mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING LEFLORE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , I rise today to honor a remarkable team, Leflore County High School (LCHS) football team. prgtoken LCHS football team has had a tremendous football season. They ended their 2021 season with an 10-4 record. prgtoken On November 26, 2021, LCHS defeated Charleston High School. 24-22, in the North State 2A championship game in Charleston to advance to the state title game. On December 4, 2021, the Tigers lost to Scott Central, 72-24, in Hattiesburg. prgtoken Despite their loss, Leflore County celebrated them. LCHS is the district's only high school to reach the state championship in football since the Greenwood and Leflore County districts merged in 2019. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the remarkable Leflore County High School Team for their commitment and hard work.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2022-3-2

as my colleague from Utah just noted a minute ago, he has been asking for votes on this matter repeatedly. And today, he and others seek to invalidate a regulation issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that require most healthcare providers to be vaccinated. prgtoken And suffice it to say, this is something that the Supreme Court has ruled on. The Supreme Court has actually taken this up and agrees with our position that, in effect, this is an area where there is a strong public interest. And I believe what my colleague is proposing is just far outside the mainstream of opinion regarding vaccinations in America. There simply is a point where an anti-mandate agenda becomes a dangerous anti-vaccine agenda, and my colleagues on the other side, in my view, have crossed that line quite some time ago. prgtoken So I am just going to take a few minutes to describe why I think this is such an extreme position outside what the vast majority of Americans agree and in contrast to what the Supreme Court has said. prgtoken Americans support a vaccine provision or requirement for healthcare workers by a 20- or 30-point margin--no surprise about that. Everybody is concerned about sitting in a room with a doctor or nurse who may be contagious and who has been unvaccinated. I want to particularly emphasize the people affected here who are the most vulnerable based on what we have seen during the pandemic. We are talking about those with chronic illness and seniors. prgtoken Three-quarters of the Americans who died of COVID-19 were seniors, and 200,000 of those COVID deaths were Americans living or working in long-term care facilities like nursing homes. Many others were in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices routinely. prgtoken Making sure that healthcare workers are vaccinated, colleagues, I don't think is about any partisan position. It is about a commonsense policy designed to keep seniors--people I have worked with for 7 years; before I came to the Congress, I was director of the Gray Panthers--I think we all believe we want vulnerable people to be safe. So I am going to start by quoting a ruling by the Roberts Court--hardly, at this point, colleagues, some kind of radical left judiciary. Recently, they allowed the vaccine requirement for healthcare workers to go forward, and I am just going to quote: Ensuring that providers take steps to avoid transmitting a dangerous virus to their patients is consistent with the fundamental principle of the medical profession: First, do no harm. It would be the very opposite of efficient and effective administration for a facility that is supposed to make people well to make them sick with COVID-19. prgtoken This vaccine provision or requirement is about keeping our healthcare workforce safe. Doctors and nurses in our country are overwhelmed. That is what they just told me as I went about my State, going to hospit
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-3-2

as you saw at the State of the Union Address last night, a number of pandemic restrictions in Congress have seemingly ended, thanks to the CDC's convenient decision to update its guidance on mask wearing and social distancing earlier this week. prgtoken Some ic politicians in the room were cheering, chanting, embracing, and crowding. Though many of them continue to publicly condemn those who have chosen not to wear masks or socially distance, they were maskless and were not distanced themselves. So why the immediate change? Well, perhaps it is because they simply could not waste the political opportunity for partisan theater with which they could raise the curtain on their Big Government aspirational new normal. prgtoken Sure, President can attempt to hide behind CDC guidance, the very same CDC guidance that crafted a complex system to provisionally grant Americans permission to live as free citizens, but he fell into a perpetual pitfall of the left. He forgot that Americans are a lot smarter, perhaps, than he thinks they are. prgtoken Americans can see through the transparent political theater and the constructive convenient timing. They see the hypocrisy. They know that the only science that has changed is the political science. They saw the powerful elite gather to praise their own playacted benevolence, foresight, and leadership, all while countless Americans who are suffering from the real failures of President and his party are losing their jobs because of draconian Federal vaccine mandates. prgtoken What a sorry state of affairs and what a sad set of conditions. prgtoken Americans see and feel the hypocrisy. The people of Utah and the United States do not want the false freedom pushed by a political class that refuses to relinquish control over citizens' lives. They want real freedom, the kind promised by the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution. They want to be able to live their lives, raise their families, and make their own medical decisions without a ``Mother, may I'' from President or the vast throngs of nameless, faceless, unelected, unaccountable Federal bureaucrats. prgtoken They want to be able to provide for their families without the threat of being fired if they don't submit to a medical procedure that they don't want. prgtoken I am honored to join my friend and colleague, Senator Marshall, in standing for American workers. Today, we stand for the millions of healthcare workers that were some of the heroes of this pandemic. They came to work and cared for the sick before vaccines were even available. They should not be forced to submit to a procedure or risk their livelihoods. prgtoken This isn't our first effort to end these Federal mandates. I have tried dozens of bills dozens of times to end this draconian overreach. I am proud to continue this fight. prgtoken We will not stop until freedom is restored. We will not stop until
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF DR. RAY FARLEY
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-3-2

