mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
JOSEPH WOODROW HATCHETT UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL BUILDING
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2022-6-24

I thank God for the decision that stops the heinous practice that has taken more than 60 million lives in this country over the last 50 years. I thank God that those voices that have been lost, we will not see that anymore. I hope and pray that that is the case. I thank them for that. prgtoken There is no right to take that life, but there is a right to defend yourself. We have a God-given, constitutionally protected right to protect ourselves, and the Supreme Court reaffirmed that yesterday. prgtoken This bill infringes on the constitutionally protected rights of law- abiding Americans, and it provides funding for States to infringe on Americans' Second Amendment rights and violate their due process rights. prgtoken It treats 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old Americans as second-class citizens. The Ninth Circuit recently held that the Second Amendment applies to 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old Americans just like it does to Americans over the age of 21. prgtoken This bill criminalizes routine gun transactions between law-abiding Americans. prgtoken Justice Alito, in his concurrence, highlighted the flawed logic used by the supporters of this bill. Alito said: ``Does the dissent think that laws like New York's prevent or deter such atrocities? Will a person bent on carrying out a mass shooting be stopped if he knows that it is illegal to carry a handgun outside the home? And how does the dissent account for the fact that one of the mass shootings near the top of its list took place in Buffalo? The New York law at issue in this case obviously did not stop that perpetrator.'' prgtoken The essence of this is gun controls do not stop criminals because criminals have no regard for the law. That is the definition of a criminal. prgtoken This bill will restrict law-abiding Americans' ability to purchase firearms and protect themselves and their families. It violates a basic God-given right. prgtoken , I oppose this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.
RECOGNIZING THE DREXEL HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' TRACK TEAM
Vicky Hartzler (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-6-24

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the 2022 Missouri Class I Girls' Track and Field Championship Team. Five outstanding athletes representing the Drexel High School girls' track and field team won the Missouri State Championship in Jefferson City, Missouri. The Lady Cats earned 46 points over nine events at the championship meet. prgtoken The 2022 Lady Cats track team is the first in the history of Drexel to win the state championship title. Olivia Shipps, Gracie Marks, Emily Wheeler, Josie Parks, and Izzy Richardson demonstrate remarkable determination and perseverance by earning this title for their school. Their coach, Jenny Wheeler, trained these young athletes and got to see firsthand how the effort they put into achieving this title stating, ``the girls had these goals before the season and would talk about them constantly. To see them work so hard and to win the state meet is very special.'' prgtoken These girls serve as a reminder that hard work always pays off. Congratulations to the Lady Cats on an incredible season, and I thank the teachers, coaches, and parents for providing the opportunity for these young women to compete fairly. I can't wait to see what else the Drexel High School girls' track and field team accomplishes in the future.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Lee M. Zeldin (Republican, NY) \u2014 2022-6-24

