mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Michael Lawler (Republican, NY) \u2014 2024-6-26

. Mr. Chair, today, I rise in support of my amendment to increase funding for the Peace Corps. This investment is a commitment to our Nation's values and our role on the global stage, and we should not back away from it. prgtoken The Peace Corps represents the best of America. It embodies our spirit and our generosity. It helps build communities across the globe and exposes them to the good that America does in the world. These initiatives are more crucial than ever in today's world where American soft power, which the Peace Corps is a projection of, must be at the forefront of the pushback against authoritarian countries like Russia and China. prgtoken As we consider the challenges and opportunities before us, let us come together to ensure the Peace Corps is equipped to continue its mission. Supporting this amendment means supporting sustained American leadership and goodwill across the globe. prgtoken Thousands of Americans serve in the Peace Corps every year and reducing their funding would prevent them from accomplishing their critical mission. I have heard from many constituents about their personal experiences with the Peace Corps and they can tell you, as good as anyone, how impactful serving has been and how many volunteers go on to incredible careers in public service. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to stand together to fund this vital program for the next generation of Americans and enhance our Nation's legacy of making a positive impact worldwide. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to support this amendment, and .
FRANK WOLF'S COMPELLING REFLECTION ON THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN AND ADVANCE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Christopher H. Smith (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2024-6-26

at home and overseas, Frank Wolf--my good prgtoken friend and former colleague here in the House of Representatives--has been an indefatigable defender of human rights and human dignity. prgtoken To add to the list of his many accomplishments, Frank recently finished his term on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, which was established by the landmark International Religious Freedom Act he authored in 1998. prgtoken Upon completion of his term, Frank wrote a compelling reflection on what remains to be done to strengthen and advance our work to ensure religious believers worldwide can faithfully practice their beliefs. As Frank's profound insights provide an excellent blueprint for religious freedom advocates the world over, I include in the Record his statement in its entirety. In May I finished my term on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and I want to offer some thoughts for action going forward which I believe could help promote religious freedom internationally and domestically. The recently released Pew Survey on religious freedom reports that over 80% of the world's population lives in a religiously repressive environment, up from 70% in 2009. We see religious persecution in China, North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua, Cuba and many other countries. All one has to do is look at the 2024 USCIRF Annual Report, which documents that people of all faiths and beliefs are being persecuted in many places around the globe. In our own country, we see troubling violations of religious freedom--Christian schools and churches facing threats, assaults on parental rights, the FBI visiting pro- life families, some businesses canceling people and organizations because of their political and religious beliefs, and Jewish students facing rampant antisemitism on American college campuses. We witness an insidious relativism that teaches that concepts of right and wrong are old- fashioned and even judgmental. Vices are elevated, virtues are mocked, and faith is squeezed out of the public square. Our culture is coarsened because of it. The late Cardinal Francis George, former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archbishop of Chicago, predicted in 2012, ``I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.'' At the time I thought this was alarmist, but seeing what is happening today, his statement gives me pause. Cardinal George went on to say, ``This tendency for the government to claim for itself authority over all areas of human experience flows from a secularization of our culture. If God cannot be part of public life, then the state itself plays God.'' Chuck Colson warned us of many of
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
W. Gregory Steube (Republican, FL) \u2014 2024-6-26

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment that would prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement from sending funds to the Department of Veterans Affairs to process medical claims for illegal immigrants in ICE custody. prgtoken This is a similar amendment to one that I led earlier this month on the prgtoken funding bill for the VA. I was pleased that my amendment was included in that bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this amendment that would ensure that the VA focuses its resources on veterans, not illegal immigrants. prgtoken Last December, I led a letter to the VA with 23 other Members after seeing reports that ICE was using VA personnel to process medical claims for illegal immigrants in ICE custody. prgtoken Thanks to the administration's reckless policy on the border, we continue to see record numbers of illegal crossings. This will inevitably increase the burden on VA workers who should be fulfilling their duties to serve veterans instead. prgtoken The VA exists to serve American veterans who risked their lives to protect our country. For far too long, the VA has fallen short on its mission: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise ``to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan'' by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's veterans. prgtoken Veterans continue to experience unacceptable wait times in receiving medical care and disability benefits. Under the administration, the disability claims backlog has exploded. As of last week, there are 273,307 outstanding disability claims that have been pending for more than 125 days. This is unacceptable, and the VA personnel should not lift a finger for illegal immigrants in ICE custody while thousands of veterans are forced to wait to receive the benefits they deserve. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment to ensure that VA personnel work for veterans, not illegal immigrants held by ICE. .
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2024-6-26