I rise today in recognition of the life of Dr. Ray Farley, the former president of Young College. prgtoken Dr. Farley was a long-time supporter of Young College, with 35 years of dedicated service to Young under his belt. prgtoken Beginning as a professor of history in 1955, Dr. Farley worked with the college until his retirement in 1991, after serving as the college president for 20 years. For some of those years I was a student at Young College while Dr. Farley was the president. I got to know him well. He was a fine gentleman and did an excellent job. prgtoken During his tenure as president, Dr. Farley made it his mission to modernize and expand the services and facilities at Young . He was responsible for taking important steps to strengthen the college endowment, faculty, curriculum, and facilities. prgtoken Dr. Farley implemented his plan for helping to beautify the campus as well by renovating dining facilities, resident halls, and administrative buildings. The years with Dr. Farley at the helm were integral to the growth and development of the college itself. prgtoken In April of 2021, Dr. Farley was awarded the Outstanding Friend Award by the Young College Alumni Association for his incredible dedication and service to the college. His legacy and impact will be felt for many years to come. prgtoken , I send my condolences to his family and friends as well as the whole Young community.
REAL STATE OF THE UNION
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , I rise during this Special Order to offer thoughts on the real State of the Union. prgtoken Last night, the President addressed the Nation and attempted to rewrite the history of his first 14 months in office. The speech was short on solutions to our everyday challenges: record inflation, skyrocketing price of gas, and supply chain disruptions that are affecting everything from food to consumer goods. prgtoken This administration owns this energy crisis, which is a direct result of its crippling domestic production. When we don't produce our own energy, it makes us more vulnerable to global market fluctuations such as those caused by the Russian aggressions at Ukraine. prgtoken The administration continues to ignore the national emergency at our southern border with unprecedented illegal immigration, millions of apprehensions, and limited deportations. It is a serious situation that continues to threaten our national security. prgtoken Let's focus for a moment here on U.S. energy. America's been feeling the ripple of skyrocketing energy prices. The average gallon of gas in my home State of California is up 70 percent from this time last year, and heating our homes is over 30 percent more expensive than winter last year. prgtoken Economic sanctions on Russia and the halting of the Nord Stream pipeline are sure to help increase the costs of energy, but they are necessary in order for to us to have independence. This reality will be a wake-up call for the administration to reverse their current course and understand that American-produced energy is the best path forward. prgtoken After the President announced further sanctions on Russia due to the unprovoked attack on Ukraine, he promised to supply energy to our European allies that depend on Russian natural gas. prgtoken Since his first day in office, he has repeatedly stifled U.S. gas and oil production, increasing our dependence on all things Russian oil. prgtoken I am an adamant supporter of domestic oil and gas production, including building new pipelines. Right under our feet lies the largest untapped oil supply in the world, more than enough to drive down costs for American consumers and export liquefied natural gas to our European allies, removing our adversaries like Russia from their supply chain. prgtoken In last night's State of the Union, the President called to make Russia suffer prgtoken economic consequences for their unprovoked attack. He glossed over that he has repeatedly stifled U.S. energy production, halting the Keystone pipeline and suffocating domestic oil and gas leases. prgtoken Unfortunately, he did the opposite. Just this week, he announced he is once again halting all new leases for drilling on our vast Federal lands, which we know how to do well and ecologically soundly. His solution? Import more gas from other adversaries such as China and the Middle East. prgtoken Our Nation imports 7 percent of our oil from Russia. Alth
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2022-3-2