. Madam , I was not in Washington, D.C. and not present for votes today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 299. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Allred (Gomez) Auchincloss (Beyer) Babin (Weber (TX)) Barr (McHenry) Barragan (Correa) Boebert (Bishop (NC)) Bonamici (Beyer) Bourdeaux (Correa) Bowman (Chu) Brown (OH) (Stevens) (Williams (GA)) Cardenas (Gomez) Carter (LA) (Williams (GA)) Carter (TX) (Weber (TX)) Casten (Foster) Cawthorn (Donalds) Cherfilus-McCormick (Williams (GA)) Cohen (Beyer) Costa (Correa) Crist (Soto) Davis, Danny K. (Gomez) DeSaulnier (Beyer) Doyle, Michael F. (Pallone) Duncan (Norman) Espaillat (Correa) Fletcher (Pallone) Frankel, Lois (Kuster) Garcia (IL) (Beyer) Gibbs (Bucshon) Gimenez (Waltz) Gohmert (Weber (TX)) Gottheimer (Neguse) Guest (Fleischmann) Hartzler (Bacon) Hayes (Neguse) Hice (GA) (Bishop (NC)) Jackson Lee (Cicilline) Jacobs (NY) (Smucker) Jayapal (Gomez) Jeffries (Neguse) Johnson (GA) (Williams (GA)) Johnson (TX) (Stevens) Katko (Meijer) Keating (Neguse) Khanna (Ocasio-Cortez) Kinzinger (Meijer) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Krishnamoorthi (Neguse) LaMalfa (Van Duyne) Lamborn (Wilson (SC)) Lawson (FL) (Soto) Manning (Bera) McEachin (Beyer) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Stevens) Newman (Beyer) Palazzo (Fleischmann) Pascrell (Pallone) Payne (Pallone) Porter (Neguse) Pressley (Trahan) Price (NC) (DeLauro) Rice (SC) (Meijer) Rogers (KY) (Reschenthaler) Rush (Neguse) Salazar (Diaz-Balart) Sires (Pallone) Spartz (Harshbarger) Stansbury (Stevens) Steube (Franklin, C. Scott) Strickland (Neguse) Suozzi (Neguse) Takano (Chu) Taylor (Nehls) Timmons (Wilson (SC)) Tlaib (Gomez) Turner (Gonzalez (OH)) Underwood (Neguse) Van Drew (Reschenthaler) Walorski (Baird) Wasserman Schultz (Soto) Watson Coleman (Pallone) Wenstrup (LaHood) Wilson (FL) (Williams (GA)) Wittman (Carl)
PROTECTING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS
Jason Smith (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-6-24

. Madam , as a strong advocate and fighter for the Second Amendment, I cannot support the Senate's gun control bill. prgtoken The legislation is simply another attempt to blame law-abiding gun owners instead of holding accountable the disturbed criminals who are carrying out despicable acts of violence. prgtoken The gun control bill would strengthen red flag laws, which take away individuals' due process rights, while allowing law enforcement to remove guns from individuals at the request of an expansive list of acquaintances. prgtoken In America, a person is innocent until proven guilty. But liberal , they don't see it quite that way. The presumption of innocence--the foundation of our criminal justice system--apparently does not apply to law-abiding gun owners in the world of the ' vision. prgtoken I will fight tooth and nail to protect families from Washington ' relentless attacks on our freedom and way of life.
INFLATION
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-6-24

. Madam , Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has confirmed what we knew all along: Inflation isn't because of Putin's disgraceful invasion of Ukraine. It is because of President 's and congressional ' reckless spending. prgtoken Earlier this week, during a Senate Banking Committee hearing, my friend and fellow Tennessean, Senator Bill Hagerty, pointed out that inflation had already risen to 7 percent well before the war in Ukraine. prgtoken He asked Chair Powell if the war in Ukraine is the primary driver of inflation. Chair Powell responded, ``No. Inflation was high before, certainly before the war in Ukraine broke out.'' prgtoken This isn't a Putin price hike, it is flation, and the administration and congressional and their allies in the mainstream media need to stop with the misdirection and misleading excuses. Thankfully, Tennesseans are smart and can recognize the difference. prgtoken Taking responsibility for mistakes followed by straight talk are necessary prerequisites for getting us out of this prgtoken mess and are our minimum expectations for the President of the United States. President must do better.
KEEP KIDS FED ACT OF 2022
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-6-24

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I appreciate my colleague from Virginia yielding time. This is essentially the same bill we passed overwhelmingly yesterday, except it was improved by our colleagues in the Senate. This bill is a more targeted approach that includes temporary support for students and schools. It puts an end to the permanent pandemic narrative that led to unnecessary Federal programs with little return to taxpayers. For more than 2 years, broad nutrition waivers provided free meals to everyone, including wealthy families. This legislation returns these programs to regular order. prgtoken Most importantly, this bill is fully paid for. It is an example of respecting taxpayer funds, something the Federal Government is in short supply of. prgtoken Simply put, this bill puts our school nutrition programs back on track, so taxpayers, schools, and students are better served. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and .
JOSEPH WOODROW HATCHETT UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL BUILDING
Jim Jordan (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-6-24