. Mr. Chair, many people may not know this, but NBC News recently reported that more than 400 illegal aliens who are affiliates of ISIS were released into the United States under this administration's watch. They have caught some of them, but they still have a significant number of them out. prgtoken Do you know what they said? Gee, if we could have enforced the law, we wouldn't have released them into the country, and we could have rounded them up and prevented them from ever getting into the country. prgtoken The reason I bring that up is because I am speaking in support of my amendment, which prohibits the use of funds to pay the salary and the expenses of the position of the DHS Secretary. prgtoken Who is the DHS Secretary? Who is this individual? It is the person who has been the architect of the open-border policy. prgtoken I think one of my colleagues from Florida, who was on the floor here just a moment ago, said it is a fictional invasion. Really? It is 10 million people in 2\1/2\, 3 years. They started setting records when? February 2021. They have set records every month since. Who is in charge of that? Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary. prgtoken In fact, this body was so disenchanted with his policies that we impeached Secretary Mayorkas. When he was confronted with: Do you have operational control of the border? He said, in a Judiciary hearing, you know what, hey, we don't like that. First, he said, yes, we have operational control. We gave him the statute. Are you at operational control? Well, you know, we basically devised our own definition. prgtoken That is the person who is occupying the Homeland Security chair right now, and they have incentivized literally millions of people to come into this country. That is the lawlessness that has brought people to their knees in many communities around this country. prgtoken We are still trying to get information from the DHS and the Department of Defense about the terrorists who attempted to infiltrate Quantico just about 6 weeks ago. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TO OVERSPEND AND OVERREGULATE
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-6-26

. Madam , since President has taken office, prices have risen 20.1 percent. That means the average American household is spending an average of $13,000 more a year for common household items. prgtoken Despite this out-of-control, spending-induced inflation, the administration continues to overspend and overregulate. prgtoken In fact, in just 3\1/2\ years, this administration has finalized 991 new regulations. Those regulations will result in an estimated 300 million additional hours of paperwork every year for Americans and bring with them a total finalized cost of $1.6 trillion. prgtoken This comes as small business owners struggle to remain competitive and keep up with these rising costs. prgtoken Madam , it is past time the administration ends its regulatory war against small businesses and unleash the American ingenuity and capitalism that has traditionally given Americans the highest standard of living in the world.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Kat Cammack (Republican, FL) \u2014 2024-6-26

I rise today in support of my amendment, which would restrict funds at the Department of Homeland Security from being used to finalize any rule or regulation that has an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more. Some might know this language commonly as REINS, Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny. prgtoken It is no secret that the regulatory agencies today are out of control. Under the administration, we have seen hundreds of billions, with a b, of dollars in regulatory costs fall on the shoulders of average Americans without any input from their elected Representatives in Congress. prgtoken My amendment seeks to restore congressional oversight and the people's voice over these regulations by requiring that any major rule proposed by these agencies must be approved by Congress, a/k/a the people's House, before they go into effect. prgtoken By including my amendment in this bill, we restore Congress' Article I authorities by bringing significant regulatory decisions back to the body that is closest to the will of the people. We will no longer allow unelected, nameless, faceless bureaucrats to impose regulatory costs behind closed doors, but, rather, commit ourselves to open, transparent governance. prgtoken We have already seen the administration's outrageous border crisis having allowed more illegal immigrants into the country than the population of 43 U.S. States. Nearly 1,400 pounds of deadly fentanyl has been seized at the border in just a single month, and 367 known suspected terrorists on the international terrorist watch list have crossed the border under the administration. prgtoken This administration has waged war against the immigration system of the United States, and the results speak for themselves. It is a total failure. This commonsense amendment is a core part of our mission to reintroduce government accountability and to restore the elected Representatives' voice in the process. prgtoken By requiring congressional approval for major regulations, this amendment forces a thorough examination of the potential costs and benefits of proposed rules. This scrutiny is to prevent regulatory overreach, ensuring that regulations are grounded in sound science, economic reasoning, and the overall well-being of the American people, regardless of political affiliation. prgtoken Oftentimes, these regulations serve as a mechanism for agencies to sidestep congressional authority in crucial policy decisions. As the core legislative body, it is crucial for us to reaffirm our constitutional role and prevent any unwarranted expansion of regulatory powers. prgtoken All in all, my amendment restores the people's voice in these significant Federal agency decisions that impact our everyday lives. Our Nation needs major regulatory reform, and incorporating our amendment is a crucial step forward to a more transparent and accountable government for all Americans. <|
NATIONAL DAIRY MONTH
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2024-6-26