imagine this. You are a CEO of a company, and one day your CFO comes into your office with bad news. The company's costs are rapidly growing, and you aren't bringing in enough money to keep pace with the rising costs. The solution here is simple: come up with a plan to reduce costs and continue serving your customers and honoring your agreements while ensuring that the company can stay afloat. prgtoken If you don't adapt and evolve, you fail and go out of business. Most Americans understand that. Unfortunately, Congress is not like most Americans. We are in charge of running Medicare, and for decades, the cost of Medicare has risen dramatically, but Congress has no plan to address future costs. prgtoken And now we have Medicare's Board of Trustees reporting that the hospital insurance trust fund, the fund which supports Medicare Part A, will be insolvent in 2026. You can see here is where we are. In just 4 short years--in just 4 short years--we are going to run out of money to keep paying for services for Americans most in need. prgtoken We are talking about things like emergency surgery, in-home healthcare, and hospice care. By 2030, 4 years after insolvency, the trust fund will be $335 billion in debt. Medicare Part A cannot pay when it lacks funds. prgtoken What makes matters worse, the Medicare trustees have been warning about this for years. They have told us that Medicare Part A hasn't met even the most basic short-term goals for fiscal health since 2003. prgtoken Let's go back to the imaginary company I mentioned earlier. If you were an employee of that company and your salary depended on the company's success, how would you feel if, for 18 years, the company's leadership knew that the company would go under unless they fixed the problem, but it never happened? prgtoken Instead of fixing the problem, no one did anything. They just kept using up the company's savings. That is basically what has happened and continues to happen with Medicare. prgtoken Here is what is shocking. Absolutely nothing has been done. Washington has completely ignored the warnings about the rising costs and declining revenues for Medicare, and there is no plan to repair the system. Career politicians in the Washington establishment have acted recklessly and immorally. prgtoken They are plunging Medicare into billions of dollars of debt, debt that our grandchildren will have to pay off for the benefit of those in the present. To make matters worse, Washington politicians think they can continue to treat Medicare like a piggy bank and draw as much money as they want from it to pay for another unsustainable and unfunded program. prgtoken We saw them use Medicare savings to help fund road construction in an infrastructure bill. Make no mistake, I want to have better ports and better highways, but robbing Peter to pay Paul with money Peter doesn't have? That is wrong. prgtoken Kicking the can down the road and letting our de
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-3-2

I come to the floor to ask a unanimous consent request, and I am going to state the reasons for that before I ask for the request. And I appreciate my friend from New Jersey coming over to help me at this particular time. prgtoken So, today, the issue is fentanyl. Today's vote on this bill, as amended, should be a yes for every Member of the Senate. This measure extends the lifesaving authority placing fentanyl drugs in schedule I. In fact, a 15-month extension of this authority similar to the bill that I offer right now passed the Senate, and it passed the Senate unanimously in 2020. prgtoken In case that you have not read the headlines for the past few years, fentanyl and its analogs are killing tens of thousands of Americans each year, and it happens that fentanyl and analogs are now the No. 1 cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45, the most productive years of a person's life. prgtoken The Drug Enforcement Administration placed fentanyl and analogs on schedule I in the year 2018. Congress has already extended this authority like I am seeking today five times in 4 years. Now, we are on the verge of extending it for a sixth time before it expires on March 11. prgtoken During the administration, these reauthorizations have gotten shorter and yet shorter. The periods of extension have been as short as just a few weeks. This has created constant doubt about whether fentanyl scheduling will even continue. prgtoken I have received calls from families of people who have overdosed on fentanyl. I have received calls from law enforcement seeking our help for them to enforce the law. For the last 10 months, these families and these law enforcement people have been in terror that this authority will disappear, that thousands then would die from the fentanyl overdoses. prgtoken We have extended fentanyl scheduling five times in 4 years, but four have been in the last 10 months alone. While extensions preserve a lifesaving authority, this kind of legislation by extension is neither sustainable nor reflective of the great gravity of keeping fentanyl drugs in schedule I. A permanently scheduled solution is the best answer; but, unfortunately, a permanent scheduling action isn't feasible right now. prgtoken Now, why would that be the case? Because some members of Congress don't support keeping fentanyl analogs in schedule I--or maybe at all. Some reject our criminal drug laws altogether. That seems unbelievable, but that is what I sense from some of my colleagues. Fortunately, this is a fringe opinion and not very representative of the majority of Congress. s and alike have voiced support for permanently scheduling fentanyl analogs, including even President . But until Congress agrees on a bipartisan and a permanent solution, we must maintain the authority by extension. prgtoken For years, I have been leading the fight to extend this authority in hopes of finding a permanent
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES RELATING TO ``MEDICARE AND MEDICAID...
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-3-2

