mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CELEBRATING THE RETIREMENT OF MARZETTE ``MARZY'' BEDFORD-BILLINGHURST, LONGTIME FEDERAL EMPLOYEE AND CIVIL SERVANT
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2023-1-24

I rise to honor a woman who has contributed so much to this Congress and this country: Marzette `Marzy' Bedford- Billinghurst. After more than 3 decades in federal service, she recently began her well-earned retirement. As someone who has had the privilege of working closely with Marzy in the past, I can personally attest to her virtues as a sharp, dedicated, and generous federal civil servant and American. She deserves recognition for her many deeds in service to this Nation. prgtoken Our work together began back in 1988 when Marzy joined my legislative staff. As my Senior Legislative Assistant, she quickly became an indispensable advisor on a broad range of issues. From formulating and drafting key legislation to taking meetings with constituents and stakeholders, Marzy approached every part of the job with admirable enthusiasm and poise. She brought that same work ethic to the House Committee on the District of Columbia in 1993. Although we were sad to see Marzy leave our team, we knew she would always go wherever she was able to make the biggest difference in the lives of her fellow Americans. Indeed, that's what took her to the Department of Labor in 1995. prgtoken As an important official in DOL's Women's Bureau, Marzy was at the forefront of the effort to create more equitable and inclusive workplaces for women across the Nation. She helped advance initiatives addressing everything from sexual harassment to gender, wage, and pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. Marzy also understood that faithful service to the federal government requires one to hold it to the same principles of equality, justice, and freedom that underpin our entire democracy. That's why she pushed DOL to create designated rooms in its headquarters where mothers could breastfeed and pump in privacy. Marzy's unyielding devotion to her crucial work earned her dozens of awards and honors over the years--including Vice President Al Gore's Hammer Award and, most recently, DOL's Distinguished Career Service Award. Anyone boasting such an impressive list of accomplishments and accolades could rest easy knowing they did far more than their fair share to leave their country better than they found it. Marzy's commitment to service, however, extended beyond her career. prgtoken Throughout her decades working for the federal government, Marzy continued to devote much of her spare time to bettering her community. Between 2005 and 2012, for instance, she served as a House Manager for the Sacred Heart House Temporary Homeless Shelter for Women and Children in Denver, supporting women and families in need face-to-face. She also has served on the Board of Directors of the Denver chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). After Hurricane Katrina devastated numerous communities in 2005, Marzy stepped up and volunteered to help with relief efforts for 30 days as part of a DOL delegation to the Federal Emergency M
CHANCE TO COMPETE ACT OF 2023
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2023-1-24

the civil service is the lifeblood of our government and provides taxpayers, small businesses, and vulnerable populations vital resources and services throughout the country. prgtoken As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations for the past 4 years, I held a series of hearings focused on revitalizing and rejuvenating the federal workforce. prgtoken What we found is that proposals like Chance to Compete should exist in a constellation of improvements to federal workforce recruitment that includes better pay, reforming federal internships to improve the intern to employee pipeline, and remaining competitive with the private sector in areas such as hybrid work--all of which are the subjects of legislation produced by the Government Operations Subcommittee last Congress (FAIR Act, Next Gen Feds Act, and Telework and Metrics Cost Savings Act). prgtoken I am proud to be the lead-cosponsor of the Chance to Compete Act, which leverages skill assessments to build a more competitive, equitable, and inclusive workforce. prgtoken This bill has bipartisan support and through demonstration projects at agencies proven empirical success. prgtoken In short, this legislation allows an agency that has an open position to develop a skills-based assessment to evaluate candidates in a way that goes above and beyond the traditional review of past work and education experience. prgtoken Furthermore, this bill: prgtoken Enables agencies to share their assessment findings with other agencies, streamlining the overall hiring process and ensuring competitive candidates do not fall between the cracks if they have already proven their ability to perform. prgtoken And deploys talent teams at agencies to ensure the development and implementation of the goals of this bill. prgtoken I thank Representative Virginia Foxx, for her hard work and leadership on this bill as well as the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Partnership for Public Service (PPS), the Senior Executives Association (SEA), Professional Managers Association (PMA), and others who have endorsed this legislation.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2023-1-24