the balance of my time. prgtoken , again, I urge a ``no'' vote on this legislation. prgtoken Proponents say that this bill doesn't violate due process. Nothing could be further from the truth. prgtoken You haven't been charged with a crime, but there is a hearing, a hearing that you are not allowed to be at. You can't be present at a hearing where you don't have a lawyer and a hearing where a judge can take your property. prgtoken Again, just to underscore this, you haven't been charged with a crime, but there is a hearing where your property and your rights are at stake. prgtoken You are not allowed to be there; your lawyer is not allowed to be there; and you can't confront your accuser. But they can take your gun; they can take your property; and they can take your Second Amendment liberty. prgtoken Here is the scariest part of all: As my friend from Kentucky just pointed out, the say this is just the first step, that this doesn't go far enough. Holy cow. So that kind of proceeding doesn't go far enough when it comes to your Second Amendment liberties? prgtoken One of the key things that separates this great Nation from all other countries is how we have due process in our justice system. This bill takes it away. No other way to put it. prgtoken You can say all day long that it doesn't violate due process, but as I said just a few minutes ago, every time I hear that, experience has taught me that it most certainly does. When you have to say it, it probably does. In this case, it is certainly violating due process. There are other problems, but for that reason alone, we should vote ``no.'' prgtoken Again, the scariest thing of all is that they are saying: ``Oh, this is just the first step. This doesn't go far enough.'' Imagine where they want to take us. prgtoken Their beef is with the Second Amendment. They want it to go away. Don't let it happen. I urge a ``no'' vote. prgtoken , .
HONORING THE CAREER OF LAURA MULLIGAN THOMAS
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-6-24

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Ms. Laura Mulligan Thomas. prgtoken On May 18, 2022, Laura Mulligan Thomas, alongside her students, presented her final concert as director of the Charlottesville High School orchestra. prgtoken After a 40-year career at Charlottesville High School, Ms. Thomas will begin her retirement on June 30, 2022. She began in 1982 with a group of just eight CHS students as part of the CHS orchestra. Now that orchestra includes over 100 students and is internationally recognized. prgtoken Ms. Thomas has received a number of awards, including winning the 2022 American String Teachers Association's Elizabeth A. H. Green School Educator Award. Beyond the accolades she has received, I specifically want to thank her for her commitment to supporting the students of Charlottesville High School. prgtoken Perhaps the greatest testament to Ms. Thomas' work is knowing that many of her students have gone on to become music teachers just like her. prgtoken I thank Laura Mulligan Thomas for her dedication to Charlottesville High School and her community. I wish her the best in her retirement.
JOSEPH WOODROW HATCHETT UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL BUILDING
Tom McClintock (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-6-24

instead of treating law-abiding citizens as if they were criminals, maybe we should start treating criminals as if they were criminals. Stop the plea bargains, put gun predators behind bars until they are old and gray, and execute the murderers. prgtoken Those measures worked until a generation of soft-on-crime judges, woke district attorneys, and politically correct police commissioners made a mockery of our laws. prgtoken If someone is dangerously mentally ill, then, of course, they should not have access to firearms. They shouldn't have access to any kind of weapons. We once confined them so we could treat them and prevent them from doing harm during the course of their illness. We had a commitment process that respected due process. They could come before a judge to challenge the findings in open court, submit evidence on their behalf, and face their accuser, but not under the red flag laws this bill promotes. prgtoken An anonymous accuser can trigger a secret proceeding against you that you don't even know is happening until the police bang on your door in the dead of night, ransack your house, and strip you of your right of self-defense. The burden then falls on you to try to restore it. prgtoken This bill also targets young adults for special restrictions. We trust them to vote, to start families, to enter into legally binding agreements, but we don't trust them with firearms because of what some criminal or madman their age did? prgtoken Just laws hold people accountable for their own actions; unjust laws hold them accountable for other people's actions. This is an unjust law. prgtoken These atrocities will go on until we get the criminals and madmen off our streets. How many more tragedies do we need to go through before the Congress understands this self-evident truth?
JOSEPH WOODROW HATCHETT UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL BUILDING
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-6-24