I rise today as a proud descendant of dairy farmers to honor National Dairy Month. prgtoken As the first chairman of the House Agriculture Committee from Pennsylvania in nearly 170 years, I know the importance of America's dairy industry. prgtoken Our Commonwealth is home to more than 5,000 dairy farms with more than 470,000 cows. We produce nearly 10 billion pounds of milk each year and for every cow, we generate $24,000 in economic revenue. prgtoken The American dairy industry is an economic powerhouse, home to nearly 10 million dairy cows, supporting over 3 million jobs, and generating nearly $42 billion in direct wages. prgtoken America's dairy farmers produce more than 200 billion pounds of milk each year, ensuring that there is a consistent and reliable supply of essential nutrients. prgtoken However, the story of American dairy goes deeper than just statistics and numbers. It is a story of family farms and hardworking producers. Dairy producers work tirelessly every day of the year to provide nutritious products for consumers here and around the world. prgtoken American dairy is a robust and dynamic sector that supports our economy, nourishes our population, and embodies the values of hard work and determination. prgtoken , I thank all of our dairy farmers and producers across the Commonwealth and around the country.
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Michael R. Turner (Republican, OH) \u2014 2024-6-26

. Mr. Chair, I thank Congressman Grothman, my friend and colleague, for his leadership on this issue. prgtoken I ask for strong support for this amendment which prohibits funding to be used for the parole program titled: ``Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans.'' prgtoken More than 10,000 Haitian migrants have settled in my congressional district in Springfield, Ohio, sent there by the administration's unlawful use of the immigration parole program. I am going to say that again. More than 10,000 Haitians have settled in my congressional district in Springfield, Ohio. prgtoken America is a Nation of immigrants, and Ohio has undoubtedly been enriched by those seeking the tremendous opportunities that our country has to offer. However, 's administration policies incentivize migrants to locate in the United States rapidly and in large numbers, moving to small and rural communities like in my district. prgtoken You cannot find a city in this country that would be able to sufficiently handle this kind of surge. The city of Springfield is strained with infrastructure, housing, and schools all pushed to the limit. prgtoken Last year, the community of Springfield formed an immigration accountability response team to address this unprecedented population explosion. These policies are wrong and put these people and the city of Springfield in impossible circumstances. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge strong support of this amendment.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Darrell Issa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2024-6-26

spokespeople across the United States Government routinely refer to Xi Jinping as President of China. The only problem is he is not the President. He holds a number of titles in the Communist Party. They include three jobs. First, he is general secretary of the Communist Party; second, he is chairman of the Central Military Commission; and, third, he is state chairman, which is a ceremonial position. prgtoken , I include two articles in the Record to describe this in more detail. [From CNN, Sept. 2020] prgtoken US Lawmakers Want to Stop Calling Xi Jinping a President. But Will He Care? (By Jessie Yeung) Chinese leader Xi Jinping holds so many titles that he has earned himself a nickname: the ``Chairman of Everything.'' Since taking office in 2012, he has become head of not only the state, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the armed forces, as is normal for the country's leader--but also of multiple new party super-committees, prompting speculation from international commentators that he is less of a president and more of an autocrat. Now a new bill in the United States Congress wants to strip Xi of the title ``President,'' which most Western governments and English-language news organizations--including CNN--refer to him by. The bill, called the ``Name the Enemy Act,'' was introduced to the House of Representatives on August 7 by Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. It would prohibit the federal government from creating or disseminating any documents that ``refer to the head of state of the People's Republic of China as anything other than General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, or alternatively, as General Secretary,'' according to a draft of the bill. ``The leadership of the People's Republic of China has gone unchallenged in its perverse pursuits of human rights abuses across decades,'' the bill reads. ``Addressing the head of state of the People's Republic of China as a `President' grants the incorrect assumption that the people of the state, via democratic means, have readily legitimized the leader who rules them.'' Xi's titles have been a topic of controversy and some confusion. None of his official Chinese titles include the word ``president,'' or translate to it--but all Chinese leaders since the 1980s, when the country began to open up its economy, have had that official English title in China. Perry isn't the first to call for a change in designation; for years, critics have argued that this split in Xi's Chinese and English titles allows him to project an image of openness and representative leadership to the international commu
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8774, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8771, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS...
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-6-26