thank you for your leadership and your desire to continue to lead in our country. prgtoken Everything I do here, everything that most of us do here, I think, should come back to the dignity of work--the idea that hard work should pay off for everyone, no matter who you are, no matter whether you punch a clock or swipe a badge, no matter if you are management or labor, no matter if you are self-employed, where you live, what kind of work you do. When work has dignity--by definition, the ``dignity of work,'' brought to us originally by Leo XIII, ``the labor Pope'' of 120 years ago--with the Presiding Officer's faith, he knows about Leo XII-- and brought to us by Dr. King--when work has dignity, people have a secure retirement. It means you count on Social Security and Medicare. It means we protect people's pensions. It means the VA continues paying benefits that you earned if you were exposed to Agent Orange or to these massive football field-size burn pits. It means people make enough money for retirement and for a rainy day. prgtoken It is why in this body, just 2 years ago--in March, slightly fewer than 2 years ago--we saved the pensions of 100,000 Ohioans, tens of thousands in Virginia, a million around the country, people who worked their whole lives. They earned the pension and the peace of mind in retirement for themselves and their families. prgtoken Think about what that means. prgtoken It is why we are still fighting for the Delphi retirees who, again, lost their pensions through no fault of theirs. It is why we will always--always, always--fight back against attacks on Social Security, attacks on Medicare, and efforts to privatize the Veterans' Administration. prgtoken A secure retirement should never be a partisan issue. On August 14, 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. Ever since that time, it should not--it was partisan then. Most were for it, and most s were, I will just say, less for it. But it has become a partisan issue far too often. prgtoken Social Security and Medicare are two of the most popular, most unifying institutions of the country. It is our government's promise to working men and women, a promise that they will be able to retire with dignity. You pay in every paycheck--twice a month, whatever--and you are guaranteed that benefit. prgtoken Support for Social Security cuts across party lines. It cuts across racial lines. It cuts across geographic lines. Americans not only want to protect Social Security and Medicare--that goes without saying, although many of my colleagues want to undermined it--but they want to make these programs stronger. prgtoken But that is what s--I don't want to make this into a partisan issue, but it has been, unfortunately. It is not what the s in Congress want to do. prgtoken I want every American to understand that s in Congress are planning to hold your Social Security host
RECOGNIZING THE NEW PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-1-24

. Now, , just a few moments before you assumed the Chair, Senator Murray opened the Senate as President pro tempore for the first time. Kudos, congratulations. prgtoken She is a great, great Member. She is the chair of Appropriations and now PPT, and it was a wonderful thing to see her open up the Senate for the first time as PPT. So congratulations to Senator Murray and to all of us for having such a good President pro tempore.
ABORTION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-1-24

50 years ago this last Sunday, the Supreme Court ruled that reproductive healthcare in America is a constitutionally protected right and that Americans have the freedom to make the most personal decision imaginable: when--and whether--to start a family. The case was called Roe v. Wade. prgtoken For those who were alive when it was decided, we remember what it meant for millions of Americans: the freedom to make their own reproductive health decisions. Remember, at the time Roe was decided in 1973, our Nation had a long, long way to go in living up to the promise of equal justice under the law. As just one example, women were often required, at that time in history, to ask their husbands for permission to apply for credit cards. In many banks, widowers and divorced women had to bring along a man who would cosign for a credit card. Can you imagine that? prgtoken Fifty years later, we still have a long way to go, of course, but Roe was a breakthrough. It was a vision of an America that could be looking to the future of opportunity. prgtoken Well, today, sadly, marks a very different anniversary. You see, it was 7 months ago today when six rightwing, judicial activists on the Supreme Court sent us back in time. Of course, I am referring to the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization--the crowning achievement of the -led, decades- long campaign to overturn Roe and abolish reproductive rights in America. prgtoken The Dobbs ruling is one of the most irresponsible and dangerous decisions ever handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. It ripped away a constitutional right from individuals, handing it over to politicians in suits. prgtoken With the Dobbs decision, the ultraconservative majority not only overturned a nearly 50-year-old precedent that had been reaffirmed many, many times, they twisted the facts to reach the outcome they wanted. prgtoken What do I mean by that? Well, in his majority opinion, Justice Alito claimed that abortion cannot be constitutionally protected because it is not ``deeply rooted in the Nation's history and tradition.'' He is wrong because whatever you think about abortion, it has deep roots in our country. As the dissenting Justices in Dobbs wrote, ``embarrassingly for the majority--early law in fact does provide some support for abortion rights.'' prgtoken The dissent noted that common law authorities did not treat abortion as a crime before the point of fetal movement in the womb--also known as quickening. And as Justice Alito himself conceded, historians dispute whether prequickening abortions were punished before the 19th century. prgtoken So there is no credibility to Justice Alito's argument for overturning Roe. It wasn't originalism by any stretch. It wasn't textualism. It was an ideologically motivated outcome based on historical cherry-picking. prgtoken Someone asked the question the other day: After this decision, should the J
CHAMPIONING THE AMERICAN ECONOMY
Hillary J. Scholten (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2023-1-24