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I rise in defense of our Constitution today, in defense of law- abiding American citizens, and against this Senate gun control bill. prgtoken This legislation takes the wrong approach in attempting to curb violent crimes. It turns our system of due process on its head. You will now be found guilty and your guns taken away until you can prove your innocence. prgtoken It has vague language containing insufficient guardrails to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or prevent mass violence. prgtoken It creates a de facto waiting period for up to 10 business days for legal, law-abiding citizens' firearm purchases and the consideration of whether an adult purchaser's juvenile record should prohibit an individual from buying a firearm. prgtoken We are committed to identifying and solving the causes of violent crimes and mental health crises, putting officers in our schools, and reinforcing our school buildings, but we must not infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens while doing so. prgtoken I cannot support this misguided legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
CONGRATULATING THE RETIREMENT OF OFFICER ROBERT PEMBERTON
Pat Fallon (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-6-24

. Madam , I rise today to honor the outstanding 26- year career of Officer Robert Pemberton and congratulate him on his retirement from the City of Greenville Police Department. Officer Pemberton is a remarkable example of the highest caliber of law enforcement professional and has demonstrated unwavering devotion to the department and community for over a quarter of a century. prgtoken For most of his career, Officer Pemberton did not serve alone, as he was a K-9 officer. Impressively, the K-9 partners he worked alongside were just as exceptional. Officer Pemberton's first K-9 partner was a German Shepherd named Ceiko. His next police-dog partner was the Belgian Malinois named Rex. And his third and final K-9 partner was the Dutch Shepherd named Trap, with whom he retired alongside. Officer Pemberton and these world class canines were repeatedly recognized for outstanding performance in the detection and prevention of crime. prgtoken Together, these duos worked tirelessly to protect and serve their community. Throughout his career, Officer Pemberton with his K-9 partners seized of over $2,000,000 in cash, with their largest single seizure being $480,000. They were also responsible for recovering a myriad of drugs with a street value worth millions of dollars. The City of Greenville, Hunt County, and the North Texas area were undoubtedly safer with every shift Officer Pemberton worked. prgtoken On behalf of the great people of Texas' Fourth Congressional District, I thank Officer Pemberton for all he has done for our community.
JOSEPH WOODROW HATCHETT UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL BUILDING
Mike Johnson (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-6-24

Pelosi just lectured us. She said guns are the number one killer of children in America. prgtoken That is not true. Abortion violence is the number one killer of children in America, until today. There is no right to abortion in the Constitution. And, thankfully, the Supreme Court finally said that decisively. Thanks be to God. prgtoken There is a right, however, a crystal-clear right in the Constitution to keep and bear arms. But here we are today. Congress is moving full steam ahead to restrict the right to self-defense for law-abiding gun owners and the right to due process for all Americans. prgtoken This legislation is the wrong approach, and we ought to oppose it. prgtoken In our Judiciary markup several days ago, some of our colleagues here on the floor today openly said they don't care about the Constitution. They don't care about its protections. They want to overlook that. This bill does that. It is the perfect example of Members of Congress simply ignoring the Constitution. prgtoken President and his administration are already disobeying laws that we have on the books to revoke firearm dealer licenses over simple clerical errors. This legislation is going to make that worse. This is not going to help anything. It is going to lead to more errors, more false flags, more backlogs in the NICS system. There is nothing in this bill to fix that. There is nothing in this bill to increase school safety. prgtoken , we want real solutions. We think that we ought to harden the schools; real, physical improvements to help protect children, but that is not here. They didn't have time for that. prgtoken Two weeks ago, I had a very moving conversation with Pastor YJ Jimenez. He is a pastor on the ground ministering to the people of the Uvalde community who have suffered such an unspeakable loss. He said something that was really clear, and I think it is echoed throughout America. People paid a lot of attention to it. prgtoken He said, You know what, we need to address the root causes of all this bloodshed. He said America's problem is not guns. America's problem is a heart problem. And he is exactly right. prgtoken Today we are seeing the results of decades of decline in the secularization of American society and the open assault on our institutions: family, religion, morality, the breakdown of law and order. prgtoken We see the results of all this on young people--in clinical settings, in schools, and everywhere else. prgtoken We want to do things that matter. prgtoken It is not more gun control. prgtoken It is not more Federal laws. prgtoken It is not more intrusive government. prgtoken We need to address the root causes.
JOSEPH WOODROW HATCHETT UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL BUILDING
Scott Fitzgerald (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-6-24