I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding. prgtoken I rise today to speak in support of the rule and the underlying bills: H.R. 8771, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act; H.R. 8752, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act; and H.R. 8774, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act. Each of these bills, , serves an important role in ensuring our Nation's defense while also holding the Federal agencies and the administration accountable to the American public. prgtoken These bills eliminate funding for unnecessary and unjustified Federal programs, saving taxpayers' money in the process. At the same time, these bills will work to secure the southern border, counter threatening activity by the People's Republic of China, and enhance the ability of the Federal Government to combat the flow of fentanyl and other illegal drugs crossing our borders, while providing a 4.5 percent pay increase to all military personnel, including, very importantly, a 15 percent increase in pay for junior enlisted servicemembers. prgtoken Importantly, these bills narrow their scope to what appropriations bills are intended to do, fund the core missions of Federal agencies and not some fanciful wish list. prgtoken To this end, the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act allocates over $12 billion below the President's budget request while the Defense Appropriations Act receives a modest 1 percent discretional allocation increase in accordance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act signed into law last year. prgtoken For much the same reason as noted above, I expect that Members across the aisle may find fault with these bills. Certainly, we welcome their remarks and welcome the debate. However, I will offer a few points on the matter. prgtoken Over 10,000 Member submissions were considered in the appropriations process this year. Of this, many were incorporated into the base bills. These measures serve all of our districts and, equally, our Nation as we look to ensure our security and prosperity over the coming years. prgtoken The world has become increasingly dangerous. Many days, we are living literally on a knife's edge. One simple miscalculation could plunge us into some unimaginable scenario. More than 4 years ago, when President took office, it wasn't necessarily this way, but during the years of the administration, he has failed to reverse the Nation's reckless spending and to prioritize those who pay for the bills, everyday American taxpayers, and those who selflessly serve our Nation. These bills serve to make that very necessary adjustment. prgtoken Regarding the second point, , President has signed over 60 executive orders that have eroded border security since taking office. s have repeatedly sounded the alarm on how dangerous these actions are for Americans and national security. Beyond the seriou
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Barry Moore (Republican, AL) \u2014 2024-6-26

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in support of amendment No. 32 that would express congressional opposition to TSA's use of facial recognition technology at American airports. prgtoken Facial recognition technology encroaches on the privacy of American citizens. This gives the government unprecedented surveillance capabilities that can track a person's movements in real time. prgtoken At a time when the government already conducts warrantless searches of our data through the FISA programs, we should not give our weaponized government another inch when it comes to mass surveillance, especially without a sophisticated system of checks and balances. prgtoken TSA has expanded its facial recognition technology at American airports. While TSA states that the program is optional, it is the stated intent of the TSA to expand this technology beyond the security checkpoint and require that passengers undergo facial recognition scans every time they travel. Further, there are several airports that I have traveled to that do not have sufficient signage to alert passengers that they have the option to opt out of this intrusive technology. prgtoken In April of 2023, TSA Administrator Pekoske admitted at the South by Southwest Conference that we will get to a point where we will require biometrics across the board. prgtoken The potential for misuse of this technology extends far beyond airport security checkpoints. Once Americans become accustomed to government facial recognition scans, it will be that much easier for the government to scan citizens' faces everywhere, from entry into government buildings, to passive surveillance on public property like parks, schools, and sidewalks. prgtoken This powerful surveillance technology as deployed by TSA does not make air travel safer. As a matter of fact, the 3 percent error rate cited by TSA represents more than 68,000 mismatches per day if used on all 2.2 million daily travelers. prgtoken Recent news reports that hundreds of passengers have bypassed TSA security checkpoints entirely in recent years suggest that TSA should focus on the fundamentals, not expanding its facial recognition program. prgtoken , .