I rise today to champion the American economy and to voice my support for American workers and businesses. prgtoken I have just returned from a busy district work period back in west Michigan, where I saw firsthand the need for a champion on economic revitalization. prgtoken The district I represent has long been known for manufacturing and industry. Many global companies started right in west Michigan out of garages and storefronts, driven by their local communities and supported by their representatives in government, but we all see firsthand the difficult economic times that are taking their toll on our communities and across the United States. Just last year, my district alone lost dozens of small businesses. prgtoken This is unacceptable, and it is why I am committed to moving the American economy forward in Congress. It is so important that we, both s and , support American industry and our economy. It is not only the right thing to do; it is what our constituents expect us to do. prgtoken We have so much in common here, and I believe that both parties can come together and support American ingenuity and innovation. Let's get to work.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2023-1-24

President , on June 3, 2021, issued a memorandum on ``Establishing the Fight Against Corruption as a Core United States National Security Interest.'' I want to quote from the President when he issued that memorandum. President said: Corruption threatens United States national security, economic equity, global anti-poverty and development efforts, and democracy itself. . . . [B]y effectively preventing and countering corruption and demonstrating the advantages of transparent and accountable governance, we can secure a critical advantage for the United States and other democracies. prgtoken Corruption is a national security core interest. Corruption is the source of Mr. Putin's resources that he uses for his international activities, including the war in Ukraine and to try to bring down democratic states. prgtoken Today, the Atlantic Council is releasing a report--the report titled ``Why the kleptocrats still win: A strategy for the United States and Europe to address weaponized corruption.'' The report points out how the kleptocrats hide their wealth in Western countries because they believe it is safer in Western countries to hide their wealth. And the report points out the need for us to coordinate efforts between the United States and Europe. prgtoken Today, I am filing legislation, the Combating Global Corruption Act. I am joined by my friend Senator Todd Young of Indiana--bipartisan legislation--to deal with the U.S. leadership in fighting global corruption. It will give the State Department and the United States an important tool. It will give the United States leadership in showing the international community the steps that need to be taken in order to counter corruption. It would require the State Department to publish a list of countries in three tiers, the highest tier being those countries that are taking the steps necessary to fight corruption; the bottom tier would be those countries that are not making the required effort to deal with corruption in their country. prgtoken The State Department will be using internationally established standards for fighting corruption that the international community has already signed off on as being the proper way to fight corruption in your particular state. prgtoken For example, it references the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, the Organization of American States--the OAS--that was passed in 1996: acknowledged procedures in our hemisphere to deal with corruption. It references the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials, international business transactions of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development--the OECD--which was adopted in 1997. prgtoken It references the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime that was agreed to in 2000 and the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which was agreed to in 2003. prgtoken The
REMEMBERING VINCENT ASTOR
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2023-1-24