what a great day for the babies and--as the described it--the -McConnell Supreme Court. prgtoken , I rise today in opposition to the House amendment to S. 2938. This bill could have had strong bipartisan support if it had focused solely on mental health and school safety. The Supreme Court made it clear yesterday that the Second Amendment includes the right to carry a gun for self-defense purposes outside the home. prgtoken This bill flies in the face of that ruling. Specifically, the bill fails to define what constitutes a willful violation that would warrant a revocation of a Federal firearm license. This is especially important given the Department of Justice's zero tolerance policy and the over 500 percent increase in license revocation proceedings that have occurred under this administration. prgtoken Current extreme risk protective orders that exist in 19 States do not come close to providing adequate due process protections. We cannot support the use of taxpayer funds to implement more such unconstitutional laws without specific and ironclad assurances that due process rights will be protected. prgtoken In the wake of the tragic shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018, I worked with my colleagues in the Wisconsin legislature to protect against school shootings. We worked to pass Act 143 which appropriated $100 million in school safety grants. That is where this bill should be going. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to focus on bipartisan solutions that will not infringe on our constitutional rights.
JOSEPH WOODROW HATCHETT UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL BUILDING
Mark E. Green (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-6-24

I rise in opposition to this flagrantly unconstitutional gun control act. This bill is yet another attack on our God-given rights to self-defense. prgtoken For instance, the bill would provide taxpayer dollars for State-level gun confiscations without due process. prgtoken We constantly hear this constant theme from the left on how you can't be pro-life and pro-gun, which I think is poignant to point out today. For those who say you can't be pro-life and pro-gun, why did you send billions of dollars of guns to Ukraine to help them save their lives against the Russians? prgtoken You sent billions of dollars of guns over there so that our soldiers wouldn't have to go over there and fight a war to save their lives. Guns save lives, or you wouldn't have been sending the money over there. prgtoken Our Founding Father, George Mason, who wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights on which our Constitution's Bill of Rights is based, once said: To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them.
JOSEPH WOODROW HATCHETT UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE AND FEDERAL BUILDING
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2022-6-24

I thank my good friend, Mr. Jordan, for yielding. prgtoken , I rise today in opposition to this anti-Second Amendment legislation. I know firsthand how important firearm ownership and the Second Amendment are for self-defense. prgtoken , 5 years ago, I was in the batter's box at a baseball field in Virginia, practicing for our Congressional Baseball Game, when a deranged gunman tried to kill us because we were s. prgtoken The attack would have been a massacre if not for the armed U.S. Capitol Police Officers, my heroes, David Bailey and Crystal Griner, who were there. prgtoken The actions on that field that day solidified my support for the Second Amendment. Remember, , prgtoken this gunman wanted to settle his political differences with us, who were trying to fix a broken healthcare system, with bullets on a baseball field. prgtoken It is not what we do in the United States of America, but that day, my thought was, I wish I had my firearm to protect myself. prgtoken We don't need more laws and restrictions that make it more difficult for law-abiding, gun-owning citizens to exercise their constitutional rights and protect their families. prgtoken We need to support law enforcement and get tough on criminals who steal guns and commit violent crimes and further improve mental health programs. prgtoken I am a proud gun owner. I am a concealed carry licensee and a strong supporter of our Second Amendment. I always have and always will work to preserve the Second Amendment for law-abiding, American citizens. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this attack to undermine the Second Amendment.