today is Texas Independence Day. One hundred eighty-six years ago today, Texans declared our independence from Mexico, and we fired a shot for liberty that was heard around the world. prgtoken As I have done a number of years in the past, I am going to read the letter from the Alamo that Lieutenant Colonel William Barret Travis wrote calling for help. It is a letter that energized Texans across our great State and that energized lovers of liberty everywhere. prgtoken I read this letter the very first time that I ever stood and spoke on the Senate floor, and these are the words that inspire us even 186 years after they were written. prgtoken Colonel Travis writes: To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World-- Fellow Citizens & compatriots--I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna--I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man--The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken--I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls--I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch-- prgtoken The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country--Victory or Death. William Barret Travis, Lt.Col.comdt. PS: The Lord is on our side--When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn--We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves. Travis. prgtoken The brave men and women at the Alamo would go on to give their lives for liberty, including Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett. prgtoken Shortly thereafter, the Texans were victorious at the Battle of San Jacinto. With a cry in the air of ``Remember the Alamo,'' the heroes who gave their lives for liberty inspired a successful revolution, and the Republic of Texas was formed. prgtoken Sam Houston, one of the founding fathers of the Lone Star State, was also born on this very day 229 years ago. prgtoken Sam Houston was a great American. He was born in Virginia and spent many years in Tennessee, where he served in the U.S. House of Representatives and then became the Governor of Tennessee. In Texas, he was the George Washington of Texas. He served as the commander in chief for the Texas Army and led the Texas Army to victory in our revolution. When Texas became independent, Houston served in the Texas House of Representatives and then as President of the R
CURRENT BORDER INSECURITY
Warren Davidson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-3-2

. Madam , I have requested this time to address part of the State of the Union that was not addressed last night. In fact, we saw that the President was so bold as to say that the border is secure and tout the fact that they have caught 2 million people at the border, as if that is success. That is what was said. prgtoken What wasn't said is what has been going on at the border for a long time and has been made worse by the policies that and his administration have put in place. Frankly, by the United States laws that he and his administration have ignored, and that Secretary Mayorkas enables every day that he leads the Department of Homeland Security down the wrong path for our country. prgtoken So, we are here to talk about, stop the cartels. We are introducing a bill called the Stop the Cartels Act. We spend so much time on the sympathetic cause of immigration and we conflate border security with immigration. prgtoken We can have an incredibly secure border regardless of our immigration policy, and border security is, in fact, national security. The cartels pose a serious threat to the United States of America. The products that they push in our communities have killed over 100,000 people. prgtoken This past year, the leading cause of death for 18 to 45 year olds is fatal overdoses. The drugs are bad, but now they are poisoned with fentanyl, and we are not taking the threat seriously. So the first portion of the Stop the Cartels Act will focus on gathering intelligence. prgtoken As we look at the country of Mexico, our southern neighbor, it controls the whole land portion of our southern border. That border is controlled by the cartels. I had Brandon Judd, the president of the Customs and Border Patrol Union, at a hearing that we had to have offsite because Pelosi won't have the hearing on the topic in any of our hearing rooms. She won't let the committees of jurisdiction deal with it, so s are forced to go offsite to talk about this important topic. prgtoken When I asked him: Who controls the border? You or the cartels? Do the cartels control the border more than you? prgtoken He said: You are not putting words in my mouth. That is the exact point. The cartels control the border. We don't control the border. prgtoken I said: Why don't you control the border? prgtoken He said: Because of policies. prgtoken Do you need more resources? prgtoken That is a different topic. What we need is good policy. We had policies prgtoken that were working to control the border, and now we have policies that are not working. prgtoken The Border Patrol controls it. We are not even on defense, we are not even on the field, and we are not even in the stadium because the policies of this administration changed so that it gave complete control of our southern border to the cartels. prgtoken Now, we could talk about all the corruption and the problems that the cartels are causing for Mexico. That is a problem that Mexi