I rise today to celebrate the life of Vincent Astor, an early ``out'' gay activist, theatre historian and organist and a true icon of Memphis' distinct place in American cultural history, who passed last week at the age of 69. A flamboyant drag queen in his signature white wedding dress, Mr. Astor led Memphis gay pride events as ``Lady A.'' A 1989 founder of OUTMemphis: The LGBTQ+ Community Center of the Mid-South, Mr. Astor was a well-known supporter of events promoting local history, including the screening of vintage movies, lectures and heritage events. A native Memphian and a quick wit, he graduated from what is now Rhodes College and was for decades the organist at the keyboards and peddles of the Orpheum Theatre's 1928 Wurlitzer organ. He often gave tours of the historic theatre on South Main Street famed for its ghost ``Mary,'' killed by a trolley outside the theatre in the 1920s. Mr. Astor was also a large influence though a quiet voice in efforts to save the Orpheum and have it refurbished to its present glory hosting Broadway plays and musicals, concerts and other major public events. Gifted with a charismatic nostalgia, he literally wrote the book on Memphis' theatre legacy with Images of America: Memphis Movie Theatres (2013). In 2019, after advocacy by Mr. Astor, the Shelby County Historical Commission unveiled a marker outside Midtown's Evergreen Theatre recognizing the 50th anniversary of public drag pageants held there, and protesting a city ordinance against cross dressing. Mr. Astor will be buried in the historic Elmwood Cemetery under an obelisk he designed identifying him as both Vincent Astor and Lady A. I express my condolences to his many friends, colleagues and collaborators, and to the Mid-South LGBTQ+ community, all mourning their loss.
CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF RON KLAIN
Ro Khanna (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-1-24

I rise today to celebrate the historic achievements of Ron Klain, one of the best chiefs of staff in modern American history. prgtoken Ron Klain helped craft the American Rescue Plan, finally prioritizing working families and the middle class. prgtoken Ron Klain helped implement the President's vaccine plan that made Americans return to normal life. prgtoken He was key, in a closely divided House and Senate, to passing the CHIPS and Science Act. He was key to the infrastructure bill, to help the House caucus come together, progressives and moderates, and s. prgtoken Ron Klain succeeded because he had personal relationships with so many Members. I believe when history is written, he will be regarded as one of the best chiefs of staff.
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF LT. COL. HAROLD BROWN
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2023-1-24

I rise to celebrate the valorous life of Lieutenant Colonel Harold Brown of Catawba Island, Ohio, who recently took his final flight to the heavens. prgtoken Since sixth grade, Harold's dream was to be a pilot. By the age of 19, he made that dream a reality as a Tuskegee Airman. prgtoken Harold served as an exemplary officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps, completing dozens of combat missions during World War II. Once while on a mission, his plane was shot down, and Harold was taken as a prisoner of war. prgtoken This experience did not deter his service to our country. Harold served again during the brutal Korean War. Truly, he embodied the spirit of his Spit Fire legendary airmen. prgtoken Harold's devotion to his country extended beyond the battlefield. He worked to desegregate the military. He worked as a teacher to inspire new generations of students. His life was dedicated to service beyond self. prgtoken Today, America honors Harold for his service. We remember what an impact his life had, and our prayers are with his loved ones. prgtoken Truly, one human being can change the direction of the world for the better, and Harold Brown did that.
PROTECTING AMERICA'S STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FROM CHINA ACT
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2023-1-24

I rise to provide remarks on H.R. 22. s brought H.R. 22, the Protecting America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act, to the House Floor today to prohibit selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. prgtoken This legislation would not be necessary if the previous majority hadn't lifted a ban on crude oil exports, in place since 1975, at the urging of their Big Oil friends in 2015. prgtoken China has now exploited this harmful policy change by purchasing and stockpiling American crude oil. U.S. exports of crude oil to China increased nearly 100-fold under President . During the administration, U.S. oil companies sent over 391 million barrels of crude oil to China. prgtoken House had legislation (the Buy low and Sell High Act) that would go further to protect American interests by not only banning the export of Strategic Petroleum Reserve oil to China, but also to adversaries such as North Korea, Russia, Iran, and any other country under U.S. sanctions. If s really wanted to tackle this issue, they would have worked with us in a bipartisan manner to pass this legislation last Congress. prgtoken s passed this legislation to fix a political problem they created for themselves, which in the end, doesn't solve the problem.