone. He was out and gone, and he stayed gone 2 or 3 days. I would worry incessantly. Oh, is he hurt? Will he come back? I love Roger. prgtoken He would always come back. But about half of the time when Roger would come back, he would come back dragging roadkill. I wouldn't let him inside with his roadkill, so he would go in the backyard, and he would hide his roadkill--he didn't think I was watching--Roger would hide his roadkill under the back porch. prgtoken I miss Roger. prgtoken Sometimes--not always but sometimes--the nomination process that the White House uses to select Federal judges--the nomination process is what I am talking about--looks to me like something Roger was hiding under my back porch. I just don't understand it. I don't understand the criteria or the process the White House uses to put people on our Federal bench. prgtoken Now, I am not suggesting that President hasn't made some good nominations because he has, and I voted for his nominations who I thought were qualified. But I think it is also--any fairminded person would have to conclude that over the past several years, President has nominated some people to the Federal bench who, quite frankly, are not qualified to judge a pie contest. That is just a fact. That is my opinion, but if you go look at the testimony of all of those nominees, I think you will see I am right. prgtoken With respect, the President's pick of Mr. Adeel Mangi is, frankly, one of his worst. prgtoken Mr. Mangi is affiliated with an organization that calls itself the Alliance of Families for Justice--the Alliance of Families for Justice. In fact, Mr. Mangi is not just affiliated with this group; he is on its advisory board. prgtoken One of the Alliance's founders was a member of a domestic terrorist organi
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2024-3-21

I am planning to bring three amendments to this set of appropriations bills that are coming. As we are quickly reading through it and going through the details and the information on the six prgtoken different sections of our Federal funding, which is incredibly important that we actually get done, there are many amendments that are here and many questions that have been raised. prgtoken I am raising a couple of them on two different issues. The first is a very specific issue. It has been a challenge for us on dealing with an entity called special interests aliens. It is a term you and I know, but many other people around the country do not know. prgtoken Special interest alien is an actual designation the Department of Homeland Security places on an individual when they cross the border based on where they are traveling from, maybe their connections there, areas of known terrorism, their travel patterns. The definition from the Department of Homeland Security is a special interest alien is a non-U.S. person who, based on an analysis of travel patterns, potentially poses a national security risk to the United States for its interest. prgtoken Just to be clear, when they are labeled ``special interest aliens,'' the Department of Homeland Security is declaring this person potentially a national security risk to the United States. When that individual is encountered at our southern border--we asked many questions both of FBI and DHS--what happens next? prgtoken In the past 5 months, we had 58 individuals who were on our Terror Watchlist. Those individuals on our Terror Watchlist, we know who they are. They have been identified. They were detained. We cannot get an exact number of the number of special interest aliens. These are individuals we know have terror links or come from an area where there is known terrorism or are traveling in a travel pattern that we know other terrorists have traveled on, so we know that much about them, but we don't know anything else about them. prgtoken We asked the simple question: Are they detained? The answer so far has been: Not all of them. prgtoken When someone at the southern border is declared a national security risk, we think it is reasonable to have that person detained at our southern border. In the past several days, we had almost 7,000 people a day illegally crossing our border. We don't know how many of those were labeled a national security risk, but we do believe the number in the past few months has been in the thousands. prgtoken But DHS has yet to give us the exact number. We have, potentially, in the thousands of people who have been declared by this administration as a potential national security risk, and they cannot tell us if they have been detained, their whereabouts for all of them, how they determined that they were a national security risk, or what happens next. prgtoken So the amendment I am bringing is very simple. The amendment I am bringi
HONORING THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND LEGACY OF ROBERT KASULKE
Elise M. Stefanik (Republican, NY) \u2014 2024-3-21

I rise today to honor the service and celebrate the life of Major General Robert J. Kasulke, M.D. prgtoken Robert was born on June 12, 1949 in Queens, New York to two proud parents, Francis and Florence Kasulke. He would grow up and graduate from Archbishop Molloy High School in Jamaica, New York before going on to attend Fordham University and graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1971. He continued his academic journey attending SUNY Upstate Medical University where he graduated in 1975 and went on to receive his master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs the following year. Dr. Kasulke also attended the United States Army War College and graduated in 1999. prgtoken On May 3, 1975, Robert married Catherine O'Connell, the love of his life, at Fordham University Chapel. The couple lived in the Bronx where Dr. Kasulke did his residency in general surgery at Montefiore Health and Hospital Center. After completing his residency, he and Mrs. Kasulke moved to Columbia, MO where he completed his fellowship in vascular surgery at Columbia Health and Science Center. He moved to Saranac Lake in 1983 and later to Watertown in 1989 where he practiced at the Good Samaritan and Mercy Hospital until 1991. He continued his academic journey attending SUNY Upstate as a medical professional in Upstate New York serving in a variety of different manners and was, at the time of his death, the Medical Director of Hospice of Jefferson County, the Medical Director of Jefferson County Public Health Service, and the Jefferson County Deputy Medical Examiner. prgtoken In addition to his medical work, Dr. Kasulke also served in the Army Reserve from 1980 to 2012. Even after his retirement from the Reserve, Dr. Kasulke continued his staunch support for the Armed Forces, being appointed an Army Reserve Ambassador in 2013 and to the Chief of Staff Army Retiree Council in 2017. prgtoken His hard work and perseverance led him to be a pivotal piece in arranging community activities, including leading many ``We Honor Veterans'' ceremonies honoring those who fought for our freedom. Furthermore, Dr. Kasulke was a member of Elks Lodge No. 496 and the Italian American Club showing his commitment to our community. prgtoken In addition to serving his country and his community, Robert dedicated time to his family. He could often be seen at one of his three grandchildren's sporting or school events. He was known for his collection of antique soldiers and model trains as well as his enjoyment for woodworking. prgtoken Robert lived a full life that demonstrated his utmost dedication to his country, his community, and his family. On behalf of New York's 21st Congressional District, I am honored to recognize the life and service of Robert Kasulke.
WESTERN ENERGY ALLIANCE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2024-3-21

. Madam , I rise to celebrate a significant milestone: the 50th anniversary of Western Energy Alliance. prgtoken Oil and natural gas are affordable and reliable sources of energy that drive progress, power industries, and fuel innovation. The Alliance is a leader among the oil and gas associations in understanding the complex Federal regulations surrounding production and development in the United States. They have been a strong voice for small- and mid-size companies in navigating Washington, D.C and pulling together allies across the country. prgtoken Its members use responsible and innovative practices. Importantly, they have a demonstrated commitment to the environment. As a result, millions of Americans are able to heat their homes and power their vehicles. prgtoken The Alliance has been a catalyst for job creation, economic growth, and conservation across the country. Congratulations to Western Energy Alliance on 50 years of excellence. Here is to many more years of progress and partnership. The Run Forester Run Team